The Invisible Library

Genevieve Cogan (actual book)

I have a very soft spot for books and shows about magical libraries.  I loved the sections (TV and Book)  in The Magicians that describe the library and I have read a lot of Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series.  I guess this genre taps into most avid reader’s childhood memories about libraries being otherworldly places that can transport you away and holds all the secrets of the adult world in plain sight.  That said, this is definitely a popcorn book that alternately amused and exasperated me.  The writing is breezy and fun, with a lot of modern asides from Irene, the narrator, that are amusing.   The set up of the Fae as agents of Chaos in the multiverse and Dragons as their ordered opposite number is interesting and I could see be mined for interesting storylines.  I even like the often used device of the true language that spans across realities that can be used to manipulate objects and people within the limits of their nature.   

The two big problems that I have with the book are the character development and the internal logic of the magic / language structures.  Irene is likable enough but she declaims her thinking without really giving an idea of what her core values are besides an unthinking devotion to her service to the library.  I don’t know if it is a deliberate feminist touch or if I just didn’t read carefully enough but it bothers me that there is no physical description of her appearance.  Meanwhile her male colleagues, Kai and Vale are described in glowing physical fan girl terms.  Obviously a set up for future romantic tension between her and her co-stars but it comes across as sort of romantic fantasy fiction.  Overall, at least for the first book, all the characters seem somewhat cookie-cutter.  Bradamant as her librarian rival is undeveloped except as sort of a popular mean girl. Even the motivations of the villain,  Alberich, are unclear except for the fact that he disagrees with the ethos and mission of the Library and wants more power in lieu of non-interference and balancing.  All the librarians are terrified of Alberich but we are not sure why. He is like an ill-defined boogeyman. I liked the gory details of inhabiting the actual skin of his victims, but Alberich seemed overly amoral while still trying to convince Irene to join him in his pursuit of power.  Why?  Because he senses that she is intelligent and special?   

The other issue I have is the logical framework of the magic.  Fae and Dragon magic are not explained except as being an integral part of their nature as chaos/order beings.  There are random werewolves and vampires that are not explained except as window dressing.  And the Library language is both overly constrained and broad in confusing ways.  They use it to manipulate locks that want to be open or closed because that is their primary function and do some mind control to tweak perceptions and opinions.  But then they use it to bring stuffed animals to life and to increase the weight of the struts of an airship.  The increase in weight especially bothers me because it makes absolutely no sense as far as any sort of logical magical reality.  IF you can increase the actual mass of an object or alternatively, the local effect of gravity on an object, then you can pretty much do anything.  It seems very sloppy and undeveloped. 

Overall, I did enjoy the writing style and the set-up.  I liked the breezy modern tone of Irene within the steampunky, Victorian world.  I didn’t like the absurd amount of plot devoted to figuring out motivations and mysteries while glossing over the characters and world building.  I did buy the second book, because I do love magical library fiction, so I hope she will start to sort out some of these issues and develop some depth to the characters and world.            

Takeaways:

Character motivation and development is important.

Spend some time on developing the internal logic of your universe.

Simpler is usually better. This book is like an overstuffed cake.

I am willing to put up with a lot for an interesting premise.