I can’t recall how this book got on my list of books to read. It sounded interesting but never really grabbed me. Must have been on some “best” list or recommended by someone whose opinion I respect. Unfortunately, I didn’t record that when I added it to my list. I finally picked it up when it was selected by my book for our June read for Pride Month. It was way better than I ever expected.
The story is about a family that finds and protects magic books from a mysterious group of people known only as the Library who are buying up all the magic books they can get their hands on. The focus is on the two sisters, one who can hear that the books are magic and can read their spells into being (Joanna) and the other who can’t hear the magic but has a special role to play nonetheless (Esther). The action opens with Esther, who moves every year, in Antarctica as she decides to stay for another year for her girlfriend who she is falling in love with. At the same time Joanna is still at home renewing the wards every year that protect her home and the magic books in the basement vault, having taken over for her father who died when he read a spell from a magic book that drained all his blood. Esther finds some worrying things happening in Antarctica that leave her questioning her decision to stay. Things simply take off from there.
This is the best book I have read so far this year. The storytelling is cinematic and propulsive. There are numerous twists and turns that I never saw coming. I may have been able to but the story had me turning the pages so quickly I didn’t have time to think or analyse too deeply. The family relationships, which are a big part of the story, pull you in while still feeling real enough to happen. This is truly a tale well told that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.
My rating: 5/5
