Read this review and other young adult book reviews at sarahthebooknerd.home.blog!

I started another book before my Uppercase box came in, which contained this book. I would usually finish reading the book I was on before moving onto my Uppercase book, but I couldn't resist. The premise of magical libraries hooked me. The book itself is beautiful, with raised features on the slick cover and a wonderfully drawn map on the inside. I flipped the book to the back to read the testimonials. They refer to the library at Hogwarts, "wry" humor, and a Gothic heartbeat; all of which intrigue me. I stopped my current read and let myself slip under Rogerson's grip. I read about 150 pages that first night.

The writing was amazing. Rogerson has some serious imagery skills, as I was able to picture everything extremely clearly. The character descriptions were great, settings were well developed (which is huge considering how expansive Elisabeth's world is), and action scenes were riveting. She has amazing descriptive skill.

The plot is incredible! She claimed in her Uppercase video that this was her second book. She had a two-book contract signed, both being stand-alones. She had difficulty coming up with an idea for the second one. It doesn't show... at all. The plot is twisty and the characterization is unreal. It seems as though she had these characters bouncing around in her head for years. Bravo!

Let's quickly talk about the ending. No spoilers, I promise. So, this world is full of demons, spells, grimoires, and other magical ideas. The ending defies all that we've learned from Rogerson about her world and leaves something to consider. She tied up every lose end I could think of, while creating an ending that leaves us readers thinking. I couldn't have imagined a better ending than what she has given us.

Altogether, this book is amazing. It's long, but it's worth the read. I absolutely loved it.