The Great Library Series by Rachel Caine

The quick cut: A fantasy series based on the premise that the Great Library of Alexandria never got destroyed. 

A real review:

 Knowledge is definitely power, but what would you do if it was being held hostage by an all knowing organization? In this fantasy series, the Great Library not only survived history, but it controls the world as we know it. 

 Jess' family is one of the most powerful smuggler families out there. Known for their ability to find rare books and sell them to individuals for a price, he plays a role in the family trade. When his dad gets Jess an opportunity to become a part of the library, he knows his role as a spy could be greatly beneficial to furthering the family business. Will his father's plan work? 

 I never even knew about this series until I saw the first book at my library. Once I borrowed it, I knew I'd have to buy the other books and finish it (my library only had the first three books). While the nerdy part of me loved the weaving of real history with fantasy, knowing the historical significance of the Alexandria library isn't essential to enjoying the story. 

 I love the way this story features the elements of found family, fantasy, and ethics. Knowledge shouldn't be owned by one organization but is it okay to hide away dark knowledge that could easily corrupt others? How do we keep an organization that's meant to spread information from becoming self serving? There are so many layers to the questions you could ask that I know they'll stay with me a long time. 

 The first three books feature Jess' perspective while the final two open up to a plethora of narrators. While it definitely was needed for the final book, I didn't enjoy it in the fourth. The chunks of chapters with one narrator and then the next made it hard to stay really deep into the story.

 There are so many characters that I won't bother to discuss them all. Jess is put in an interesting position by his family and by the end, he certainly chooses a side. I saw it coming, but I do wish it was more of a battle. 

 An exciting series that takes a long journey to the end. 

My rating: 4 out of 5