Top secret peace talks between the Fae and the dragons are at risk
after a murder has everyone on edge. The Library has served as the
neutral party in the negotiations but now even that is in jeopardy. Irene
and Vale are called in to assist with the investigation. Kai isn't invited
onto the team, but he's determined to join in as well. Tensions are high
in the alternate version of Paris where they find themselves, and it will
take every bit of skill Irene, Vale, and Kai have if they are to uncover the
murderer without dying themselves.
I love that Genevieve Cogman pulls in the story of the Blood Countess
as part of the intrigue between the Fae and the dragons. It adds a
whole different element to the storyline as we wonder who the real
culprit is when there are so many potential suspects, never mind the
madness of the Blood Countess and her followers. Genevieve Cogman
keeps us guessing about the mystery while delving deeper into the
politics between dragons, the Fae and the Library.
The relationships between Irene, Kai, and Vale are being stretched and
tested as they navigate the murder investigation without disturbing the
tricky peace process. I like the direction Genevieve Cogman is taking as
the characters aren't stagnant but instead we are seeing growth with all
of them, even the secondary characters. The revelations at the end
have me excited about where the next book in the series will take us!
THE MORTAL WORD is the fifth
book in the Invisible Library series and definitely a book best appreciated in the context of the
series as a whole. If you haven't read the earlier books, you'll want to
do so as each and every visit with Irene, Vale, Kai and yes, even Silver
is a visit worth treasuring. Fans of the Invisible Library series will relish Genevieve Cogman's
latest entry in the series; THE MORTAL
WORD is a hit!
In the latest novel in Genevieve Cogman’s historical
fantasy series, the fate of worlds lies in the balance. When
a dragon is murdered at a peace conference, time-travelling
Librarian spy Irene must solve the case to keep the balance
between order, chaos…and the Library.
When Irene returns to London after a relatively
straightforward book theft in Germany, Bradamant informs her
that there is a top secret dragon-Fae peace conference in
progress that the Library is mediating, and that the
second-in-command dragon has been stabbed to death. Tasked
with solving the case, Vale and Irene immediately go to
1890s Paris to start their investigation.
Once they arrive, they find evidence suggesting that the
murder victim might have uncovered proof of treachery by one
or more Librarians. But to ensure the peace of the
conference, some Librarians are being held as hostages in
the dragon and Fae courts. To save the captives, including
her parents, Irene must get to the bottom of this murder—but
was it a dragon, a Fae, or even a Librarian who committed
the crime?