Alexandria (Alix) Watson is struggling to make ends meet, she has a few part time jobs and currently has just over $34 in her bank account. When she goes to pay at the supermarket, her card is declined. Her fridge is empty and to add insult to injury her roommate is evicting her because of his girlfriend’s insecurities. Alix has nowhere to go, so she goes to the place she always feels at home; the library.
While in the reading room, one of the security guards starts chasing her and when she flees through a door she finds herself in a different library: the astral library.
Soon after the Librarian has explained the rules of living in one of the books (it has to be in the public domain, you are never the lead of the story etc) the library is attacked. Alix helps the Librarian locate some of the Patrons and hide them in the astral gallery. An exciting ride through classics like Sherlock Holmes and Tom Sawyer ensues, and the Librarian turns out to be a book dragon!
I loved this book – I’ve been a fan of Kate Quinn’s historical fiction for several years and this one is a fantasy book, and like with her other books the writing is excellent and engrossing. And a massive plus, after reading this book, I’ve got some nice book recommendations out of it!
Read for the Read Between the Lines Reading Challenge 2026
Prompt 47: Published in 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️