On one hand, I wanted to read this book rapidly so I could find out what happened. On the other hand, I wanted to read it slowly, so that there would be less days remaining until book 4 releases.

I enjoyed this book for several reasons, foremost of which is the amount of world-building that further explained the mechanics of the library in relation to the worlds from which it takes books. Additionally, we see a more complex Irene, who has previously showcased quite the stiff upper lip. I'm happy to see that Vale is still a main character, and I enjoyed the dilemma of discovering to what degree Vale is his own person as opposed to just a Sherlock Holmes manifestation in a chaos-infested world. We learn a bit more about fae and their origins, motivations, and decision-making.

The author also does an admirable job of making side-characters interesting, even those we haven't yet met; I'd love to know more about Inspector Singh, Coppelia, Brademant, Li Ming, and Irene's parents.

It's difficult to comment much on the plot without giving away any spoilers, but I found the climactic show-down between Irene and Alberich to be very engrossing, and I'm usually guilty of skimming fight scenes in other books just to see who emerges victorious.

In summary, I just love this series and can't wait for the next one.

arc received from the publisher for review