The Masked City (The Invisible Library, #2)

by Genevieve Cogman

The purpose of the Library is to preserve humanity from either absolute reality or absolute unreality.

He had to get back and out. There was no shame to it. Part of a warrior’s training was acknowledging superior force and reacting appropriately.

It was a pity about the poison in her wine glass, Irene reflected. The underground room was hot, and a glass of chilled wine would have been refreshing.

Irene mentally cringed at the dialogue, lifted straight from Plots Involving Heroines Too Stupid to Live, Unless Saved by the Hero.

If you were to actually ask them, nine out of ten would prefer a storybook existence to a mechanistic universe where happy endings never happen.’

People want stories. You should know that, more than anybody. They want their lives to have meaning. They want to be part of something greater than themselves.

‘Most people don’t want a brave new world. They want the story that they know.’