The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman is a debut released by Tor UK in January, and is pitched as ‘Doctor Who with librarian spies’. Suffice to say that this in itself was enough for me to pick up the book, not to mention the enthusiasm of the publisher and that many a reviewer were singing its praises. This can lead to higher than normal expectations for a novel, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go in with high hopes. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, but The Invisible Library is both more and less than that initial impression.
From the publisher:
Irene must be at the top of her game or she’ll be off the case – permanently…
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she’s posted to an alternative London. Their mission – to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it’s already been stolen. London’s underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.
Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested – the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene’s new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.
Soon, she’s up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option – the nature of reality itself is at stake.
Firstly, let me say that the premise behind The Invisible Library – that of a place that collects books from hundreds of alternate Earths to store within its massive location (think Warehouse 13 and you can’t go wrong) – is hugely interesting. The library itself is set out-of-time, and whenever any of the librarians are there they are in a kind of living stasis with their lives extended indefinitely, only ageing when they visit the alternate ‘real worlds’. Suffice to say that this can offer up many situations, and endless possibilities for stories.
The story of this novel, however, comes across as relatively straightforward – at least initially. Irene and her new apprentice Kai must travel to an alternate to get a book for return and storage in the library. The alternate London that they arrive in is in a precarious balance of chaos, with fae, vampires, werewolves, magic, and many other aspects. It’s also a decidedly steampunk-esque setting with all the bells and whistles that go along with it. To be honest, it’s not my favourite of sub-genres, but Cogman keeps the characters and pace going well enough to not let it be much of an issue.
Irene, our main librarian, is an interesting character. She’s bold and forthright, though also unsure at times which brings a humanity to her. Kai, her apprentice, is a strange one with secrets of his own that are a source of interest throughout, even once they’re revealed. Another librarian, Bradamant, is also present, and as Irene’s nemesis it brings some very interesting confrontations and conversations to the fore, as does the inclusion of Vale, an investigator caught up in the search for the same book Irene is after. Needless to say, characters are a solid strong point in The Invisible Library, and easily carry the weight of the story on their shoulders.
For me, The Invisible Library worked well as an alternate investigative novel that throws many things into the pot. My issue is mainly with the setting, though I freely admit that is down to personal preferences. I sincerely hope to see more of this group in future novels, and also some expansion to the underlying foundation of the library. Cogman has written an idea-filled novel here, and one that keeps the pages turning.
Publisher: http://www.torbooks.co.uk/
Author: http://www.grcogman.com/
January 2015, 400 Pages
Paperback, ISBN: 9781447256236
Review copy received from the publisher
© 2015 Mark Chitty
