Title: Smoke and IronAuthor: Rachel Caine
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: July 3, 2018
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.
This series has been one explosive ride. We begin the fourth installment not long after the end of Ash and Quill. Jess and his twin brother Brendan have switched places and are looking to fool not only the Library, but their family and friends as well. And their lives hinge on their doing so. The Archivist is suspicious, and everyone Jess knows and loves could die if he makes a single misstep.
This series has never had a dull moment. From the very beginning with Jess running from the Library Lions, working for his father as a smuggler, through to the end of Smoke and Iron, we see constant action and peril for our cast and crew. One of the things that I love about this series (I've said it before, and I'll say it again) is just how diversified the characters are. They come from all over the world. They're different shapes and sizes, have different religions, are of differing sexualities. And as more characters are introduced throughout the series, there's even more diversity added.
I always have a lot to say about this series. It's one of my favorites since the very beginning, and that hasn't changed. One thing that was a bit different about Smoke and Iron was the addition of multiple POVs. Because we start out with the characters all separated, we now not only have Jess's POV, but Wolfe, Morgan, and Khalila as well. I'm almost a little disappointed we didn't get a Dario perspective, but maybe next time.
Contrasting the other books in the series, this one takes place over a relatively short amount of time. My guess is it's a couple weeks at most, as opposed to Ink and Bone, which was over months.
Saying much more about the book would be difficult without spoilers, so I'll leave with this. The ending was emotional and surprising. This book has some of the biggest twists in the series, and it will leave you wanting more.
Overall
I cannot help but love this series, and I definitely loved Smoke and Iron. I am now anxiously awaiting the series conclusion.
5 stars
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