Tag: Genevieve Cogman

This Chick Read: Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman

A different take on the Scarlet Pimpernel story, Scarlet takes place during the French Revolution in a world where vampires are among the elite in society, and are being put to their deaths via guillotine. Marie Antoinette and her children are being held in prison awaiting their trial and eventual deaths. The league of the Scarlet Pimpernel want to save the French monarchy and find the perfect distraction, a young English maid who is the spitting image of the French queen. Now embroiled in a mission beyond her life’s normal scope, Eleanor is determined to help save their lives and in return improve her position in society.

I’m a big fan of Genevieve Cogman’s previous series, The Invisible Library, and really enjoyed the intricate world she created full of dragon’s, fae, and librarian’s who fought agents of chaos. I was eager to pick up Scarlet and see how this author’s creativity would apply to a well-known historical reality and fictional cast plus vampires and mystical elements. I’ll admit to feeling a bit let down. This novel felt like it was a little lost. Eleanor was a naive young maid who wished for a better life and was thrown into this secret spy society, and despite the situations she found herself in, never seemed to grow into the character I know this author wished most fervently for her to become. I say the word fervently because I could almost feel the push and pull of machinations in plotlines that somehow seemed to fall a little flat. Disappointment thy name is Scarlet.

I’ve read a lot of Scarlet Pimpernel stories, seen movies, watched tv shows, etc. and this novel was certainly a different take, but what it failed to do was make what Percy was doing feel real. I think part of the problem is that we were viewing the story through the eyes of Eleanor, a young maid who was educated by books, but not in life. A lot of what she viewed (and there wasn’t much of it truly) was through the eyes of naiveté and/or a greed to get out of her circumstances into something better. The contrast between that ‘want’ and what was going around her in Paris during the Revolution was a bit jarring and hard to overlook. I mean the citizens of France rose up against the wealthy because they were hungry and poor and this girl (and the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel) wanted to maintain society as it was. I’m not sure how you could fix that problem in her character except by making her more sympathetic. I don’t know, but what I do know is that I too felt like I was left bereft… of a plot that made more sense.

I had hope for a more intricate world building from this author. The story and world didn’t feel very detailed, which I know this author can do and I kept waiting for it to kick into another gear and it just never did. ❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest. Sorry.

If you’d like to purchase a copy of this book please click this link!* Scarlet

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: The Untold Story (The Invisible Library #8) by Genevieve Cogman

Being a librarian isn’t all about books, sometimes it’s about delving into mysteries and solving puzzles. After finding out that the greatest enemy of the library, Alberich, may be her father, Irene must find out the truth. When the library orders her to kill him, while at the same time he comes forward to sign a truce she must plumb the depths of the library to save her allies and bring light to its origin. The Untold Story is the conclusion to this mystery that all fans have been eagerly anticipating.

The Dark Archive ended with Irene discovering the truth about her relationship to Alberich and that is where The Untold Story starts up. Faced with the daunting task of either killing him or getting him to sign the truce, she realizes that there is a bigger story being left untold. One that Alberich has been trying to dig into since he was a young librarian and is what started him on his journey to being the ultimate bad guy. Never fear, Irene brings along her faithful friends to help her dig and boy do they find a story.

Without giving away what is found out, how, why, and what happens, I will just give a little commentary about our characters. I have come to rely on Irene for her practicality. When this series first started she seemed a little more ordinary but as the series went on her strength and power seemed to grow, or at least she knew how to use them more or was more willing at certain moments. What never changed were her reasons. She has a practical nature that appeals to me the reader and the woman and when she used her librarian powers she was cautious. A great balance to the “ask questions later” style of her partner and lover Kai.

There are some great resolutions in this novel. I don’t know if this means this series is over or if we’ll have a brand new storyline. I’m hoping for the second because I’ve grown to love these stories as well as Irene, Kai, Vale, and Silver. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase!* The Untold Story (The Invisible Library Novel)

Copyright 2021 The reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (12/13/21)

I feel like this weekend I checked several things off the to-do list. Cookie’s have been exchanged, presents wrapped, and I had to work for a few hours to prepare for our Nashville’s Nutcracker opening this Wednesday. The next twelve days are packed, so it’s good to get some of the Christmas preparations out of the way. I didn’t spend a lot of time reading, unfortunately, but here are the two that I touched.

JUST FINISHED

I know, I read this one a few weeks ago, but I went ahead and got the audiobook too because it was on sale for $2.99 and I couldn’t resist. It’s a novella, so I was able to listen to it quickly. I’ll admit that I caught quite a few more details the second time around. This is a good story!

JUST STARTED

The next installment of the secret Library series. Our heroine has just found out she’s the daughter of the bad guy they’ve been chasing or at least avoiding in the last few books. I’m looking forward to the action getting started! This series is all fantasy, but there are historical mystery elements that I really enjoy digging into. Can’t wait to see how it concludes!

I hope you all had a great weekend! Please share the wonderful books you’ve been reading. I love to add new ones to my TBR!

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

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This Chick Read: The Dark Archive (Invisible Library #7) by Genevieve Cogman

Librarian and spy Irene, her new Fae assistant, friend and Detective Vale, and her lover and dragon Prince Kai have had repeated attempts upon their lives. When those attempts escalate to include kidnapping they must do everything to find out who’s responsible, including unlocking secrets that could change their lives forever.

The above synopsis is a bit short but is the gist of the novel. What it leaves out are all of the murder attempts, escapes, and revealing conversations. The only certain thing for Irene is that she doesn’t want anything to happen to those she cares for and she’ll upend multiple world to keep them from harm.

The Dark Archive is not fluff or filler in the storyline of Irene’s life, instead we find out some of the delicious details that we’ve been dying to know. How is Kai’s standing in his family, does Silver’s niece really want to be a librarian or is this just part of a Fae plot, and who are really Irene’s parents? We have been leading up to some of these answers for quite a while and whereas I like a good adventure as much as the next reader I was getting tired of being led by a carrot through multiple books. In The Dark Archive, we finally find out the answers and unfortunately that leaves me little to talk about in this review. What I can say is that this novel was interesting, it was filled with multiple twists, and Irene and Kai’s relationship seems to include a lot of feelings that Irene may be slightly uncomfortable revealing. After all, she is a spy and needs to keep some things close.

If you’re a fan of this series you’re not going to be felt let down by this novel. Finally, you’ll receive some of the answers you’ve been looking for, but unfortunately this series is not wrapped up yet. Or is that fortunately? Hmmm. In any case, this is not the end for Irene, Kai and her friends. There are more secrets yet to be revealed!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this ARC through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase!* The Dark Archive (The Invisible Library Novel)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: The Secret Chapter (Invisible Library #6) by Genevieve Cogman

When the library calls on Irene and Kai to find a book that will help save a world they take on the adventure despite their new roles as Ambassadors. In order to obtain their book they must join a ragtag group in a museum heist. Once that heist is completed the book will be theirs. Of course, not all is as it appears!

The Secret Chapter was a rollicking good time. It had the great heist and humor of Ocean’s Eleven and the fantasy adventure a la Lord of the Rings. Although thank goodness, no Orc’s. Irene and Kai’s relationship has advanced into partner status, but Irene’s experiences bring her into the role of leader. I really enjoyed the cast of characters and how dragon culture and fae storylines are becoming even more intertwined as the series goes forward.

The wonderfully named Mr. Nemo is the ultimate bad guy. His name brought to mind two sea themed movies, Finding Nemo and Capt. Nemo of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, so not surprisingly his hideout is an island and his hitmen an ocean full of sharks.

I like Irene and Kai’s more even status as newly appointed Ambassadors, but I do still get the feeling that Irene is the brains and Kai the beauty and brawn. This is the sixth book in the series so it will be really interesting to see if and how their relationship progresses. Will future books still be about their adventures or will they start to have more relationship meat. Truthfully, I wish for both. I want them to continue their adventures but I think if their relationship doesn’t move into deeper feelings that I may start to tire of book after book of adventures. We’ll see! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase!* The Secret Chapter (The Invisible Library series)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I will receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: The Mortal Word (The Invisible Library #5) by Genevieve Cogman

Called in to solve the murder of a high level dragon at the secret Dragon- Fae Peace conference, Irene, and her friend Inspector Vale are in a race against time. Not only does Irene have a personal stake, as her parents are being held hostage by one of the groups, but she and Vale must solve this murder before one or both sides decide that peace isn’t worth the effort to overcome their prejudices against each other.

I enjoy this series of historical fantastical mysteries. Irene is an intrepid heroine who may internally second guess her decisions but outwardly looks like she knows exactly what she’s doing when racing to solve a case. For me, the interesting character in this novel was Vale. Taken out of his own time and thrown into an alternate universe, we initially see a more hesitant Vale. He is insecure in his knowledge of how this place functions and is afraid that he’ll make the wrong judgement call. It’s only when he goes with his gut instincts that he overcomes those more human emotions. I liked the human side of Vale that we don’t usually get to see.

Irene’s investigations always prove spyworthy and in The Mortal Word, she overcomes all obstacles in somewhat superhero fashion. I almost expected her to have gained a super power or two, but she remains just as “normal” at the end of the book as she did at the beginning. I can’t decide if I’m a little disappointed by that fact. Kai didn’t play a huge roll in this story, although their relationship does advance forward and I’m eager to read the next installment in this series to see how their romance plays out. 

I enjoyed the Mortal Word a lot, but except for a couple of key plot points it plays out as a kind of filler novel. The Lost Plot was soooo good, that in my eyes it would be hard to have as good a follow up. However, The Mortal Word did set the stage for some interesting scenarios in future novels. So I do have hope that we haven’t seen the best out of this series yet. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Opinions from around the Blogosphere!

“As of this writing I am around 15% into this book but every single aspect has grabbed my attention. We have a romantic interest that the story has been hinting at for FOUR BOOKS! Finally, it feels like something might come of it. We have murder under mysterious circumstances and a staged crime scene and…and…oh it is just great!” Literary Weaponry

“I loved this new installment. I loved the new depth to Irene’s relationship with Kai (total OTP) but also getting to see Vale again, and meet some important players on each side of the conflict. What I love about these books is not only how much I relate to Irene – I feel like she was written just for me – but how much the characters grow from book to book, making them all so realistic and deep.” Readcommendations

Click this link to purchase!*

The Mortal Word (The Invisible Library Novel)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chick Read: The Lost Plot (The Invisible Library #4) by Genevieve Cogman

Irene and Kai are drawn into the middle of dragon politics when The Library requests that they search and find a young Librarian who may have crossed a forbidden line. The Library is a neutral entity not getting drawn into choosing sides between the dragons and Fae. This young Librarian, Evariste, seems to have been hired by a dragon to find a book for his Queen. However, when Irene and Kai reach 1920’s New York they realize that all is not as it seems and they may need to help Evariste get out of the situation he has been drawn into.

I have loved the different settings that past Invisible LIbrary books have been set, but I’ll admit, 1920’s New York created more drama, intrigue and romance than any of the other worlds. Granted, it is a world that is familiar. Prohibition,mobsters, flappers and fedoras ruled the day and watching Irene and Kai familiarize themselves with the era was fun  and at times frivolous. Frivolity wouldn’t be a word I’d use to discuss any of the previous plots, so it seems the author had fun with this setting as much as I did reading about it. As soon as Kai and Irene stepped through the doors into this era the story moved at a quick clip and I was enthralled.

Irene and Kai’s relationship has slowly evolved over the four books. Yes, he is still her apprentice, but you can tell that they care for each other more than teacher and student. As this plot revolves around dragon politics, something that Kai can’t get involved in because that would shift their relationship away from the safety of teacher / student and would also endanger the neutrality of the Library, there was more of a sense of urgency to the plot.  They are always facing danger and making difficult choices but the possibility of a shift to a different kind of relationship was exciting and something I had been looking forward to but thought would never happen.

The Lost Plot has been my favorite in the series so far. The 1920’s setting gave the story more humor and fun, the political nature of the story line made the drama more intense and the conclusion to the plot was very well played out and satisfying. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

The Lost Plot Click this link to purchase! The Lost Plot (The Invisible Library Novel) Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: The Burning Page ( Invisible Library #3) by Genevieve Cogman

In the Masked City, Irene saves Kai from a high Chaos world, having to abandon her role as Librarian to do so. At the start of The Burning Page Irene is on probation and given the lowest level of book recovering jobs because of that decision. She and Kai on one of those jobs in another world finds the door to the Library booby trapped and discover that Library doors all over the universe are being destroyed, and Librarians along with them. Continue reading “This Chick Read: The Burning Page ( Invisible Library #3) by Genevieve Cogman” →

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This Chick Read: The Masked City (The Invisible Library) by Genevieve Cogman

The Masked City takes up where The Invisible Library leaves off.  Irene and Kai are living in Vale’s world investigating a mysterious fae that was after the same book as they. Attacked by thugs, then separated as she follows a lead, Kai ends up being abducted and taken to another world, chained in a dungeon.  As his mentor and friend, Irene ventures into this chaotic world to help save Kai before his dragon family decides to eliminate the fae who took him and the world they were living in, including the innocent humans inhabiting it. Continue reading “This Chick Read: The Masked City (The Invisible Library) by Genevieve Cogman” →

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An Interview with Genevieve Cogman author of The Invisible Library

 Previously, I had reviewed this author’s book, The Invisible Library, and loved it!  (Click the title for the review) I was fortunate to have been given the chance to interview the author, Genevieve Cogman about the book, and it’s release June 14, 2016 in the United States.
Hi Genevieve, thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for your readers.

ME:  I see that we have the love of fantasy in common! Your bio states that you grew up reading Tolkien, as did many of us, and I definitely see his influence in The Invisible Library, in the characters Silver and Kai. Your love for Sherlock Holmes was also referenced in this book. Did any other influences from your childhood reading surprise you while writing this book?  Continue reading “An Interview with Genevieve Cogman author of The Invisible Library” →

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