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The Shapeshifters' Library #1
Released
When Librarian Liberty Cutter’s library goes up in flames, the town relocates the library to an abandoned academy. Liberty feels eyes watching her from the derelict structure’s gothic windows, but never imagines the truth is stranger than fiction – until she meets a talking dog.
The dog tells her a pack of book-burning werewolves cursed the building. Plus, beneath the library an ancient race of dog-shifters work to protect the world’s knowledge. Funded by internet giant Zoogle, these dog-shifting scholars enjoy their Starbarks coffeehouse as they research their way to freedom. Until the public library’s zany librarians move in…and things begin to shift.
Werewolf restauranteur Sybilla itches to become pack alpha and stoops to adding wolfsbane to her husband’s tea and using werewolf genre readers to infiltrate Liberty’s library
Chronus, the Old English Sheepdog headmaster, must persuade Liberty to believe in him and his world because Liberty holds the key to the dog-shifters’ freedom - and his heart.
The dog tells her a pack of book-burning werewolves cursed the building. Plus, beneath the library an ancient race of dog-shifters work to protect the world’s knowledge. Funded by internet giant Zoogle, these dog-shifting scholars enjoy their Starbarks coffeehouse as they research their way to freedom. Until the public library’s zany librarians move in…and things begin to shift.
Werewolf restauranteur Sybilla itches to become pack alpha and stoops to adding wolfsbane to her husband’s tea and using werewolf genre readers to infiltrate Liberty’s library
Chronus, the Old English Sheepdog headmaster, must persuade Liberty to believe in him and his world because Liberty holds the key to the dog-shifters’ freedom - and his heart.
284 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2012
28 people are currently reading
666 people want to read
About the author
Amber Polo
14 books161 followersAmber Polo loves to take readers on journeys to places she’s lived, visited, and imagined. Escaping her past as librarian and yoga teacher, she strives to mix humor and a little fantasy into every genre (so far fantasy, romance, historical, and woman’s fiction).
Amber is best known for The Shapeshifters’ Library, a light urban fantasy series which asks what if librarian dog-shifters faced book-burning werewolves and The Pharaoh and the Librarian, blending alternative history with a little fantasy.
Look for Laughing Dolphins, a novel of coincidence – a rom-com of lovers living parallel lives for twenty years.
Amber is best known for The Shapeshifters’ Library, a light urban fantasy series which asks what if librarian dog-shifters faced book-burning werewolves and The Pharaoh and the Librarian, blending alternative history with a little fantasy.
Look for Laughing Dolphins, a novel of coincidence – a rom-com of lovers living parallel lives for twenty years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
September 30, 2012
“Liberty [Cutter] had been born in Shipsfeather [Ohio] and had lived here until her mother disappeared when she was five years old. Her four law librarian aunts had swooped into town and taken her home with them, eventually adopting her. They refused to talk to her either about her parents or Shipsfeather. She’d taken the job of Library Director because she wanted to run her own small town library and make a difference to the townspeople—and hopefully uncover the secrets of her own history. She should have been suspicious when no other librarian in the entire country had applied for the job, but she’d been too happy to question Fate.”
Liberty’s mother’s disappearance isn’t the only strange thing about Shipsfeather. When she’s on her way to work on the only Monday she hasn’t gone in early, she finds the two-story red brick library is sheathed in smoke and flames and spots a rangy critter fleeing the scene . . .
The story amps up quickly amidst a cast of quirky characters. Liberty must deal again with her nemesis Harold Dinzelbacher, Shipsfeather’s bankster and Chairman of the Library Board of Trustees. He’s blocked every innovation Liberty has ever proposed to update the library. Amid clues that the library fire was no accident and that Dinzelbacher may be more conniving than she realizes, Liberty questions his and the mayor’s plan to situate the new library in the crumbling, old Shipsfeather Athenaeum and Academy building.
But Liberty buckles down anyway to help renovate the Academy into a shipshape library with all the cyber-age bells and whistles, even as she senses someone following and observing her. Gradually she discovers more than she’d bargained for. Her new books begin to disappear, and she finds that the Shipsfeather Academy was once a training ground for an ancient race of dog-shifters whose mission is to protect the world’s knowledge. A powerful curse sealed those shapeshifter librarians in the Academy basement while a pack of book-burning werewolves took over Shipsfeather in their quest to destroy all books and their defenders forever.
Chronus, the English Sheepdog headmaster of the old Academy and leader of the dog-shifters, cautiously befriends Liberty and they join forces to keep his pack – and the world’s books – safe from the werewolves and their crafty human supporters.
I found the premise of shapeshifting dog librarians not only fun and fascinating, but also convincing and possible. I’ve often suspected librarians and dogs as having much more colorful lives than meets the eye. After all, librarians have all the knowledge of the world at their fingertips and can answer any question given enough time to research it. The domestic dog has over 400 distinctly different-looking breeds, all cultivated from the genes of the ancient grey wolf. If any critter can shapeshift or hide its talents in plain sight, it has to be the “ordinary” dog. Blend these two versatile elements – the humble dog and the humble librarian – as cleverly as Polo does in The Shapeshifters’ Library: Released, and you’ve got, voila, a well-considered, zany fantasy.
See the rest of my interview with Amber at http://jellyfishday.blogspot.com/2012...
Liberty’s mother’s disappearance isn’t the only strange thing about Shipsfeather. When she’s on her way to work on the only Monday she hasn’t gone in early, she finds the two-story red brick library is sheathed in smoke and flames and spots a rangy critter fleeing the scene . . .
The story amps up quickly amidst a cast of quirky characters. Liberty must deal again with her nemesis Harold Dinzelbacher, Shipsfeather’s bankster and Chairman of the Library Board of Trustees. He’s blocked every innovation Liberty has ever proposed to update the library. Amid clues that the library fire was no accident and that Dinzelbacher may be more conniving than she realizes, Liberty questions his and the mayor’s plan to situate the new library in the crumbling, old Shipsfeather Athenaeum and Academy building.
But Liberty buckles down anyway to help renovate the Academy into a shipshape library with all the cyber-age bells and whistles, even as she senses someone following and observing her. Gradually she discovers more than she’d bargained for. Her new books begin to disappear, and she finds that the Shipsfeather Academy was once a training ground for an ancient race of dog-shifters whose mission is to protect the world’s knowledge. A powerful curse sealed those shapeshifter librarians in the Academy basement while a pack of book-burning werewolves took over Shipsfeather in their quest to destroy all books and their defenders forever.
Chronus, the English Sheepdog headmaster of the old Academy and leader of the dog-shifters, cautiously befriends Liberty and they join forces to keep his pack – and the world’s books – safe from the werewolves and their crafty human supporters.
I found the premise of shapeshifting dog librarians not only fun and fascinating, but also convincing and possible. I’ve often suspected librarians and dogs as having much more colorful lives than meets the eye. After all, librarians have all the knowledge of the world at their fingertips and can answer any question given enough time to research it. The domestic dog has over 400 distinctly different-looking breeds, all cultivated from the genes of the ancient grey wolf. If any critter can shapeshift or hide its talents in plain sight, it has to be the “ordinary” dog. Blend these two versatile elements – the humble dog and the humble librarian – as cleverly as Polo does in The Shapeshifters’ Library: Released, and you’ve got, voila, a well-considered, zany fantasy.
See the rest of my interview with Amber at http://jellyfishday.blogspot.com/2012...
November 27, 2012
I don't have the words to express how much I adored this book. Almost everything I read is hard, grim and gritty, and as a rule, I love it that way. A sweet story with wholesome characters is generally something I'd skip right over. But I was truly lucky enough to win RELEASED in a contest, and I am now officially an Amber Polo fan.
Ms. Polo has built a fascinating world of books, libraries, werewolves and shapeshifters so unique and off the beaten path, I can hardly WAIT for the next entry to come out this month. The characters are rich and interesting, original and sympathetic (except the bad guys, who are BAD). This fantasy is well-suited for almost any age, from older kids to old ladies like me who adore books and things that go bump on the night. While the book stays away from adult themes and too much violence, it still manages not to be too sticky-sweet or twee either. She would have lost me if she went there!
There's so much to say about this story, but it's almost impossible to talk about without giving something away. Suffice to say that I fell in love with the characters, I'm riveted by their story and can hardly wait to see where it goes. I can't get enough of the main couple and wonder how the others are going to develop. Most of all, I want to see how the villains get theirs.
So while all the conflict and creatures of my beloved urban fantasy are here, RELEASED is a soft, sweet read that gives as much comfort as a kid's book. One of my favorites of the year!
Ms. Polo has built a fascinating world of books, libraries, werewolves and shapeshifters so unique and off the beaten path, I can hardly WAIT for the next entry to come out this month. The characters are rich and interesting, original and sympathetic (except the bad guys, who are BAD). This fantasy is well-suited for almost any age, from older kids to old ladies like me who adore books and things that go bump on the night. While the book stays away from adult themes and too much violence, it still manages not to be too sticky-sweet or twee either. She would have lost me if she went there!
There's so much to say about this story, but it's almost impossible to talk about without giving something away. Suffice to say that I fell in love with the characters, I'm riveted by their story and can hardly wait to see where it goes. I can't get enough of the main couple and wonder how the others are going to develop. Most of all, I want to see how the villains get theirs.
So while all the conflict and creatures of my beloved urban fantasy are here, RELEASED is a soft, sweet read that gives as much comfort as a kid's book. One of my favorites of the year!
September 14, 2012
Always looking for the new and interesting twists to how we look at the fictitious world of supernatural creatures, I was pleased to see that the author had done what I most love about Urban Fantasy. Ms. Polo has taken the old, tired mythology of shapeshifters and created a wonderful new concept based on the intelligence of dogs and the brutal pack nature of wolves.
Our lovely heroine, Liberty Cutter, is a librarian in a small Ohio town. After seeing her humble community library burned to the ground, she finds herself creating a new library in a magnificent old structure where an amazing world of shapeshifting dog librarians are mystically trapped in the lower levels of the building.
Mysteries, tightly hidden town secrets and curiosities about her own past slowly become revealed. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that the characters, both the good guys and the bad guys, are well drawn, intriguing and fun. The sweet romantic pull between Liberty and the leader of the entrapped shapeshifting dogs, is delightful, and the adventures are as interesting and entertaining as the new mythology.
Nearing the final quarter of the book, things slow a bit as the author carefully set up the following book, and readers are treated to the first chapter of book two in the series.
This is a fun read I couldn't put down.
Our lovely heroine, Liberty Cutter, is a librarian in a small Ohio town. After seeing her humble community library burned to the ground, she finds herself creating a new library in a magnificent old structure where an amazing world of shapeshifting dog librarians are mystically trapped in the lower levels of the building.
Mysteries, tightly hidden town secrets and curiosities about her own past slowly become revealed. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that the characters, both the good guys and the bad guys, are well drawn, intriguing and fun. The sweet romantic pull between Liberty and the leader of the entrapped shapeshifting dogs, is delightful, and the adventures are as interesting and entertaining as the new mythology.
Nearing the final quarter of the book, things slow a bit as the author carefully set up the following book, and readers are treated to the first chapter of book two in the series.
This is a fun read I couldn't put down.
July 23, 2012
This book was great! If you like dogs at all, you'll probably like this book. I loved the quirky names, the many dog breeds, the werewolf vs dog thing, the library speak, the love story, the relatable characters, everything! The book was descriptive enough to create a good picture in my head, but not too much to where it gets boring. I'm always looking for books that involve dogs and when I heard about this one, I wanted to read it right away and I was not disappointed! There are too many dog/wolf shifter books that involve some kind of "monster school" or vampires and werewolves, and I'm just not that into those, so I really enjoyed this book because it's different from all of those. There's a sequel coming out too, but Released can be read as a single book since it doesn't end on a cliffhanger. That said, it was so good I can't wait for the next book to come out!
If you liked this and you are looking for something to read while you wait for the next one, try Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow or the Shiver Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater. Both involve shifting dogs/wolves, and aren't silly monster school/vampire books. Sharp Teeth is a bit more intense, and a little more challenging of a read, but it is very unique. Shiver has an excellent love story and it's hard to put down!
If you liked this and you are looking for something to read while you wait for the next one, try Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow or the Shiver Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater. Both involve shifting dogs/wolves, and aren't silly monster school/vampire books. Sharp Teeth is a bit more intense, and a little more challenging of a read, but it is very unique. Shiver has an excellent love story and it's hard to put down!
February 8, 2019
3.5
Book source ~ ARC. My review is voluntary and honest.
When the public library of Shipsfeather, Ohio burns down, the Library Board moves Head Librarian Liberty Cutter and her merry band of librarians to the old Shipsfeather Academy. Liberty has doubts about the building since it’s been abandoned for twenty-five years. It’s going to be horrible inside, right? Wrong. It’s gorgeous inside. It does need some basic work to make it into a library and bring it up to code, but once it’s done it’s awesome. The townspeople love it. Well, the ordinary townspeople love it. The werewolves who run the town hate it. Because in this world dog-shifters protect people and books and werewolves are greedy bastards who try to keep the public ignorant by burning books. The old crone Alpha werewolf cursed the dog-shifters and they’ve been stuck inside the Academy for all those years. But things are changing now. The old Headmaster of the Academy, Chronus, and Liberty are at the heart of the change. Will the dog-shifters finally be able to break free?
This is a sweet story about shifters and librarians. At times, the story is too simplistic for me. It’s a great concept, but the execution just falls a bit flat. However, the characters totally make up for this. They are awesome! If you want a good vs evil, sweet story that revolves around librarians then this is just the one for you. It’s an enjoyable read.
Book source ~ ARC. My review is voluntary and honest.
When the public library of Shipsfeather, Ohio burns down, the Library Board moves Head Librarian Liberty Cutter and her merry band of librarians to the old Shipsfeather Academy. Liberty has doubts about the building since it’s been abandoned for twenty-five years. It’s going to be horrible inside, right? Wrong. It’s gorgeous inside. It does need some basic work to make it into a library and bring it up to code, but once it’s done it’s awesome. The townspeople love it. Well, the ordinary townspeople love it. The werewolves who run the town hate it. Because in this world dog-shifters protect people and books and werewolves are greedy bastards who try to keep the public ignorant by burning books. The old crone Alpha werewolf cursed the dog-shifters and they’ve been stuck inside the Academy for all those years. But things are changing now. The old Headmaster of the Academy, Chronus, and Liberty are at the heart of the change. Will the dog-shifters finally be able to break free?
This is a sweet story about shifters and librarians. At times, the story is too simplistic for me. It’s a great concept, but the execution just falls a bit flat. However, the characters totally make up for this. They are awesome! If you want a good vs evil, sweet story that revolves around librarians then this is just the one for you. It’s an enjoyable read.
September 8, 2012
This is a fun book about shapeshifters, werewolves, and librarians. It's an unusual mix of characters but it seems to work in this book. The shapeshifters come from a long line of librarians while the werewolves come from a line of book burners. The human librarians get caught in the middle of an ancient feud in this novel.
I had some difficulty getting into the book initially. There were a lot of characters and I didn't quite understand what the connection was between the characters. After about the first fifty pages or so it all began to come together and I flew through the rest of the book.
Liberty, the main character, is a librarian determined to go the extra mile to have her new library be a show piece full of every book imaginable. Unfortunately, once the new library is open someone begins to steal the books. This is when Chronus, a shapeshifting sheepdog, enters the picture. He reveals himself to Liberty and the two begin to work together to stop the book burning, and book stealing, werewolves.
On top of the situation with the stolen library books, Liberty learns that Chronus and the other shifting dogs are trapped in the library by a curse werewolf pack leader Elsie put on them. The werewolves will stop at nothing to make sure the dogs aren't able to break the curse. This includes fires, fights, and plotting against both Liberty and the shifters.
While the fight between the evil werewolves and the librarian dog shifters is the main theme the book does have something for everyone. The budding romance between Chronus and Liberty is sweet and fun. The "Dewey Speak" that comes from the human librarians adds some humor to the tense situations in the book.
I think anyone who is a fan of books, dogs, and the paranormal would enjoy reading this book.
I had some difficulty getting into the book initially. There were a lot of characters and I didn't quite understand what the connection was between the characters. After about the first fifty pages or so it all began to come together and I flew through the rest of the book.
Liberty, the main character, is a librarian determined to go the extra mile to have her new library be a show piece full of every book imaginable. Unfortunately, once the new library is open someone begins to steal the books. This is when Chronus, a shapeshifting sheepdog, enters the picture. He reveals himself to Liberty and the two begin to work together to stop the book burning, and book stealing, werewolves.
On top of the situation with the stolen library books, Liberty learns that Chronus and the other shifting dogs are trapped in the library by a curse werewolf pack leader Elsie put on them. The werewolves will stop at nothing to make sure the dogs aren't able to break the curse. This includes fires, fights, and plotting against both Liberty and the shifters.
While the fight between the evil werewolves and the librarian dog shifters is the main theme the book does have something for everyone. The budding romance between Chronus and Liberty is sweet and fun. The "Dewey Speak" that comes from the human librarians adds some humor to the tense situations in the book.
I think anyone who is a fan of books, dogs, and the paranormal would enjoy reading this book.
Read
September 16, 2012Two words: talking dogs.
November 27, 2021
Torn on what to rate this.
On the one hand the writing and pacing was a little clunky and something someone quite young might write.
But on the other, parts of this we’re charming, clever and punny and it was good enough that I did want to finish it.
On the one hand the writing and pacing was a little clunky and something someone quite young might write.
But on the other, parts of this we’re charming, clever and punny and it was good enough that I did want to finish it.
July 18, 2022
3.5 Stars.
Strengths.
- unique plot.
- fun main character.
- use of tech and magic.
- small town, cozy feel.
Weaknesses.
- abrupt ending.
- didn't like the resolution.
- romance was a bit meh.
Strengths.
- unique plot.
- fun main character.
- use of tech and magic.
- small town, cozy feel.
Weaknesses.
- abrupt ending.
- didn't like the resolution.
- romance was a bit meh.
September 17, 2024
To suggest that this is a book that people are either going to adore with a passion or leave utterly dry seems like an understatement. I honestly can't think of another book that requires the reader to buy into its mindset fully and immediately to enjoy properly. So let's dive in at the deep end. It's a time-honoured battle between good and evil, but this one has the side of good represented by a race of alien shapeshifting dog librarians and the side of evil taken by grumpy book burning snobs of werewolves and their grumpy book burning snobs of groupies. If that might be your cup of tea, then read on and don't be put off by the next few paragraphs. If not, this really isn't for you.
The critic in me rails at how much I can call out as demonstrably negative. Amber Polo knows what she wants to do and she does exactly that, which means that the internal reality of her world has to be shoehorned into what she wants to write rather than the other way around. Every time that something needs to be explained, she either refuses to do so or actively tells us that there simply is no explanation because that's how it works. It's magic! It just doesn't matter how magic works because it's magic. Every other page seems to contain a new convenience and six –year-olds could see through that. Human beings respond to the revelation of a supernatural world just like it's a Tuesday. Then again, they're librarians. They can deal with anything.
What's more, the good characters are only ever good and the bad characters are only ever bad, as if this is might be a novelisation of a Saturday morning cartoon, like 'Captain Planet', in which the heroes face off against another villain of the week who only ever does outrageously awful things because he's the villain. He doesn't pollute a lake as a side effect of unethical business practices; he pollutes a lake because he wants to pollute a lake and watch the fish die. Here, the werewolves don't steal books and burn libraries because they have any coherent plan to suppress information transfer; they steal books and burn libraries because they're book burning werewolves and that's what book burning werewolves do. Duh.
And, if that wasn't enough, everything works out, the various obvious sections of the finalé falling into place in every detail just like, well, unexplained magic. Everything the good guys do turns out to be an unintended prerequisite for the finalé to work, much of it obviously telegraphed. And that doesn't just mean decision X and decision Y that might have been partly guided by other hands. It means simply being in the book to begin with, however coincidental that might be, and being in a town called Shipsfeather. It means this book turning up on this page or that book appearing out of nowhere on that one. It literally means the stars aligning on a particular day.
All that said, the reader in me adored the book, because everything in it is told with a sense of joy, not just blind happiness but a real joie de vivre, an exuberant joy in being alive. Polo clearly hurls everything she loves into this book, starting with dogs and libraries but likely including what may well be every childhood memory she has, filtered through rose tinted spectacles. I would be rather shocked to find that she didn't celebrate St. Nicholas Eve as a child with wassail and gingerkuchen, poinsettias and 'Greensleeves', oranges and 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Her passion for this particular moment in time is palpable and contagious and it's but one of many examples dotted throughout this book. It could fairly be retitled 'Things I Love' by Amber Polo.
In other words, it's hard not to enjoy this book without also enjoying Polo's enjoyment at writing this book. The two become intrinsically linked and I think they have to be; because, if we can't see her joy at conjuring this Lifetime Channel-esque supernatural fantasy into being, then we have to pay more attention to the conveniences, the inevitabilities and the cartoonish sides and then the entire magical house of cards starts to tumble until we have a lot of cards with a lot of words and nothing to hold them together. It's joy that serves as the glue, both ours, if we happen to be into libraries and dogs, and Polo's as she portrays the puppetmaster, not just performing this story but watching our reactions to her performance and smiling all the deeper at every positive response.
So, assuming you're still reading, let's explore. Liberty Cutter is the young Library Director in the Ohio small town of Shipsfeather but every effort she's made for five years has been thwarted by a stubborn Library Board of Trustees, led by its chairman, Harold Dinzelbacher and a former Library Director, Elsie Dustbunnie. Liberty plans to resign in frustration but her library burns instead and a new chapter begins before she can depart the book. The building turns into a chic bistro that's run by Harold's wife and the library shifts (ha) next door to the old and long abandoned Shipsfeather Athanaeum & Academy.
And here's where things really start, because the Academy was cursed by wicked Elsie Dustbunnie and that means that the good guys, the alien dog shifters, are stuck inside the building, living in a sumptuous hidden basement, but the bad guys, the book burning werewolves, are stuck outside. And that means that the Academy turns out to be a bad move for them, because Liberty gains an element of control over her library for the first time, what with her would-be saboteurs unable to even set foot in the place. And, of course, the upstairs world of the new library eventually touches the downstairs world of the dog shifters.
I'm not quite the target audience for this book but I'm not far off. I'm a huge fan of both libraries and librarians, even if I spend more time in the one I built in our enclosed carport than the public one round the corner and up the road. I'm well aware that librarians are the best of us and their good works are far too often frustrated by those in power who don't appreciate that. Even if they aren't book burning werewolves. I also love dogs and pretty much whatever animals you put into my vision, though I'd call myself more of a cat person than a dog person, like the cataloguers that Liberty puts to work. Then again, I kind of dig werewolves too, even if I've never had one ‘round for a party. Well, maybe one.
What that means is that, even with my eyes well and truly open to the conveniences and lack of a single complicating factor to the grand scheme of things, I couldn't fail to adore this book. Now, I have read it before, a decade or so ago before I started reviewing for 'The Nameless Zine', so this is my second time through, but I found that I hadn't forgotten that much about it. I didn't recall every detail of the plot and certainly few character names, even ones as outrageous as Taxiarchai Angus Xenophon McCasson, Bliss D. Light and Julianna Eisenberg von Noir. What I remembered most was the feel; that it was a fundamentally happy book, one to make our day better, whatever it was before, one to leave us grinning like an idiot and, yes, occasionally shedding a tear.
Sure, I rolled my eyes at all the dog words and dog puns that are littered throughout the book. In fact, the very first word of the text is "Dogged" and the very next page adds "dogwoods" outside the Academy. They don't quit from there. Sure, I giggled at the list of famous people who happen to be shapeshifting dogs, from Abraham Lincoln to Queen Elizabeth II. Sure, I laughed at the fake book and magazine titles right next to real ones. Here's a copy of 'Consumer Reports', there's an 'Arsonists Gazette'.
However, I also appreciated occasional subtleties. Lloyd Wong, dog shifter architect? That's Lloyd Wright! I particularly liked major supporting characters like Lily Mumford, who the librarians first think is homeless, but turns out to be a rich old lady sharing a gigantic mansion who used to be a librarian herself. Similarly, the weird-in-a-good-way night janitor Aldwyn Chisholm grows into quite the new role. I even appreciated the fact that Shipsfeather is an anagram for Shapeshifter and for a very good reason.
In the end, it has to come back to my initial paragraph. If you're up for the basic concept here, then you know what you're getting into and you're probably going to be able to forgive the negative in return for all the positive. Yeah yeah, there's all that, but, c'mon, there's joy! And librarians. And dogs. And dog shifter librarians. From space! If you're not up for the basic concept, then this isn't remotely for you and you should steer clear. I'm primarily in the former category and firmly count this as a fond guilty pleasure.
My only affectionate complaint is about how long it takes Liberty to go downstairs. I mean, sure, she's busy establishing her library in a new location, stocking replacements, rolling out RFID tags and handling security concerns, but she's also just been told, by a talking sheepdog no less, that a shapeshifting community of dog librarians is living in her basement. How does she not explore the place immediately? I'd have been down there on night one and, if you've read this far, then I think you would too.
Originally posted at the Nameless Zine in August 2024:
https://www.thenamelesszine.org/Books...
Index of all my Nameless Zine reviews:
https://books.apocalypselaterempire.com/
The critic in me rails at how much I can call out as demonstrably negative. Amber Polo knows what she wants to do and she does exactly that, which means that the internal reality of her world has to be shoehorned into what she wants to write rather than the other way around. Every time that something needs to be explained, she either refuses to do so or actively tells us that there simply is no explanation because that's how it works. It's magic! It just doesn't matter how magic works because it's magic. Every other page seems to contain a new convenience and six –year-olds could see through that. Human beings respond to the revelation of a supernatural world just like it's a Tuesday. Then again, they're librarians. They can deal with anything.
What's more, the good characters are only ever good and the bad characters are only ever bad, as if this is might be a novelisation of a Saturday morning cartoon, like 'Captain Planet', in which the heroes face off against another villain of the week who only ever does outrageously awful things because he's the villain. He doesn't pollute a lake as a side effect of unethical business practices; he pollutes a lake because he wants to pollute a lake and watch the fish die. Here, the werewolves don't steal books and burn libraries because they have any coherent plan to suppress information transfer; they steal books and burn libraries because they're book burning werewolves and that's what book burning werewolves do. Duh.
And, if that wasn't enough, everything works out, the various obvious sections of the finalé falling into place in every detail just like, well, unexplained magic. Everything the good guys do turns out to be an unintended prerequisite for the finalé to work, much of it obviously telegraphed. And that doesn't just mean decision X and decision Y that might have been partly guided by other hands. It means simply being in the book to begin with, however coincidental that might be, and being in a town called Shipsfeather. It means this book turning up on this page or that book appearing out of nowhere on that one. It literally means the stars aligning on a particular day.
All that said, the reader in me adored the book, because everything in it is told with a sense of joy, not just blind happiness but a real joie de vivre, an exuberant joy in being alive. Polo clearly hurls everything she loves into this book, starting with dogs and libraries but likely including what may well be every childhood memory she has, filtered through rose tinted spectacles. I would be rather shocked to find that she didn't celebrate St. Nicholas Eve as a child with wassail and gingerkuchen, poinsettias and 'Greensleeves', oranges and 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Her passion for this particular moment in time is palpable and contagious and it's but one of many examples dotted throughout this book. It could fairly be retitled 'Things I Love' by Amber Polo.
In other words, it's hard not to enjoy this book without also enjoying Polo's enjoyment at writing this book. The two become intrinsically linked and I think they have to be; because, if we can't see her joy at conjuring this Lifetime Channel-esque supernatural fantasy into being, then we have to pay more attention to the conveniences, the inevitabilities and the cartoonish sides and then the entire magical house of cards starts to tumble until we have a lot of cards with a lot of words and nothing to hold them together. It's joy that serves as the glue, both ours, if we happen to be into libraries and dogs, and Polo's as she portrays the puppetmaster, not just performing this story but watching our reactions to her performance and smiling all the deeper at every positive response.
So, assuming you're still reading, let's explore. Liberty Cutter is the young Library Director in the Ohio small town of Shipsfeather but every effort she's made for five years has been thwarted by a stubborn Library Board of Trustees, led by its chairman, Harold Dinzelbacher and a former Library Director, Elsie Dustbunnie. Liberty plans to resign in frustration but her library burns instead and a new chapter begins before she can depart the book. The building turns into a chic bistro that's run by Harold's wife and the library shifts (ha) next door to the old and long abandoned Shipsfeather Athanaeum & Academy.
And here's where things really start, because the Academy was cursed by wicked Elsie Dustbunnie and that means that the good guys, the alien dog shifters, are stuck inside the building, living in a sumptuous hidden basement, but the bad guys, the book burning werewolves, are stuck outside. And that means that the Academy turns out to be a bad move for them, because Liberty gains an element of control over her library for the first time, what with her would-be saboteurs unable to even set foot in the place. And, of course, the upstairs world of the new library eventually touches the downstairs world of the dog shifters.
I'm not quite the target audience for this book but I'm not far off. I'm a huge fan of both libraries and librarians, even if I spend more time in the one I built in our enclosed carport than the public one round the corner and up the road. I'm well aware that librarians are the best of us and their good works are far too often frustrated by those in power who don't appreciate that. Even if they aren't book burning werewolves. I also love dogs and pretty much whatever animals you put into my vision, though I'd call myself more of a cat person than a dog person, like the cataloguers that Liberty puts to work. Then again, I kind of dig werewolves too, even if I've never had one ‘round for a party. Well, maybe one.
What that means is that, even with my eyes well and truly open to the conveniences and lack of a single complicating factor to the grand scheme of things, I couldn't fail to adore this book. Now, I have read it before, a decade or so ago before I started reviewing for 'The Nameless Zine', so this is my second time through, but I found that I hadn't forgotten that much about it. I didn't recall every detail of the plot and certainly few character names, even ones as outrageous as Taxiarchai Angus Xenophon McCasson, Bliss D. Light and Julianna Eisenberg von Noir. What I remembered most was the feel; that it was a fundamentally happy book, one to make our day better, whatever it was before, one to leave us grinning like an idiot and, yes, occasionally shedding a tear.
Sure, I rolled my eyes at all the dog words and dog puns that are littered throughout the book. In fact, the very first word of the text is "Dogged" and the very next page adds "dogwoods" outside the Academy. They don't quit from there. Sure, I giggled at the list of famous people who happen to be shapeshifting dogs, from Abraham Lincoln to Queen Elizabeth II. Sure, I laughed at the fake book and magazine titles right next to real ones. Here's a copy of 'Consumer Reports', there's an 'Arsonists Gazette'.
However, I also appreciated occasional subtleties. Lloyd Wong, dog shifter architect? That's Lloyd Wright! I particularly liked major supporting characters like Lily Mumford, who the librarians first think is homeless, but turns out to be a rich old lady sharing a gigantic mansion who used to be a librarian herself. Similarly, the weird-in-a-good-way night janitor Aldwyn Chisholm grows into quite the new role. I even appreciated the fact that Shipsfeather is an anagram for Shapeshifter and for a very good reason.
In the end, it has to come back to my initial paragraph. If you're up for the basic concept here, then you know what you're getting into and you're probably going to be able to forgive the negative in return for all the positive. Yeah yeah, there's all that, but, c'mon, there's joy! And librarians. And dogs. And dog shifter librarians. From space! If you're not up for the basic concept, then this isn't remotely for you and you should steer clear. I'm primarily in the former category and firmly count this as a fond guilty pleasure.
My only affectionate complaint is about how long it takes Liberty to go downstairs. I mean, sure, she's busy establishing her library in a new location, stocking replacements, rolling out RFID tags and handling security concerns, but she's also just been told, by a talking sheepdog no less, that a shapeshifting community of dog librarians is living in her basement. How does she not explore the place immediately? I'd have been down there on night one and, if you've read this far, then I think you would too.
Originally posted at the Nameless Zine in August 2024:
https://www.thenamelesszine.org/Books...
Index of all my Nameless Zine reviews:
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October 13, 2013
If you really love libraries –or if you really love dogs—you may enjoy this book more than I did. Or maybe not. I am not a dog person and I am not intimately part of the library world, but those were not my only issues with the story. Far more off putting were constant dog puns, the simplistic and too-easy acceptance of the supernatural among regular people, the cookie-cutter villains, and the nagging feeling like I was reading an episode of Scooby Doo. All that was missing was for someone to blame their troubles on “those meddling kids.”
Our main character is Liberty, a librarian trying to do good for the Ohio town where she was born. As the story begins, her library is burned to the ground and she is forced to start the service over inside an abandoned old academy. From the beginning, she is visited by a friendly sheepdog she quickly begins to see as a dear friend. She has no idea he is really the leader of a group of dog-shifters, cursed by werewolves to live below the building.
The werewolves hate libraries and love burning books. I don’t know why, but it’s a basic tenant of the world-building. The entire book, the wolves are trying to destroy the books with a single minded focus that just seemed to have no basis. Meanwhile, the dog-shifters love humans, books, and libraries, and consider it their mission to protect written history. Just in case you missed it: dogs = good guys; wolves = crazy book burning bad guys. This is very important and reinforced ad nauseum.
Basically the story follows Liberty’s efforts to make the library thrive as she and Cronus fall in love. She learns his secrets and they work together to break the curse and save the town from the Very Bad Wolves Who Really Hate Books. The relationship is nice (though it’s very clean. No love scenes here.) Unfortunately, it was the only part of the book I liked. Everything is just so black and white –and convenient. Like when the Good Guys decide they are going to put a new mayor in office, it just happens. Or when Cronus decides to take Liberty to the trendy werewolf bistro, he gets in with no trouble. Or Liberty’s reunion with some very important people. And so on and so on. Plus… the dog thing is really stressed. The shifters are dogs more often than not and it’s really hard to think of them as exciting or remotely sexy. They’re… dogs. And Lord save me from all the horrible puns “doggone” “dog fight” “howling” etc. (*shudder*)
It was just too cutesy for my taste… too simple. Very little character depth; nor did it evoke any emotion or excitement. Not for me.
Rating: C-/D+
Our main character is Liberty, a librarian trying to do good for the Ohio town where she was born. As the story begins, her library is burned to the ground and she is forced to start the service over inside an abandoned old academy. From the beginning, she is visited by a friendly sheepdog she quickly begins to see as a dear friend. She has no idea he is really the leader of a group of dog-shifters, cursed by werewolves to live below the building.
The werewolves hate libraries and love burning books. I don’t know why, but it’s a basic tenant of the world-building. The entire book, the wolves are trying to destroy the books with a single minded focus that just seemed to have no basis. Meanwhile, the dog-shifters love humans, books, and libraries, and consider it their mission to protect written history. Just in case you missed it: dogs = good guys; wolves = crazy book burning bad guys. This is very important and reinforced ad nauseum.
Basically the story follows Liberty’s efforts to make the library thrive as she and Cronus fall in love. She learns his secrets and they work together to break the curse and save the town from the Very Bad Wolves Who Really Hate Books. The relationship is nice (though it’s very clean. No love scenes here.) Unfortunately, it was the only part of the book I liked. Everything is just so black and white –and convenient. Like when the Good Guys decide they are going to put a new mayor in office, it just happens. Or when Cronus decides to take Liberty to the trendy werewolf bistro, he gets in with no trouble. Or Liberty’s reunion with some very important people. And so on and so on. Plus… the dog thing is really stressed. The shifters are dogs more often than not and it’s really hard to think of them as exciting or remotely sexy. They’re… dogs. And Lord save me from all the horrible puns “doggone” “dog fight” “howling” etc. (*shudder*)
It was just too cutesy for my taste… too simple. Very little character depth; nor did it evoke any emotion or excitement. Not for me.
Rating: C-/D+
February 16, 2013
I often found myself chuckling at all of the library in-jokes that filled the story of dog shapeshifter librarians and book-burning werewolves. Liberty is the Head Librarian at the Shipsfeather Public Library. She loves her job but has to deal with a book-hating former head librarian and a mayor who denies all of her requests for funding. The frustrations of her job have made her consider submitting her resignation. But when her beautiful old Carnegie library burns down, she gets the chance to move the public library to the abandoned Shipsfeather Academy building.
She finds more than she ever imagined in that building. It hides an ancient group of dog shifting librarians who have been cursed by the werewolves who have taken over the town. Liberty makes friends with an Old English Sheepdog who starts to visit her in her new library. She later learns that, in his human form, he is the Headmaster of the Shipsfeather Academy. They fall in love but it takes teamwork between the human librarians and the shapeshifting librarians to solve the mystery that keeps them confined within the Academy's subterranean floors.
The characters were over-the-top but very entertaining. The former librarian who is the book-burning head of the local werewolf pack is incredibly evil. She has gathered a small horde of human groupies to carry out her evil plans since the curse that keeps the dog shifters inside the academy keeps the werewolves out. One of the funnier scenes has one of the groupies getting stuck in the book drop when she is trying to steal all the dog books from the new library.
I enjoyed this light urban fantasy novel and think that it will appeal to both library lovers and dog lovers.
She finds more than she ever imagined in that building. It hides an ancient group of dog shifting librarians who have been cursed by the werewolves who have taken over the town. Liberty makes friends with an Old English Sheepdog who starts to visit her in her new library. She later learns that, in his human form, he is the Headmaster of the Shipsfeather Academy. They fall in love but it takes teamwork between the human librarians and the shapeshifting librarians to solve the mystery that keeps them confined within the Academy's subterranean floors.
The characters were over-the-top but very entertaining. The former librarian who is the book-burning head of the local werewolf pack is incredibly evil. She has gathered a small horde of human groupies to carry out her evil plans since the curse that keeps the dog shifters inside the academy keeps the werewolves out. One of the funnier scenes has one of the groupies getting stuck in the book drop when she is trying to steal all the dog books from the new library.
I enjoyed this light urban fantasy novel and think that it will appeal to both library lovers and dog lovers.
February 7, 2013
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Sweet PNR
Publisher Type: Small Print/Indie
My Review:
This was such a fun adventure and I loved every minute of it!!! It's light-hearted, action-packed and filled with unanswered questions that keep you reading late into the night. Released reminds me of an old favorite series, Lillian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who..., with it's whit and intelligent whimsy. I loved the librarian-speak (Thank Dewey!) and the well developed world and characters of The Shapeshifters' Library and am eager to read more. My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed to me. There's a couple of pretty intense revelations, that Liberty seems to take in stride a little too well. I would have liked to see more time spent on exploring the mixed emotions (and happy resolution) anyone would have given the circumstances. Overall an incredible, don't-miss-this read!
Cover Art:
This is a fun cover that reflects the ambiance of the book well. The coloring is vibrant and works so well with the included elements, giving us just a taste of what we may find inside. Yay! I love a good book cover :)
Publisher Type: Small Print/Indie
My Review:
This was such a fun adventure and I loved every minute of it!!! It's light-hearted, action-packed and filled with unanswered questions that keep you reading late into the night. Released reminds me of an old favorite series, Lillian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who..., with it's whit and intelligent whimsy. I loved the librarian-speak (Thank Dewey!) and the well developed world and characters of The Shapeshifters' Library and am eager to read more. My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed to me. There's a couple of pretty intense revelations, that Liberty seems to take in stride a little too well. I would have liked to see more time spent on exploring the mixed emotions (and happy resolution) anyone would have given the circumstances. Overall an incredible, don't-miss-this read!
Cover Art:
This is a fun cover that reflects the ambiance of the book well. The coloring is vibrant and works so well with the included elements, giving us just a taste of what we may find inside. Yay! I love a good book cover :)
November 5, 2013
Little is what it appears in Shipsfeather, Librarian Liberty Cutter’s hometown. The day she plans to resign from her job because she can’t take the interference from the former head librarian, her library burns. The crisis energizes Liberty. She can’t leave now. The town needs a library, and the plan is to move the salvaged materials into an abandoned estate home nearby.
Come to find out, the folks who’ve been harassing Liberty and blocking her requests at the library are shapeshifting werewolves. At the library’s new home, Liberty befriends an English sheepdog, who, you guessed it, talks. Chronus and Liberty become allies and more in the centuries-old battle between the dog and wolf shifters.
This was a fun read with lots of librarian and dog humor. Polo tells the tale very convincingly and I look forward to reading more titles in this engaging series.
Come to find out, the folks who’ve been harassing Liberty and blocking her requests at the library are shapeshifting werewolves. At the library’s new home, Liberty befriends an English sheepdog, who, you guessed it, talks. Chronus and Liberty become allies and more in the centuries-old battle between the dog and wolf shifters.
This was a fun read with lots of librarian and dog humor. Polo tells the tale very convincingly and I look forward to reading more titles in this engaging series.
November 17, 2016
I received this book from Goodreads.
I was leery when I first got Released. I wasn't sure I'd be able to overcome my phobia of Libraries enough to enjoy the book. Let's just say all my childhood Librarians were werewolves, and even now I still try to avoid Libraries whenever possible.
But Released had dogs, and books, and werewolves, and I loved it. It was sweet, thoughtful, charming, funny, and all around lovable. It was filled with bibliophile word play and likable characters- lots of them. I could tell by the first page that this was wrote by a woman with a great love and understanding of books.
I'd like to get to know all of the dog shifters and to do that I'll have to read the other books. This is a series I'll actively pursue.
And, if it existed, I probably would like Liberty's Library.
I was leery when I first got Released. I wasn't sure I'd be able to overcome my phobia of Libraries enough to enjoy the book. Let's just say all my childhood Librarians were werewolves, and even now I still try to avoid Libraries whenever possible.
But Released had dogs, and books, and werewolves, and I loved it. It was sweet, thoughtful, charming, funny, and all around lovable. It was filled with bibliophile word play and likable characters- lots of them. I could tell by the first page that this was wrote by a woman with a great love and understanding of books.
I'd like to get to know all of the dog shifters and to do that I'll have to read the other books. This is a series I'll actively pursue.
And, if it existed, I probably would like Liberty's Library.
November 21, 2012
“WOW, what a book! As an author of paranormal romances involving all types of shapeshifters, I am always on the look-out for books that are similar. Ms. Polo’s newest, “RELEASED, The Shapeshifters’ Library” is one of the most unique and FUN books I’ve read in a long time! I have to admit I wish I’d thought of such a fantastic idea and wrote it first! From page one, you’re drawn into a fantasy world that overlaps into the real world and makes this a page turner!
December 19, 2012
this was a wonderful read! I have always loved libraries...and dogs, so this was just right up my alley. Oh to have fairy tale fantasies come to life... :D
May 30, 2020
Between 3-4 stars. But library loyalty and a unique premise make me round up.
Liberty Cutter (h) is a small town librarian who just lost her library to a fire. Forced to relocate to an abandoned academic building, Liberty feels uncomfortable adjusting to the new building. She feels watched at odd hours, but doesn't think too much of it until she meets Chronus (H), a talking English Sheepdog. Chronus, a librarian himself, tells her of the curse on the building and its inhabitants, cast by book-burning, book-hating werewolves. The school, previously for dog shifters like Chronus, was part of an effort to combat the werewolf efforts and protect the world's knowledge. But things are changing. The public library moving into the old academy seems to be weakening the curse, allowing the dogs to occasionally regain their human forms, something the town's werewolf pack is desperate to prevent...
Even though Chronus and Liberty do fall in love, it's really more of a contemporary fantasy with some romance, rather than a supernatural romance. Think of a cozy mystery, but with more supernatural activity and less mystery? Things are fairly black and white, good and bad, not at all deep or convoluted or layered. Unfortunately that also means that the characters are also not too deep or layered. It's light and fluffy and cute, with lots of small-town stereotypical characters (including the ambitious social climbing Queen Bee-type women - in this case, they're also werewolves). Expect lots of dog puns and lots of library puns. It never takes itself too seriously, so neither should you.
Fully disclosure, as much as I love puns, the dog puns did get a big old. I liked the library puns and inside jokes, though (there's a character named Demco!). I guess I'm more like the Shipsfeather catalogers - crazy cat lady forever!
Part of why it wasn't 4 solid stars for me was the world building and pacing. There's a lot to explain in this new take on shifter mythology, but the actual description does get slow at times, and it does get repeated a fair amount. Which is good, in its own way, because there are a lot of plot threads to keep hold of. Plus, there are tons of characters to introduce and keep straight. I know it's the first book in the series, so that sort of information dump isn't unusual, but it definitely messes with the pacing. I'm hoping it evens out a bit more in subsequent books.
On the note of pacing...
There were some editing issues - his/her mixups, occasional comma or period issues - that sort of thing. Pretty minor overall. But my biggest editing quibble was about the St Nicholas costume that Chronus wore towards the end. "The smooth velvet of his red jacket...The ruffled shirt, tight black pants, and high black boots" What the heck sort of St Nicholas is that?? It's not Santa, like Liberty says. But it's not Saint Nicholas either, who traditionally dresses like a bishop - no ruffles or jack or black boots. Living in an area that actually celebrates St Nicholas day, that was a really jarring costume.
Alternating 3rd person POV - mostly Liberty and Chronus, but also rotating through several of the wolves and other dogs. Cozy supernatural small town fantasy story, with a dash of romance. No cheating, no OW/OM drama no love triangles - all very sweet and clean, actually (Liberty and Chronus only share a few kisses). It's a slower paced, cute-and-fluffy read with a unique take on shifter mythology. HFN - no epilogue but no real cliffhangers either.
Would I read more in the series? Sure. It's fun and light and silly. Makes for a nice change of pace from some of my darker reading.
Liberty Cutter (h) is a small town librarian who just lost her library to a fire. Forced to relocate to an abandoned academic building, Liberty feels uncomfortable adjusting to the new building. She feels watched at odd hours, but doesn't think too much of it until she meets Chronus (H), a talking English Sheepdog. Chronus, a librarian himself, tells her of the curse on the building and its inhabitants, cast by book-burning, book-hating werewolves. The school, previously for dog shifters like Chronus, was part of an effort to combat the werewolf efforts and protect the world's knowledge. But things are changing. The public library moving into the old academy seems to be weakening the curse, allowing the dogs to occasionally regain their human forms, something the town's werewolf pack is desperate to prevent...
Even though Chronus and Liberty do fall in love, it's really more of a contemporary fantasy with some romance, rather than a supernatural romance. Think of a cozy mystery, but with more supernatural activity and less mystery? Things are fairly black and white, good and bad, not at all deep or convoluted or layered. Unfortunately that also means that the characters are also not too deep or layered. It's light and fluffy and cute, with lots of small-town stereotypical characters (including the ambitious social climbing Queen Bee-type women - in this case, they're also werewolves). Expect lots of dog puns and lots of library puns. It never takes itself too seriously, so neither should you.
Fully disclosure, as much as I love puns, the dog puns did get a big old. I liked the library puns and inside jokes, though (there's a character named Demco!). I guess I'm more like the Shipsfeather catalogers - crazy cat lady forever!
Part of why it wasn't 4 solid stars for me was the world building and pacing. There's a lot to explain in this new take on shifter mythology, but the actual description does get slow at times, and it does get repeated a fair amount. Which is good, in its own way, because there are a lot of plot threads to keep hold of. Plus, there are tons of characters to introduce and keep straight. I know it's the first book in the series, so that sort of information dump isn't unusual, but it definitely messes with the pacing. I'm hoping it evens out a bit more in subsequent books.
On the note of pacing...
There were some editing issues - his/her mixups, occasional comma or period issues - that sort of thing. Pretty minor overall. But my biggest editing quibble was about the St Nicholas costume that Chronus wore towards the end. "The smooth velvet of his red jacket...The ruffled shirt, tight black pants, and high black boots" What the heck sort of St Nicholas is that?? It's not Santa, like Liberty says. But it's not Saint Nicholas either, who traditionally dresses like a bishop - no ruffles or jack or black boots. Living in an area that actually celebrates St Nicholas day, that was a really jarring costume.
Alternating 3rd person POV - mostly Liberty and Chronus, but also rotating through several of the wolves and other dogs. Cozy supernatural small town fantasy story, with a dash of romance. No cheating, no OW/OM drama no love triangles - all very sweet and clean, actually (Liberty and Chronus only share a few kisses). It's a slower paced, cute-and-fluffy read with a unique take on shifter mythology. HFN - no epilogue but no real cliffhangers either.
Would I read more in the series? Sure. It's fun and light and silly. Makes for a nice change of pace from some of my darker reading.
November 12, 2021
When the Carnegie style public library burns down in Shipsfeather, OH it is temporarily relocated to the abandoned old Shipsfeather Academy. When Liberty Cutter and her staff move into the building, expecting 25 years of neglect. Instead they find a beautiful, functional building ready to receive the books rescued from the fire. She soon meets an English sheepdog who introduces himself as Chronos, the leader of a group of shapeshifters who are imprisoned by a spell in the basement floors of the building.
The shapeshifters and the human librarians join together to find the remedy to the spell and to rebuild the library collection. When threatened by a pack of werewolf shapeshifters who vow to destroy the temporary library and burn the books.
This fantasy tale is entertaining and the author has done an admiral job of inventing and populating this fantasy world. The characters are engaging. It is fast paced and the finale is suitably resolved in a classical clash of good and evil. An entertaining change of pace and I will probably read a sequel.
The shapeshifters and the human librarians join together to find the remedy to the spell and to rebuild the library collection. When threatened by a pack of werewolf shapeshifters who vow to destroy the temporary library and burn the books.
This fantasy tale is entertaining and the author has done an admiral job of inventing and populating this fantasy world. The characters are engaging. It is fast paced and the finale is suitably resolved in a classical clash of good and evil. An entertaining change of pace and I will probably read a sequel.
August 12, 2025
This book made me realize how biased my brain is when I approach romance. It's definitely shapeshifter romance, but not in the "oops, my shirt fell off" and "her pheromones are detectable, she must be my mate" kind of way. The guy is just an old english sheepdog and he spends almost 90% of his interactions with the FMC in cute dog form. She feeds him biscuits and he leaves presents and redecorates her office. And still, I have to admit it was very cute.
The worldbuilding is... something, but here as well I'm surprised at how fun of a reading experience it was. The concept of villainous pack of werewolves that get involved with banking and the government to take over public libraries and burn books or limit access to information? It's almost visionary, I gotta respect it.
I came across this book out of mere coincidence, but it was nice.
The worldbuilding is... something, but here as well I'm surprised at how fun of a reading experience it was. The concept of villainous pack of werewolves that get involved with banking and the government to take over public libraries and burn books or limit access to information? It's almost visionary, I gotta respect it.
I came across this book out of mere coincidence, but it was nice.
April 10, 2024
Books and library conspiracies and dogs: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧This book is everything you didn’t know you needed in a cozy fantasy. Run, don’t walk, to grab this book! It’s incredibly cute and fun with a touch of magic. The dog shifters are too cute and I love that their personalities match their breed. There is a touchy of insta love but I can overlook that because it’s so original and adorable. A sweet read that’s more like a warm hug and set in a charming town with an even more charming library staff!
Author: Amber Polo
Publisher: Independent Publishing
Audio: Bryant Street Publishing
🔔Content notes: mild language (several uses of b**** only), described kisses, death, dog attack
🎧This book is everything you didn’t know you needed in a cozy fantasy. Run, don’t walk, to grab this book! It’s incredibly cute and fun with a touch of magic. The dog shifters are too cute and I love that their personalities match their breed. There is a touchy of insta love but I can overlook that because it’s so original and adorable. A sweet read that’s more like a warm hug and set in a charming town with an even more charming library staff!
Author: Amber Polo
Publisher: Independent Publishing
Audio: Bryant Street Publishing
🔔Content notes: mild language (several uses of b**** only), described kisses, death, dog attack
August 22, 2017
Well... Its different
This was any incredibly silly book. Well written, with likeable characters, but with such a ridiculous premise I had trouble getting into it. About halfway thru the book I started thinking of it as an animated series aimed towards young adults and it became much more enjoyable. I can't say I'll be continuing with the series, but I'll give credit where credit is due - it's original.
This was any incredibly silly book. Well written, with likeable characters, but with such a ridiculous premise I had trouble getting into it. About halfway thru the book I started thinking of it as an animated series aimed towards young adults and it became much more enjoyable. I can't say I'll be continuing with the series, but I'll give credit where credit is due - it's original.
August 9, 2020
Shape shifting
I really like this book, and I think it's very well written. I think it's a very good read book. I'm very happy to have bought it. Want to give higher points for it but the numbers don't go up that high.
I really like this book, and I think it's very well written. I think it's a very good read book. I'm very happy to have bought it. Want to give higher points for it but the numbers don't go up that high.
February 8, 2024
This novel seemed like young YA work. It moves very quickly and there is not much convincing conflict. I love the premise, tho! I am now reading Diaries of an Urban Panther by the same author, and it seems to be a bit more fleshed out.
May 13, 2017
You have shape-shifting dogs (librarians), shape-shifting werewolves (book burners) and humans. This is a fun light-hearted fantasy that revolves around libraries and books. I think working at that l
August 5, 2021
It’s fun. Great concept. A bit slow, and predictable but a very nice portrayal and an easy vacation read.
May 29, 2023
Truly enjoyable. Villains were a little too mustache twirling, vile people. But the story was fun.
April 13, 2024
A sharpshifter, library book. The characters were interesting and followed the story well.
March 3, 2024
3.5⭐️
2024 Reads #126/250
2024 Reads #126/250
December 28, 2012
Review: A delightfully sweet simple urban fantasy story perfect for the those in the library field. This is one that will appeal to the more mature reader who doesn't enjoy too much sex or violence which is something you don't see to much in the urban fantasy genre. There is definitely a market for this type of story. There is nothing wrong with the story it just wasn't my particular cup of tea, guess I am just too jaded. The story moves quickly and the characters are quirky. My big complaint with the story that it was just too centered on the library world. The constant mentions of "Thank Dewey" and "For the love of LC" or the mentioning of actual dewey decimal classifications #'s to describe something, just became very irritating after a while. Once or twice would have been delightful and a nice sly wink to us library folk, but it was just too much of a good thing. Also I felt at time like I was being preached too about certain topics. And I know its a silly thing but the fact that all werewolves were evil book burners (ok anyone who burns books is evil) and all the dogs were good - just seemed a little too black and white for me. Again this is just based on what I like and nothing against the author. Goodness know as you can tell by this review I have absolute no real handle of the English language.
Favorite Quote
"You mean every cranky, indolent, and downright nasty person who works in a library is a werewolf? That teacher in library school who turned every concept into an equation, the student assistant who mis-shelved the most popular books on purpose, and catologers who create obscure subject headings? Bureaucrats who cut library budgets and hours? Parents who object to books containing any idea not already in their own heads?"
3 Dewey's
I received this from the author in exchange for an honest review. Sorry Amber, have to be honest and review has nothing to do with your talent, just my particular enjoyment of the story
Favorite Quote
"You mean every cranky, indolent, and downright nasty person who works in a library is a werewolf? That teacher in library school who turned every concept into an equation, the student assistant who mis-shelved the most popular books on purpose, and catologers who create obscure subject headings? Bureaucrats who cut library budgets and hours? Parents who object to books containing any idea not already in their own heads?"
3 Dewey's
I received this from the author in exchange for an honest review. Sorry Amber, have to be honest and review has nothing to do with your talent, just my particular enjoyment of the story
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