What do you think?
Rate this book
Hellbrary #1
The Underworld Library
Whoever possesses the Great Library of the Underworld rules Hell itself…and threatens the destiny of both the Heavens and Earth.
The Great Library contains the most deadly magic tomes penned since the beginning of time. This magic is both wondrous and terrible, kept under lock and key by witch-librarians serving the king of the Underworld.
Eve is one of those faithful librarians. She doesn’t recall her life prior to the Hellbrary, and unlike her fellow Hellbrarians, she has very little magic to speak of. When a dangerous book is stolen, she must recover it with the help of a Gorgon librarian, a hellhound, and a mysterious shapeshifting royal envoy. This daemon, Azarr, has a serpent tongue and the heart of a man – can he be trusted?
King Caldrius’s court has fallen under siege. Caldrius’s cruel son, Ral, has returned from exile with an army to assassinate his father. But his father’s crown alone does not guarantee Ral the throne. He needs the library, and he will take it by force. His ambitions don’t end with the Hellbrary – he means to take Earth and the Heavens beyond.
Eve knows there’s only one way to defeat Ral: they must use the recovered book to awaken the Queen of the Witches. Caldrius imprisoned Viridia millennia ago when she grew too powerful to control. Then, he offered the witches a choice: serve him or die. They served, until now…but will awakening Viridia summon an evil greater than Ral?
Time is running out, and all the forces the Underworld must unite to wage war for the library and control of all of existence.
The Great Library contains the most deadly magic tomes penned since the beginning of time. This magic is both wondrous and terrible, kept under lock and key by witch-librarians serving the king of the Underworld.
Eve is one of those faithful librarians. She doesn’t recall her life prior to the Hellbrary, and unlike her fellow Hellbrarians, she has very little magic to speak of. When a dangerous book is stolen, she must recover it with the help of a Gorgon librarian, a hellhound, and a mysterious shapeshifting royal envoy. This daemon, Azarr, has a serpent tongue and the heart of a man – can he be trusted?
King Caldrius’s court has fallen under siege. Caldrius’s cruel son, Ral, has returned from exile with an army to assassinate his father. But his father’s crown alone does not guarantee Ral the throne. He needs the library, and he will take it by force. His ambitions don’t end with the Hellbrary – he means to take Earth and the Heavens beyond.
Eve knows there’s only one way to defeat Ral: they must use the recovered book to awaken the Queen of the Witches. Caldrius imprisoned Viridia millennia ago when she grew too powerful to control. Then, he offered the witches a choice: serve him or die. They served, until now…but will awakening Viridia summon an evil greater than Ral?
Time is running out, and all the forces the Underworld must unite to wage war for the library and control of all of existence.
- GenresParanormal
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2021
15 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Laura Bickle
27 books501 followersLaura Bickle grew up in rural Ohio, reading entirely too many comic books out loud to her favorite Wonder Woman doll. After graduating with an MA in Sociology – Criminology from Ohio State University and an MLIS in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she patrolled the stacks at the public library and worked with data systems in criminal justice. She now dreams up stories about the monsters under the stairs, also writing contemporary fantasy novels under the name Alayna Williams.
Her work has been included in the ALA’s Amelia Bloomer Project 2013 reading list and the State Library of Ohio’s Choose to Read Ohio reading list for 2015-2016.
Her work has been included in the ALA’s Amelia Bloomer Project 2013 reading list and the State Library of Ohio’s Choose to Read Ohio reading list for 2015-2016.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 3, 2022
Fabulous book! I enjoyed every single sentence. The story line was different and entertaining. The characters were superb and the action and setting were top notch. Can't wait to get my hands on book 2.
April 30, 2021
*Source* Kindle Unlimited
*Genre* Dark Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
The Underworld Library, by author Laura Bickle, is the first installment in the authors Hellbrary series. The story begins with Ral, Prince of the Dark Palace, son of Caldrius, King of the Underworld, in a place called Nothingness or the Salt Desert where men and women from Earth end up after they die. Ral was sent there as a punishment because he is pure evil. Now, he has a plan. His plan begins by escaping from the Hatyx Sisters (Hate, Fear, and Wrath) then making an alliance with the Cix and the Blood Ilk who may have access to a powerful weapon called the Spark.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Dark Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
The Underworld Library, by author Laura Bickle, is the first installment in the authors Hellbrary series. The story begins with Ral, Prince of the Dark Palace, son of Caldrius, King of the Underworld, in a place called Nothingness or the Salt Desert where men and women from Earth end up after they die. Ral was sent there as a punishment because he is pure evil. Now, he has a plan. His plan begins by escaping from the Hatyx Sisters (Hate, Fear, and Wrath) then making an alliance with the Cix and the Blood Ilk who may have access to a powerful weapon called the Spark.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
May 13, 2021
I was granted complimentary access to The Underworld Library via Bewitching Book Tours with the intent to review. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
Hellbrarian Eve doesn't remember life before becoming a librarian in The Great Library of the Underworld, but she's seen the horrors that await anyone who disrespects the library in any way, and she's determined to keep all of the library's books intact and where they belong. So when an important and dangerous book is stolen, Eve and a few unlikely allies must retrieve it.
Dark libraries and dark academia are quite popular these days and I haven't read many of them yet, so I was very intrigued when this review opportunity came through my inbox. The synopsis enticed me and the cover art was so well done! I had to read it. Somehow I wasn't expecting quite so much gore and body horror and nearly put the book right back down!
But I'm glad I didn't. This is dark fantasy done right, and the breakneck pacing of the plot will keep you coming back until the very abrupt cliffhanger ending that leaves wishing book 2's release date would magically become yesterday. (Or perhaps you're reading this a ways into the future and the full series is ready and waiting for you to continue your binge read!)
If you love dark fantasy and whirlwind adventures, read this book! Read all this author's books, frankly. Just be warned that is starts out VERY dark and takes a little getting used to.
Hellbrarian Eve doesn't remember life before becoming a librarian in The Great Library of the Underworld, but she's seen the horrors that await anyone who disrespects the library in any way, and she's determined to keep all of the library's books intact and where they belong. So when an important and dangerous book is stolen, Eve and a few unlikely allies must retrieve it.
Dark libraries and dark academia are quite popular these days and I haven't read many of them yet, so I was very intrigued when this review opportunity came through my inbox. The synopsis enticed me and the cover art was so well done! I had to read it. Somehow I wasn't expecting quite so much gore and body horror and nearly put the book right back down!
But I'm glad I didn't. This is dark fantasy done right, and the breakneck pacing of the plot will keep you coming back until the very abrupt cliffhanger ending that leaves wishing book 2's release date would magically become yesterday. (Or perhaps you're reading this a ways into the future and the full series is ready and waiting for you to continue your binge read!)
If you love dark fantasy and whirlwind adventures, read this book! Read all this author's books, frankly. Just be warned that is starts out VERY dark and takes a little getting used to.
March 4, 2025
I will start by saying that Laura Bickle is one of my favorite authors. If she's written it, I will read it. It might take me some time to get to it, but I will read it.
This is such a cool premise. A library in the Underworld where every kind of book from different times and places and people is stored. The Hellbrarians are something to be reckoned with. Different creatures taking care of the books with love and serious fierce dedication. To the point of knowing they will fight to the death to protect the Hellbrary from the son of the king of the Underworld.
This is an adventure and told via many voices and points of view which helps since some of the action takes place at the same time but from different locations.
I call this 'aerobic reading' since the heart beats faster as the action occurs and I-just-don't-see-how-but-please-let-everything- be-okay-and-please-don't-die as I read.
This was daytime Kindle reading or I'd have had some really interesting dreams if I'd read it as my bedtime book. It's very visual inducing, it's that well-written.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
This is such a cool premise. A library in the Underworld where every kind of book from different times and places and people is stored. The Hellbrarians are something to be reckoned with. Different creatures taking care of the books with love and serious fierce dedication. To the point of knowing they will fight to the death to protect the Hellbrary from the son of the king of the Underworld.
This is an adventure and told via many voices and points of view which helps since some of the action takes place at the same time but from different locations.
I call this 'aerobic reading' since the heart beats faster as the action occurs and I-just-don't-see-how-but-please-let-everything- be-okay-and-please-don't-die as I read.
This was daytime Kindle reading or I'd have had some really interesting dreams if I'd read it as my bedtime book. It's very visual inducing, it's that well-written.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
April 25, 2022
This book with its interesting plot and gorgeous cover had a lot of threads out there waiting to be tied up. There were multiple POV's some of them seemed more unnecessary than others.
In all reality the only thing I really liked about this book was Thalla. Her whole story was incredibly interesting and it is the only thing that might convince me to read the next book because I am curious at how things will turn out for her. But the rest of the characters I really wasn't a fan of--they were either one dimensional or really annoyed me (like in the case with the main romance where the guy was interested in her for no reason and just drooled after Eve the whole book.)
I just wasn't impressed and it was a miracle I pushed through to the end. I wouldn't recommend it personally but the plot was interesting so if you're intrigued maybe give it a shot.
Content: Some language used (f-word once, a-word), very heavy violence
In all reality the only thing I really liked about this book was Thalla. Her whole story was incredibly interesting and it is the only thing that might convince me to read the next book because I am curious at how things will turn out for her. But the rest of the characters I really wasn't a fan of--they were either one dimensional or really annoyed me (like in the case with the main romance where the guy was interested in her for no reason and just drooled after Eve the whole book.)
I just wasn't impressed and it was a miracle I pushed through to the end. I wouldn't recommend it personally but the plot was interesting so if you're intrigued maybe give it a shot.
Content: Some language used (f-word once, a-word), very heavy violence
May 7, 2021
You know when I read the summary for The Underworld Library I just had to read it. I liked that it had witches, magic, a library, and the underworld all rolled into one book. The world-building was so amazing. The writing was immaculate. It was written in such a way that I could picture each and every scene in my head as if I was watching a movie. It was as if the author and I had esp or something or at least she does to be able to draw or write such a great picture that I could see so well.
In The Underworld Library this one guy Ral wants to take over everything and be in control of the whole underworld and more even if it means he has to take a few lives along the way. The one main thing he needs to be in control of is the underworld’s library.
Eve the underworld librarian will do whatever it takes to keep the library safe and out of the hands of Ral. Eve is a witch with little or no magic but I sure did love her special ability though. I loved that all the books had a mind and a will of their own so to speak. There are some really bad books in the library and if they fall into the wrong hands it could become catastrophic for the whole world.
The Underworld Library is the first book by Laura Bickle that I have had but it won’t be the last as I do plan on checking out more of her books. I can’t wait for the next book in this amazing Hellbrary world!
The Underworld Library is such an amazing book that I would recommend it to all fans of magic, witches, books, and the underworld. One-click your copy of The Underworld Library to begin this epic magical adventure today!
In The Underworld Library this one guy Ral wants to take over everything and be in control of the whole underworld and more even if it means he has to take a few lives along the way. The one main thing he needs to be in control of is the underworld’s library.
Eve the underworld librarian will do whatever it takes to keep the library safe and out of the hands of Ral. Eve is a witch with little or no magic but I sure did love her special ability though. I loved that all the books had a mind and a will of their own so to speak. There are some really bad books in the library and if they fall into the wrong hands it could become catastrophic for the whole world.
The Underworld Library is the first book by Laura Bickle that I have had but it won’t be the last as I do plan on checking out more of her books. I can’t wait for the next book in this amazing Hellbrary world!
The Underworld Library is such an amazing book that I would recommend it to all fans of magic, witches, books, and the underworld. One-click your copy of The Underworld Library to begin this epic magical adventure today!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews