The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library, #1)

by Genevieve Cogman

no strategy ever survived contact with the enemy. Or, in the vernacular, Things Will Go Wrong. Be Prepared.

Then the howling started. It was either hellhounds or teenagers, and she suspected the former.

There was nothing wrong with being curious about how a story turned out, after all. She was a Librarian. It went with the job. And she didn’t want great secrets of necromancy, or any other sort of magic. She just wanted—had always wanted—a good book to read. Being chased by hellhounds and blowing things up were comparatively unimportant parts of the job. Getting the books—now, that was what really mattered to her.

There were three basic reasons why Librarians were sent out to alternates to find specific books: because the book was important to a senior Librarian, because the book would have an effect on the Language, or because the book was specific and unique to that alternate world.

The Library runs on conspiracy theory. Admit nothing, deny everything, then find out what’s going on and publish a paper on the subject. It’s not as if they can stop you doing that.”

chaos used creatures that obeyed illogical laws logically.

Irene tried to decide whether it was more important to maintain her cover as a helplessly feminine secretary or to beat the bag-snatcher over the head with the chair and take him prisoner.

Memories were as important as books and almost as important as proper indexing.

We have to report this.” Kai sighed deeply in relief. “I was afraid you were going to say that we had to investigate it ourselves.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” Irene said briskly. “We may collect fiction, but we are not required to imitate the stupider parts of it.”

It was a leader’s job to project a calm mastery of the situation, while also encouraging subordinates to develop decision-making skills. Assuming that they made the right decisions. A leader’s job was a crock of shit.

This was apparently not one of those alternate worlds where the British Empire mandated a tradition of women and children first. It was a case of survival of the fittest, and alligators take the hindmost.

She was about to die. What she needed was a miracle. What she got was a dragon.