Alcatraz Versus The Scrivener's Bones

In the second book in the series, Alcatraz heads to the Library of Alexandria with some of his Smedry relatives as well as Bastille and her mother in order to track down his grandfather and his possibly not-so-dead father. In the process he'll learn more about his Talent for breaking things and the nefarious plot of the evil librarians.

These books are sheer fun. Sanderson delights in pushing the boundaries of the medium and frequently wanders into the land of metafiction, making the book that much more entertaining. Alcatraz is still endearingly charming and the humour is still funny enough to make me chortle out loud. In amongst all the ridiculous sentences and exciting situations, Sanderson also manages to develop his characters and show more their relationships a little bit. However, my favourite part of these books is that librarians are the enemy (as a librarian myself, I'm flattered to be considered even mildly villainous ;). A fast and funny read that'll charm you with some of its more ridiculous moments. show less

Six years ago I read the first book in the Alcatraz series and really enjoyed it and meant to continue with the series. Now at last I've read the second book in the series and it was worth the wait. Sanderson's Alcatraz Smedry is an unreliable narrator who keeps interrupting the story to deliberately make the reader question everything. It's gimmicky but in-universe it works since the concept of this world is that evil librarians control reality. It's a funny adventure set in the Library of Alexandria, and Sanderson is committed to the idea of the wraith-like curators persistently trying to trick the human visitors into taking a book in exchange for their soul. It's a clever and enjoyable read and I should not wait so long to continue show more the series. show less

Summary: Several months have passed since Alcatraz's daring infiltration of a Librarian stronghold, and he and his grandfather have become two of the most hunted men in the Hushlands. They're in the process of evacuating to the Free Kingdoms, when Alcatraz decides to take a detour. He's received some clues that his dead father may not be so dead after all, and Alcatraz is going looking for him in the last place he was known to be heading: the Library of Alexandria, where every scrap of knowledge ever written down is stored. The wraith-like Curators stalk the maze-like halls, encouraging visitors to check out any book they like - the only catch is that the cost for checking out a book is your soul! Now Alcatraz must find a way to get show more himself and his team out of the library with their souls and bodies intact - for they're not only being hounded by Curators, but also hunted by a member of the Scrivener's Bones - a cult of Librarians that use the darkest of Dark powers.

Review: Too funny! It's often the case that sequels don't quite have the impact of first novels, but Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones manages to maintain the high levels of energy and snarky humor that characterized the first book, Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. Of course, a little bit of the first-novel charm of having a new world to explore and new characters to meet has worn off by this point, but what this installment lacks in shiny new-book-itude, it makes up for with creative new plot twists, and with an increase in the maturity of the underlying message. Alcatraz has been thrust into the role of leader, and watching him struggle with it, at the same time he's coping with his own history, family, and powers, is interesting to watch. Not to fear, though - this is about the polar opposite of a preachy, moralizing book, and any lessons that Alcatraz learns about himself are well-disguised with his trademark sardonic humor, gleeful observations about how ignorant we Hushlanders are, and constant protests about how much of a liar he is.

Is this book serious literature? I'll let Alcatraz himself tackle that one:

"Anyway, let's talk about fantasy novels. First, you have to understand that when I say "fantasy novels," I mean books about dieting or literature or people living during the Great Depression. Fantasy novels, then, are books that don't include things like glass dragons, ghostly Curators, or magical Lenses.

I hate fantasy novels. Well, that's not true. I don't actually really hate them. I just get annoyed by what they've done to the Hushlands.

People don't read anymore. And, when they do, they don't read books like this one, but instead read books that depress them, because those books are seen as important. Somehow, the Librarians have successfully managed to convince most people in the Hushlands that they shouldn't read anything that isn't boring.

So, is it Serious Literature? No, but that's all part of the great Librarian Conspiracy anyways. Is it incredibly fun, laugh-out-loud funny, and worth reading anyways? Absolutely. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: If you haven't read Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, don't start on the second book - a bad habit that Alcatraz says "ranks somewhere between chewing with your mouth open and making quacking noises when your friends are trying to study." But, if you need a little more fun in your life - and really, who doesn't? - then this series is highly recommended.

**All quotes are from an uncorrected proof and may not reflect the final published text.** show less

The second Alcatraz book is arguably the best in the series (2 and 3 are pretty much tied in my mind). For those who have only read the first one so far, that’s ample cause to be excited.

*Spoilers Ahead*

Sanderson elaborates on, and deepens, the two magic systems he introduced in the first book. Smedry talents are explained to Alcatraz by his uncle in what has become my favorite dialogue scene in the series, and a connection between oculator lenses, Smedry talents, and silimatic technology is hinted at for the first time here. The tomb of Alcatraz the First is discovered, and the things he wrote about the breaking talent leaves Alcatraz with much to think about. A mysterious, powerful new lens is found that will become a key part of show more the next book. The true reason that Alcatraz was sent the translator lenses by his father turns out to be a really clever trick, and a great payoff. Just all in all a great book, but more importantly a great setup for the rest of the series. Some book series are nothing but unrelated adventures with the same characters in the same world. Not this. This multi-volume story is so tightly woven together that you can’t even see the thread, and book two is really where the weaving begins to take shape. show less

The joke in this series is that Alcatraz's talent is to break things; the meta-joke is that Alcatraz breaks the story by lying, lying about lying, intruding on the story to explain its structure, and generally gumming up the narrative works. This second volume is less self-conscious and more relaxed than the first, without sacrificing its cleverness. This adventure advances the plot and provides more of the unfolding story of the Smedry family, their talents, and the technology and history of the world beyond the Hushlands. I don't usually laugh aloud when I read, but encountering a Smedry named Australia made me snort. If you recall the Smedry naming tradition and its corruption by the Librarians, you'll know why it's funny.

This second book in the series was much more enjoyable than the first, partly because the "world" didn't need to be established, but also I think because the main character was presented as a bit more mature. All of the additional side comments--"I told you I was a liar", "I'm really a fish", "Don't trust anything I say"--still get old, but it was a quick, entertaining read.

Winter 2021 (December);

Another cute, fast read as this series slips so quickly through my fingers. The story isn't as deeply engrossing as Sanderson's Epics, but it's cute for what it is (and upper-middle grade-ish audience), and I never get tired of the interesting meta he uses the first-person narrator outside the frame to talk about writing/the process of writing/reading.

Even though I started [b:Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians|623976|Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, #1)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1332516621l/623976._SX50_.jpg|2591148] before State of the Sanderson 2021 dropped, I'm amused that I was just going to give a quick dash through these books at show more the end of the year, but it's even more fortuitous given the next book in this series is being released next year. I will totally be on board that train when it leaves the station. show less