Book Review: Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

August 4, 2017
Title: Ink and Bone
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: The Great Library #1
Publisher: NAL
Release Date: July 07, 2015
Genre: Dystopian/Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Find it Here: Amazon // Goodreads

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn…
My Review:

I'm pretty sure I bought Ink and Bone when it was first released two years ago. I picked it up to read it not long after but I just wasn't feeling the first chapter. So I put it down and it took me another two years to finally pick it back up and give it a chance. And I'm so glad I did because once I really got into it, I really loved it!

I think the world building in Ink and Bone is very interesting. I never would have imagined a world where traditional governments like kings and presidents no longer exist but the library is the governing force for a united world order. And it's all very fascinating how actual book and paper are illegal and everyone has a blank, which I imagine is something like a Kindle, where they can call up almost any novel that has been archived by The Great Library. Because book are illegal, they become part of the black market and Jess, our main character, grows up in a family that deals in the trade of rare books. His whole life he's always tried to stay out of the eye of the Great Library but when his father ask him to become a student of the library in the hopes of getting a job to have someone on the inside, he begins to realize how much he loves being a part of what his think is preserving information.

I also loved the fantasy element to Ink and Bone. They can teleport halfway across the world (even though it's very painful) and they can teleport books they find in raid back to The Great Library. They have things called auto bots that are protectors of the library and they most come in different animal forms. There are so many fun little details to this world that were really well thought out. All the characters have a lot of depth and layers that you keep discovering throughout the novel.

I couldn't imagine living in a world where books are illegal. Holding a book and reading on a Kindle is just not the same thing at all. I really hope this turns out to be a great series because I can't wait to see what happens in the next book! 

1 comment

  1. This book has been sitting in a pile on my floor forever. It sounds amazing though so I'm going to have to make it a priority to finally get it read. Excellent review!

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