invisible library

I knew that The Invisible Library was a series before I took it out of the library, tho I didn't know that when I first saw the book on display at another library. When I picked this one off the shelf, there were two more sitting there, so I thought; I'm all set, here they all are.

Nope.

According to Genevieve Cogman's website, volume 4 is in its final edit, and number 5 is in the works. So, my loose, half formed plan more of a good intention, really of not starting a series until its finished, has again, fallen apart. I'm sure authors, and especially publishers would rather I not feel that way, but with so much to read, I figure that I can wait. I think this thinking has caught on with television series; folks wait until a season is complete, and then just freebase the entire season in one sitting with a jumbo bag of cheetos.

Frankly, I can see the traction necessary in the first volume for a larger episodic series, rather than a single story arc, written as a trilogy, for example. I liked it. Its fun, easy to read, has a lot going on, and is carefully crafted so it hangs together nicely. This is Cogman's first novel, but she has worked as a freelance writer on role playing games, so I can see how those skills would translate to a larger storyline, with multiple characters and factions, all of which need to be kept track of, and slowly revealed as relating to the same story. That is not to say that this reads like a video game transcript, but there are some similarities in the general make up of the players, from the Library itself, to mysterious groups like The Iron Brotherhood.

Cogman doesn't spend a lot of time on physical description of her characters, altho details sometimes pop up. Its pretty clear that two of the women in the story are attractive, based on some anecdotal evidence. One is described as looking good enough in both a catsuit, and a gown, to turn heads, and another is propositioned almost immediately by a young man described as handsome. Circumstantial at best.

I think I read this in two days, but after finding out that there is still more work to do, I probably won't run out to the library to get volumes two and three. Amazon lists these books as volumes 2 and 3 of 4, not 5, as I mentioned Cogman's website said, so there may have been some mission creep in the writing OR some cash cow milking going on.