Ash and Quill (The Great Library #3) by Rachel Caine
5/5 stars *****
Courtesy: Booktopia
Premise- (5/5) I was deeply impressed by book two of this series and thrilled to get my hands on the next one. We had left our heroes in North America for a change of pace, deep in danger, as usual. At the end of the last book, I really felt like the main plot was gaining momentum, so I was expecting big things from Ash and Quill.
Characters- (5/5) I continue to love Caine’s characters as much as ever. The core group of characters are a really excellent mix of personalities, which makes their relationships extremely interesting to read about. Once again, very few new characters, but we got to see a little more from Jess’ family, including his twin brother, in addition to the rest of the gang. Caine’s ability to bring depth to her characters, making them all sympathetic, if not always likable, is impressive and has really gotten me invested in the story.
Plot- (4.5/5) The beginning of Ash and Quill was a little slow, but Caine packed plenty of action in by the end. And the end–it was painful to read but made me desperate to find out what happens next. (Too bad I have to wait till May…) Though the pacing was sometimes a tad unbalanced, the story definitely made up for it. This was a page-turner that kept me up past my bedtime for sure.
World- (5/5) We got to see a really new piece of this world in Ash and Quill. Moving away from the ancient European cities of books one and two, the scrappy world of America was a huge change of pace, and I really enjoyed it. Caine took a really hard look at the desperation of a city living under siege, and I found it really effective. It was a different kind of world-building, but I thought it was just as well-done.
Writing- (4.5/5) Caine’s writing is just the right balance of action and emotion for me. Ash and Quill was poignant and moving in its depiction of the city of Philadelphia and the tragedies our characters saw there. I’ve liked Caine’s writing okay from the beginning, and it’s definitely grown on me since then.
Overall- (4.8/5) I’m really, really, really sad that I have to wait till May for the next book. I want it now! Ash and Quill left readers on a big cliffhanger, and I cannot WAIT to see what happens next. Caine’s characters remain compelling, and I want the next installment of the storyline ASAP. It’s official: I’m hooked on The Great Library series, compelled by Caine’s storytelling and absolutely dying for Smoke and Iron.
Trigger Warnings: death, PTSD, forceful removal of a hijab, some blood and gore, imprisonment, hunger, bombing, siege destruction and total war