The Invisible Library is a bit of a rare find in the world of genre serials. Reality-hopping adventure stories are hard enough to come by as it is, but they rarely tend to be both accessible and also filled with all sorts of fun literary references. These books deliver all that and more.

Another great entry into Cogman's 'Invisible Library' series. I loved this, much like I loved all of the other books in this series. I love the characters.

This book has ALL THE THINGS as all the books in the series do. Here we have a new fae apprentice, assassination attempts (surprise!), more of Kate and a new dragon character, as well as all the usual chaos and shenanigans with some big reveals at the end. *sighs contentedly*. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I started reading this series earlier this year and so far have been very happy with each book. I love this new take on the fae, and I love Irene's adventure in each book. This book was a solid four stars like the rest of the series.
I like the twist and turns and I can't wait for the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This is available to purchase now.

The Dark Archive is an entertaining romp through the lighter side of fantasy. Being that it’s the seventh book in the Invisible Library series, I strongly suggest you read the previous books before diving in to this one, not least because The Dark Archive isn’t the best of the books. Don’t get me wrong, there’s fun to be had, but it didn’t quite live up to the rest of the series.

Irene is a Librarian, which is a guardian/treasure hunter for “dangerous” or one-of-a-kind books, scattered throughout different realities. She curates these works for the mysterious Library, which I would love to lose myself in. Irene also has the interesting ability to use spoken words to…affect things. For example, she can convince a door to twist in on itself so it can’t be forced open. Pretty useful, I would say. She also has a gift for attracting assassination and kidnapping attempts.

In The Dark Archive, Irene is joined by her usual crew: Kai, a dragon who looks an awful lot like a human; and Vale, a detective à la Sherlock Holmes. She’s also added a couple of new allies to the mix, the most notable being a fae apprentice named Catherine. Catherine is…annoying. When I think fae, my mind immediately jumps to the original lore, and from there to Brain Froud. Catherine was nothing like that. Instead, she spent a good chunk of the book whining about everything.

Irene was still a fun character, with a no-nonsense personality liberally sprinkled with the long-suffering patience that comes from dealing with a ton of nonsense. Vale, as always, was my favorite. He began living out a Master Criminal nemesis storyline, which poked fun at the Moriarties of the detective genre. Kai was mainly used to illustrate the tensions between the dragons and the fae (represented by Catherine). I’m sure this will bother some people, who prefer having Kai in a more central role. Personally, I liked the bit of sidelining just fine.

My issue with The Dark Archive is that it is mainly filler, a bit of padding to connect storylines. Sure, it was fun, but it became a bit repetitive after a while. There can be only so many thwarted attempts at murder before it stops being interesting. Each chapter ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, which always rubs me the wrong way in books. I prefer the story itself to keep me interested, as opposed to the author feeling like they need to add a hook to keep me reading. Another problem I had is that the entire storyline could have been neatly summed up in the beginning of the next book, effectively eliminating the need for this installment at all. However, there are some genuinely delightful moments, and this would be the perfect palette cleanser after a heavy read.

The ending was a corker and sets things up to continue nicely in the next installment. There were some unexpected reveals that I think will pay off in the future. The Invisible Library series won’t go down as having the most incredible writing ever, but it is fun, which is just as important. While The Dark Archive didn’t blow me away, it was still an enjoyable read.

If you're looking to lose yourself in a lengthy fantasy series, you can't go wrong with THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman. Following Librarian spy Irene, the series explores alternate worlds, the war between dragons and faeries, and the mysterious Library holding the universes together.

Cogman is a master of plot and pacing, delivering a consistently enjoyable series that thus far has not disappointed. The latest installment, THE DARK ARCHIVE, picks up shortly after the events of book six, and injects new life into the storyline. It steps somewhat away from overarching fae/dragon politics and returns to the simpler plots of earlier books... all in order to introduce new villains that I can't wait to learn more about in books to come.

While serving as a transition novel, THE DARK ARCHIVE still offers everything fans of the series have come to expect. Missions to steal books, steampunk contraptions, poisonings and adventure, all accompanied by Irene's dry wit, loyalty and resourcefulness. I enjoyed the addition of a new fae character, who in many ways emulates Irene from earlier books, showing how much Irene has matured. We also finally discover more about Irene's parents - a total gasp moment I didn't see coming, which is going to have huge repercussions!

Caveats: There isn't much character diversity (in fact the series intentionally plays into narrative and character archetypes) and the setting is predominantly based on historical London and Western Europe. As a personal preference, I would also love a bit more depth on on the romantic subplot, as it doesn't always feel convincing. But quibbles aside, there's a lot to enjoy here, and I look forward to future installments.

READ THIS IF... you enjoyed the SHADES OF MAGIC series by VE Schwab.

I have been a fan of this series since The Invisible Library. Cogman continues with her worlds building (yes worlds as her fantasy series explores parallel worlds)

We find Librarian Irene caught up in an explosion in Guernsey (a submarine base) and trying to find the evil intelligence behind attacks on the fragile peace treaty between Fae and Dragons. There is a book collecting mission, a poisoning attempt as well as a laptop which may hold vital information.

In tow she has the Fae apprentice, Catherine, who is desperate to become the archetypal Librarian, but which Archetype? Kai has to deal with a brother less than enamoured of the peace treaty. Vale reappears as does Inspector Singh as it is in their world that the action is mainly taking place.

There is a genuine sense of peril as Irene confronts her enemies (but which one/ ones and in what form?) The ending is enigmatic and hints at another "dimension" to come.

Irene is as wry, witty ,sarcastic, intelligent and quick thinking as ever. This is a big part of the appeal of this series. The author knows how to pace a story and how to use the plot to really engross you.

A new Genevieve Cogman is always an eagerly awaited treat for me and this lived up to expectations. A consistently enjoyable series.

I have not read the previous books in this series as to be honest I thought they sounded a bit “twee” and not to my taste, just goes to show wrong I can be and not to judge books on the back cover synopsis, I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I immediately bought the audiobook so as to relive the experience

With thanks to Pan MacMillan and Genevieve Cogman for an advanced copy of this book.

4 1/2 Stars

I'm going to start this by saying I made a really grave mistake, and hadn't noticed this was the 7th in a long standing series when i picked it up.

All though I was slightly lost to begin with, I quick fell in love with the premise and all the characters. Irene might be competing with Madeline Maxwell for my favourite heroine. She's quick thinking, witty, brave and just an overall lovable person.

The plot is engaging and well paced, I actually went out and bought the first 6 when I finished.

Would suit fans of Chronicles of St Mary's and Rivers of London

I have been eagerly consuming this series since it began. I love the world so much, the concept of books connecting and holding everything together is so wonderful. So I was obviously thrilled to receive a review copy.

Irene and her friends are off on another rollicking adventure, this time with a rather naive Fey along. They also pick up an additional dragon. We also *finally* get the reveal of what I figured out the moment I knew Irene was adopted. Frustratingly, she doesn’t figure it out for herself, but is told. To be fair, she has been just a tiny bit busy trying to stay alive, and keep her friends and allies safe!

I really, really enjoyed this story. The plot is excellent, I feel so at home in the world (or universe), the world-building is excellent, I love the characters (Irene and Kai especially). This book in particular felt like the culmination of several things that had been hinted at in many of the previous books in the series, though those things are far from over. I particularly enjoyed that Kai and Irene have reached a point in their relationship where they trust one another far more.

If you’ve enjoyed the other books in this series, then you absolutely must read this one. If you’ve not read any before, I do recommend starting at the beginning, as although this book probably would work on its own, it would rather spoil your enjoyment of the previous books.

Adventure, excitement, much loved characters and worlds, big reveals, and a happy ending (to this book at least). What more could you ask for? I highly recommend this book, and this series. Genevieve Cogman has a lightness of touch that makes even the most stressful of scenes a joy to read.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

I really appreciated diving back into this clever portal fantasy, featuring a magical library with a cool, well trained protagonist who performs well when in danger. Given her magical ability are words of command that can change and affect the world around her, it makes Irene very powerful. But Cogman is also good at finding antagonists that are equally formidable, so that she genuinely has to struggle to prevail.

Much about this story worked really well. Having a new, Fae student who tends to be impetuous and rather rash, means that Irene has her work cut out to keep her safe. Especially as the young woman has the survival instincts of a bunny in the headlights, particularly at the beginning of the book. I enjoyed watching Catherine’s character develop and gain confidence throughout the story. I also liked seeing Kai’s relationship with his elder brother – it’s always diverting to get a bit of sibling rivalry going to upset a usually smooth team dynamic.

And the major plot twist was nicely effective – I was pleased to see the re-emergence of an old enemy who I loved to hate – and though I had an inkling about the reveal, it was gripping to see just how much it undermined Irene and her sense of self belief. This is definitely going to influence her actions in the next book, I think.

What was less successful, was the depiction of the ongoing relationship between Irene and Kai. In the past, I have very much felt the connection between them, but although we were told about it – I didn’t feel that strong emotional vibe this time around. While I’m aware this isn’t principally a romance, if the element is there and apparently they still care deeply for each other, I would have liked to have been more convinced by it. My other concern is that Epilogue… I very sincerely hope that isn’t a major misstep – only time will tell!

Having said that, you’ll see by the score that these issues weren’t major impediments to a thoroughly enjoyable read. Recommended for fans of enjoyable portal fantasy adventures and those featuring magical libraries – though whatever you do, start with The Invisible Library, or you simply won’t get the best from this engrossing series. While I obtained an arc of The Dark Archive from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

Great book, well conceived. Not a style I have read before, would be interested to read the earlier books in the series.

Another absolute belter in the fantastic Invisible Library series. This is the seventh book and it is as enjoyable as the first. The incomparable Librarian Spy Irene Winters along with her dragon and fae companions come up against a blast from the past with dramatic results. With, plentiful amounts of peril, inexhaustible intrigue and wry humour, every chapter excites and delights. I can’t rate this series highly enough, long may it continue. Read them all and relish the ride.

The Dark Archive is the seventh instalment in the magical and utterly beguiling (The) Invisible Library series by critically-acclaimed and mightily talented fantasy writer Ms Cogman, and despite the worry that the series may be beginning to flag by this point, I needn't have been concerned as this is the perfect escapist treat and antidote to these troubling times; it is every bit as enchanting as the previous books, if not more so. A professional spy for a mysterious Library which harvests fiction from different realities, Irene faces a series of assassination attempts that threaten to destroy her and everything she has worked for. Irene is teaching her new assistant the fundamentals of a Librarian's job, and finding that training a young Fae is more difficult than she expected.

But when they're the targets of kidnapping and assassination attempts, she decides that learning by doing is the only option they have left. In order to protect themselves, Irene and her friends must do what they do best: search for information to defeat the overwhelming threat they face and identify their unseen enemy. To do that, Irene will have to delve deeper into her own history than she ever has before, face an ancient foe, and uncover secrets that will change her life and the course of the Library forever. I cannot recommend this highly enough to fantasy fans, those in need of a richly-imagined world to run off to and/or those who enjoy books about libraries—the palaces of wonder and the gateways to our imagination and portal to alternate worlds; I couldn't think of a book I would've rather read.