I received an eARC of this book on Netgalley from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

What an intense read! Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine picks up where Ink and Bone left off. Jess and his friends are separated, assigned their duties and rank within the Library. Nothing is what it seemed to be. The disillusioned Jess has accepted the awful things the Library represents, but he hasn’t given up on his friend who is presumed dead, the girl he loves locked away in the Iron Tower, or the fact that books/knowledge should be free to everyone. An uprising is coming, but who will survive?

As much as I enjoyed Ink and Bone, I liked its sequel better. Paper and Fire does not suffer second-book syndrome, that’s for sure! The action immediately starts as Jess and Glaine are training with the Garda and their assignment leads them to Scholar Wolfe and a failed assassination attempt. Jess is still a favorite character of mine. He is brave, loyal, and despite his upbringing cares deeply for those that he survived with. He will fight for them, no matter the cost.

With the world building out of the way, the plot of this book is more character driven as Jess learns more about himself and the man he wishes to be, the things he is willing to give up, and what is worth fighting for. I loved seeing the Automata in a new light this book. They are introduced as the robotic guards of the library during the last book, but the author features them prominently in this one. I liked seeing how the characters feared and interacted with these metal creatures.

The plot of this book is that of a dystopian. The characters are trying to overthrow the library and get knowledge back into the hands of the people. They walk a fine line between heresy and loyalists, their actions and what drives them pure. There is more action in this book than the last (if that’s possible), it seems every page is littered with blood.

Overall I enjoyed this read, finishing it in under a day! It was addictive and I had to know what would happen. My only complaint was the love interest for Jess. I just didn’t feel the chemistry or understand the bond between the two. I had a few eyeroll moments when reading their “passionate” kisses, more like hormones in overdrive. If you enjoy alternate history and liked the first book, I highly recommend continuing with Paper and Fire.