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The Astral Library
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From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.
Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.
The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?
Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.
The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 17, 2026
59780 people want to read
About the author
Kate Quinn
30 books39.5k followers--I use Goodreads to track and rate my current reading. Most of my reads are 4 stars, meaning I enjoyed it hugely and would absolutely recommend. 5 stars is blew-my-socks-off; reserved for rare reads. 3 stars is "enjoyed it, but something fell a bit short." I very rarely rate lower because I DNF books I'm not enjoying, and don't rate books I don't finish.--
Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network”, “The Huntress,” "The Rose Code," "The Diamond Eye," and "The Briar Club." She is also a co-author in several collaborative novels including "The Phoenix Crown" with Janie Chang and "Ribbons of Scarlet" with Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Eliza Knight, Sophie Perinot, and Heather Webb. All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in Maryland with their two rescue dogs.
Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network”, “The Huntress,” "The Rose Code," "The Diamond Eye," and "The Briar Club." She is also a co-author in several collaborative novels including "The Phoenix Crown" with Janie Chang and "Ribbons of Scarlet" with Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Eliza Knight, Sophie Perinot, and Heather Webb. All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in Maryland with their two rescue dogs.
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September 19, 2025Update! THE ASTRAL LIBRARY is available for early-read request on Netgalley and Edelweiss. May the odds be ever in your favor...
We finally have a cover for THE ASTRAL LIBRARY, readers--isn't it gorgeous? And I can tell you that there will be a special deluxe limited edition that will knock your socks off: sprayed decorative edges, illustrated endpapers, jacket effects, and even more. These shelf trophies will go fast, so you definitely want to pre-order here: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/t...
We finally have a cover for THE ASTRAL LIBRARY, readers--isn't it gorgeous? And I can tell you that there will be a special deluxe limited edition that will knock your socks off: sprayed decorative edges, illustrated endpapers, jacket effects, and even more. These shelf trophies will go fast, so you definitely want to pre-order here: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/t...
October 3, 2025
Have you ever wanted to live inside a book? Same. If you’re a fellow bookworm, you know the itch—to step through a portal an author built and wander a world where the prose does the set design, the lighting, the score, even the CGI. Kate Quinn’s latest scratches that itch in the best way. Known for her rich historicals and fierce women’s fiction, she takes a gleeful leap into fantasy—yes, with a dash of dragons—and delivers a story stuffed with Easter eggs, heart, and wonder.
Our heroine is Alexandra “Alix” (Alice) Watson, twenty-six and dealt the most lopsided hand. A childhood shuttled through foster care after her mother vanished to L.A.; college dreams traded for three jobs and mounting debt; a hacked bank account (hello, mysterious Libby); and an eviction that empties her pockets and her hope. Rock bottom sends her to the Boston Public Library—just to breathe. Instead, she finds a hidden door and tumbles into the Astral Library, a labyrinthine sanctuary run by an ageless, gloriously grumpy guardian. Here, readers can enter books—under strict rules: public-domain texts only, no rewriting the canon, and you’re never the story’s “chosen one.” There’s even a wardrobe room that outfits you to the era you’re visiting. Reader, I audibly squealed.
Quinn makes the rules feel delicious, not fussy. The council meetings hum with old-world ritual; the red-card warning system ratchets tension without killing the whimsy. And the portals! Alix sleuths in fog-soaked tunnels with Sherlock Holmes searching for the missing Sarah; rows through Huck-and-Tom swamplands; twirls at a Regency ball where Jane Eyre slips by with a knowing glance. Each chapter bows to the original authors while giving Alix just enough agency to matter. It’s catnip for lit lovers: respectful homage with propulsive stakes.
What surprised me most was the emotional core. Alix’s foster-kid armor, her money panic, the ache of being left behind—these aren’t window dressing. The Astral Library isn’t merely a playground; it’s a refuge for people who need one. As patrons arrive chased by the dangers of their real lives, the novel becomes a tender ode to chosen family and the radical safety of libraries. And when Alix suspects the rot is internal—that someone is hunting not just the patrons but the guardian herself—the book pivots from cozy adventure to clever, high-stakes heist. Saving this refuge will mean breaking a few “unbreakable” rules—and deciding what kind of heroine Alix is allowed to be.
Quinn’s craft sings: clean, vivid sentences; chapter endings that snap; clues tucked like marginalia; and playful dragon shimmer at the edges that teases a bigger mythos without overwhelming newcomers. Pacing-wise, it’s brisk but breathable—set piece, quiet beat, reveal, repeat—so you get both the dopamine of discovery and the exhale of character growth. If you’ve ever underlined Austen, argued with Holmes, or hid in a library on a bad day, this book will feel like being handed a key you’ve wanted your whole life.
Overall: Magnificent. Inventive. Unputdownable. A love letter to libraries, a playground for classic-lit fans, and a smart, emotionally generous adventure that celebrates the readers who call stacks and stories their sanctuary. Five “book-inside-a-book” stars—my early pick for one of the most delightful fantasy releases of 2026.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this marvelous fantasy’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Our heroine is Alexandra “Alix” (Alice) Watson, twenty-six and dealt the most lopsided hand. A childhood shuttled through foster care after her mother vanished to L.A.; college dreams traded for three jobs and mounting debt; a hacked bank account (hello, mysterious Libby); and an eviction that empties her pockets and her hope. Rock bottom sends her to the Boston Public Library—just to breathe. Instead, she finds a hidden door and tumbles into the Astral Library, a labyrinthine sanctuary run by an ageless, gloriously grumpy guardian. Here, readers can enter books—under strict rules: public-domain texts only, no rewriting the canon, and you’re never the story’s “chosen one.” There’s even a wardrobe room that outfits you to the era you’re visiting. Reader, I audibly squealed.
Quinn makes the rules feel delicious, not fussy. The council meetings hum with old-world ritual; the red-card warning system ratchets tension without killing the whimsy. And the portals! Alix sleuths in fog-soaked tunnels with Sherlock Holmes searching for the missing Sarah; rows through Huck-and-Tom swamplands; twirls at a Regency ball where Jane Eyre slips by with a knowing glance. Each chapter bows to the original authors while giving Alix just enough agency to matter. It’s catnip for lit lovers: respectful homage with propulsive stakes.
What surprised me most was the emotional core. Alix’s foster-kid armor, her money panic, the ache of being left behind—these aren’t window dressing. The Astral Library isn’t merely a playground; it’s a refuge for people who need one. As patrons arrive chased by the dangers of their real lives, the novel becomes a tender ode to chosen family and the radical safety of libraries. And when Alix suspects the rot is internal—that someone is hunting not just the patrons but the guardian herself—the book pivots from cozy adventure to clever, high-stakes heist. Saving this refuge will mean breaking a few “unbreakable” rules—and deciding what kind of heroine Alix is allowed to be.
Quinn’s craft sings: clean, vivid sentences; chapter endings that snap; clues tucked like marginalia; and playful dragon shimmer at the edges that teases a bigger mythos without overwhelming newcomers. Pacing-wise, it’s brisk but breathable—set piece, quiet beat, reveal, repeat—so you get both the dopamine of discovery and the exhale of character growth. If you’ve ever underlined Austen, argued with Holmes, or hid in a library on a bad day, this book will feel like being handed a key you’ve wanted your whole life.
Overall: Magnificent. Inventive. Unputdownable. A love letter to libraries, a playground for classic-lit fans, and a smart, emotionally generous adventure that celebrates the readers who call stacks and stories their sanctuary. Five “book-inside-a-book” stars—my early pick for one of the most delightful fantasy releases of 2026.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this marvelous fantasy’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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October 14, 2025
I have read almost all of Kate Quinn’s historical fiction novels and loved them! When I heard that she was writing a fantasy novel I was all in - with her imagination I knew I was in for a treat. Just look at that cover and printed edges!
Alix Watson had a rough childhood - her mother left when she was young and she grew up in the foster care system - moving through many homes until she was 18 and finally free.
From the blurb: “Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down.”
One of Alix’s part time jobs is working in the Boston Public LIbrary. She finds so much comfort as she escapes into her fantasy novels. She enjoys interacting with the patrons and others in the library.
One day a door opens at the top of the stairs - her life will never be the same! She meets the Librarian of the Astral Library and learns how they shelter people who need a place to flee from their troubles or other threats - they can be helped to live inside one of their favorite books!
That is all I will tell you about the plot - it's more fun to discover all the adventures yourself. Alix finds out a lot about herself and how strong she is. She meets great characters from the books that she loves and ultimately helps to keep the library safe from threats!
The plot moves quickly and the writing is bold, imaginative and truly fantastic.
I can recommend this book to everyone - if you are reading this review you are one of us – a bibliophile and lover of all things book related. You are in for a treat.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this novel!
Alix Watson had a rough childhood - her mother left when she was young and she grew up in the foster care system - moving through many homes until she was 18 and finally free.
From the blurb: “Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down.”
One of Alix’s part time jobs is working in the Boston Public LIbrary. She finds so much comfort as she escapes into her fantasy novels. She enjoys interacting with the patrons and others in the library.
One day a door opens at the top of the stairs - her life will never be the same! She meets the Librarian of the Astral Library and learns how they shelter people who need a place to flee from their troubles or other threats - they can be helped to live inside one of their favorite books!
That is all I will tell you about the plot - it's more fun to discover all the adventures yourself. Alix finds out a lot about herself and how strong she is. She meets great characters from the books that she loves and ultimately helps to keep the library safe from threats!
The plot moves quickly and the writing is bold, imaginative and truly fantastic.
I can recommend this book to everyone - if you are reading this review you are one of us – a bibliophile and lover of all things book related. You are in for a treat.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this novel!
October 8, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ Review to come. 💙
October 28, 2025
If you love books, you will LOVE this book! This book is the fantasy of every book lover out there. A chance to go to a magical library where you can spend time in your favorite books.
Alix was abandoned by her mother and raised in the foster care system. Now in her twenties, she works several dead end jobs and is about to be homeless. Her identity has been stolen and she has nowhere to turn to. Feeling hopeless she takes refuge at the Boston Public library when a door opens for her and she finds herself in the Astral Library. She meets the Librarian who offers to take her into any book she wants to live for as long as she wants. This is a dream come true for Alix but before she can decide where to go, danger comes for other patrons of the Astral Library. Alix decides she wants to help and becomes entangled in an attack on the library. Alix must help the Librarian save the library before this magical place can be destroyed.
There were so many elements to this book and so much that I enjoyed. First of all let me say that I am a huge fan of Kate Quinn's books. I have read everything she ever read so I loved when she made a reference to one of her past novels. I also adored all of the references to books and other authors. The fact that reading this book turned me on to some other novels is such an amazing feat. What I loved best though was the action and how strong Alix was. I did tear up at one part. When a book can make you feel true emotion you know you have a winner. I cannot recommend this book enough and think anyone who is a book lover will adore this book!!!
Thank you to William Morrow Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
Alix was abandoned by her mother and raised in the foster care system. Now in her twenties, she works several dead end jobs and is about to be homeless. Her identity has been stolen and she has nowhere to turn to. Feeling hopeless she takes refuge at the Boston Public library when a door opens for her and she finds herself in the Astral Library. She meets the Librarian who offers to take her into any book she wants to live for as long as she wants. This is a dream come true for Alix but before she can decide where to go, danger comes for other patrons of the Astral Library. Alix decides she wants to help and becomes entangled in an attack on the library. Alix must help the Librarian save the library before this magical place can be destroyed.
There were so many elements to this book and so much that I enjoyed. First of all let me say that I am a huge fan of Kate Quinn's books. I have read everything she ever read so I loved when she made a reference to one of her past novels. I also adored all of the references to books and other authors. The fact that reading this book turned me on to some other novels is such an amazing feat. What I loved best though was the action and how strong Alix was. I did tear up at one part. When a book can make you feel true emotion you know you have a winner. I cannot recommend this book enough and think anyone who is a book lover will adore this book!!!
Thank you to William Morrow Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
November 22, 2025
Author Kate Quinn definitely knows how to navigate between the mundane and the marvelous; for a first foray into magical realism, this story is wonderful!
Quinn’s novel is built around the question: Have you ever wanted to live inside a book?
She’s created The Astral Library, where invitations are given as a sanctuary to book lovers who are desperate and need to escape into a new life. I was captivated by this intriguing premise, fully invested in a well-plotted story with great characters (Alexandria ‘Alix’ Watson and Beau Sato-Jones), and motivated by intriguing mysteries (Who is Libby Bibb? What happened to Alix’s mom?). Quinn excels at drawing her readers into the setting, and this one is no exception.
My highlighter was working overtime, marking fantastic quotable lines. I learned new vocabulary and realized that there’s a responsibility in letting magic into our lives. I smiled at the warning not to ‘invoke the Shush’ and the characters’ definition of ghosts. I will admit to being weary of spending too much time in The Astral Library, wishing it had been a more balanced book with less magical realism - just a personal preference.
Quinn is a masterful writer. You won’t be disappointed. Come slip between the pages of a captivating book!
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Quinn’s novel is built around the question: Have you ever wanted to live inside a book?
She’s created The Astral Library, where invitations are given as a sanctuary to book lovers who are desperate and need to escape into a new life. I was captivated by this intriguing premise, fully invested in a well-plotted story with great characters (Alexandria ‘Alix’ Watson and Beau Sato-Jones), and motivated by intriguing mysteries (Who is Libby Bibb? What happened to Alix’s mom?). Quinn excels at drawing her readers into the setting, and this one is no exception.
My highlighter was working overtime, marking fantastic quotable lines. I learned new vocabulary and realized that there’s a responsibility in letting magic into our lives. I smiled at the warning not to ‘invoke the Shush’ and the characters’ definition of ghosts. I will admit to being weary of spending too much time in The Astral Library, wishing it had been a more balanced book with less magical realism - just a personal preference.
Quinn is a masterful writer. You won’t be disappointed. Come slip between the pages of a captivating book!
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Want to read
November 11, 2025Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow Publisher and the author Kate Quinn for this eARC!
Publication date: February 17, 2026
Publication date: February 17, 2026
Want to read
August 8, 2025NEW KATE QUINN BOOK I’M SO UP
October 6, 2025
If you have read Kate Quinn's previous novels, this one is just a bit different as it's more magical realism and fun fantasy. Alexandra "Alix" Watson grew up in the foster care system after her mother abandoned her to follow a boyfriend to L.A. She is now twenty-six and finds herself doing poverty math, where she is financially struggling to make ends meet with $36.82 in her bank account. She receives a notice that her future paychecks will go to Libby Bibb and her roommate asks her to find another place to live. Her safe space is the Boston Public Library, so she heads there to escape and she finds a hidden door and stumbles into the Astral Library. The Astral Library offers sanctuary to people who have nowhere left to go but between the pages. When she steps into the library the books come alive and the patrons decide which public domain book they step into. Kate Quinn pays tribute to her favorite fantasy authors as well favorite classic novels as the patrons move from book to book. Alix encounters deception and the Astral Library is threatened. She has to save the library with the help of her friends.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.
Publication Date : 2/17/26
Categories: Women's Fiction, Sci Fi & Fantasy, General Fiction (Adult)
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.
Publication Date : 2/17/26
Categories: Women's Fiction, Sci Fi & Fantasy, General Fiction (Adult)
October 22, 2025
We get it. Nobody likes book bans. Kate Quinn doesn't either.
*The Astral Library* imagines a world where broken people, the ones who rely on libraries when no one else will accept them, are transported into their favorite stories. We leap into Jane Austen’s *Pride and Prejudice*, wander through the world of Sherlock Holmes, and explore other literary classics. It’s a premise full of potential.
Unfortunately, instead of letting the magic unfold naturally, Astral Library leans heavily on telling rather than showing. We're repeatedly reminded how the downfall of uptight people who don’t read is somehow dictating what others are allowed to read, a message that quickly becomes more lecture than narrative.
“Are you one of those book burners who wants to ban every book they don’t like, all to *save the children*? One of those people who thinks libraries are corrupting our national moral fiber?” Kate Quinn knows exactly what she’s doing here.
Our main character, Alix, abandoned and raised in foster care, finds others with similarly painful pasts: abused wives, neglected kids, and lost souls all seeking refuge. Together, they fight to save one of society’s last truly democratic institutions, the free public library.
Astral Library relies too heavily on government disputes as the antagonist, while the ability to jump into books gets taken by the wayside.
“Public institutions have to remain controversy free, Alix.”
There’s something beautiful buried in here, but the agenda keeps overshadowing the magical realism. Instead of being immersed in a story, you’re constantly being reminded what you’re supposed to think.
Oh, and yes, Florida gets a special mention too:
“The great cesspool into which all loungers and idlers are irresistibly drained,” said the Librarian, coming to a halt at the nearest corner.
“Florida?” I guessed.
I wanted to love this. I really did. But in the end, the message outweighed the magic.
*The Astral Library* imagines a world where broken people, the ones who rely on libraries when no one else will accept them, are transported into their favorite stories. We leap into Jane Austen’s *Pride and Prejudice*, wander through the world of Sherlock Holmes, and explore other literary classics. It’s a premise full of potential.
Unfortunately, instead of letting the magic unfold naturally, Astral Library leans heavily on telling rather than showing. We're repeatedly reminded how the downfall of uptight people who don’t read is somehow dictating what others are allowed to read, a message that quickly becomes more lecture than narrative.
“Are you one of those book burners who wants to ban every book they don’t like, all to *save the children*? One of those people who thinks libraries are corrupting our national moral fiber?” Kate Quinn knows exactly what she’s doing here.
Our main character, Alix, abandoned and raised in foster care, finds others with similarly painful pasts: abused wives, neglected kids, and lost souls all seeking refuge. Together, they fight to save one of society’s last truly democratic institutions, the free public library.
Astral Library relies too heavily on government disputes as the antagonist, while the ability to jump into books gets taken by the wayside.
“Public institutions have to remain controversy free, Alix.”
There’s something beautiful buried in here, but the agenda keeps overshadowing the magical realism. Instead of being immersed in a story, you’re constantly being reminded what you’re supposed to think.
Oh, and yes, Florida gets a special mention too:
“The great cesspool into which all loungers and idlers are irresistibly drained,” said the Librarian, coming to a halt at the nearest corner.
“Florida?” I guessed.
I wanted to love this. I really did. But in the end, the message outweighed the magic.
Want to read
November 16, 2025I love Kate Quinn 💕📚💕📚💕
This is her First with Magical Realism. Life is Set Inside a Library. Sounds So Good.
Beautiful Cover 💙
Coming February 17, 2026
Definitely, Looking Out For This One! Please Give Me an Early Copy. I will of Course Buy the Book if I can See Kate on Tour! I want to so very bad. 🩵
Since her next book, The Woman on the Mountain, which obviously sounds Fantastic, isn’t publishing until 2027, I can’t access it here, so just thought I’d mention.
Kate Quinn is Collaborating again with Jamie Chang and that book is Coming Out in 2028. She is a Busy Woman. Don’t Want her Overdoing it since want her to always be ok, but she is Incredible and will read all these Books. 📚
Love You 🩵🩵🩵 Kate Quinn
This is her First with Magical Realism. Life is Set Inside a Library. Sounds So Good.
Beautiful Cover 💙
Coming February 17, 2026
Definitely, Looking Out For This One! Please Give Me an Early Copy. I will of Course Buy the Book if I can See Kate on Tour! I want to so very bad. 🩵
Since her next book, The Woman on the Mountain, which obviously sounds Fantastic, isn’t publishing until 2027, I can’t access it here, so just thought I’d mention.
Kate Quinn is Collaborating again with Jamie Chang and that book is Coming Out in 2028. She is a Busy Woman. Don’t Want her Overdoing it since want her to always be ok, but she is Incredible and will read all these Books. 📚
Love You 🩵🩵🩵 Kate Quinn
November 17, 2025
Hands down all the stars, I absolutely would sale my soul to live in this book! A woman gets invited into a mysterious library and is offered sanctuary. She is able to pick any public domain book to live in for awhile if she wants to. Do I need to say anymore? What an opportunity. I can't for the life of me decide on what my book would be. I'm too mean to live in Little Women but what fun it would be to know the March sisters...
Anyway all kinds of adventures happen in this book as the library is attacked before she can enter her book. So magical things are not my jam usually but this is just done so well I couldn't help but to devour it!
Did I also mention our main girl is plus size? Yes ma'am she is and she rides dragons, dresses well, has a tiny nip of romance, and she is amazing.
Can I say I'm 40 and representation absolutely matters! What I wouldn't have give to read about a plus size heroine at age 16 when everyone was supposed to look like Paris Hilton. Would have meant the world to me.
Anyway all kinds of adventures happen in this book as the library is attacked before she can enter her book. So magical things are not my jam usually but this is just done so well I couldn't help but to devour it!
Did I also mention our main girl is plus size? Yes ma'am she is and she rides dragons, dresses well, has a tiny nip of romance, and she is amazing.
Can I say I'm 40 and representation absolutely matters! What I wouldn't have give to read about a plus size heroine at age 16 when everyone was supposed to look like Paris Hilton. Would have meant the world to me.
October 24, 2025
This newest from Kate Quinn is unlike anything she's written before! It's unforgettable, completely FANTASTICAL and utterly timely. The book follows a struggling young former foster kid, Alix, who is completely down on her luck and finds herself whisked off into the magical realm of the Astral Library where lost souls can find refuge from their real lives in fictional books.
Full of adventure, snark, passion for books and an indomitable love for libraries, this book will have you cheering, crying and rooting for the underdog and was an ABSOLUTE delight to read. I sped through these pages so fast and was DEVASTATED to see it come to an end. Book dragons real and fictional will DEVOUR this and be left wanting more.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I couldn't flip the pages of this book fast enough and am eternally grateful for Kate Quinn's wonderful imagination. This is the perfect love letter for bibliophiles the world over and fans of stories like The ten thousand doors of January.
Full of adventure, snark, passion for books and an indomitable love for libraries, this book will have you cheering, crying and rooting for the underdog and was an ABSOLUTE delight to read. I sped through these pages so fast and was DEVASTATED to see it come to an end. Book dragons real and fictional will DEVOUR this and be left wanting more.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I couldn't flip the pages of this book fast enough and am eternally grateful for Kate Quinn's wonderful imagination. This is the perfect love letter for bibliophiles the world over and fans of stories like The ten thousand doors of January.
September 28, 2025
This book is a masterpiece.
October 15, 2025
Prior to this book, I'd only read one book of Kate Quinn's before, her most recent title, "The Briar Club," which I liked. I've only known this author to be primarily a historical fiction writer, so it was interesting to see her delve into magical realism. In any case, a book about books is always going to capture my interest, and a book where people get to live INSIDE books? GOAL! I know a lot of my fellow book peeps and fellow librarians will love this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a pre-publication digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a pre-publication digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
October 8, 2025
“The Astral Library” by Kate Quinn is a fantasy adventure that highlights the importance of libraries, librarian's and books. It is also a social commentary on the state of budget cuts and censorship that Libraries are facing today.
The story revolves around a young woman who hasn’t had an easy life, her mother abandoned her when she was 8, and she has been shuffled through the foster care system ever since. She is alone, distraught, and seeks refuge in the Boston Public Library because books have been her only friend. While there, she walks through a door into the Astral Library where she finds she can create a new life for herself by jumping into one of the world greatest story’s.
As an avid reader, I have always had the thought that escaping into the world of one on my most treasured books would be a way to remove myself from life’s difficulties so the premise really intrigued me. While the book turned out to be too much of a fairy tale for me, I do think it will have great appeal to fantasy and magical realism readers. I also think it would be great book for the YA market as the message within the story is an important one.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The story revolves around a young woman who hasn’t had an easy life, her mother abandoned her when she was 8, and she has been shuffled through the foster care system ever since. She is alone, distraught, and seeks refuge in the Boston Public Library because books have been her only friend. While there, she walks through a door into the Astral Library where she finds she can create a new life for herself by jumping into one of the world greatest story’s.
As an avid reader, I have always had the thought that escaping into the world of one on my most treasured books would be a way to remove myself from life’s difficulties so the premise really intrigued me. While the book turned out to be too much of a fairy tale for me, I do think it will have great appeal to fantasy and magical realism readers. I also think it would be great book for the YA market as the message within the story is an important one.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 5, 2025
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
“Have you ever wished you could live inside a book?”
The Astral Library was a very creative story with a lot of books' references, but it didn't fully live up to my expectations. The first half intrigued me and I was curious to see where the story would go. Alas, it became a bit repetitive after a while, with the characters jumping/traveling from one book to another for plot's reasons. I wish instead we had explored the literary worlds a little more. Plus, I also expected the story to go in a certain way (but it didn't) and the shadowy enemy was a letdown.
All in all, it was a good story with book worlds and quotes, but it could've been better with some changes and different choices.
“Have you ever wished you could live inside a book?”
The Astral Library was a very creative story with a lot of books' references, but it didn't fully live up to my expectations. The first half intrigued me and I was curious to see where the story would go. Alas, it became a bit repetitive after a while, with the characters jumping/traveling from one book to another for plot's reasons. I wish instead we had explored the literary worlds a little more. Plus, I also expected the story to go in a certain way (but it didn't) and the shadowy enemy was a letdown.
All in all, it was a good story with book worlds and quotes, but it could've been better with some changes and different choices.
December 4, 2025
I was lucky enough to read a paperback copy when I saw the author I immediately jumped at the chance. I did not realize thst this was a fantasy book. I enjoyed this book because so many classics were mentioned and I have a classic group on Facebook Bernadette's Classic Book Chat Lounge. I do prefer her historical fiction books so much better.
September 29, 2025
Thank you to Harper Collins for gifting me a free digital ARC through NetGalley. When I saw Kate Quinn’s name and the title, Astral Library, I clicked wish for it immediately. She is my favorite historical fiction author. This is completely unlike all of her other books I have read. It is a new twist for her- fantasy- with a lot of allegorical elements that are incredibly timely to our current societal issues surrounding books. Read it! It not only reminds the reader of why we read, what we read, and how we read, but also that everyone comes to a story with their own journey. Honestly, it started out like a normal fiction read, then shifts to an Alice in wonderland dreamworld, transformed into Sherlocks Holmes mystery, then a bit Fahrenheit 451 dystopian vibes, and ends with… you have to read it to find out! As a fellow book dragon and librarian of my classroom, I adored this book and its reminder of how important libraries are to communities and its individuals. And that when we are overwhelmed with life, jump into a book to escape its
hardships where time stands still.
hardships where time stands still.
November 10, 2025
Thank you to William Morrow for having sent me a #gifted ARC Copy of The Astral Library. This one was a fun adventure and a very unique story. And of course if you are book lover and fantasy reader then this one I definitely think will be a great choice!
I did like the use of other classic books being mentioned in this book as well for what the Main character Alix enjoyed reading. I will say the book started off really strong but at about halfway through I started to get a bit bored and was slowly losing my interest. I still think many will enjoy this one no doubt about it but I still did enjoy it don't get me wrong! I am a huge fantasy reader so being able to go to a "magical" type of library like the Astral Library would be super cool and a way to escape reality and possibly start a whole new life!
I did like the use of other classic books being mentioned in this book as well for what the Main character Alix enjoyed reading. I will say the book started off really strong but at about halfway through I started to get a bit bored and was slowly losing my interest. I still think many will enjoy this one no doubt about it but I still did enjoy it don't get me wrong! I am a huge fantasy reader so being able to go to a "magical" type of library like the Astral Library would be super cool and a way to escape reality and possibly start a whole new life!
October 14, 2025
I got an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley. I have read many of Quinn's historical fiction books, so it was a bit different reading a fantasy book by this author. It was great fun diving into many different book worlds with Alix, though I personally had a hard time connecting to the characters in this book.
October 19, 2025
The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
is the ultimate book about books. Patrons of the Astral Library get to LIVE inside the books! It is a dream come true for anyone who grew up watching Beauty and the Beast and wishing she had Belle's library, complete with smoothly rolling ladders.
I've read all of Kate Quinn's twentieth century historical fiction novels, and loved them all. The Astral Library is very different from those, but still has Kate's signature gorgeous and immersive writing, and quick wit.
Alix, an alumna of the foster care system, is busting her ass working three jobs to try to make ends meet, and it is just not working. Trying to scrimp and save to survive, she still keeps getting the maddening "card declined" message whenever she tries to make a simple purchase, like very frugal groceries. What Alix desperately needs is a break from her bleak reality. Fortunately, The Astral Library is there to provide just that. Accessible from any library in the world, Alix finds a portal to the magic library in the reading room of the Boston Public Library.
The Astral Library is just the whimsical, imaginative, escape from reality that I needed. It's so refreshing and rejuvinating to visit a world in which inanimate objects become sentient, people can escape their harsh realities in any book that's in public domain, and the Librarian's "HUSH" has supernatural power. They just have to foil the nefarious plans of the Library Board, who is choosing to use their power for evil rather than good.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to escape to the world of a great story.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
is the ultimate book about books. Patrons of the Astral Library get to LIVE inside the books! It is a dream come true for anyone who grew up watching Beauty and the Beast and wishing she had Belle's library, complete with smoothly rolling ladders.
I've read all of Kate Quinn's twentieth century historical fiction novels, and loved them all. The Astral Library is very different from those, but still has Kate's signature gorgeous and immersive writing, and quick wit.
Alix, an alumna of the foster care system, is busting her ass working three jobs to try to make ends meet, and it is just not working. Trying to scrimp and save to survive, she still keeps getting the maddening "card declined" message whenever she tries to make a simple purchase, like very frugal groceries. What Alix desperately needs is a break from her bleak reality. Fortunately, The Astral Library is there to provide just that. Accessible from any library in the world, Alix finds a portal to the magic library in the reading room of the Boston Public Library.
The Astral Library is just the whimsical, imaginative, escape from reality that I needed. It's so refreshing and rejuvinating to visit a world in which inanimate objects become sentient, people can escape their harsh realities in any book that's in public domain, and the Librarian's "HUSH" has supernatural power. They just have to foil the nefarious plans of the Library Board, who is choosing to use their power for evil rather than good.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to escape to the world of a great story.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
November 16, 2025
Check out my full thoughts on this book and more here: booktube reviews :)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review: If you’re a fan of the authors historical fiction and wondered what would happen if she wrote a cozy fantasy with your favorite classics as characters, this book is for you. For the most part I enjoyed this. I haven’t read a lot of the classics mentioned but was still able to follow the story. The MC is hilarious and is very relatable: rough around the edges. This is a very thoughtful story and really leans into the ways in which books save us from our own lives. The story is touching and creative. The latter half felt more like a hallmark movie so if that’s your thing, even more to the point of picking it up. I preferred the first half of the story but all in all this was a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review: If you’re a fan of the authors historical fiction and wondered what would happen if she wrote a cozy fantasy with your favorite classics as characters, this book is for you. For the most part I enjoyed this. I haven’t read a lot of the classics mentioned but was still able to follow the story. The MC is hilarious and is very relatable: rough around the edges. This is a very thoughtful story and really leans into the ways in which books save us from our own lives. The story is touching and creative. The latter half felt more like a hallmark movie so if that’s your thing, even more to the point of picking it up. I preferred the first half of the story but all in all this was a good read.
October 14, 2025
What a pure treat this book was. Kate Quinn normally writes historical fiction, but in this one, she delved a bit into the fantasy genre.
When Alix (spelled with an i) finds herself down on her luck, working 3 jobs just to make ends meet and only $36.82 in her bank account, she finds herself at the Boston Public Library where she feels the safest. As she strolls through the Reading Section, she finds herself in an amazing room that she comes to realize is the Astral Library...a magical place that only the "chosen" can enter, where you can go and live in any book of your choosing. Because who wouldn't want to live in a book?!? And just as she is ready to escape into her book, the Astral Library & its Librarian (with a capital L) are ambushed and come under attack. Alix decides to help the Librarian figure out what is going on. We are taken on an adventure through some of the classics and even through paintings and the gaming world just to figure out what is going on. It seems that the Library Board is trying to make some changes that the Librarian thinks are absurd. When the Librarian becomes injured, it is Alix's job to help protect the Astral Library.
This book is a tribute to libraries and what they are meant to be...a sanctuary to booklovers in need, who are desperate and have nowhere else to go but between the pages of a book. Libraries are not a "business" to be monetized and modernized (believing that a library should only be one-quarter books). We book lovers need to stick together and protect our local libraries.
Many thanks to NetGalley & William Morrow Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
When Alix (spelled with an i) finds herself down on her luck, working 3 jobs just to make ends meet and only $36.82 in her bank account, she finds herself at the Boston Public Library where she feels the safest. As she strolls through the Reading Section, she finds herself in an amazing room that she comes to realize is the Astral Library...a magical place that only the "chosen" can enter, where you can go and live in any book of your choosing. Because who wouldn't want to live in a book?!? And just as she is ready to escape into her book, the Astral Library & its Librarian (with a capital L) are ambushed and come under attack. Alix decides to help the Librarian figure out what is going on. We are taken on an adventure through some of the classics and even through paintings and the gaming world just to figure out what is going on. It seems that the Library Board is trying to make some changes that the Librarian thinks are absurd. When the Librarian becomes injured, it is Alix's job to help protect the Astral Library.
This book is a tribute to libraries and what they are meant to be...a sanctuary to booklovers in need, who are desperate and have nowhere else to go but between the pages of a book. Libraries are not a "business" to be monetized and modernized (believing that a library should only be one-quarter books). We book lovers need to stick together and protect our local libraries.
Many thanks to NetGalley & William Morrow Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
September 28, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow Books for the opportunity to read the newest from Kate Quinn, The Astral Library. This book will be out February 17, 2026. Side note, my birthday is the February 12, so what better birthday gift I can pick up for myself?!?
The opening line-- "Have you ever wanted to live inside a book?" That sentence packed a punch. I've been an avid reader my entire life. My love of books is well known, and I've always wanted to step inside the worlds I'm reading about. I already knew I was a fan of Kate Quinn, but then to be asked a question like that before an epic journey? Phenomenal.
Twenty-six year old Alix has never been chosen. She never knew her father, her mother ran off to San Diego when Alix was eight, and then she bounced from foster home to foster home. Barely scraping by with her three jobs, she finds solace in her local public library. It's the one place she can just be. On one particular trip, after being fired from one of her many jobs and evicted from her home, a secret doorway opens up for her. Behold, The Astral Library.
The Astral Library doesn't just appear for anyone. It has to choose you. It takes in the desperate, and allows them to live in a book of their choosing, as long as it's in the public domain, of course. Before Alix is transported to her book she chooses, chaos happens. The Librarian and Alix have to rescue many of the people from their chosen books, but not for reasons you may think.
I would love to keep telling more of this story, but it is one you must read on your own. Quinn has woven a tale of fantasy that will satisfy any bookworm, or book dragon. It's an adventure that deserves no spoilers, so each person can be in charge of their own thoughts on this book.
I was so appreciative of being chosen to read this novel. I enjoy Quinn's books, and to get to read her newest ARC was a dream. I can't wait for everyone to have the chance to read this one next February. 5/5 stars!!
The opening line-- "Have you ever wanted to live inside a book?" That sentence packed a punch. I've been an avid reader my entire life. My love of books is well known, and I've always wanted to step inside the worlds I'm reading about. I already knew I was a fan of Kate Quinn, but then to be asked a question like that before an epic journey? Phenomenal.
Twenty-six year old Alix has never been chosen. She never knew her father, her mother ran off to San Diego when Alix was eight, and then she bounced from foster home to foster home. Barely scraping by with her three jobs, she finds solace in her local public library. It's the one place she can just be. On one particular trip, after being fired from one of her many jobs and evicted from her home, a secret doorway opens up for her. Behold, The Astral Library.
The Astral Library doesn't just appear for anyone. It has to choose you. It takes in the desperate, and allows them to live in a book of their choosing, as long as it's in the public domain, of course. Before Alix is transported to her book she chooses, chaos happens. The Librarian and Alix have to rescue many of the people from their chosen books, but not for reasons you may think.
I would love to keep telling more of this story, but it is one you must read on your own. Quinn has woven a tale of fantasy that will satisfy any bookworm, or book dragon. It's an adventure that deserves no spoilers, so each person can be in charge of their own thoughts on this book.
I was so appreciative of being chosen to read this novel. I enjoy Quinn's books, and to get to read her newest ARC was a dream. I can't wait for everyone to have the chance to read this one next February. 5/5 stars!!
October 6, 2025
This was so cozy... This was a story about every book lovers dream....to live inside your favorite book ? What about your favorite video game or painting ? This was so heartwarming and charming and magical. My favorite part was the ghosts that live in the library that can't pass on until they finish their TBR. LOVE THAT. I want to live forever and have a place like the astral library to go to where time stands still to finish my growing TBR pile. I'm just waiting on my door to open and my invite.
November 10, 2025
Thank you, #Partner @williammorrowbooks @harpercollins and @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 2/17/26.
This was an amazing, different concept of a book, and I know a ton of people are going to love this one, but it just wasn't for me. I'm not a big fantasy reader, so that was my main problem, but I probably would have liked this book better if I knew or had read the books that the main characters were inside. This was totally original and written beautifully, and I think fans of classic books are going to love it. So I still definitely recommend it, even though it wasn't my personal favorite.
Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.
The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?
This was an amazing, different concept of a book, and I know a ton of people are going to love this one, but it just wasn't for me. I'm not a big fantasy reader, so that was my main problem, but I probably would have liked this book better if I knew or had read the books that the main characters were inside. This was totally original and written beautifully, and I think fans of classic books are going to love it. So I still definitely recommend it, even though it wasn't my personal favorite.
Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.
The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?
November 15, 2025
4.5 rounded to 5
To say Alix has lost everything doesn’t really sum it up, because she’s never had anything. Her mother abandoned her when she was young, she never knew her father, and she’s suddenly homeless. Alix goes to her one sanctuary, the Boston Public Library, where a magical door opens, inviting her into the most unique sanctuary.
This story was crafted by a booklover about a booklover for booklovers. And I was here for every minute. The references to so many beloved classics and modern favorites brought so much joy to this read. Books providing a safe place for desperate people to hide and heal felt less like a metaphor and more like the function of fiction.
Inside publishing details were creatively used for world building. Alix hears the hero’s call for action and accepts it, even though she knows that’s not how the hero’s journey works. The mysterious Librarian character—that Alix hears with a definitive capital L—explains books they’re allowed to journey through must be in the public domain. Let’s not forget the mention of fanfiction. And the mysterious bad guys give themselves away with grammar mistakes. (Kate Quinn even calls herself out. I won’t tell you how because you have to experience it for yourself. It’s hilarious.)
The romantic sidekick, Beau, is delicious, and the romance subplot adds depth to the plot.
I have two complaints, that caused me to drop half a star. One, if they can only travel through public domain novels, why can they travel through video games? Two, having a board that runs a library, which doesn’t need funding because it’s magic, was a bit weird.
Overall, this book made me laugh out loud, marvel at the magic, feel for the Patrons, relate to Alix, and really, really want to find one of those doors into the Astral Library. I need to decide which book I want to journey through first.
To say Alix has lost everything doesn’t really sum it up, because she’s never had anything. Her mother abandoned her when she was young, she never knew her father, and she’s suddenly homeless. Alix goes to her one sanctuary, the Boston Public Library, where a magical door opens, inviting her into the most unique sanctuary.
This story was crafted by a booklover about a booklover for booklovers. And I was here for every minute. The references to so many beloved classics and modern favorites brought so much joy to this read. Books providing a safe place for desperate people to hide and heal felt less like a metaphor and more like the function of fiction.
Inside publishing details were creatively used for world building. Alix hears the hero’s call for action and accepts it, even though she knows that’s not how the hero’s journey works. The mysterious Librarian character—that Alix hears with a definitive capital L—explains books they’re allowed to journey through must be in the public domain. Let’s not forget the mention of fanfiction. And the mysterious bad guys give themselves away with grammar mistakes. (Kate Quinn even calls herself out. I won’t tell you how because you have to experience it for yourself. It’s hilarious.)
The romantic sidekick, Beau, is delicious, and the romance subplot adds depth to the plot.
I have two complaints, that caused me to drop half a star. One, if they can only travel through public domain novels, why can they travel through video games? Two, having a board that runs a library, which doesn’t need funding because it’s magic, was a bit weird.
Overall, this book made me laugh out loud, marvel at the magic, feel for the Patrons, relate to Alix, and really, really want to find one of those doors into the Astral Library. I need to decide which book I want to journey through first.
November 25, 2025
Let me start by saying I loved all of Kate Quinn's historical fiction (that I've read), and I really enjoy her writing in general. This is her first book in a present day setting, and also the first to include fantasy elements. Unfortunately, there were some teething issues with her shift to this new genre.
The first half of the book was getting a bit bogged down in explaining the worldbuilding (what book worlds you can or cannot visit, how time passes in the library vs. in the book worlds vs. in reality). Alix didn't really do anything other than ask endless questions (the answers to which weren't immediately plot-relevant, making it a little info-dumpy and very slow). The second half of the book was better, once Alix had to take initiative and started actually doing things other than tagging along after the Librarian.
I wish we had explored the book worlds a little more. As it was, they were barely more than name-dropped. Most of the relevant action took place in the Astral Library itself. This entire story is taking a stance against cutting funding for libraries and book banning (important topics), but any magical allegories employed to bring the point across were a little heavy-handed and could've been more subtle. Parts of it were almost satirical, which didn't really fit within the overall tone of the book, in my opinion.
The characterization for Alix was great, and I also enjoyed Beau as a character. But again, as with the book worlds, I wish there had been a bit more, digging into them a little deeper.
Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, for offering me a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.
The first half of the book was getting a bit bogged down in explaining the worldbuilding (what book worlds you can or cannot visit, how time passes in the library vs. in the book worlds vs. in reality). Alix didn't really do anything other than ask endless questions (the answers to which weren't immediately plot-relevant, making it a little info-dumpy and very slow). The second half of the book was better, once Alix had to take initiative and started actually doing things other than tagging along after the Librarian.
I wish we had explored the book worlds a little more. As it was, they were barely more than name-dropped. Most of the relevant action took place in the Astral Library itself. This entire story is taking a stance against cutting funding for libraries and book banning (important topics), but any magical allegories employed to bring the point across were a little heavy-handed and could've been more subtle. Parts of it were almost satirical, which didn't really fit within the overall tone of the book, in my opinion.
The characterization for Alix was great, and I also enjoyed Beau as a character. But again, as with the book worlds, I wish there had been a bit more, digging into them a little deeper.
Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, for offering me a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.
December 5, 2025
BOOK REVIEW: The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
Kate Quinn is an auto-buy author for me. Her historical fiction novels are what got me into reading the genre. So when I heard she was writing a new fantasy/magical realism novel, I just knew I had to read it!
Alice Watson grew up in the foster care system and the public library has always been a refuge for her. On a really bad day, she heads to the library for escape from her struggles and on this particular day, discovers a hidden door. Behind the door, she finds a magical library, run by an ageless librarian, where people can go to escape danger in their real lives and live inside of a book.
This story is a beautiful love letter to libraries. It has a very unique storyline that blends a fantasy world with real world issues. For anyone who has ever dreamed of living inside of a book, it is a portal to live in the worlds of Jane Austen, Sherlock Holmes, The Great Gatsby and any other book world imaginable. There are multiple references to many books, old and new, throughout this book. This story is fast paced and there was alot of action in it that I was not expecting! But there were also lots of emotional moments in this one as well. If you love the library, love books or like to read fantasy and magical realism, this one is for you!
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read an eARC of The Astral Library in exchange for my honest review.
Kate Quinn is an auto-buy author for me. Her historical fiction novels are what got me into reading the genre. So when I heard she was writing a new fantasy/magical realism novel, I just knew I had to read it!
Alice Watson grew up in the foster care system and the public library has always been a refuge for her. On a really bad day, she heads to the library for escape from her struggles and on this particular day, discovers a hidden door. Behind the door, she finds a magical library, run by an ageless librarian, where people can go to escape danger in their real lives and live inside of a book.
This story is a beautiful love letter to libraries. It has a very unique storyline that blends a fantasy world with real world issues. For anyone who has ever dreamed of living inside of a book, it is a portal to live in the worlds of Jane Austen, Sherlock Holmes, The Great Gatsby and any other book world imaginable. There are multiple references to many books, old and new, throughout this book. This story is fast paced and there was alot of action in it that I was not expecting! But there were also lots of emotional moments in this one as well. If you love the library, love books or like to read fantasy and magical realism, this one is for you!
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read an eARC of The Astral Library in exchange for my honest review.
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