Invisible Library

The first in a gripping, fantasy mystery series, “The Invisible Library” is the astounding debut from Genevieve Cogman. 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.

The second title in Genevieve Cogman's “The Invisible Library” series, “The Masked City” is a wonderful read for all those who enjoyed “Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore” by Robin Sloan, Jasper Fforde's “The Eyre Affair” or Ben Aaronovitch's “Rivers of London”. Librarian-spy Irene is working undercover in an alternative London when her assistant Kai goes missing. She discovers he's been kidnapped by the fae faction, and the repercussions could be fatal. Not just for Kai, but for whole worlds. Kai's dragon heritage means he has powerful allies, but also powerful enemies in the form of the fae. With this act of aggression, the fae are determined to trigger a war between their people—and the forces of order and chaos themselves. Irene's mission to save Kai and avert Armageddon will take her to a dark, alternate Venice where it's always Carnival. Here Irene will be forced to blackmail, fast talk, and fight. Or face death.

The third title in Genevieve Cogman's clever and exciting “The Invisible Library” series, “The Burning Page” is an action-packed literary adventure! When it's your job to save the day—where do you start? Librarian spy Irene has standards to maintain, especially while on probation. And absconding from a mission via a besieged building doesn't look good. But when her escape route home goes up in flames, what's a spy to do? However, it seems Gates back to the library are malfunctioning across dozens of worlds. Worse still, her nemesis Alberich is responsible—and he plans to annihilate the library itself. Irene and assistant Kai are posted to St Petersburg, to help combat this threat. Here Alberich emerges, as Irene tries to save her friend Vale and foil assassination attempts. Then one incredibly dangerous opportunity to save the library emerges. Saving herself would be a bonus... Irene's adventures feature stolen books, secret agents and forbidden societies—think “Doctor Who” but with librarian spies!

The fourth title in Genevieve Cogman's witty and wonderful “The Invisible Library” series, “The Lost Plot” is an action-packed literary adventure. A covert mission. A royal demand. And a race against time. In a 1920s-esque America, “Prohibition” is in force, fedoras, flapper dresses and tommy guns are in fashion, and intrigue is afoot. Intrepid Librarians Irene and Kai find themselves caught in the middle of a dragon vs dragon contest. It seems a young librarian has become tangled in this conflict, and if they can't extricate him there could be serious political repercussions for the mysterious Library. And, as the balance of power across mighty factions hangs in the balance, this could even trigger war. Irene and Kai find themselves trapped in a race against time (and dragons) to procure a rare book. They'll face gangsters, blackmail and fiendish security systems. And if this doesn't end well, it could have dire consequences for Irene's job. And, incidentally, for her life... Continue the bookish magic with “The Mortal Word”.

In this bookish adventure, a Librarian spy must fall in with a nefarious group to achieve her goals. Imagine “Ocean's Eleven” meets “James Bond” with a pinch of magic. “The Secret Chapter” is the sixth novel in Genevieve Cogman's “Invisible Library” series. Irene and Kai have to team up with an unlikely band of misfits to pull off an amazing art heist. Or they must risk the wrath of a dangerous villain, in his secret island lair... As Irene tries to manage a fraught Fae—dragon truce and her overbearing parents, she's given a hot new mission. The world where she grew up is in danger and only one book can save it. This is held by Mr. Nemo, secretive Fae villain and antique dealer, so Irene and Kai travel to his Caribbean retreat to strike a deal. But in return for the book, they must steal a painting from twenty-first-century Vienna. They'll join a team of dragons, Fae gamblers and thieves, so their greatest challenge may be one another. And some will kill to protect this painting, which hides an extraordinary secret from a past age.

A mysterious archive. A powerful enemy. And a cunning plan. Danger is part of the day job for a Librarian spy. So, Irene's hoping for a relaxing weekend. However, her jaunt to Guernsey proves no such thing. Instead of retrieving a rare book, she's almost assassinated, Kai is poisoned, and Vale barely escapes with his life. Then the attacks continue in London—targeting those connected with the Fae-dragon peace treaty. Irene knows she must stop the plot before the treaty fails. Or someone dies. But when Irene and friends are trapped underground, in a secret archive, things don't look so good. Then an old enemy demands vengeance, and a shocking secret is revealed. Can Irene really seize victory from chaos?