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Library of the Unbound
Beatrix is great at three things: taming living books, keeping her head down, and trusting no one.
When a member of the wealthy Knight of the Faith family offers her a job that’s clearly too good to be true, she accepts against her better judgement. The arrangement seems simple enough: discreetly tame a library full of books the Church might kill for and tutor the family’s awkward yet fascinating heir, Steffen, in the art of booktaming.
What could possibly go wrong?
She soon realises she’s been a pawn in a game she didn’t even know she was playing. As the winter solstice approaches, her employer grows secretive about their true intentions for the tamed books while other booktamers start asking questions she’d rather avoid. But getting close to the one person she was never meant to could be her most reckless move yet.
She’s always survived by walking away. This time it might cost more than she’s willing to lose—because the forbidden knowledge she’s unleashed into Londinium may have already doomed them all.
Library of the Unbound is the first book in The Booktamer Chronicles, a YA-NA urban fantasy perfect for fans of slow-burn romance subplot, immersive worldbuilding, and Ancient Egyptian-inspired magic
When a member of the wealthy Knight of the Faith family offers her a job that’s clearly too good to be true, she accepts against her better judgement. The arrangement seems simple enough: discreetly tame a library full of books the Church might kill for and tutor the family’s awkward yet fascinating heir, Steffen, in the art of booktaming.
What could possibly go wrong?
She soon realises she’s been a pawn in a game she didn’t even know she was playing. As the winter solstice approaches, her employer grows secretive about their true intentions for the tamed books while other booktamers start asking questions she’d rather avoid. But getting close to the one person she was never meant to could be her most reckless move yet.
She’s always survived by walking away. This time it might cost more than she’s willing to lose—because the forbidden knowledge she’s unleashed into Londinium may have already doomed them all.
Library of the Unbound is the first book in The Booktamer Chronicles, a YA-NA urban fantasy perfect for fans of slow-burn romance subplot, immersive worldbuilding, and Ancient Egyptian-inspired magic
- GenresFantasy
376 pages, ebook
Published April 24, 2025
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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March 6, 2026Received an ARC copy and this one looks so interesting! I love a good urban fantasy, and a slow-burn romance? Yes please! And the Egyptian mythology and magic has me even more excited. As someone who’s Middle Eastern, I’m always especially excited to read stories inspired by our region.
May 26, 2025
If you’re a fan of magic-infused worlds, mythology, and a touch of history woven into the plot, Library of the Unbound is a treat. The author has built an enchanting universe where books are alive and can be tamed with magic - a concept I found interesting. The way Egyptian mythology, in this case the story of Isis and Osiris, is blended into the narrative is quite a standout. It’s also refreshing to see these deities portrayed as truly otherworldly beings, not just gods in disguise walking among humans, but as timeless entities existing beyond our reality. It gives the story a sense of authenticity that’s quite rare in many fantasy novels that are centered on mythology and various deities.
I especially enjoyed the parallels drawn between the Knights of the Fate and the Crusades. I think this added an intriguing layer of historical resonance, making the world feel even more immersive and even somewhat familiar.
The story itself earns a solid 4/5 from me. It’s a classic mix of family drama (hello, evil uncle), self-discovery, new friendships, a dash of romance, and a climax where chaos reigns – a chaos that Beatrix, the main character, helped to create. The pacing of the story felt natural in general, however, the “chaos” event felt a bit rushed, and I would have liked to know what happened to some of the characters involved in that moment. I also have to admit that I’m not a fan of slow burn romances, so that aspect fell flat for me. Still, the romantic tension was well-written, even if it wasn’t quite my thing.
Character-wise, the book is a bit of a mixed bag. Beatrix is a fierce, sassy protagonist, but her tendency to immediately wonder “Am I in love with this guy?” after a few interactions felt a bit immature. Steffen frustrated me with his obliviousness about his family’s toxicity – so many red flags. I think he should have died. I really liked William even though there wasn’t much of him in the book, and he remains a mystery, and I hope the author unravels him in the next book. Mrs. Cam-Taylor is a brilliantly odd character who adds a nice touch of eccentricity to the whole character list.
Overall, Library of the Unbound is a great pick for young adult readers who are interested in mythology, history, and who enjoy slow burn romances. Despite a few character flaws, the worldbuilding is top-notch, and the story kept me hooked. I will surely be picking up the sequel.
I especially enjoyed the parallels drawn between the Knights of the Fate and the Crusades. I think this added an intriguing layer of historical resonance, making the world feel even more immersive and even somewhat familiar.
The story itself earns a solid 4/5 from me. It’s a classic mix of family drama (hello, evil uncle), self-discovery, new friendships, a dash of romance, and a climax where chaos reigns – a chaos that Beatrix, the main character, helped to create. The pacing of the story felt natural in general, however, the “chaos” event felt a bit rushed, and I would have liked to know what happened to some of the characters involved in that moment. I also have to admit that I’m not a fan of slow burn romances, so that aspect fell flat for me. Still, the romantic tension was well-written, even if it wasn’t quite my thing.
Character-wise, the book is a bit of a mixed bag. Beatrix is a fierce, sassy protagonist, but her tendency to immediately wonder “Am I in love with this guy?” after a few interactions felt a bit immature. Steffen frustrated me with his obliviousness about his family’s toxicity – so many red flags. I think he should have died. I really liked William even though there wasn’t much of him in the book, and he remains a mystery, and I hope the author unravels him in the next book. Mrs. Cam-Taylor is a brilliantly odd character who adds a nice touch of eccentricity to the whole character list.
Overall, Library of the Unbound is a great pick for young adult readers who are interested in mythology, history, and who enjoy slow burn romances. Despite a few character flaws, the worldbuilding is top-notch, and the story kept me hooked. I will surely be picking up the sequel.
March 15, 2026
I somehow missed the "YA" part in the blurb, so I got more teen angst and love triangle than I was looking for (I wasn't looking for any). My fault, not the author's.
Leaving that aside, this is an enjoyable adventure with an appealing main character. She has poor judgement, but at least she knows that, and tries not to make it worse by drinking alcohol. Though tempted to nope out from the whole mess she's got involved in, she reluctantly - but bravely and effectively - does the right thing.
She's a booktamer, who takes magical books that have gained sentience and turns them back into ordinary books again - meaning that people can use the magical rituals in them, which turns out to be a problem.
The worldbuilding is mixed. It's an alternate history, in which there was a religious revolution 600 years ago that suppressed magic and installed a theocratic government. For some reason, the names of places are mostly either their Roman names (Londinium, Lutetia, Hispania, Brittania) or medieval (the kingdom of the Franks, Saracenia). There's a continuing war - a crusade, basically - against Saracenia, in which the Church Knights, who are the elite, are fighting, but that doesn't come into the main story. There's also either a geographical difference or the author has made a mistake, because Lutetia (Paris) is apparently on the coast.
On the other side of the worldbuilding coin, technology is basically what anyone born in the past 30 years would be used to as the norm: cellphones, laptops, tablets (though those last are supposed to be reserved to the elite).
The main character has trust issues, which are fully justified throughout the book, but there are well-intentioned people too. The plot has a few twists in it, and plenty of suspense.
I gather the author is not a native English speaker. This mostly shows in sentences that start out in the past tense and finish in the present tense, or nouns and verbs occasionally not agreeing in number, or idioms that are very slightly off, though there are also a few instances of dialog punctuation not following the conventions. Honestly, I've seen much worse from authors who are native English speakers, but (despite crediting plural editors and beta readers) it does need another round of editing to be really tidy. Since I had a pre-publication version via Netgalley for review, it may get one after the version that I saw.
It's an appealing book, and I enjoyed it even though I'm not much of a YA tropes fan.
Leaving that aside, this is an enjoyable adventure with an appealing main character. She has poor judgement, but at least she knows that, and tries not to make it worse by drinking alcohol. Though tempted to nope out from the whole mess she's got involved in, she reluctantly - but bravely and effectively - does the right thing.
She's a booktamer, who takes magical books that have gained sentience and turns them back into ordinary books again - meaning that people can use the magical rituals in them, which turns out to be a problem.
The worldbuilding is mixed. It's an alternate history, in which there was a religious revolution 600 years ago that suppressed magic and installed a theocratic government. For some reason, the names of places are mostly either their Roman names (Londinium, Lutetia, Hispania, Brittania) or medieval (the kingdom of the Franks, Saracenia). There's a continuing war - a crusade, basically - against Saracenia, in which the Church Knights, who are the elite, are fighting, but that doesn't come into the main story. There's also either a geographical difference or the author has made a mistake, because Lutetia (Paris) is apparently on the coast.
On the other side of the worldbuilding coin, technology is basically what anyone born in the past 30 years would be used to as the norm: cellphones, laptops, tablets (though those last are supposed to be reserved to the elite).
The main character has trust issues, which are fully justified throughout the book, but there are well-intentioned people too. The plot has a few twists in it, and plenty of suspense.
I gather the author is not a native English speaker. This mostly shows in sentences that start out in the past tense and finish in the present tense, or nouns and verbs occasionally not agreeing in number, or idioms that are very slightly off, though there are also a few instances of dialog punctuation not following the conventions. Honestly, I've seen much worse from authors who are native English speakers, but (despite crediting plural editors and beta readers) it does need another round of editing to be really tidy. Since I had a pre-publication version via Netgalley for review, it may get one after the version that I saw.
It's an appealing book, and I enjoyed it even though I'm not much of a YA tropes fan.
March 11, 2026
I absolutely loved this book. I had no expectations and therefore was most pleasantly surprised.
I would say that the pacing is steady until the last third of the book when the action really kicks in.
I loved the world building and found myself wondering whether this world was ours but on a different timeline or something else entirely. I loved the characters. I think Steffen may have been my favorite. I found him very endearing. I found Beatrix very relatable. I also feel very sad for her that her experiences with men made her so jaded. Unfortunately, my own experiences have been similar which is why I found her so relatable. I wish more for her in her future.
I found the villains to be deliciously despicable. I consider myself fairly intuitive but I was surprised by the twists in the plot and with the characters. It has left me wondering about the different characters even after finishing the book.
One of my favorite parts is how clean the writing is. These days, even with editing, I am often disappointed by the lack of clarity in writing. I also enjoyed that there was no “spiciness” in the story. It was refreshing. The writing reminds me of Rebecca Ross and her story Divine Rivals. The writing in this story is lovely and lyrical.
I am anxiously anticipating the further exploits of Miss Bee in The Booktamer Chronicles. I absolutely recommend this book for anyone who is fond of solid storytelling.
I would say that the pacing is steady until the last third of the book when the action really kicks in.
I loved the world building and found myself wondering whether this world was ours but on a different timeline or something else entirely. I loved the characters. I think Steffen may have been my favorite. I found him very endearing. I found Beatrix very relatable. I also feel very sad for her that her experiences with men made her so jaded. Unfortunately, my own experiences have been similar which is why I found her so relatable. I wish more for her in her future.
I found the villains to be deliciously despicable. I consider myself fairly intuitive but I was surprised by the twists in the plot and with the characters. It has left me wondering about the different characters even after finishing the book.
One of my favorite parts is how clean the writing is. These days, even with editing, I am often disappointed by the lack of clarity in writing. I also enjoyed that there was no “spiciness” in the story. It was refreshing. The writing reminds me of Rebecca Ross and her story Divine Rivals. The writing in this story is lovely and lyrical.
I am anxiously anticipating the further exploits of Miss Bee in The Booktamer Chronicles. I absolutely recommend this book for anyone who is fond of solid storytelling.
March 15, 2026
It was nice to read a book about a magic-book tamer that takes place alongside taxis and cellphones. While I appreciate a heavy fantasy, medieval-type setting, the modern urban setting made this feel different from other magic book novels I have read. The integration of Egyptian mythology was an interesting angle and made the magic system feel like it had some substance and that the author put thought into the melding of modern world with magic. The romance aspect of the book felt a little too fast for me and could get a little annoying at times since it is a major part of the story, however, there is no spice (refreshing) and since the romance part is a major piece of the plot and FMC's personality, it doesn't feel inappropriate.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I was a fast read with an interesting premise. Not super excited about it being the first in another 4-part series, but otherwise worth the read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I was a fast read with an interesting premise. Not super excited about it being the first in another 4-part series, but otherwise worth the read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 7, 2026
The concept of living books hooked me immediately. The setting and rich history that mirrored real life but maintained a fantastical quality struck a perfect balance.
For the most part, I loved the story (I’ve always enjoyed mythology bc and interweaving ancient stories with unique plot lines). It was modern and familiar with just enough other-ness to be intriguing. I don’t reach for urban fantasy typically but this was quite enjoyable.
Some of the FMC Beatrix’s personality felt heavy-handed in how it was expressed rather than developing naturally like some of the other characters. I’m also still a little unsure of how a certain group of side characters became involved in the way they did, but I generally appreciated how the disparate groups fit into the plot.
An original and fascinating story, hard to put down, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.
For the most part, I loved the story (I’ve always enjoyed mythology bc and interweaving ancient stories with unique plot lines). It was modern and familiar with just enough other-ness to be intriguing. I don’t reach for urban fantasy typically but this was quite enjoyable.
Some of the FMC Beatrix’s personality felt heavy-handed in how it was expressed rather than developing naturally like some of the other characters. I’m also still a little unsure of how a certain group of side characters became involved in the way they did, but I generally appreciated how the disparate groups fit into the plot.
An original and fascinating story, hard to put down, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.
March 11, 2026
I thought this book was great! I loved how it blended Knights of the Crusade with Egyptian mythology. The concept of sentient books was not something that I’ve read before so I really enjoyed it. The character development was interesting. I thought I knew where it was going, but a twist caught me off guard which is refreshing.
I’m really looking forward to the next book. I would definitely recommend this.
I’m really looking forward to the next book. I would definitely recommend this.
May 24, 2025
Library of the Unbound is a clever, imaginative fantasy where books are alive—and sometimes dangerous. The story follows a young “booktamer” unraveling secrets hidden in a mysterious, magical library. With creative world-building and capturing storytelling, it’s a must-read for slow burn romance lovers or dark magic fans. Can't wait for the next book in the Booktamer Chronicles!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews