The Library of Amorlin

The Age of Beasts #1

by Kalyn Josephson

A brilliant con artist and a secretive librarian collide in New York Times bestselling author Kalyn Josephson’s enchanting new adult fantasy debut packed with twists, tricks, and magical creatures, perfect for fans of S.A. MacLean’s The Phoenix Keeper and The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence.


Kasira used to be a masterful con choosing her target, building trust, judging the precise moment to make her move. Now, she’s working off a lengthy prison sentence by hunting dangerous magical creatures on behalf of the fanatical kingdom of Kalthos.


But Kasira’s past catches up to her when the ambassador from Kalthos arrives at her camp with a her freedom in exchange for infiltrating and destabilizing the magical institution meant to protect all six kingdoms—the Library of Amorlin.


When Kasira assumes the role of the new Assistant Librarian, she enters an enchanting world brimming with books and beasts, tempting her with a life she can never have. But Kasira’s real future depends on her long con to bring down the Librarian. Unfortunately, Allaster is as prickly as he is handsome, and his monstrous secrets are about to catch up with them both . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adult, Romantasy, Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Science Fiction Fantasy

448 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 3, 2026

About the author

Kalyn Josephson is the NYT bestselling author of THE STORM CROW duology, RAVENFALL series, and upcoming THIS DARK DESCENT. By day, she's a Technical Writer, which leaves room for too many bad puns about technically being a writer. She lives in the Bay Area with two black cats (who are more like a tiny dragon and an even tinier owl).

Reviews

[vxmpslibrary [hiatus exams] · Rating 3 out of 5]

.Did not Finish. @175
💝 .3 stars.

.my thoughts.
I have never dnf'ed an arc before, so I just feel so bad dnfing this but this book is so heavy on plot and actually kind of boring I would say. i might come back soon enough to finish this, but I don't really think so.

don't let my ratings fool your judgement or make you hesitant to grab it. i just finished my exams so I can't take heavy books for now.

I loved the magic even if it was confusing for me, the characters were well written too. our main FMC is a second version of Kaz Brekker if he was a female. don't get me wrong, she's a strategist, a planner, just way more off track than kaz was.

moving on, Allaster was a great character too, I just didn't loved him like I was supposed to since I was having a hard time trying to really understand him.

I may pick it up again afterwards, but that is not today.

.pre read.
🍓- I got the arc! I'm gonna read this after exams🗣️

[Mai ༊*·˚]

Why is trying to keep my NetGalley score above 80% a full-time job?

Anyway, I’m excited!

____________

Thank you to Erewhon Books for the ARC.

[S.A. MacLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Library of Amorlin is the kind of fantasy book that reignites my love for the entire genre.

The world is engulfing, fantastical, I want to leap into the pages just to live in every nook and cranny. I could get lost exploring the grand halls of the library, snuggling with the menagerie of gorgeous/adorable/horrific beasts (even if some of them would rip my face off, that's fine, I forgive them), enjoying tea and scones made by a kind but cryptic snow leopard spirit.

Kesira is my favorite kind of FMC: fierce, clever, complex. I'm constantly pleading for more messy FMCs that make mistakes, and oh boy, Kasira makes so many ruthlessly intentionally awful decisions that knowingly harm the people she's coming to care for, but I can't even be angry at her because, yeah girl, you're in this hole so deep already that you've just got to keep digging until you tunnel your way through the molten core of the earth, I hate this for you, but I get it.

Watching Kesira lie and manipulate her way out of increasingly chaotic scenarios is like a car crash you can't look away from, and yet there's always an opponent ready to throw something even more ruthless at her. I lost count of the number of times these plot twists left me reeling.

And then there's Allaster. My beloved, angsty, immortal librarian. My pouty little sad boi genius who loves animals, wears guyliner and a million sexy rings, and is steadily descending into a beast with claws and fangs . . . like, HELLO? I have never had so many boxes checked IN MY LIFE.

The slow burn between Kasira and Allaster progresses at the speed of angsty molasses, like dropping two antisocial alley cats into a room and watching them hiss at each other from opposite corners, and I devoured every emotionally stilted second of it.

Thank you to Erewhon Books and Kalyn Josephson for the ARC.

[Kalyn Josephson]

ARCs of Amorlin are beginning to enter the world <3 This is a story I hold very dear to my heart, one that explores the ways in which the world often forces us to forget our dreams and the magic that once enthralled us, and so while I would put it in the category of epic fantasy with some cozy and light academia vibes, there are some trigger warnings to be aware of:
- Animal death and violence
- PTSD, anxiety, and panic attacks
- Sexual themes
- Violence, trauma, and death
- Threat of SA (once, vaguely implied)
- Alcoholism
- Chronic pain

[Nick]

Pre read:
Yayyyyy an arc! Honestly I know nothing about this... I just liked the cover and title lol 😭 We'll see when I get around to reading this!

[Me, My Shelf, & I]

I stalled on reading this because I really, really, REALLY didn't enjoy the animal cruelty/deaths on page. Other than that I think there are a few elements I find a little amateur, but otherwise it has the vibe of a new fav and a series I can be obsessed with.

So all that said, I want to finish it but I'm so averse to the animal cruelty that it's making me stop reading any books at all. I'll wait until it comes out on audiobook and finish it that way, but I just can't bring myself to spend the time eyeball reading more of it at this point.

Does the ~dog die?:
it is central to the plot that one nation is full of religious zealots who hate beasts and see them as a manifestation of sin. there are several beasts killed on page, and some pretty traumatic flashbacks of forcing the MC to kill them as a child.

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Bazia · Rating 2 out of 5]

i wanted to like this book, but the execution didn’t hold up…

after multiple bloody lashes, FMC somehow walks for hours, disguises herself, infiltrates a new place without suspicion, changes her own bandages with ease and shows no real consequences of her injuries… also she can also stand her ground against an experienced MMC who instantly recognizes strength and training…
it felt so unrealistic and convenient

plot-helpers appears out of nowhere, information is dumped in overwhelming amounts and despite detailed descriptions i struggled to connect with the characters
ironically, kasira’s past was far more interesting than the main storyline
interesting concept, but disappointing delivery

thank you to kensington books and netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review💘

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ended up being super good! I was unsure of it when I started, but it hooked me just enough to keep going. I grew very attached to the characters and invested in the story. Kasira’s character is very morally grey, and I love the themes that her character development explored (choices, lie vs truth, etc). I also liked that we were rarely told Kasira’s whole plan about anything. There were definitely a lot of surprises! And Allaster was such a sweet character. I did have a hard time picturing the different beasts (maybe there will be diagrams in the finished copies??) but overall I really enjoyed this.

[BonBon ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was truly a delightful fantasy that is full of well thought out cons, many twists, and amazing creatures. I love the world building in this one! We have a fantastical library set in a very political world where magic and beasts are the main topic. An fmc who is so clever, complex, and strong! We also have an mmc who is a brilliant and angsty immortal librarian.

The dual POV definitely helps to show our characters motivations, struggles, and how the relationships between them are developing. I also like that we get to learn the truth about the magic, political relationships, and the six kingdoms along side Kasira.

Definitely pick this one up if you are interested in
- An amazing world and a magical library with a cozy atmosphere 📖
- A fast moving plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat
- Well rounded characters and beautiful beasts
- A delicious slow burn romance 🥰

I cannot wait to discover more about this world and to continue this story, this was such a great start!

4 ⭐️
🖤Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

[Tanith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Netgalley ARC!
3.5, but rounded up because of the fantastic job Kalyn Josephson did with the magical creatures. They were thought out to an incredible extent, with carefully crafted roles. Seriously great job with the care taken to create an immersive world that satisfies the evolutionary biology student in me. I want to learn everything about all of the animals.

A few typos that hopefully will be caught before publication, but tbh I have no idea what stage of the process ARCs come at, so ?????

Also REALLY enjoyed the main character. At times she was sincerely despicable, but all of her choices made sense in the end. I would have loved for her to share some of her insights on other characters before the big reveal, as for a little while I was genuinely upset at some of her decisions. It's possible she did and I just didn't pick up on them, though. Who's to say...

[Jessica Brusven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant story filled with complex characters, world building and a fast moving plot. The library itself feels like more than just a setting and takes on meaningful characterization. While this is a fun fantasy read, it also unpacks some timely topics that feel applicable to our current world. Specifically the large debate on the role of beasts brings up some ethical and political questions that are relatable. The writing is stunning and the plot kept me wanting to pick it back up. Really excited for more from this series!

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a breath of fresh air and I loved everything about it. It’s the type of magical fantasy that has you transported right into the story alongside the characters.

Kasira is a con-artist turned prisoner turned beast slayer. She has spent her entire life in the kingdom Kalthos, the only kingdom where magical beasts are feared and constantly hunted. She is an incredibly flawed main character and is constantly making misguided and selfish choices. Becoming the assistant librarian gives her the opportunity to deconstruct the prior indoctrination and begin to understand the truths of the six kingdoms and the magic within.

Allaster is the head Librarian of the Library of Amorlin. He has devoted his entire life researching, understanding, and protecting the magical creatures of the six kingdoms. He is another flawed main character, constantly trying to shield his mages and Kasira from some of the dark truths lurking beneath the library’s surface. The dual POV allows us to see the different dynamics and relationships developing between the characters.

The world building is excellent. There is enough discussion of the six kingdoms to gain a basic understanding of the political relationships and set up for the series to continue. The descriptions of the library create such a cozy and magical atmosphere that I wish I could curl up there with a book myself. I’m so excited that there will be more to the series and already can’t wait for the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Library of Amorlin is everything I want in a fantasy! The worldbuilding is incredibly immersive and detailed, full of twists and turns with danger lurking around every corner. This story was so easy to get lost in!

Kasira’s con is just one layer of the intricately woven plot. There’s beasts and religious fervor, an ever growing web of deceit, there’s political intrigue, and a curse with devastating consequences. Josephson’s writing is magical - immaculately conveying the wonder, fear, and desperation of her characters. I loved the dual perspective that allowed the reader to glimpse the hope and yearning of both main characters. The setting is so richly described, but for me it was the range of emotions jumping off the pages that ensnared me the most.

This story is Josephson’s finest work yet! I cannot wait for others to experience The Library of Amorlin, and am desperate to know what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erewhon Books, and Kensington Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The Library of Amorlin is set in a beautiful world with beasts, magic, and mystery. I’ve had the opportunity to grab an arc copy of this through NetGalley and really enjoyed the world this is set in. I feel like I can see the colors and world so well - it gives a cozy & whimsical feel as you’re reading even with all of the lies, plotting and secrecy between Kasira and Allaster (both of whom are strong a FMC and MMC). While it’s not super action-oriented, the plotting and scheming were so good and kept me hooked the entire. I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR and getting your hands on a copy of the STUNNING deluxe edition ✨

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is what I imagined when I pursued a career in library sciences.

Somehow packed with equal parts cozy-vibes and high fantasy style intrigue, this was one of those books that I knew I would love from the moment I read the first paragraph. Filled with wholly realized and flawed characters that I would die for; a detailed setting I would spend the rest of my life in; and a world that was complex and constantly moving. Kasira is one of my favorite kinds of FMCs (messy) and Allaster is the perfect level of angsty. And the beasts?! I want them all. The politics?! I was hooked. The shifting motivations and constant internal struggles and character development?! Superbly done.

The plot was fast moving, the romance was the best kind of burn, and the set up for future book(s) has me on my knees for more (though I think I would have been begging even without the promise of a second). Truly a feast from beginning to end.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for an advanced copy!

Kalyn Josephson has pulled the biggest con on me by writing this book because I’m now DYING for book 2 😫

The Library is the center of Amorlin, a politically neutral party between 6 different nations that serves to regulate the use of magic and treatment of beasts. Of those 6 nations, we learn the most about Kalthos in this book, as it is where out main character Kasida hails from. Kasida, a con artist, is serving a criminal sentence working for the Malikinar, a unit trained in beast killing, due to a high beast population in Kalthos, as well as widespread belief that beasts are manifestions of sin. She is recruited by Kalthos’ royal ambassador to infiltrate the library and gather information to help the nation further their own ambitions.

I loved the relationship and dynamic between Kasira and Allaster, the librarian. Allaster is, reasonably so, very suspicious of Kasira when she first comes to the library. While he begins to trust in her, she is still plotting against him, and it’s almost like one-sided enemies to lovers?? The side characters in this book were amazing too, they were all memorable and enriched the story. I loved being in Kasira’s internal monologue as she thinks through how to best manipulate those around her.

I thought the world was so unique. I’m excited to dig deeper into some of the religious lore and the other countries in the next book. The beasts were so creative. The plot was very engaging, and the political machinations were complex but easy enough to follow along with. Y’all, I LOVED this book. It truly is exactly what I look for in a romantasy. I will admit I had a bit of a hard time writing this review because I don’t want to give too much away, but I just wanna gush about how good it was!! Highly, highly, highly recommended grabbing a copy of this when it releases.

[Jordan Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Library of Amorlin by Kalyn Josephson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Kensington Publishing | Erewhon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of The Library of Amorlin by Kalyn Josephson. The books follows a con artist, Kasira, as she infiltrates the magical library of Amorlin and deceives the head librarian, Allaster. As Kasira comes to care for the people and the beasts at the library her job becomes more difficult as she determines her loyalties.

I love the magic and the world building in The Library of Amorlin. The world building was complex and so interesting. I also loved all of the different beasts and their abilities. The library itself was probably my favorite part of this book. Libraries are so magical and this library made that magic come to life. The magic system is also interesting and I can't wait to learn more about it in the next book. The politics of the library and the six realms that surround are intricate and offer so much more to be explored in the next book.

I really enjoyed Allaster's character. His love for the library and worry for the people he helps was one of the best parts of this book. However, I really struggled with Kasira's character. I don't know if I have ever been more frustrated with a main character in a book than I was with Kasira. Her lying to Allaster and continually choosing to keep deceiving everyone she cared about really bothered me. By the end of the book I did understand her reasoning and decided I am willing to give her another chance in the second book. Kasira's character development as she learns to trust those around her and care for more people than just herself is one of the good things about her character.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Library of Amorlin and I can't wait to see where the story goes in the second book.

[Jessica LoGuirato · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️½ Review: The Library of Armorlin

I liked this book, but I’ll be honest—it felt pretty dense and tough to get through at times. This is very much a sit-down-and-focus fantasy, not a breezy read.

Kasira was the standout for me. She felt complex, well thought out, and genuinely interesting to follow. A lot of the characters had depth, but I don’t think the story always gave enough space to fully explore anyone outside of her, which made some relationships and motivations feel a little underdeveloped.

The magic system is… a lot. It felt like a massive info dump early on, with magical beings, rules, and concepts thrown at the reader all at once. I eventually found my footing, but the learning curve was steep. The politics also threw me a bit—especially the amount of power the library itself held. I struggled to fully buy into why the library had so much authority and why a librarian was essentially granted political immunity without more explanation.

That said, the book cover is absolute chef’s kiss—truly stunning and what initially drew me in. Overall, this is an ambitious fantasy with strong ideas and a compelling main character, but it required more effort than I was always in the mood for.

What to Expect
• Dense, high fantasy world-building
• A complex, well-developed main character
• Heavy magic and lore introduced early
• Political intrigue centered around a powerful library
• A slower, more thoughtful reading experience

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for providing this ARC.

Release date: March 3, 2026

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this.
I found the world easy to fall into and understand and the characters interesting and complicated. I thought I would be reading a somewhat standard plot in a beautiful new fantasy world filled with magical creatures. I was pleasantly surprised that I was only partly correct because both the plot and characters were a bit more unpredictable than the summary led me to beleive.

The romance storyline was more of a background/slow burn than I was expecting as well. I have seen it marketed as Romantasy and as the series goes on it may become more romance focused, but fans of the Romantasy genre who are looking for instant love and confessions and love scenes might be left wanting.
However, that meant it was right up my alley as the story was so much more focused on trust, subterfuge, and discovering yourself and the truth within the lies.

I have more potential critiques but I'm still deciding if these things annoyed me or delightfully surprised me as a reader. For example there are things I wish were more fleshed out (the politics and creatures) and character decisions I didn't understand until much later (which I think I liked actually).
The pacing is definitely more YA to me than Adult but I'm intrigued enough to read book #2 next.

I had to knock a half a star off because I crave more magical creatures. I was hoping for us to be spending a lot more time with them and learning about the different kinds in this world, I'd read about 200 more pages of them so that we can fall in love with the whole world of animals and not just my perfect Gievra.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really interested in this book after reading the blurb and seeing the beautiful deluxe edition, and although it lays the groundwork for an intriguing fantasy world, it didn’t fully land for me.
It started off very slow and didn’t pick up until about half way through. There were some good twists that surprised me but I never felt fully immersed in the story. The characters lacked depth and I struggled to connect with any of them, especially Kasira, with her constant reference to the con she was playing and the animal deaths by her hand at the beginning. It didn’t set a good tone for me. If you are sensitive to that this may not be the book for you.
Overall, I mostly enjoyed this but I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75?

She was a former con-artist. He is the head librarian at the magical Library of Amorlin. She's given a chance at freedom if she can get intel on the library, but this proves to be more difficult than she anticipated as her feelings for the world of Amorlin and the Librarian himself begin to grow.

Sooo. I'm not sure where I want to land rating wise- I'm giving this a 3.75 rounded up for the time being but honestly, I leaned a bit more towards a 3 as I was reading. The plot sounded promising; I'm just not sure that it fully delivered. 

No spoilers here, I know this review will likely sound a bit vague, but I felt like I was presented with several characters/plot points that weren't always pertinent to the story as a whole. I kept trying to figure out how certain things were tied together or why other things were even mentioned at all. And my biggest issue with the entire book was the FMC. I've read other reviews that felt the same way, so I know I'm not alone in saying this, but she was very unlikeable. She was like a self-detonating bomb who kept hurting everyone around her and lied at LEAST 5,000 times to benefit herself at the expense of others.  Let me just say the Librarian is a better man than I would've ever been because I would have yeeted her straight off the library roof from the get-go. 

All of that aside, I did enjoy parts of it, enough so that I would likely read the sequel whenever it comes out. The bones are good, the execution could just use a little work.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced digital copy.  

[Mel's Book Buzz]

I received an eARC of "The Library of Amorlin," Book 1 in Kalyn Josephson's, " The Age of Beasts series in exchange for this honest review.

I liked the premise of the story. She becomes the Assistant Librarian to spy on the Librarian who protects the magical beasts, and then their relationship changes.

However, it missed the mark for me. It just didn't seem to flow well, and the verbiage didn't make sense at times. I could probably remove 10% of the book with all the instances of the words "had" and "have." I just don't understand why authors add extra words when they're already writing in 3rd person. It seems like they're trying to inflate their word count, or, dare I say, it leads me to believe they may have used AI since their sentence structure seems inauthentic.

I received an unedited eARC and so I hope as it goes through edits it will mature to the adult book it's supposed to be.

Thank you #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing #Erewhon !!

[Carola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

First of all, I love books that has magical libraries, really love them! Like the Sorcery of Thorns, A Court of Silver Flames and The Devil Makes Three, this book also has a magical library with it’s own magical system.

Now about this book, the pacing in this book is good and fast, but the characters and story are not good developed, so beside the magical library, I felt underwhelmed reading this book.

[Book.Dragon.Page1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful world! A magic library but with it's own troubles and beasts! I would have loved to see more beasts!
Our fmc is a piece of work. But also very much a product of what her world made her. I would love to learn more about where she came from! And the librarian! Just give me more!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this earlycopy. All opinions are my own.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ This book will absolutely be one of the top 2026 fantasy books of the year! The world building is amazing and there are plots within plots! The characters are outstanding and it was easy to get lost in the world. This was my first “just one more chapter” book of 2026. I haven’t been this excited for a series since Fourth Wing but add in some Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them vibes. Oh and the MMC *whew* took my breath away.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to provide a review.

[Miroslava Berghauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book! Exciting from start to finish,with a lot of plot twists and turns... I really liked the main characters ( and some side characters), and rooted for them!
I think this is a start of a beautiful saga.

[Brielle Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Library of Amorlin explores themes like protecting magical creatures, reclaiming one’s future, and discovering wonder. In this story, the physical location of the library is the center of six nations. It is considered a neutral midpoint of international politics that governs the treatment of beasts and magic.

Kasira is a con woman turned prisoner on work release to a solider turned spy undercover as an assistant at a library. She is put in place by an ambassador with a weird religious vibe who is super anti beast. Allaster is the head librarian. He’s immortal, crabby, and very distrustful (honestly, for good reasons).

Josephson describes this book on her Instagram as a “cozy fantasy with Ring of Power vibes.” I did not find this story very cozy (like for example, how The Spellshop felt like a warm hug and fresh bread with jam), but it did have great fantasy elements. Lots of beasts, magic, and mages, even more political intrigue and secrets. So many secrets. Everyone was keeping secrets for some reason or another from each other. I found it maybe a little more Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them coded. Then add in a one woman Six of Crows con job that went wrong.

This story did not really keep my interest in the beginning as well as I would have liked and the political intrigue was confusing at first. However, with patience, the world building does start to come together and you start the get more of that high fantasy feel as you go. The end was much more engaging for me, but I still did not feel entirely invested in the characters and story regretfully.

✨3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Erewhorn for this e-arc. The Library of Amorlin comes out March 3, 2026.

[Risa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars rounded up


My last read of 2025, and overall it was a pretty strong finish!

While this book wasn’t perfect, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. There’s room for improvement for sure (and I read the ARC, so I’m sure things will be tweaked), but it’s a pretty good book already.

Having said that, I don’t know that the marketing does this book justice, particularly when it comes to our lead girl, Kasira.

Did I like Kasira as a character? Yes, I did. However, I think promoting her as a “female Kaz Brekker” is a stretch—the only thing she has in common with him is the fact that her nickname is Kas. That is to say, Kasira was in fact a con artist, but not to the level of Kaz Brekker. (Someone calls her “soft” in the narrative, and I tend to agree with that to some extent. I don’t think being soft is a bad thing though.)

I don’t really understand why Six of Crows was used as a comp title, to be honest (there were only tiny, irrelevant details that were copied from that book, which I point out in the spoilers section). I don’t think this story lives up to that expectation, and I’m glad I forgot about the author making that comparison until I was nearly finished with the book, or else I probably would’ve been more annoyed about it.

[Edit: I have a sneaking suspicion that the author read my review, and thus posted on Instagram about why she chose the comps she chose. I still stand by what I said—that Six of Crows doesn’t feel like an accurate comp to use for this book, in my opinion.]


Having said that, I enjoyed the story for what it was, for the most part. I liked seeing all the ways that Kasira was a con artist (and seeing her dissect the ways in which people were trying to use her); however, I didn’t like how she spelled out all the different details that make (her) a con artist. I much preferred when she was using the exposition to break down other characters’ plans.


The world building was lacking in a lot of ways. There were too many name drops without context clues, and too many places named closed together. Thus, I struggled to differentiate between the different lands and the different beasts. (Also, a lot of the fantastical terms and names sounded very similar to each other, so that made it even more confusing.)

I’m also confused as to how the politics work in this world. Outside of the Kalish hating beasts, and the Library protecting beasts, the global politics were all muddled and unclear, in my opinion.

I liked the magic system in regard to the library and its mages; but I wasn’t a big fan of the magical weapons they came into play. (I will say though that in general, I don’t love reading about magical beasts and magical weapons, so it could be more of a preference thing.)


I really liked the slow-burn romance between Kasira and Allaster—it truly was enemies to lovers in my opinion. I actually thought most of the characters in this book were well-rounded and fleshed out, and they were the main reason I felt compelled to keep reading despite my lack of understanding of the world outside the Library and Kalthos. But for the characters, I think my enjoyment level (and rating) would’ve been much lower.




I look forward to reading the sequel whenever it comes out in the future, solely because I am interested in reading more about the characters. (And hopefully the world building will be improved for the final version of this first book.)




NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:

⁃ Interesting that you have a con artist whose nickname is “Kas” right from the start…for a book that has in some ways been compared to Six of Crows…

⁃ There are A LOT of proper (fantastical) names in this opening chapter, and there’s hardly any context clues as to what they mean, so it’s hard to keep track.


⁃ That opening chapter was unfortunately pretty boring. Like I love a good con artist, but Kasira’s sneaky ways are feeling forced right now.


⁃ Omg this breakdown of what makes a con artist is annoying! I don’t need to be told any of this—just show me Kasira doing all these things with her actions!


⁃ Meh. I’m not a big fan of a talking beast (snow leopard). But that’s just a pastor’s Al preference.


⁃ Interesting that Allaster is turning into a beast from his magic. And he already suspects that Eirlana (Kasira) is a spy!


⁃ A bit convenient that a silent-opening door was in her random hiding spot.


⁃ The way Loraya died when she and Kasira were trying to steal from a nobleman was sad…but the scene wasn’t really clear. I don’t understand how Kasira glancing back at the guy lead to him almost cutting her with a sword (which takes a beat to draw, btw). And then Loraya suddenly appeared, after feigning injury, and shoved Kasira out of the way so she’d be stabbed instead? Also, even if the nobleman accidentally stabbed Loraya instead of Kasira, why the hell would the nobleman not then stab Kasira after removing his sword? Kasira was the one who actually stole the purse off the guy in the first place… (All that to say, this flashback is not executed well).


⁃ Ah okay—so the library is sentient, and that’s why that door appeared when she was hiding in Allaster’s office. That’s interesting.



⁃ Ugh, I don’t love that Allaster is over 100 years old. I’m not a big fan of such obnoxious age gaps.



⁃ I love that Kasira is a con artist. But I HATE that the author is using the narrative to spell out every detail of the con. Trust that the reader can figure out what Kasira is doing as the plan unfolds without you overexplaining it!


⁃ 33% in and Allaster has finally agreed to train Eirlana yay.


⁃ Why would Kasira tell Allaster that Vera has a spy? Surely Vera wouldn’t like that???


⁃ I wonder if someone like May is the spy?


⁃ I don’t understand why there’s a sparring arena at a library? With staffs? That doesn’t match at all.


⁃ I’m 40% in, and I’m still not clear on the different beasts.


⁃ Wait. Okay, I like the idea of this magical basin in the heart of the library, where Kasira has to drink the silvery water to determine whether she gets magic or dies. BUT then that opens a plot hole—because why the hell wouldn’t Allaster just bring her here from the jump? If he suspected her of being a spy, which we were told was the case, why wouldn’t he make her drink from the basin immediately, and let the library work out whether she was in fact a spy (and kill her if that is the case)???


⁃ I mean, it’s also pretty obvious that the magic ain’t going to kill her—the chapter ends at 42%, so there’s still so much more book to go. The plot hole aside, I think it would have been more compelling if the options were she either get the magic, or she’s injured or something during the process—because despite Kasira’s intentions for being there, (and given how the library helped her escape Allaster’s office earlier in the story,) no one actually thought the ritual would kill her.


⁃ I like the teleportation magic, and that we got an explanation of how it worked. And I liked the idea that she doesn’t age as long as she stays close to the library!


⁃ It was nice to see Allaster and Kasira have a one on one conversation by the beast enclosure, with a drink. (just talk—without politics and whatnot.) Obviously Kasira is still in disguise, but I like that we see her putting more of herself into the Eirlana role she’s playing. And it’s clearly starting to hurt her that she cannot be herself around him. I like it.


⁃ 50% in: Uh oh��Iylis knows who she is, that she’s really Kasira! Is this snow leopard Vera’s spy??? I’m curious to know where he disappeared to!


⁃ So am I right to assume that the sparring is so they can fight beasts? I now only realize that may be why they do it. However, that still makes me wonder why mages need to practice sparring as well? Because they handle beasts too? But I thought it’s just the librarians who go tame beasts and what not, so would they really need to spar to care for them here in enclosures? IDK, it’s still kind of weird to me. (Not to mention, don’t they spar will staffs—not that helpful against a beast.)


⁃ Is Lord Morvir (an old mark) the one who killed Loraya? If so, the feels a bit too coincidental that they would meet again like this, with him just barging in to kill the snake. (And this is the Queen we’re dealing with—would she have guards closing off the area over the last hour??)


⁃ While I’m more than halfway through the book, I still cannot keep track of all the different beasts (what they look like, attack like, etc.) for the life of me. But that aside, I still don’t really understand what the library’s purpose with the beasts are? Like I understand that the beasts have keep an order of magical balance in the world, so killing them all off will be bad (kinda like a parallel to regular animals in our world). But if they are attacking people on the various realms…isn’t that a bad thing? That’s not to say that they should be killed off, but it doesn’t sound like the library/librarian’s mission is to bring them all to Amorlin either. So I guess I’m just unclear about what the goal is—to find a way for beasts and humans to live in harmony, even though many humans don’t have the fighting skills that those living at the library do?


⁃ Having said that, this story reminds me a bit of (a more convoluted version of) The Otherwhere Post, which is a book I enjoyed.


⁃ Ah okay—so the lord was a different mark, good.


⁃ Uh oh—Morvir knows she’s not Eirlana! This is a good scene of drama!
⁃ Oh…I mean, I liked the fight scene. But it felt like she beat those two men a bit too easily.


⁃ Ah there it is: “Who did this to you?” I’m getting sick of this line, to be honest.


⁃ 59% in: It’s clear that the author has put a lot of time and energy into building the politics. But I still can’t differentiate between the different continents, so all this talks to politics went right over my head in that council meeting.


⁃ You know, I’m honestly not even mad that Kasira framed Elyae in all of this. (Though I’m still curious to know who the real spy is. And why the hell that snow leopard just disappeared.)


⁃ 61% in: Ah, Ilyis is back…strange that he’s acting like nothing happened.


⁃ Or maybe Allaster’s brother is the spy?


⁃ At 63%: Oh no they’re here to arrest her? But why???

⁃ Ah yes! I love that Allaster is defending Kasira, whether she’s Eirlana or not!!!! (And I actually love their relationship—I buy into the slow burn of it all.)

⁃ Ahh, so Mora also dealt with this librarian curse and ultimately killed her. And that will happen to Kasira too.


⁃ While I still don’t understand the politics of all the continents, I am loving the political scheming and tension going on between Ambassador Vera and the Librarian.


⁃ Ooh, Allaster and Nyelle are former lovers!


⁃ 67% in: Oh no—now Thane is here?? And he’s the new Kalish mage??? I’m actually glad though, because Kasira has thought about him a lot, but we really don’t know much about him. (And I thought we wouldn’t see him until the sequel, so this is a pleasant surprise!)

⁃ I appreciate that neither May nor Allaster plan to take any shit from Thane!

⁃ I will say, between Thane having to fight beasts in prison, and our main character having the nickname “Kas”, it’s clear that the author is a Six of Crows fan…

⁃ Ahh interesting—so Vera turned on Kas because that child couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

⁃ Listen, Thane is very clearly an asshole to the nth degree. BUT I love him as a character already, just form his private conversation with Kasira. Seeing Kasira go against the con artist who taught her to be the con artist she is today (and it’s clear that she hasn’t worked out his plan yet) is going to be SO GOOD.



⁃ I liked seeing Allaster go defend his old home, but I still have no sense of place outside the library. And I’m not sure how I feel about the author suddenly introducing a murderous rebel group nearly 3/4 into the book (even if there’s more books in the series). I’m glad her friend Revna is alive though.



⁃ I’m not saying the spy is not a member of the council, but I don’t love how Kasira came to that conclusion. Like sure, Allaster doesn’t talk to other mages…but if that’s the case, I feel like that’s such an obvious thing to investigate, that anyone could’ve deduced, not just a con artist.


⁃ Ooh so Ambric is Warren’s great-great grandfather (which means Warren is Allaster’s distant nephew). Nice little family connection there.


⁃ 80% in: Wait…why is Kasira framing Elyae as a spy again?? I thought we’d moved on from that, and she was trying to find the real spy?


⁃ Ok…so now Revna is a member of the king’s guard? Huh? That’s so random—I thought she couldn’t get any other job after being kicked out of the Malikinar? How did the King know that Revna had information he needed about Kas?

⁃ (I’m also lowkey confused with how royalty works in this world—isn’t there multiple queens as well? Are they from different continents? Do they rank lower than this king?)


⁃ So now the King wants Kasira to get damning proof on Vera. Ok sure…


⁃ Oh no—Thane better not have hurt May! (he did.)


⁃ I don’t understand why Vera needs Kasira to be in place to deal with the fallout after the Conclave succeeds? What does that have to do with Vera’s cousin the king now being more aware to what’s going on?


⁃ I’m obviously glad May is alive! (And Kasira after that confrontation with Vera and Thane.) But we’ve already established that Thane has no qualms with killing someone—so why didn’t he kill May? Why did he just knock her out and throw her in the catacombs? And how did he know Kas wouldn’t be able to use her magic to find May down there? (I guess the spy?)

⁃ That’s nice that Gievra saves Kasira…a bit convenient that they managed to break out of their enclosure, but sure why not.

⁃ Also, Kasira thinking Thane was her last tie to Loraya, when she never went to visit him or talk to him about her, and he tried to KILL Kasira, is ridiculous.


⁃ Clever Vera though—to say they killed Thane and call the Conclave for it.


⁃ I’m not surprised Vera lied during the trial and said Allaster killed Thane. I’m still a bit confused as to how Kasira thought taking Vera’s side would save the library (and Allaster) though…


⁃ 95% in: Damn! Ambric, Allaster’s own brother, voted against him?!? And that was the deciding vote too—wild.

⁃ Ah okay—I only now realize that King Carthur is the king of Kalthos (96% in) after he claimed the rescind their vote. I don’t know why that wasn’t clear to me before, but now it makes sense why cousin Vera was going after the throne. (Although now im not sure how her taking control of the library would’ve helped her get the throne, if the library is not supposed to get involved in politics?)


⁃ I appreciate now how Kasira lied for Vera in order to turn on her in the end. And I appreciate that she used Lady Nyelle to get the King to cooperate as well. But it seems rather risky to trust that May and the others would back her without her telling them the clear plan beforehand.


⁃ Kasira telling May about the Kalish mine pests…when she’s already told her before…feels like unnatural conversation.


⁃ At 98%, and Allaster is just now FINALLY showing Kasira the monster he becomes.

⁃ And then they finally kissed, yay!


⁃ I know the magic of the library was messed up, but I don’t think we ever got an explanation to how Iylis knew Kasira’s name?

⁃ I also don’t think we ever got an explanation as to who the Kalish spy was??




Overall thoughts:
⁃ I really liked this book, mainly for the characters. I loved seeing the relationship between Kasira and Allaster slowly develop, as they learned to trust each other in the end. I also really loved a lot of the side characters!

⁃ The world building was a mess for me personally. The politics were all over the place, and unclear. The settings of everywhere except the Library and Kalthos were unclear and muddled. So I honestly had to just ignore all those details and focus on the characters.

⁃ I don’t like that there were unanswered questions—questions that do not carry over to the sequel (like why Ilyis knew Kasira’s real name, and who the second spy was).

⁃ In any event, I’m looking forward to the second book, just for the characters, as I’m interested to see if Kasira can ultimately break the librarian curse.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Library of Amorlin is a high fantasy novel that despite choosing some of romantasy's favourite tropes is definitely not a romantasy. The worldbuilding has amazing depth. The plot and politics are busy but the novel also feels equally character-driven - its the flaws of our two main characters that create most of their problems, which their enemies are just cashing in on. I sped through this in a day (though not a single sitting) which should let you know that it's entertaining and kept my interest, despite some flaws that really bugged me.

The most minor one first: this would have been even better without the romantasy cliches. Con artist Kisara and her paranoid mark Allastar have enough reason to be enemies when they meet, and enough development to reasonably turn that into respect and admiration that they didn't need insta-lust, or unnatural electric tingles when their hands brushed. Let them have been complete, proper enemies without the "oh but they're so good-looking / can't stop thinking about them / somehow I feel this person I only just met and am 99% sure is a traitor is the only person who could ever understand me". It weakened the novel and it wasn't needed.

The middle-most flaw, which I didn't really notice until I'd finished and was reflecting on the novel: the author's internalised misogyny. Every female character apart from a token single female 'ally' will be romantic rivals or outright enemies, or both, with Kisara. And that sole female ally is both married and a lesbian. So that's not a great look, that there can't be any other women are who non-antagonistic. Yes, there are male antagonists but there are also multiple non-antagonistic males. Even the library's spiritual servants and Kisara's beast pet are males. (I think almost every beast she interacts with is male, apart from the mother not-griffon-but-its-totally-a-griffon in chapter one.) Actually I lie, there's one other incredibly minor female character who starts off antagonistic and then becomes not antagonistic. But she's so minor I can't even remember her name and she is never seen or mentioned without an equally-minor supporting male character who seems romantically coded with her. So... two non-antagonistic women both of whom are romantically satisfied/unavailable/uninterested. I guess all single women are either villains or jealous harpies? Cool cool cool, the 90s called and want their toxic portrayal of female relationships back.

The biggest flaw, and the one that prevents me from giving the novel any more than 3 stars, is that at the 40% mark a plot device is introduced that renders the majority of the novel wasted time. Essentially the library has its own safety feature regarding granting magic to humans. Those who want to become library mages must drink a super special secret liquid... and the library can either tell if you're going to protect/help the library (or magic in general? though the text hints more strongly that it's the library simply protecting itself), in which case it grants you magic powers. Or if you're there to hurt the library (or magic or beasts? or maybe just the library, again, unclear), it instantly kills you. Now at this point Allastar has spent almost 40% of the novel distrusting and 'testing' Kisara... but he could have just given her this liquid on day one and she'd either be proven safe to trust, or she'd drop dead and he'd be proven correct about her being a spy. The man literally wasted weeks, if not months, that he could have spent on his actual big problems.

But wait, this issue comes up again around the 60-70% mark. The big villain manages to insert yet another spy into the library, this one the most obvious of all three (one is there before Kisara arrives, watching and reporting on her to the big villain). And once again weeks if not months are spent with him sowing discord and undermining leadership among the mages at the library, and with the big villain using him to sow political chaos as 'proof' that Allastar is biased against the villainous kingdom by not giving this obvious spy magic right away. But again, minor villain could have been given the truth-death liquid on day one. He'd definitely die from it, and wow, so many problems avoided with relatively little fallout. You can't blame the head librarian for the fact that the semi-sentient library truth detector said no. He just did exactly what big villain asked for, not his fault if she sent in someone unworthy. ... But no. That would be smart. And although Allastar is supposed to be incredibly smart, it has apparently never occurred to him to let the truth-death liquid do its one actual job.

And all of that could have been avoided from being such a mess by simply removing the truth-death aspect. Just make it super secret liquid that gives magic powers to anyone who drinks it. Then there's a reason to a) keep it secret, and b) do your own vetting before letting new people have a drink. There is absolutely no plot reason in book one (unknown for upcoming novels) that requires the truth-death aspect. Remove it and suddenly 70% of the book is no longer unnecessary time-wasting.

There are also so many dropped plot threads. A terrifying monster is name-dropped early in the Library section and then just... forgotten about because one character is superstitious, so Kisara doesn't ask her for more info and never follows up with anyone else. Kisara meets some terrifying shadow creature in the catacombs - couldn't possibly be that name-dropped monster that lives down there, right? Even if not, it was talking about a broken promise... and the library's magic is going kind of weird... couldn't be related, or something she should tell someone about, right? Naaaah. Also the original spy is still at large (and it's SO OBVIOUS who it is, too). So many actually important things that the book could have devoted time to rather than the pointless tests and sufferance of suspected/known spies that could have instantly been resolved via the bad plot/lore device.

Would I read the sequel? Maybe. I did enjoy the worldbuilding and the characters, but such a giant plot issue that renders over half the book useless is a huge writing problem. How is it that no one caught this or thought to fix it? Beta readers, agent, editor??? It's worrying.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.


Rating: 3 stars - A fast read with intriguing worldbuilding, but a huge plot/lore issue that renders 70% of the book unnecessary.

[léa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky to get to read an early copy through my publishing internship and this was such a fun ride! Kasira is an interesting, well flesh out out protagonist, who’s not afraid to do what she had to in order to survive, and the plot is both original and compelling: although I was told I didn’t have to read the whole thing I devoured it in less than three days. Even if it’s not yet published I already can’t wait for book 2!!