Genevieve Cogman's The Invisible Library is the first book in a new series of the same title. The Library exists in a neutral zone between alternate worlds employing librarians that retrieve books deemed important (although the actual criteria used is not well explained) and function as a force for order. Sometimes the retrieval simply involves buying the book in question, sometimes it must be stolen, and then of course there is the occasional mission where everything goes wrong. Naturally this book involves the latter.
Irene, a young librarian, is sent to an alternate Victorian London where chaos has contaminated the world resulting in all sorts of supernatural beings including fae, vampires, and werewolves. The world also has a strong presence of technology with all manner of mechanical creations (I liked the giant centipede and wished Irene had a better vantage point of the fight). The mission is to retrieve a rare copy of Grimm fairytales; but when Irene arrives with her dragon assistant Kai, the book has been stolen and its previous owner murdered. Enlisting the aid of a renowned detective named Vale, the duo must race to find the missing book before it falls in the hands of the fae (beings of chaos) or even worse those of the Library's greatest enemy, Alberich.
I thought the world building was quite well done although I still have a lot of questions about the Library and Alberich which I imagine will be answered eventually as the series continues. The action was well paced, but the characters could definitely use a bit more development. Overall an entertaining read. 4 stars.
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