Nina's Reviews > Ink and Bone

Truth be told: I liked the idea of this book more than I actually liked the book.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2015 and, well, it fell a bit flat.

Welcome to a world set in 2025 in which the Great Library of Alexandria had never been burnt and destroyed, and where books are a treasure hoarded and guarded by a powerful minority. Where the private possession of books is illegal and punishable (yes, I think we can agree that we’d all be screwed).

There are three parts to learning: information, knowledge, and wisdom. A mere accumulation of information is not knowledge, and a treasure of knowledge is not in itself, wisdom.
The Library holds itself to be the keeper of both knowledge and wisdom, but it is not true. So much should never be held in the hands of so few, for it is a natural, venal habit of men to hold power. And knowledge is the purest form of power.

16-yr old Jess Brightwell earns his keep in London as a Runner, a book smuggler. His father, however, realises that Jess would rather read the books than smuggle them (which he secretly does in his hideouts), and sends Jess to take the entry test for an apprenticeship in the Great Library of Alexandria – with a hidden agenda, that is.

In this alternative future, librarians are at the top of the food chain, so to speak.

”The first purpose of a librarian is to preserve and defend books.”

“The books come first, Sir. Isn’t that how it should be? Books before men?”
Wolfe almost smiled. “As you see. They’re not children. They’re librarians.”

The Good
✓ The premise had captured my interest immediately because of the unique concept.
✓ The main character was very likeable, never running blindly into situations or hating on other people or any other pet peeves I sometimes experience with protagonists. However, he was bland and not especially memorable, and this extends to all the characters. Figures I’d list this under the things I liked and then I turn it into something I didn’t like.
✓ Romance barely existed in the first half, which was fine by me. The romance that did occur was light and neatly folded on the back seat as it should be.
✓ The plot ran at an unexciting average pace but, thank God, finally accelerated in the last third of the book. It was only at that point where my eyes became glued to the pages.
✓ The central topics like loyalty, power, greed, etc. were really intriguing! Even lgbtq and cultural diversity gets a short moment in the spotlight.


The Bad
✗ It’s 2025 but it reads like a novel set in the 18th century. Advanced technology is hinted at, for example newspapers that automatically change (which has more to do with magic than technology seeing as it is still made out of paper but ok, let’s just… go with it), but the descriptions… I kept picturing medieval castles or ancient Egyptian architecture. London and Alexandria are modern cities, and Caine did not get this feeling across. Not one bit. Also, they travel large distances by train instead of taking the plane, but ok, it’s not like I want to badmouth ecological travelling in 2025.
✗ I thought the additional element of magic was unnecessary and at times confusing. The setting had already been special without the magic aspect, which was, by the way, barely explained.
✗ This is something minor but it bugged me: The way Jess had to help out with the family business made it seem as though the Brightwell’s weren’t doing well financially. Also, Jess is teased for being a “lowborn”, and yet at some stage Caine notes that they are “a rich family”. Sooo, kids get bullied because they're wealthy in 2025? Did I miss something?
✗ It took Rachel Caine 240 pages to impress me.


It’s not that I dislike Ink and Bone (Can I just point out that there are way too many YA books with Bone in their title? Shadow and Bone, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, … ). The book wasn’t bad, it was fine. But that’s the problem: It was just fine when I needed it to perform due to its amazing premise. Throughout the book, I felt utterly unaffected by the characters and the plot. The aspect I cared most for was hands down the books. I’m happy others enjoyed this but I need to be moved to give a book more than 3 stars.