The Untold Story – Genevieve Cogman
Return to the world of the Invisible Library for Irene’s most perilous mission yet . . .
Librarian Spy Irene is heading into danger. Not for the first time, but could this be her last? She’s tasked with a terrifyingly dangerous solo mission to eliminate an old enemy, which must be kept secret at all costs. But even more troubling news emerges. Multiple worlds are disappearing – and the Library may have something to do with it.
Determined to uncover the truth behind the vanished worlds, Irene and her friends must descend into the unplumbed depths of the Library. And what they find will change everything they know. This may be Irene’s most dangerous assignment of her hazardous career.
My thanks to Black Crow PR for the opportunity to host this leg of the blog tour and for providing a review copy ahead of publication.
The Untold Story, for fans of Genevieve Cogman’s wonderful series about The Invisible Library it is time for the biggest secret to be revealed – the story of the Library.
This is the culmination of events, the point where all the threads will be pulled together and what better way to to that than by having Librarian Irene and her companions seek out the story which began it all? The Library has been at the heart of everything through the previous seven books and Irene has shown she will do whatever it takes to complete the missions which the elders at the Library will set her. Of late, however, the book retrieval missions which Irene would traditionally undertake appear to have been reduced in number as diplomatic discussions are becoming more numerous – as is the case at the start of The Untold Story.
Irene is tasked with getting a treaty signed, she feels she is being kept out of the The Library but respects the task she has been assigned to complete and is preparing for a prolonged negotiation. She is alone as her dragon partner, Kai, has not been allowed to attend. Fate will not allow Irene to conduct a “normal” negotiation though and soon readers will enjoy another display of Irene’s resourcefulness and blind luck as she tries to wriggle out of a dangerous predicament. It’s a great opening to the story and allows Genevieve Cogman to bring readers back up to speed with recent events in Irene’s life while also getting the players in place for the next chapter in the story.
The Untold Story is the eighth book in the Invisible Library series so it’s not a jumping on point but there is still care taken by the author to ensure readers are aware of enough background information to get full enjoyment from the new story. There are characters returning from previous books who will play key roles but more importantly there are many familiar faces who will seek to aid (or hinder) Irene as she undertakes her most challenging mission to date.
Irene has discovered the truth about Alberich but she needs to keep that infomration to herself if she can. However, he remains the most dangerous enemy of The Library and he wants to meet as he is proposing a peace treaty. Irene, however, is doing her own investigation into Alberich as she tries to understand what made him turn against the Library in the first instance. To fully understand this she begins to dig deeper into the history of the Library and its creation – how did this astonishing force come into being?
The history of the Library is a well kept secret and someone or something does not want Irene to find out anything about its creation. Working on rumour and story Irene finds a storyteller who can fill in some of the gaps in her knowledge. Will the story she hears let her understand what has turned Alberich from faithful Library servant into a dangerous enemy who is hellbent on destroying the Library? If she can get to the truth then perhaps she may finally defeat Alberich and bring a new peace for the Library.
There are no spoilers in my review but I can tell you that this is a wonderful story which shocks, entertains and fully rewards readers as the secrets are revealed. There are some unexpected casualties along the way and I am not sure Irene’s life will be the same after The Untold Story ends. What I do know it that I have loved this sweeping saga of Librarians, Dragon and Fae – the cautious politics and the sneaky deceptions. The Untold Story is an essential acquisition for any fantasy reader and I do hope there may be more stories from the Library one day.
The Untold Story is published by Pan Macmillan and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-untold-story/genevieve-cogman/9781529000634
