The Masked City (The Invisible Library Novel) (original 2015; edition 2016)

by Genevieve Cogman (Author)

Series: Invisible Library (2)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
1,334	63	14,146	(3.79)	74
Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML:Librarian-spy Irene and her apprentice Kai are back in the second in this �??dazzling�?�* book-filled fantasy series from the author of The Invisible Library. The written word is mightier than the sword�??most of the time... Working in an alternate version of Victorian London, Librarian-spy Irene has settled into a routine, collecting important fiction for the mysterious Library and blending in nicely with the local culture. But when her apprentice, Kai�??a dragon of royal descent�??is kidnapped by the Fae, her carefully crafted undercover operation begins to crumble. Kai�??s abduction could incite a conflict between the forces of chaos and order that would devastate all worlds and all dimensions. To keep humanity from getting caught in the crossfire, Irene will have to team up with a local Fae leader to travel deep into a version of Venice filled with dark magic, strange coincidences, and a perpetual celebration of Carnival�??and save her friend before he becomes the first casualty of a catastrophic war. But navigating the tumultuous landscape of Fae politics will take more than Irene�??s book-smarts and fast-talking�??to ward off Armageddon, she might have to sacrifice everything she holds dear.... INC… (more)

▾Book information

Member:	HelenGress
Title:	The Masked City (The Invisible Library Novel)
Authors:	Genevieve Cogman (Author)
Info:	Roc (2016), Edition: Reprint, 384 pages
Collections:	Your library
Rating:
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The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman (2015)

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English (59) Dutch (1) German (1) All languages (61)

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I think I had the same reaction to the second book as the first. That is, I'm not really interested in this genre and setting, it's hard for me to get into and stay focused. But I do like the ideas about language and the Library, and by the time the action of the story picked up I was interested enough to find out what happened. (

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Kiramke | Jun 27, 2023 |

The second book of The Invisible Library. It is not quite as much fun as the first book which introduced the Invisible Library, I was hoping for a more literary-related story. It is interesting and does develop the concept of worlds that are weighted toward chaos (Fae) or order (dragon) but I would like to see more of the neutral (?) library and it's role in this universe. (

)

catseyegreen | Apr 30, 2023 |

Similar to the first book of the trilogy this was does not disappoint. Paced similarly to a thriller, the use of characters plays well with the theme. Here she introduces the Guantes, two rather devious Lord and Lady who seek to begin a war of worlds. Irene proves to be far more powerful than we've seen her previously and as the intensity builds, she shows up in new and astounding ways. I look forward to additions that take these characters beyond the third book which I'll be starting soon. (

)

Jonathan5 | Feb 20, 2023 |

There is chapters and chapters and chapters and chapters of only action. The idea is kind of fun but the reading isn't. The Librarian travels to parallel worlds in search of lost or stolen books. Of course, she gets tangled up in evil doers. (

)

debbie13410 | Oct 22, 2022 |

Weaker than the first in the series. The author continues to find awkward ways to dump exposition into the narrative. (

)

DDtheV | Jul 26, 2022 |

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Belongs to Series

Invisible Library (2)

Is contained in

The Invisible Library series 5 Books Collection Set (The Burning Page,The Mortal Word,The Lost Plot,The Masked City, The Invisible Library) by Genevieve Cogman

The Invisible Library Series 6 Books Collection Set by Genevieve Cogman (Invisible Library, Masked City, Burning Page, Lost Plot, Mortal Word & Secret Chapter) by Genevieve Cogman

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Canonical title

The Masked City

Original title

The Masked City

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

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Epigraph

Dedication

Thank you, again, to everyone who helped with this book. Thank you to my agent, Lucienne Diver, who helped me find monsters in the depths of London, and my editor Bella Pagan, who is marvelous at her job and to whom this book owes a great deal. Thanks to my beta-readers, my friends, my family, my supporters, and the classifications team at work. Your help is very much appreciated. And many thanks to the beautiful city of Venice, which deserves far better writing than I have been able to give it.

First words

The London air was full of smog and filth.

Quotations

The idea of a hot bath hung in the future like the promise of Christmas or a new book in a favourite series.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Jemisin, N.K.

Original language

English UK

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

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Wikipedia in English

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▾Book descriptions

Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML:Librarian-spy Irene and her apprentice Kai are back in the second in this �??dazzling�?�* book-filled fantasy series from the author of The Invisible Library.

The written word is mightier than the sword�??most of the time...

Working in an alternate version of Victorian London, Librarian-spy Irene has settled into a routine, collecting important fiction for the mysterious Library and blending in nicely with the local culture. But when her apprentice, Kai�??a dragon of royal descent�??is kidnapped by the Fae, her carefully crafted undercover operation begins to crumble.

Kai�??s abduction could incite a conflict between the forces of chaos and order that would devastate all worlds and all dimensions. To keep humanity from getting caught in the crossfire, Irene will have to team up with a local Fae leader to travel deep into a version of Venice filled with dark magic, strange coincidences, and a perpetual celebration of Carnival�??and save her friend before he becomes the first casualty of a catastrophic war.

But navigating the tumultuous landscape of Fae politics will take more than Irene�??s book-smarts and fast-talking�??to ward off Armageddon, she might have to sacrifice everything she holds dear....
INC

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Book description

Haiku summary
Librarian-spy
Irene Winters needs to save
her assistant Kai.
(passion4reading)