I love this book! Not only did Quinn’s new novel take me on a wild, magical ride of some of my favourite classics, but it also felt like a metaphor for the role of books in our chaotic world.
I’ve been reading Kate Quinn’s books since around 2017 – almost a decade. I have mainly stuck to her historical fiction; she also writes a historical romance series, but I haven’t ventured into that. Her last book, The Briar Club, had a magical element that I hadn’t experienced in her historical tales before.
If you haven’t read it, I won’t spoil it, but I often say to people that it’s got a different tone than her previous books. It turns out, she was just gently preparing us for the world of her Astral Library, Alix, The Librarian, The Galleriest and the patrons they need to save from the darkness that hunts them. I was glued to this book like few others.
It filled my thoughts when I was awake, at work, and it flavoured my dreams when I fell asleep. I don’t often mix up the plot lines of the multiple books I read at once, but I found myself hoping I was still in the Astral Library when I started some other books afterward.
If you’re looking for that same incredible detail and historical touches that Quinn has always delivered and think you’re ready for some serious book nerd delights, this is the book you should read next.
