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Review: Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine

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Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine

Sword and Pen (Great Library #5)
Rachel Caine
Berkley Books
Published September 3, 2019

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About Sword and Pen

With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it’s worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library . . . or see everything it stood for crumble.

My Review

I’m so torn about this book but probably not for the reason you think! I am so sad that the series is over, but so happy I got to read every page of it.

I’m always nervous picking up a book in a series after a break in reading earlier books. I worry that I won’t like it as much as I liked earlier books or that I’ll be confused about what’s going on because I’ve forgotten too many things.

Rachel Caine handled both of these concerns like the expert she is in SWORD AND PEN. From the first page, I fell straight back in love with Jess and his friends and the amazing story world of Alexandria and the Great Library. I felt like reminders about who people were and what had been happening where SMOKE AND IRON (book 4) left off were organically woven into the narrative without stealing any attention away from the current tension.

The Great Library is one of my favorite series. It’s one of a very few series longer than three books that I’ve actually managed to stick with– and really, I couldn’t help it! I love the characters so much– Khalila and Dario, Thomas and Glain, Santi and Wolfe, I love them all. Each one is so different, so well-imagined that they feel real. As soon as I start reading a section, I know exactly whose POV I’m in, and I love when authors write like that.

SWORD AND PEN is every bit the conclusion I was hoping for in terms of its intensity. I won’t promise you’ll love every minute– there are some sad moments that really smack you in places that hurt. But it wouldn’t be such a powerful story without those, either. And for the most part, even those sad moments felt right to me.

The Great Library is one of those series you really need to read from the beginning, so don’t start with SWORD AND PEN. Check out my review of INK AND BONE and then fall in love with the whole series with me!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
Santi and Wolfe (two men) are gay and in a relationship together. Khalila is from the Middle East. Dario is Spanish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used very briefly.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between girl and boy. Two men are lovers (we don’t see anything but longing exchanged between them). One boy and girl have a suggestive conversation about sex, but end up parting ways without any further exchange.

Spiritual Content
Some Egyptian and Greek gods are represented in the story, and some characters are devoted followers of the gods. Others are Catholic or Muslim. The story treats all faiths equally.

Violent Content
Battles between humans and automata (liquid metal robots that look like gods, mythic creatures or lions). Battles between soldiers involving guns and swords. Situations of peril and graphic descriptions of grave injuries. References to torture.

Drug Content 
Some reference to drinking alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of SWORD AND PEN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine

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Smoke and Iron (The Great Library #4)
Rachel Caine
Berkely
Published on July 3, 2018

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About Smoke and Iron
The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouse with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making…if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.

My Review
As a huge fan of the Great Library series, I could not wait to get my hands on SMOKE AND IRON. This has been one of those series where I want so much to rush through to the end (why are there FIVE books and not THREE?!) but also where I can’t help treasuring every page of it. At the end, I’m sure I’ll be asking why there are ONLY five books. Ha.

Jess had me from the opening pages of book one. He’s crafty and clever, as you’d expect a smuggler to be, but he has a strong sense of morality and loyalty, too. This time, though, my favorite parts were the ones from Khalila’s point-of-view. I loved getting a more in-depth look at her relationship with Dario, the handsome and often flippant Spanish king’s cousin, and I found the way her mind works to be really engaging and fascinating. Totally different than Jess. Wolfe’s point-of-view didn’t feel as critical to the story, and it’s a bit darker, as he’s a darker character, but again, he has a very well-defined voice, and I ultimately find him very likeable, too.

The plot is pretty straightforward: this is the battle to take control of the Library and return it to its core purpose: preserving knowledge, while removing the corrupt leadership. Jess and his team have a plan, but it has a lot of moving parts and a lot of things can go wrong, which means they do! With ever-climbing stakes, and time running out, Jess and his friends race toward the final confrontation, and I could not stop turning page after page to find out what would happen.

This is a great series for fans of SIX OF CROWS though it’s a little less dark and reads a little younger, I think. Fans of THE RING AND THE CROWN by Melissa de la Cruz will like the re-imagined history of The Great Library series, too. I recommend starting with the first book rather than jumping straight into the middle of the series, though. You can find my review of book one, INK AND BONE. The series finale, SWORD AND PEN, is expected to be released in summer 2020.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Santi and Wolfe (two men) are gay and in a relationship together. Khalila is from the Middle East. Dario is Spanish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two men and between a boy and girl. Some hints at sex. One minor character lives a very free life in which she has many partners and feels positively about it. Morgan worries that she’ll be forced to take a lover to create a child with Obscurist powers.

Spiritual Content
Some brief references to Khalila’s faith (Islam) and to Catholicism.

Violent Content
References to torture. A couple of intense battle scenes. In two scenes, innocent people are abruptly killed. A spear kills one and a knife across the throat kills the other. They’re both shocking scenes and meant to be so.

Drug Content
Morgan is drugged several times. Some characters drink wine socially.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

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Ash and Quill (The Great Library #3)
Rachel Caine
Berkley
Available July 11, 2017

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About Ash and Quill
Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealously guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny….

Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule.

Their time is running out. To survive, they’ll have to choose to live or die as one, to take the fight to their enemies—and to save the very soul of the Great Library.

My Review
I’ve been waiting for this book since the moment I finished PAPER AND FIRE last summer. In fact, two of my friends, who have also gotten hooked on the series have been bugging me about when this book finally releases. I thought it would be the series conclusion, so a small part of me dreaded picking it up, because it’s like the countdown to the end, you know? But. It’s not the end!

So I’m back on the roller coaster of nail biting and eagerly anticipating the next book in the series, which feels like it might really truly be the end?? Eee! (Update– I just checked Goodreads. Looks like there will be a book four and five. So there’s still lots to come.)

Anyway. In terms of plot, so much happens in this book. Our heroes land in Philadelphia, at the mercy of Book Burners, sworn enemies of the Library, who figure our guys are probably best killed quickly since rations and supplies are pretty scarce. So Jess and his friends work fast to convince the leaders of their value, hoping to buy enough time to manage an escape.

Surprisingly, I think Thomas pretty much stole my heart in this book. He’s not the most central character, but he’s so much deeper and more complex than the cheerful, brilliant engineer from the first book. Jess thinks he’s being all sneaky and Thomas surprises even him. So great!

ASH AND QUILL had more violence than I remember the other books having. More than one character faces death. The Library and the Book Burners use Greek fire in battles and the casualties run pretty high, especially for civilians. This disturbs Jess and his team, but there really isn’t much they can do, though they try to help everyone they can.

Definitely don’t start the series with this book. So much is happening and so many relationships have complicated history, you definitely want the benefit of the first two books before you pick this one up. No worries, though. They’re both totally worth it. You can read my review of book one, INK AND BONE here. My review of the second book, PAPER AND FIRE is here. The next book, SMOKE AND IRON, comes out in summer of 2016.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Santi and Wolfe (two men) are gay and in a relationship together. Khalila is from the Middle East. Dario is Spanish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some references to profanity. For instance, Jess hears Thomas say something in German he assumes is swearing.

Romance/Sexual Content
The team witnesses two girls kissing intimately while they’re on their way somewhere. One kiss between Wolfe and Santi. Jess and Morgan kiss multiple times, and lie down next to each other. It’s hinted that they have sex, but no details.

Spiritual Content
Lots of references to Christian belief and culture—seems like that’s a big part of the Library culture. Wolfe himself is a pagan and mentions the idea that if he and Santi die, their ideas of afterlife (as Santi is a Christian) are different. Khalila takes time to observe her Muslim faith and pray.

Violent Content
Some pretty intense battles, mostly between the Library forces and the Book Burners. Some people get burned and killed. Thomas makes a laser weapon. Jess shoots an adversary. Some descriptions get pretty intense.

Drug Content
References to drinking wine.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.