Bookish Thoughts: The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman

Please forgive the haste and informality of this letter: you know my respect for you and my obedience to your will. ~ Opening of The Mortal Word

The Mortal Word (Invisible Library, #5) by Genevieve Cogman
Ace, 2018
Fantasy; 433 pgs
Source: I received an eARC copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I am a big fan of Genevieve Cogman’s Invisible Library series, and eagerly dived into The Mortal Word. It is the fifth book in the series, and I highly recommend the series be read in order. Our feisty librarian, Irene, is pulled into the middle of the tenuous peace talks between the fae and the dragons when one of the dragon’s contingent is murdered. She and Vale are asked to be part of a joint team investigating the death. They, along with the dragon and fae representatives, have their work cut out for them. Uncovering the truth while balancing a very delicate political situation proves quite the challenge. Everyone is blaming everyone else, including the Library, whose own political agenda may not be as neutral as everyone is lead to believe.

I can always expect to be entertained as well kept up late into the night when reading one of Cogman’s novels, and The Mortal Word was no different. Irene continues to be one of my favorite series characters. Her resourcefulness and quick thinking on her feet are qualities I admire and wish I possessed. Although, I suppose I am glad I do not find myself in the same or similar predicaments! She has a strong sense of wanting to do the right thing while still keeping in mind the bigger picture.

It was good to visit with other familiar and favorite characters, such as Kai and Vale. Vale is called upon to lead the murder investigation, his skills as a private investigator being renowned across dimensions. I love that he stuck to his guns in conducting the investigation his way, rather than give in to the unsubtle suggestions of others. Too, it was interesting to see Kai more among the other dragons, although I would not have minded more of that. There was, of course, our old frenemy Silver who I can never quite decide if I like or not. Readers are introduced to a new dragon in this installment of the series----and I quite liked her. She works independently of any of the royal houses, which means her loyalties are her own. I hope to see more of her in future books.

Cogman has created such an interesting and complex world, the Library having a foot in several different dimensions, it’s role to help maintain the balance between chaos and order. The fae and dragons have long been at odds and many do not believe peace is possible. And there are those within the Library who wish for the Library to have more power, especially in these ever changing times. One can’t help but feel for the humans who seem to be in the middle of all of it, even if not always present.

The Mortal Word is high in action and the mystery itself is quite intricate in this one, taking the reader through the streets of Paris and into the middle of fae, dragon, and Library politics. Suspenseful and entertaining as ever, this latest book has me wanting more. No surprise there!

To learn more about Genevieve Cogman and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Twitter and Goodreads.

---

© 2019, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.