I first learned of the existence, and subsequent destruction, of the Great Library in Alexandria when I was in high school. As a lover of books, it struck me as a huge loss to the world. All those books! All that knowledge! But, who's to say the library would have survived the dark ages, the church's stranglehold on any knowledge that would have threatened their power, or even from rotting from within? Ink and Bone explores what would have happened if the library survived and thrived for thousands of years, what the world would look like, who would hold the power.

The world building in the book was a lot of fun. There is a little (tiny) bit of steam punk, a divide between the haves and the have nots, and the Library looming over it all. As a main character, Jess is interesting and uniquely qualified to travel to Alexandria for training in the Library. I never lost interest in the plot, and really enjoyed the mystery, the historical details and the interactions between the students. I bought the second book in the series immediately after finishing this one (and stayed up way to late to read it). Definitely a hit!

I've said this before, you know it's a good book when you find yourself thinking about it long after you've stopped reading it. I stayed up way too late to read this, and woke up the next morning wondering what was going to happen next. Can't get higher praise than that! The descriptions of the expedition were so interesting, without going into tedious explanations of the gear needed or techniques for caving. I always love when an author is able to turn the setting into another character, and Zajonc didn't disappoint. The cave is a living, breathing entity that comes to dominate the characters lives and the story.

There was a great balance between suspense and horror here. Not a ton of character development, but Milo was fun to read about. Definitely would recommend this as an adventure novel to anyone! An interesting, fun read!

So, I'll preface this by saying I had this book on hold at the library but was number 84 in line. I couldn't wait that long! I bought it and am so happy I did! I was expecting a little more "gothic" in this novel, the atmosphere really lent itself to that genre. There were no ghosties or ghoulies in this book, but I honestly didn't miss them at all. The straight forward mystery turned out to be anything but. I had to go back and re-read sections of the book after I finished, I was that taken by surprise!

I can usually guess who done it. The only other book that got me this good was The Thirteenth Tale, a phenomenal book I recommend to EVERYONE. To be coupled in my mind with The Thirteenth Tale means this was an amazing book. The characters were interesting and, as I said above, the setting was spot on. Hal was an interesting heroine, pushed into a sketchy act by her precarious financial situation. Her "family" reacted in a realistic way, not instantly holding out open arms and welcoming her into their hearts. Well worth the read, loved it!