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The Lost Books: The Scroll of Kings
A fantasy where books literally come to life!
The powerful Lost Books at the palace library are infecting the rest with an evil magic, and two unlikely friends must figure out who, or what, is controlling the books and their power. If they can't, the entire kingdom could be at risk.
The powerful Lost Books at the palace library are infecting the rest with an evil magic, and two unlikely friends must figure out who, or what, is controlling the books and their power. If they can't, the entire kingdom could be at risk.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published June 26, 2018
26 people are currently reading
3034 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Prineas
46 books1,122 followersComing in April 2021 from Philomel, Trouble in the Stars! It's a middle grade science fiction adventure about a shapeshifter kid.
And Dragonfell is out in paperback in April 2020.
Happy reading!
My website: www.sarah-prineas.com
And Dragonfell is out in paperback in April 2020.
Happy reading!
My website: www.sarah-prineas.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
April 1, 2020
I really enjoyed Prineas' Winterling series, but I'm afraid this one was a bit of a disappointment. It's a great premise: a world where books are alive (think "Monster Book of Monsters" to the extreme -- you've got books growing vines, spewing ants, making storms) and librarians have "pages" (like little paper airplanes that fly around and do your bidding for you, how cute is that!?) Unfortunately, I don't feel the ideas were fully developed. I had many questions about the nature of the books, what made them come to life, why books are "good" and yet the "living" books all behaved badly and wanted to do harm, etc. (or, for that matter, why some books came to life and others didn't) or, why we have absolutely zero evidence of magic existing in the world except for these "living" books (or why no one remembers more from sixty years ago... sixty years isn't THAT long!) I don't feel they were answered sufficiently. The set-up with Alex being raised by a master swordsman but not wanting that life for himself was a good one but, again, it wasn't fully developed. I thought we might get a "pen is mightier than the sword" kind of story... but no. There's a lot of swordplay here and it is pretty essential to in defeating the enemy. I didn't feel I ever got to know Alex really well. I found the chapters from Queen Kenneret's perspective annoying and they really didn't add anything to the story. It didn't feel organic switching perspectives and slowed down an already sluggish plot. I think we could have learned enough about her from Alex's perspective. The book ended abruptly after a somewhat anticlimactic finale and, while it may have been a tease to get us to read more (I assume this is a sequel?) I don't plant to do so. Prineas isn't a bad author, she has a way with words, and came up with a good concept -- but I just don't think this was her best work.
June 24, 2018
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
Sarah Prineas writes amazing books and I love and own them all. There are more than one copy of most of them in my house because my kids loved them too and need their own copies. I often get nervous when I read a new book from an author whose books I adore because there is the niggling worry that this will be the one I don't like. I'm becoming more and more convinced that's just never going to happen with Sarah's books. Her latest The Lost Books: The Scroll of Kings had me riveted from page one and made me feel real, true, unadulterated love for a book. Something I haven't felt in quite a while.
Disclaimer: This is a review of an early copy sent to me by the author who I am friendly with.
That was what a librarian was, he realized, and he wanted to curse himself for being so slow to figure it out. A librarian was not just a cataloger, a sweeper, a duster, a collector of grass, an alphabetizer, a keeper of keys. A librarian was a protector. Of books.
Alex is a Librarian. He knows it deep in his heart. He has known it since the day he found his way into his father's library and began to read the Red Codex. As he read, the words marked him and he has never been the same. Alex's problem is convincing everyone else he is a Librarian. His father wanted him to be a soldier. The Librarian he apprenticed for did little to train him. When Alex finds that Librarian dead, Alex knows the book the man was reading at the time is responsible. Then Alex discovers a letter revealing the Royal Librarian died in similar circumstances. Alex travels to the Winter Palace pretending to be his dead master to take up the mantle of Royal Librarian and the mystery surrounding the deaths. Alex knows books are full of life. He knows they can be dangerous. The young queen, Kenneret, is not impressed with Alex but gives him a trial period to work in her library knowing she can easily get rid of him at the end of this time. She has more important things to deal with including her delinquent brother who has been kicked out of yet another school, her uncle who seems constantly disappointed in her, and the weight of ruling a nation of people on her young shoulders. When the dangers in the library and the dangers in the palace appear to be intertwined. Kenneret and Alex have to work together to solve the mystery that is threatening the books, their lives, and the fate of the Kingdom.
This book is so perfect for me it is rather hard to be objective about it. Alex is a snarky, rather arrogant, smart yet often oblivious boy. I mean. Check one on the list of things I love. Kennie is a prickly, pragmatic, determined and ambitious girl. So yeah. The two main characters of this book are my everything. There was no chance I wasn't going to love this. I wasn't also expecting to love Kennie's younger brother Charlie equally as much. He is a strong, soldier type, but a deep thinker who sees nuances Alex and Kennie miss in their more no-nonsense approach to everything. The three of them make a fantastic team once they manage to come together. The process of them dancing around each other to get there is fun too. So much snark.
The plot is well crafted and the action moves along at a brisk pace. I was not able to put this down or stop reading for even a minute until I was finished. The mystery of the books and what was happening with them was compelling as was the political intrigue part of the story. I was particularly impressed by how this part was there, but on exactly the level it needed to be for the intended MG audience. I'm not going to say much more to avoid spoilers, but this is definitely a page turner full of adventure, excellent dialogue, and plenty of action.
Of course, being me, I also appreciated the theme of the importance of books, reading, and the role librarians play. The fact that the books in this story are in danger while being a danger at the same time was quite brilliant.
I'm looking forward to book talking this one in the upcoming school year. It is one of those books that will be easy to spark kids' interest in.
Sarah Prineas writes amazing books and I love and own them all. There are more than one copy of most of them in my house because my kids loved them too and need their own copies. I often get nervous when I read a new book from an author whose books I adore because there is the niggling worry that this will be the one I don't like. I'm becoming more and more convinced that's just never going to happen with Sarah's books. Her latest The Lost Books: The Scroll of Kings had me riveted from page one and made me feel real, true, unadulterated love for a book. Something I haven't felt in quite a while.
Disclaimer: This is a review of an early copy sent to me by the author who I am friendly with.
That was what a librarian was, he realized, and he wanted to curse himself for being so slow to figure it out. A librarian was not just a cataloger, a sweeper, a duster, a collector of grass, an alphabetizer, a keeper of keys. A librarian was a protector. Of books.
Alex is a Librarian. He knows it deep in his heart. He has known it since the day he found his way into his father's library and began to read the Red Codex. As he read, the words marked him and he has never been the same. Alex's problem is convincing everyone else he is a Librarian. His father wanted him to be a soldier. The Librarian he apprenticed for did little to train him. When Alex finds that Librarian dead, Alex knows the book the man was reading at the time is responsible. Then Alex discovers a letter revealing the Royal Librarian died in similar circumstances. Alex travels to the Winter Palace pretending to be his dead master to take up the mantle of Royal Librarian and the mystery surrounding the deaths. Alex knows books are full of life. He knows they can be dangerous. The young queen, Kenneret, is not impressed with Alex but gives him a trial period to work in her library knowing she can easily get rid of him at the end of this time. She has more important things to deal with including her delinquent brother who has been kicked out of yet another school, her uncle who seems constantly disappointed in her, and the weight of ruling a nation of people on her young shoulders. When the dangers in the library and the dangers in the palace appear to be intertwined. Kenneret and Alex have to work together to solve the mystery that is threatening the books, their lives, and the fate of the Kingdom.
This book is so perfect for me it is rather hard to be objective about it. Alex is a snarky, rather arrogant, smart yet often oblivious boy. I mean. Check one on the list of things I love. Kennie is a prickly, pragmatic, determined and ambitious girl. So yeah. The two main characters of this book are my everything. There was no chance I wasn't going to love this. I wasn't also expecting to love Kennie's younger brother Charlie equally as much. He is a strong, soldier type, but a deep thinker who sees nuances Alex and Kennie miss in their more no-nonsense approach to everything. The three of them make a fantastic team once they manage to come together. The process of them dancing around each other to get there is fun too. So much snark.
The plot is well crafted and the action moves along at a brisk pace. I was not able to put this down or stop reading for even a minute until I was finished. The mystery of the books and what was happening with them was compelling as was the political intrigue part of the story. I was particularly impressed by how this part was there, but on exactly the level it needed to be for the intended MG audience. I'm not going to say much more to avoid spoilers, but this is definitely a page turner full of adventure, excellent dialogue, and plenty of action.
Of course, being me, I also appreciated the theme of the importance of books, reading, and the role librarians play. The fact that the books in this story are in danger while being a danger at the same time was quite brilliant.
I'm looking forward to book talking this one in the upcoming school year. It is one of those books that will be easy to spark kids' interest in.
September 2, 2018
I really liked this. It's got verve and style and even swagger (maybe a little surprising for a book about books!) - I enjoyed the tone a lot - and while the plot might be a little convoluted and unclear, everything does become clear in the end. This is exactly the sort of series opener I love: it's a stand-alone, but a followup could address the open-ended issues.
I need to get back to reading more MG. I miss the way it can evoke books previously written while being different enough to stand out; familiarity, in this case, does not breed contempt.
I need to get back to reading more MG. I miss the way it can evoke books previously written while being different enough to stand out; familiarity, in this case, does not breed contempt.
August 4, 2018
Slow start, with unnecessary background. A young apprentice librarian named Alex bluffs his way into a tryout as the Royal Librarian of the kingdom of Aethel by impersonating his deceased mentor. The very young queen of Aethel, Kenneret gives him only a month to whip her neglected library into shape as she is having problems of her own, foremost with her uncle and former Regent, Lord Patchedren, subtly sabotaging her confidence as she yearns to be a good queen as well as her loneliness surrounded by sycophants. Also, her young brother Charley has been expelled from school again and she has to figure out what to do with him. Alex immediately knows that something is very wrong with the books in the Royal Library, and has to solve the mystery.
I liked the parallels with Queen Kenneret using "we" to represent her kingdom and Alex using the term to represent his library. I also liked the pages, which multiply and flutter to Alex's aid. On the other hand, Alex's outspoken, disrespectful discussions with the Queen and her staff is ludicrous. And yet, the story works as he, Kennie and Charley become friends, especially so for bibliophiles as Alex's singular devotion to his job is admirable.
I liked the parallels with Queen Kenneret using "we" to represent her kingdom and Alex using the term to represent his library. I also liked the pages, which multiply and flutter to Alex's aid. On the other hand, Alex's outspoken, disrespectful discussions with the Queen and her staff is ludicrous. And yet, the story works as he, Kennie and Charley become friends, especially so for bibliophiles as Alex's singular devotion to his job is admirable.
January 8, 2019
This was delightful. The plot is a little predictable, perhaps, but everything about it - characters (especially Kenneret!) setting, and in fact the way the plot is resolved- is really charming. I'm looking forward to reading the next (I'm assuming it's a series).
May 27, 2018
I loved this--magical books/library plus snarky young protagonist plus a young queen whose an interesting person in her own right, and a very dangerous Danger--not just to the protagonist, or to the kingdom, but to the books! This sort of book is the reason why I say I love middle grade fantasy!
August 9, 2018
Where are the rest of the books in this series? I want to read them right now.
Alex was born to be a Librarian, but wound up being born to a family of sword fighters. The only possible choice was to run away and get a job as an apprentice. When the Librarian dies mysteriously, choked to death by a book about vines, Alex goes rogue, passing himself off as his master to sixteen-year-old Queen Kenneret and taking over the Royal Library. A library where the books are all coming to life and where a mystery waits to be solved.
This story is inventive and enjoyable. The concept of 'pages' is fantastic!
Highly recommended.
Alex was born to be a Librarian, but wound up being born to a family of sword fighters. The only possible choice was to run away and get a job as an apprentice. When the Librarian dies mysteriously, choked to death by a book about vines, Alex goes rogue, passing himself off as his master to sixteen-year-old Queen Kenneret and taking over the Royal Library. A library where the books are all coming to life and where a mystery waits to be solved.
This story is inventive and enjoyable. The concept of 'pages' is fantastic!
Highly recommended.
February 3, 2019
Wow, this was a great book! It was exciting and funny and intriguing, and all of the characters (except the bad ones, obviously) were very well written. I picked up this book about a month ago, and I'm so glad I finally read it! It was really interesting and easy to read, and I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book. 4.5 stars! Oh, and I absolutely loved everything about the books, of course!
June 10, 2019
Reader thoughts: I just loved this book. Alex has a lot of secrets, is clever, and works hard to earn his skills and to help others. He doesn't take shortcuts, and, while he does get rude, he really does care to protect the books and the kingdom (er, queendom?). He'll even work all night to get to the bottom of the mystery of the royal library. His one failing is that he jumps into things without really knowing what he is doing or how the magic of the libraries works.
Books with magic! Page creatures that fly around and help librarians! A young queen learning to lead! A secret magical order! Bad magical creatures that infect books to be deadly!
What's not to like?
Oh, and the way Alex treats the queen's younger brother was just perfect.
I do think quite a bit of the mystery around the magical librarian society was more obscure than necessary. Alex had to jump to a lot of conclusion about how it all worked, and this made the story feel a bit shaky. Hopefully the sequel will clarify some things.
Writer thoughts: There was a character who couldn't read, and it would have been easy for Prineas to make this unreader seem unintelligent (even by accident). Prineas actually took care to make sure that the unreader was shown to be clever (figuring out a couple riddles!), liked by the other characters, and skilled in other ways. I thought this was handled well.
Books with magic! Page creatures that fly around and help librarians! A young queen learning to lead! A secret magical order! Bad magical creatures that infect books to be deadly!
What's not to like?
Oh, and the way Alex treats the queen's younger brother was just perfect.
I do think quite a bit of the mystery around the magical librarian society was more obscure than necessary. Alex had to jump to a lot of conclusion about how it all worked, and this made the story feel a bit shaky. Hopefully the sequel will clarify some things.
Writer thoughts: There was a character who couldn't read, and it would have been easy for Prineas to make this unreader seem unintelligent (even by accident). Prineas actually took care to make sure that the unreader was shown to be clever (figuring out a couple riddles!), liked by the other characters, and skilled in other ways. I thought this was handled well.
March 26, 2020
When Alex finds the librarian he works for dead, he at first thinks that he just died in his sleep. But then the book the librarian was reading tries to kill Alex and he quickly revises his opinion. Upon being kicked out of that library (just because of some little comments made to the lady of the manor about not really needing to keep every relative's notes to self) he reads the letter that was in his master's possession upon his death. It turns out to be from the Queen whose librarian also just died asking Librarian Farnsworth to come to the castle and take over there. Alex smells something fishy. Two dead librarians in one week? Alex, masquerading as Farnsworth arrives at the castle to find a library in an awful state. The books are clearly worked up over something, and Alex needs to figure out what is going on before someone else is killed.
I have heard both that this is and isn't part of a series. I really hope it is part of a series because I still have a whole lot of questions after this book. The question of where the Lost Books came from and why is left mostly up in the air, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The immediate danger is reconciled, but that's pretty much it. Alex is a librarian unlike most. He is more of a book wrangler (think zoo keeper of books) in charge of a wild, disorganized labyrinth of creatures, half of which are out to get him if he gives them half a chance. The book on beasts that tries to gnaw on Harry Potter would be perfectly at home in Alex's library. Oh, and he's pretty much a private investigator trying to solve a string of murders. There's also some political intrigue going on in the kingdom Alex lives in. The Queen is new to the throne and only 16. Her Uncle, the regent, says he has handed over the kingdom but it is pretty clear to everyone but the Queen that he is still holding a whole lot of strings. The prince of the kingdom at first appears to be a lazy fool, but he has hidden depths. And all of them are in some way tangled up in the library while Alex would just rather be dealing with one crisis at a time. I like the concept of a librarian's pages that Prineas dreamed up. They are animated book pages that help Alex out by retrieving objects and such. I could use a couple of those. Overall, this was a fun concept with a fantasy world and mystery that kept the pages turning. If this is all there is to the story I'll be sadly disappointed as it feels like there are several loose ends that need tying up. Hand this to readers who like interesting magic systems and fantasy mysteries.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. The murders mentioned aren't bloody. There are some vicious attacks by books in a variety of potentially deadly methods. There are also 2 sword fights between humans. Some blood is drawn and people get injured but no one is fatally wounded and the injury descriptions are kept to a minimum.
I have heard both that this is and isn't part of a series. I really hope it is part of a series because I still have a whole lot of questions after this book. The question of where the Lost Books came from and why is left mostly up in the air, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The immediate danger is reconciled, but that's pretty much it. Alex is a librarian unlike most. He is more of a book wrangler (think zoo keeper of books) in charge of a wild, disorganized labyrinth of creatures, half of which are out to get him if he gives them half a chance. The book on beasts that tries to gnaw on Harry Potter would be perfectly at home in Alex's library. Oh, and he's pretty much a private investigator trying to solve a string of murders. There's also some political intrigue going on in the kingdom Alex lives in. The Queen is new to the throne and only 16. Her Uncle, the regent, says he has handed over the kingdom but it is pretty clear to everyone but the Queen that he is still holding a whole lot of strings. The prince of the kingdom at first appears to be a lazy fool, but he has hidden depths. And all of them are in some way tangled up in the library while Alex would just rather be dealing with one crisis at a time. I like the concept of a librarian's pages that Prineas dreamed up. They are animated book pages that help Alex out by retrieving objects and such. I could use a couple of those. Overall, this was a fun concept with a fantasy world and mystery that kept the pages turning. If this is all there is to the story I'll be sadly disappointed as it feels like there are several loose ends that need tying up. Hand this to readers who like interesting magic systems and fantasy mysteries.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. The murders mentioned aren't bloody. There are some vicious attacks by books in a variety of potentially deadly methods. There are also 2 sword fights between humans. Some blood is drawn and people get injured but no one is fatally wounded and the injury descriptions are kept to a minimum.
September 19, 2018
Read this as a bedtime story and we all liked it and stayed up late the last night to finish. I thought I loved that one of the characters was illiterate, and that that was going to be helpful to a child who isn't a strong reader, but Alex continued to call that character "stupid" after he found out he couldn't read. And no one called him on it. Which is maybe what kids would do. But it didn't, contrary to my hope, help the kiddo who struggles to read feel any better about himself, so I was disappointed at the lost opportunity -- so seldom that characters with any kind of disability appear in a fantasy book at all, so I was sad that it didn't disrupt that. But maybe fiction isn't polemic.
December 9, 2018
Wonderful story. I didnt read the first book in this series because the library didn't have it but it wasn't difficult to get into. It's a tell about and uncertain boy who becomes a Librarian's assistant and an insecure girl who becomes queen. Despite an awkward first encounter the two recognize those things they have in common and must defeat an evil uncle and battle evil books. Easily read and fun.
July 8, 2018
Super cute - has The Librarians tv show vibes.
January 12, 2019
I wish that I could do six 🌟
August 11, 2022
4.5👑📜
Omg. This book made me realize how much I missed fantasy books and the fact that it is a book about books makes it so much better. IT WAS SOOO GOODDD
Omg. This book made me realize how much I missed fantasy books and the fact that it is a book about books makes it so much better. IT WAS SOOO GOODDD
March 6, 2023
This is a truly beautiful book to read. I read it on and off at first but I couldn't put it down after reaching halfway through. Who knew fighting books could be so fun to read haha!
July 16, 2025
I really liked the librarian kid and how he handled the situation
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2018
Strong, Independent, Engaging, Confident Heroes
It seems to me that Sarah Prineas has a settled formula, but it's such a good formula and she mixes it up so well that I'm happy to dive in to any series she starts.
Here's the formula. Young man with a secret, unknown, powerful destiny, alone in the world waiting for his path to open before him. Young woman in a position to assume great power and responsibility, endeavoring to grow into her potential. Some magical thing that brings the two together, forces them to become allies and then friends, and brings them great danger and adventure. That is a pretty good summary of Prineas' "Magic Thief" series, which is one of the best middle grade series around, and it's a pretty good summary of this book and the series it appears to be launching.
This time around our hero Alex has some sort of destiny as a "Librarian", which in his vaguely medieval world feels a lot like "lion tamer". Alex has abandoned his place as the heir to a great and noble family of warriors and chieftains in order to follow his fate. Alex is clever, shrewd, irascible, and a bit of a con man, since he feels he's a Librarian, but he isn't officially a Librarian, and so has to wheedle and fast talk his way into a castle library.
Our heroine, Kenneret, has just reached her majority and become Queen of Alex's land. It's her castle library Alex takes over. Kennie is a queen who is still treated as a little girl, and she needs to grow into her role and take charge of her life and her land.
The two meet cute, since Kennie knows Alex is a con man of sorts, and way too young to be a Librarian, and Alex knows Kennie is sort of improvising her way as queen, and way too young yet to be an effective queen.
Meanwhile, the books are being infected by a series of powerful and evil "Lost Books" which are hidden in the castle library. Similar books have killed many Librarians across the land and they have Alex in their sights. Alex is resolved to get the library under control. Here's the great other angle. There is a lot of monologuing about the power of books, and the power of reading, and the unique specialness of books, and so on, but none of it has that creepy, precious, fetish feel that you can find in many "hooray for books" books for middle graders. The books here are very much, figuratively and literally, alive, but it turns out they make much better characters than they do objects of worship. Prineas sells all of this with very accomplished world building. Almost all of the action takes place in the castle library, and the creepy, lively, dusty, dark, labyrinthine, and wildly atmospheric library is beautifully rendered. There are loads of clever and imaginative details that add depth and interest to the library, and that add humor and suspense and color as necessary.
Alex and Kennie are smart, funny, and acerbic debaters and their exchanges are bright, crisp and clever. (Sometimes this feels like middle grade Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn stuff.) Secondary characters, (the evil adults who seek the books, other Librarians, soldiers from Alex's family, Kennie's not-as-dim-as-he-seems brother), and even briefly passing characters, are stamped with individual style and personality that makes the book much richer than just an adventure about some evil magical macguffin.
There are lots of subtle lessons and messages in here, about being steadfast, and loyal, and competent, and trusty, and brave, and determined, and those characteristics actually drive a lot of the action and account for the characters' successes and failures, but those messages are woven seamlessly into the action and fun and never intrude.
So, this struck me as an absolute top drawer new addition to the middle grade action/adventure shelf. The main story arc concludes in this one book, but there are numerous open questions that beg for more than one sequel, so this also looks like it could be a series with some staying power. A very nice find.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
It seems to me that Sarah Prineas has a settled formula, but it's such a good formula and she mixes it up so well that I'm happy to dive in to any series she starts.
Here's the formula. Young man with a secret, unknown, powerful destiny, alone in the world waiting for his path to open before him. Young woman in a position to assume great power and responsibility, endeavoring to grow into her potential. Some magical thing that brings the two together, forces them to become allies and then friends, and brings them great danger and adventure. That is a pretty good summary of Prineas' "Magic Thief" series, which is one of the best middle grade series around, and it's a pretty good summary of this book and the series it appears to be launching.
This time around our hero Alex has some sort of destiny as a "Librarian", which in his vaguely medieval world feels a lot like "lion tamer". Alex has abandoned his place as the heir to a great and noble family of warriors and chieftains in order to follow his fate. Alex is clever, shrewd, irascible, and a bit of a con man, since he feels he's a Librarian, but he isn't officially a Librarian, and so has to wheedle and fast talk his way into a castle library.
Our heroine, Kenneret, has just reached her majority and become Queen of Alex's land. It's her castle library Alex takes over. Kennie is a queen who is still treated as a little girl, and she needs to grow into her role and take charge of her life and her land.
The two meet cute, since Kennie knows Alex is a con man of sorts, and way too young to be a Librarian, and Alex knows Kennie is sort of improvising her way as queen, and way too young yet to be an effective queen.
Meanwhile, the books are being infected by a series of powerful and evil "Lost Books" which are hidden in the castle library. Similar books have killed many Librarians across the land and they have Alex in their sights. Alex is resolved to get the library under control. Here's the great other angle. There is a lot of monologuing about the power of books, and the power of reading, and the unique specialness of books, and so on, but none of it has that creepy, precious, fetish feel that you can find in many "hooray for books" books for middle graders. The books here are very much, figuratively and literally, alive, but it turns out they make much better characters than they do objects of worship. Prineas sells all of this with very accomplished world building. Almost all of the action takes place in the castle library, and the creepy, lively, dusty, dark, labyrinthine, and wildly atmospheric library is beautifully rendered. There are loads of clever and imaginative details that add depth and interest to the library, and that add humor and suspense and color as necessary.
Alex and Kennie are smart, funny, and acerbic debaters and their exchanges are bright, crisp and clever. (Sometimes this feels like middle grade Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn stuff.) Secondary characters, (the evil adults who seek the books, other Librarians, soldiers from Alex's family, Kennie's not-as-dim-as-he-seems brother), and even briefly passing characters, are stamped with individual style and personality that makes the book much richer than just an adventure about some evil magical macguffin.
There are lots of subtle lessons and messages in here, about being steadfast, and loyal, and competent, and trusty, and brave, and determined, and those characteristics actually drive a lot of the action and account for the characters' successes and failures, but those messages are woven seamlessly into the action and fun and never intrude.
So, this struck me as an absolute top drawer new addition to the middle grade action/adventure shelf. The main story arc concludes in this one book, but there are numerous open questions that beg for more than one sequel, so this also looks like it could be a series with some staying power. A very nice find.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
May 18, 2018
Fifteen-year-old Alex has run away from home to become a librarian. He has spent his life learning to use a sword but his real desire it to care for books. In his world, books are locked up in libraries and protected by Librarians who are all getting old. He manages to talk himself into an apprenticeship with a librarian but the librarian isn't willing to share very many secrets and dies before Alex can learn much. When Alex opens the book he finds on the librarian's chest, he is attacked by vines that come creeping out of VINES: PLANTS OF WONDER and barely manages to get the book closed.
This isn't his first magical encounter with a book. When he was young, he read all the books in his father's library twice and then discovered one that was particularly heavy hidden behind some other books. When he opened that one, some letters crept out and turned into an advice-giving tattoo around his wrist.
Alex finally manages to find a position as a librarian in the Royal Library by impersonating the librarian he was apprenticed to. But the young queen Kennerett gives him only a month to whip her neglected library into shape. Kennerett is having problems of her own. Her uncle and former Regent Lord Patchedren is subtly sabotaging her confidence as she tries to learn to be a good queen. Also, her young brother Charley has been expelled from school again and she has to figure out what to do with him. So, since Alex has been begging for an assistant, she gives him Charley who has no interest in being a librarian.
Alex learns that 60 years earlier something happened that changed libraries. Some Lost Books were written with magical paper, magical ink, and magical pens and when they were finished the books killed the writers and drew their spirits into the books. The librarians managed to fight to contain the books in their libraries but now the books are waking up and making all the books dangerous. They seem to have a special grudge against Alex. Alex needs to find the Lost Books in the Royal Library and put them back to sleep.
This was an exciting middle grade story filled with action. It was also a story about doing what you need to do to follow your dreams. Best of all, it was a story about the power of books, words, and libraries.
This isn't his first magical encounter with a book. When he was young, he read all the books in his father's library twice and then discovered one that was particularly heavy hidden behind some other books. When he opened that one, some letters crept out and turned into an advice-giving tattoo around his wrist.
Alex finally manages to find a position as a librarian in the Royal Library by impersonating the librarian he was apprenticed to. But the young queen Kennerett gives him only a month to whip her neglected library into shape. Kennerett is having problems of her own. Her uncle and former Regent Lord Patchedren is subtly sabotaging her confidence as she tries to learn to be a good queen. Also, her young brother Charley has been expelled from school again and she has to figure out what to do with him. So, since Alex has been begging for an assistant, she gives him Charley who has no interest in being a librarian.
Alex learns that 60 years earlier something happened that changed libraries. Some Lost Books were written with magical paper, magical ink, and magical pens and when they were finished the books killed the writers and drew their spirits into the books. The librarians managed to fight to contain the books in their libraries but now the books are waking up and making all the books dangerous. They seem to have a special grudge against Alex. Alex needs to find the Lost Books in the Royal Library and put them back to sleep.
This was an exciting middle grade story filled with action. It was also a story about doing what you need to do to follow your dreams. Best of all, it was a story about the power of books, words, and libraries.
October 9, 2019
Also called the Scroll of Kings. Loved this book-the plot, the twists, the characters, the magic......will definitely read the others in the series. Equally suited for boys or girls. Has some violence. AR-5.2, 9pts.
July 1, 2018
Author Sarah Prineas, best known for her award-winning The Magic Thief series, has launched a new one, The Lost Books, a must-read for fantasy lovers of any age. A wannabe-librarian named Alex bluffs his way into a tryout as the royal librarian of the kingdom of Aethel, but, even before his arrival, Alex has begun to realize that something is very wrong with the books in the libraries.
Readers will thoroughly enjoy Alex, Aethel’s Queen Kenneret and her brother Charlie (Prince Charleren to the commoners), who is more perceptive than he first appears. Prineas weaves a wonderful mystery set in a world where books are kept locked up and away from the public. One of the mysteries solved is how this has come to pass, but the big one is who is turning library books into literal killers.
Alex resembles Connwaer of The Magic Thief a bit, as Queen Kenneret resembles The Magic Thief’s Lady Rowan; however, the characters are different enough not to diminish the enjoyment of Prineas’ newest gem of a novel. In addition, the underestimated Prince Charlie is one of my favorite Prineas characters of all time. I’m thrilled to know that there will be more books to come, and, like Alex, I will have to work on my patience in order to endure the long wait for book No. 2.
Lastly, I was fortunate enough to listen to the Audible edition of The Scroll of Kings, and narrator Graham Halstead made my car trip home to Louisville from Myrtle Beach pure pleasure.
Readers will thoroughly enjoy Alex, Aethel’s Queen Kenneret and her brother Charlie (Prince Charleren to the commoners), who is more perceptive than he first appears. Prineas weaves a wonderful mystery set in a world where books are kept locked up and away from the public. One of the mysteries solved is how this has come to pass, but the big one is who is turning library books into literal killers.
Alex resembles Connwaer of The Magic Thief a bit, as Queen Kenneret resembles The Magic Thief’s Lady Rowan; however, the characters are different enough not to diminish the enjoyment of Prineas’ newest gem of a novel. In addition, the underestimated Prince Charlie is one of my favorite Prineas characters of all time. I’m thrilled to know that there will be more books to come, and, like Alex, I will have to work on my patience in order to endure the long wait for book No. 2.
Lastly, I was fortunate enough to listen to the Audible edition of The Scroll of Kings, and narrator Graham Halstead made my car trip home to Louisville from Myrtle Beach pure pleasure.
September 22, 2020
3.5 stars
The first thing you need know - Alex is obnoxious. He must truly have some Great Destiny, because I'm not sure how he managed to survive as long as he did. That said, he does grow on you - like moss or fungi. Quite an impressive character, really. Dedicated, focused and all about the books. I do wish he would learn to take care of himself a little better.
- Kennie is awesome and admirable, and as long as she does not try to burn down the library (or do a turn-about to become stupid) I will adore her forever.
- Charlie is interesting and quite impressive in his own right. Strong spirit and good humour. Intelligent and observant.
The story kept me hooked (books! alive! library!), the occasional "how are you still alive?" aside.
I'm very much looking forward to more books!
There ought to be at least one more book. It would be too cruel to leave us hanging like this.
VERDICT : RECOMMEDED
The first thing you need know - Alex is obnoxious. He must truly have some Great Destiny, because I'm not sure how he managed to survive as long as he did. That said, he does grow on you - like moss or fungi. Quite an impressive character, really. Dedicated, focused and all about the books. I do wish he would learn to take care of himself a little better.
- Kennie is awesome and admirable, and as long as she does not try to burn down the library (or do a turn-about to become stupid) I will adore her forever.
- Charlie is interesting and quite impressive in his own right. Strong spirit and good humour. Intelligent and observant.
The story kept me hooked (books! alive! library!), the occasional "how are you still alive?" aside.
I'm very much looking forward to more books!
There ought to be at least one more book. It would be too cruel to leave us hanging like this.
VERDICT : RECOMMEDED
April 28, 2018
Middle graders will love the mix of magic, good vs evil, trappings of royalty and frequent swordplay of this one. Librarians and teachers will appreciate those characteristics as well as the allusions to book burnings and censorship. With its modest length, this new Sarah Prineas work will appeal to those readers capable of longer novels such as Harry Potter or Girl Who Drank the Moon while not intimidated those with shorter attention spans. Other positives include a strong female main character, excellent characterization of the three protagonists Alex, Kenney and Charlie, as well as some great foreshadowing. I will definitely be adding this one to my first library order for school year ‘18-‘19. Added note: No profanity or sexual innuendo, slight blood-letting during several encounters, but nothing that would set off alarms with a conservative audience. Thanks for the dARC, Edelweiss!
October 15, 2021
The last few hours of this book almost got it to 4 stars for me but not quite.
The plot is interesting and the introduction to the world pulled me right in.
Im going to have a stroke while trying to explain this, but the reason it didn't get a 4 star for me is because of Alex, the main character, and the fact that thing aren't explained right away.
The characters in this book are introduced so that the reader gets the wrong impression at first, then slowly reveals who they really are.
This worked well for most of them.
Alex is introduced as a librarians assistant who doesn't have a lot of power. This should make him feel like the weak main character that has to grow and learn. But instead, he has a ridiculous amount of confidence, and knows things that others don't, which instead makes him a little mysterious and condescending.
In reality, we learn about what he knows and begin to understand where his confidence comes from, only to realize that he is really bad at explaining things, literally just like every other librarian. This can be very frustrating to witness.
I mean, books are killing people, and instead of demonstrating thier danger, he just tells everyone that books are VERY important, and in a way that suggests they should already know that.
One thing that should have been explained right away, and isn't really a spoiler because everyone in the world knows it, is that libraries are banned to the public (maybe it did and I missed it). That would explain why everyone doesn't already know about the books being alive in the first place.
But because it isn't explained, instead I got the impression that the books are only alive in front of Alex and there is no reason anyone should know anything and that he is being a huge idiot by not telling people this. It makes even less sense why he thinks people should care when he already states that his father DOESN'T care about the books. In the end, once I knew what was going on, I realized he actually is really bad at explaining things, just like me. 👍 But it was a little late in the game, and almost made me put the books down several times.
The plot is interesting and the introduction to the world pulled me right in.
Im going to have a stroke while trying to explain this, but the reason it didn't get a 4 star for me is because of Alex, the main character, and the fact that thing aren't explained right away.
The characters in this book are introduced so that the reader gets the wrong impression at first, then slowly reveals who they really are.
This worked well for most of them.
Alex is introduced as a librarians assistant who doesn't have a lot of power. This should make him feel like the weak main character that has to grow and learn. But instead, he has a ridiculous amount of confidence, and knows things that others don't, which instead makes him a little mysterious and condescending.
In reality, we learn about what he knows and begin to understand where his confidence comes from, only to realize that he is really bad at explaining things, literally just like every other librarian. This can be very frustrating to witness.
I mean, books are killing people, and instead of demonstrating thier danger, he just tells everyone that books are VERY important, and in a way that suggests they should already know that.
One thing that should have been explained right away, and isn't really a spoiler because everyone in the world knows it, is that libraries are banned to the public (maybe it did and I missed it). That would explain why everyone doesn't already know about the books being alive in the first place.
But because it isn't explained, instead I got the impression that the books are only alive in front of Alex and there is no reason anyone should know anything and that he is being a huge idiot by not telling people this. It makes even less sense why he thinks people should care when he already states that his father DOESN'T care about the books. In the end, once I knew what was going on, I realized he actually is really bad at explaining things, just like me. 👍 But it was a little late in the game, and almost made me put the books down several times.
July 9, 2018
My name is Alex, and I am the royal librarian. At least until the queen figures out I've been lying about my identity. I never received any proper training, but everybody assumes I know what I’m doing. The queen’s given me two weeks to organize a cavernous library that's been neglected for years, but she doesn't even know the dangers found here. The books are frightened of something hidden on the shelves, volumes with strange covers that have already killed three other librarians. I've barely survived books that conjured up strangling vines, devastating earthquakes, and raging storms. Why are all the books targeting me and trying to end my life? There are so many secrets to uncover! The Lost Books, the queen’s uncle, and the Red Codex.
I randomly found this book on my library's shelf of new releases, and I'm glad I did. The story oozed with imagination, as paper was used to create different characters. The characters weren't made from paper, the sheets of paper were Alex's flying assistants. Evil books mesmerized readers into deadly situations, and the cause of this dangerous change was unclear. The young queen found the library hard to understand, and she found Alex annoying. However, she admired Alex's honesty, loyalty, and determination. The author included many subplots that were easy to follow; authors sometimes make their books confusing by describing too many problems. Alex had issues with his father, the queen was unaware of her uncle's plans, the prince felt useless, and Alex wanted to save all of the books, even the ones trying to kill him! The conflicts overlapped, and the author neatly blended them together. The thing I liked best about the book was the fact Alex was always the underdog. The queen gave him two weeks to perform an impossible task for which he was totally unprepared. He was forced to act alone, and the Red Codex was a constant mystery in his mind. Some readers may not like this book, but I highly recommend you give it a try.
I randomly found this book on my library's shelf of new releases, and I'm glad I did. The story oozed with imagination, as paper was used to create different characters. The characters weren't made from paper, the sheets of paper were Alex's flying assistants. Evil books mesmerized readers into deadly situations, and the cause of this dangerous change was unclear. The young queen found the library hard to understand, and she found Alex annoying. However, she admired Alex's honesty, loyalty, and determination. The author included many subplots that were easy to follow; authors sometimes make their books confusing by describing too many problems. Alex had issues with his father, the queen was unaware of her uncle's plans, the prince felt useless, and Alex wanted to save all of the books, even the ones trying to kill him! The conflicts overlapped, and the author neatly blended them together. The thing I liked best about the book was the fact Alex was always the underdog. The queen gave him two weeks to perform an impossible task for which he was totally unprepared. He was forced to act alone, and the Red Codex was a constant mystery in his mind. Some readers may not like this book, but I highly recommend you give it a try.
July 28, 2018
What if there was more to books? What if they were alive? What if they flew off of shelves and killed librarians?
Alex is a young librarian seeking a chance to prove that he is a librarian, not some swordsman like the rest of him family. After his former mentor is found dead, Alex is almost choked to death by a book! That's right, a simple everyday book except this everyday book has a symbol burnt into it's cover. With his former master now dead Alex is forced to leave Duchess Purslane's royal library. However, Kenneret queen of Aethel gives Alex till the end of the month to whip her neglected library into shape. But the books are stirring, they're getting restless. As the new royal librarian of the Aethel, Alex has his work cut out for him, and to add to his troubles, books still continue to attack him, and their covers have the very same symbol burnt into it. Why though? Why are they attacking him and no one else? Why are their covers scorched with the symbol?
This was the first time I ever picked up a book by Sarah Prineas. I had no clue what to expect from her. I was truly thrilled with this book, and the story itself was incredible! It was nothing like what I had in mind, it truly was so much more! Every page pulled me along and whenever I'd put down the book, I was left with a want for more, and now that the book has ended I still want more! I'm defiantly going to re-read this book in the years to come. Thank you Sarah Prineas for an amazing adventure!
Alex is a young librarian seeking a chance to prove that he is a librarian, not some swordsman like the rest of him family. After his former mentor is found dead, Alex is almost choked to death by a book! That's right, a simple everyday book except this everyday book has a symbol burnt into it's cover. With his former master now dead Alex is forced to leave Duchess Purslane's royal library. However, Kenneret queen of Aethel gives Alex till the end of the month to whip her neglected library into shape. But the books are stirring, they're getting restless. As the new royal librarian of the Aethel, Alex has his work cut out for him, and to add to his troubles, books still continue to attack him, and their covers have the very same symbol burnt into it. Why though? Why are they attacking him and no one else? Why are their covers scorched with the symbol?
This was the first time I ever picked up a book by Sarah Prineas. I had no clue what to expect from her. I was truly thrilled with this book, and the story itself was incredible! It was nothing like what I had in mind, it truly was so much more! Every page pulled me along and whenever I'd put down the book, I was left with a want for more, and now that the book has ended I still want more! I'm defiantly going to re-read this book in the years to come. Thank you Sarah Prineas for an amazing adventure!
May 19, 2018
The Scroll of Kings (Lost Books #1) by Sarah Prineas, 304 Pages. Harper, JUNE 2018. $17. Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some fighting danger)
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL.
After running away from his family of sword masters, Alex has found a place as an apprentice librarian. When he finds his master dead – and apparently killed by a book, Alex takes off again, this time carrying a letter from the Queen, asking for his dead master to come take over as Royal Librarian. Alex figures he can pretend he is Librarian Farnsworth, but the Queen is not completely taken in and gives him just two weeks to get the library in order. The Royal Library is an even worse mess than Alex thought – there are many more dangerous books within its shelves and every book is upset and scared. Alex must fight a war on two fronts – against the rogue books and against Lord Patchedron – the kingdom’s former regent who is hiding something deep and dark, even if the young Queen won’t see it.
Hooray! I had so much fun reading this! And not just because it was about books and librarians. Prineas has brought all of her considerable talent o bear on her newest book. Swashbuckling danger surrounds a story of personal growth and revelations.
Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL.
After running away from his family of sword masters, Alex has found a place as an apprentice librarian. When he finds his master dead – and apparently killed by a book, Alex takes off again, this time carrying a letter from the Queen, asking for his dead master to come take over as Royal Librarian. Alex figures he can pretend he is Librarian Farnsworth, but the Queen is not completely taken in and gives him just two weeks to get the library in order. The Royal Library is an even worse mess than Alex thought – there are many more dangerous books within its shelves and every book is upset and scared. Alex must fight a war on two fronts – against the rogue books and against Lord Patchedron – the kingdom’s former regent who is hiding something deep and dark, even if the young Queen won’t see it.
Hooray! I had so much fun reading this! And not just because it was about books and librarians. Prineas has brought all of her considerable talent o bear on her newest book. Swashbuckling danger surrounds a story of personal growth and revelations.
Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
June 30, 2019
This book was a page turner for me. I read this book to two of my siblings, and my seven year old son listened in because he loved it, and had to know what would happened. We all greatly enjoyed it, although my son added that it was scary.
Alex can be a bit frustrating because of his short temper, and bad manners due to the fact he is fighting for who he knows himself to be and wanting things to go his way.
Kenneret and Charlie are delightful characters, and I love that they are such good siblings. There were some words that were a bit difficult to understand, and so I had to look up the meaning. There were also several parts throughout the book that were redundant, as something would be described in the way that it looked or sounded, and then would be repeated worded differently in the future.
The most unfortunate thing is that this book left so much unanswered, and left on a cliff hanger, and from my research there is no indication on whither or not there will be a second book.
Over all though I felt that this was a very good book! I loved the adventure, the thrill of having to know what was going to happen next. This book was riveting!! I hope there is a second, because I still can hardly wait to know what will happen next.
Alex can be a bit frustrating because of his short temper, and bad manners due to the fact he is fighting for who he knows himself to be and wanting things to go his way.
Kenneret and Charlie are delightful characters, and I love that they are such good siblings. There were some words that were a bit difficult to understand, and so I had to look up the meaning. There were also several parts throughout the book that were redundant, as something would be described in the way that it looked or sounded, and then would be repeated worded differently in the future.
The most unfortunate thing is that this book left so much unanswered, and left on a cliff hanger, and from my research there is no indication on whither or not there will be a second book.
Over all though I felt that this was a very good book! I loved the adventure, the thrill of having to know what was going to happen next. This book was riveting!! I hope there is a second, because I still can hardly wait to know what will happen next.
August 19, 2020
BEST BOOK EVER I love the other books by sarah prineas a lot but this is BY FAR my favorite book. I really really hope there will be a sequel eventually since I’ve been re re re re re reading this book since I read it the first time in sixth grade. The only bad part is I don’t like other books as much as I did before because this made me disappointed in every other thing ever!! Among the many many reasons it is magnificent it has a boy and a girl main character, but they don’t end up kissing like in practically every other book. Also nobody was super dramatic or burst into tears or anything, but they still had more muted versions of the craziness that happens in those super sappy scenes in other middle grade novels, and that is basically the whole of every young adult book. It does move a little slow at first I guess, but it’s still super funny, and exciting, and amazing. I think a lot of people would like this book as long as they don’t go into it thinking that it’ll be stupid, or it’s for little kids, or my sister likes it so obviously I will not (all things my brother said when I said “hey wanna read my favorite book?” Well not the last one but that’s definitely a part of it)
January 7, 2019
Alex, a young apprentice librarian, is trying to learn the secrets of the royal library. His master was killed by, what Alex believes, a dangerous book. The same book also tried to kill Alex. The royal librarian died in a similar manner and Alex soon impersonates his master to get the newly vacated royal librarian position. He discovers that the books are alive and are frightened by the dangerous books -- the ones that killed the previous librarians. But the library isn't Alex's only problem. The new young queen, Kenneret, doesn't trust him; after all, he is impersonating a dead librarian! Alex's true identity is another secret he is keeping from the queen. When an incident happens with the books, Queen Kenneret comes around to believing Alex and tries to help him figure out who is controlling the dangerous books.
Two things attracted me to this book; first, it's about a librarian and I am a children's librarian. Second, the cover art shows Alex fighting off books with a sword. This reminded me of the TV movies "The Librarian," which I very much enjoyed. This book is exciting, mysterious, and leaves you waiting for the inevitable sequel. "The Lost Books" will be a popular middle level series. I would definitely recommend it for grades 3-6.
Two things attracted me to this book; first, it's about a librarian and I am a children's librarian. Second, the cover art shows Alex fighting off books with a sword. This reminded me of the TV movies "The Librarian," which I very much enjoyed. This book is exciting, mysterious, and leaves you waiting for the inevitable sequel. "The Lost Books" will be a popular middle level series. I would definitely recommend it for grades 3-6.
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