Review: Smoke And Iron

Ｔｉｔｌｅ：Smoke and Iron

Ａｕｔｈｏｒ：Rachel Caine

Ｓｅｒｉｅｓ：Book 4

Ｒａｔｉｎｇ：★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

＊Ｎｏｔｅ：I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Reviews for Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3.

The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouse with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making…if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.

✩ Jess was a big risk-taker in this one. He was calculating and cautious.

✩ Morgan was still rebellious at heart, but she was more careful and showed more restraint in this book.  

✩ Khalila was very perceptive and understanding. In this book especially, she was persuasive and passionate.

❝ The Library had started as a preserver of knowledge, a beacon of light, but through the centuries and millennia, it had become a center of power. Power rotted from within. ❞

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year! Honestly, I wasn’t disappointed with this book. Smoke and Iron picks up where we left off in the last book in the series, with our cast of characters all in trouble of some sorts thanks to a dangerous play by Jess Brightwell. In an attempt to wipe the field clean and outwit their enemy, Jess poses as his twin and delivers his friends into the enemy’s hands. It’s risky but if they all do their parts, it could turn things in their favor.

Most of the book the characters are on their own and the book is divided into parts with each being from one of four characters’ points of view (e.g. Jess, Khalila, Wolfe, and Morgan). I think because Jess’ plans required each of them to be doing their own thing the format for the book worked really well. It made a distinct division between one group/person and their location and another. Jess was on his own back in Alexandria, Morgan was at the Iron Tower, Wolfe was locked in the underground prisons again, and Khalila was with the rest of the characters trying to build allies on the outside. Having the book divided up the way it was also kept the book from feeling overwhelming with the amount of action that was going on with the different characters. It all worked out very well and it was fun getting to see the ways each of these characters moved toward their goals.

My favorite point of view/character had to be Khalila. She’s been one of my favorites from the very beginning. I liked her at first, but it seems like with every book I just fell more and more in love with her characters. I love that her strength isn’t force or magic, but that it’s wit. She’s one of the smartest in the group and she’s very diplomatic. Her words are her weapons. Khalila is loyal and honest with her friends. She’s calculating and cunning–skills that have gotten her out of tough situations again and again. She’s passionate and has her standards and beliefs that cannot be compromised. I love that about her and it makes me so happy to see her take on more of a leadership role in this book.

Jess’s point of view was also fun because in a way he reminds me of Kaz from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo in that he makes big plans and takes big risks to reach his goals. He thinks ahead but he’s also quick to think on his feet. I liked the way he could predict what others would do and the steps he took to make his lie believable. Jess really is the mastermind of the group and the main leader figurehead (the other being Khalila).

❝ The Library seemed permanent. But the steady, quiet editing of its own history showed its vulnerability. ❞

And besides my favorite characters being awesome, I also really enjoyed the story/plot progression in Smoke and Iron. I felt really invested in the characters and their obstacles. Each book in the series feels like it’s escalating and raising the stakes. This book was no different. Each of the characters had something to lose (their lives, freedom, loved ones, sanity, etc) which added more tension to the story with the already looming threat of the Great Library/Artifex coming after them.

One thing to look out for, however, is that the author doesn’t spend very much time summarizing what happened in the last book(s). This can be a pro and con. I think we all can agree it gets annoying when a book takes the whole first chapter to tell us every single little thing that happened in the last book. It’s tedious and often times interrupts the flow of the story, but not having any summary at all can also be a bit of a setback when it’s been a while between books. I fell into the latter category. I pieced some of it together and it kind of came back, and then I skimmed the last chapter or two of Ash and Quill to really refresh my mind. Again, it wasn’t too terrible, just a minor setback for me.

And finally, I just want to mention that this book is great for people who enjoy diversity in their books. The characters in this series come from all walks of life, different races/ethnicities, sexualities, religions/beliefs–this is a big plus for this book and something I can always appreciate.

Overall, this is a fantastic continuation to the series. As always, Caine has left me holding onto the edge of my seat the whole way through and the ending left me eager to see what’s in store next for the characters of The Great Library series ❤

Smoke and Iron was released on July 3rd, go check it out! It’s a must-read for book lovers!