Unfortunately though, there’s no telling whether or not he will cooperate, or even agree to hear her out. Meanwhile, his friends have become embroiled in a situation with the King of Spain while grappling with their own challenges on their seaborne adventures, and Morgan, attempting an escape from the Iron Tower for the umpteenth time, has found someone she thinks might be able to help. With thousands of years’ worth of knowledge on the line, Jess’ plan is threatening to unravel as his enemy’s forces are on high alert for any signs of trouble.

Now the Feast of Great Burning is at hand, and tensions in the city are at a boiling point as rebels position themselves to fight back against the Archivist’s rule. Along with the girl he is in love with, Morgan, and his mentor, Christopher Wolfe, Jess is captured and imprisoned, but their other friends including Khalila, Dario, and Thomas are aboard a ship trying to figure their way out of their own troubles. Hoping to save his friends, Jess Brightwell has assumed the identity of his twin brother in a desperate gambit to gain access to the heart of Alexandria and get close to the Archivist. As the fourth book in the series though, Smoke and Iron gave me high hopes that things will pick up again, now that we’re past the “middle doldrums”, so to speak.Īgain, the story picks up immediately from the end of the previous novel, so if you’re not caught up with the series yet, be aware that this review may contain spoilers ahead for the first three books. Admittedly, my enthusiasm for the series took a hit after things slowed down in Ash and Quill, when much of the plot felt like mostly filler. It probably comes as no surprise that The Great Library and I have had our ups and downs, given the precarious changes involved when a planned trilogy gets expanded to five books. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own. I received a review copy from the publisher. Book Review: Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine

The great library series rachel caine