R. F. Long

I know Jessica Thorne/Ruth Long personally but I honestly enjoyed this read.

The story happens in both the present and in 1939 with a bit of time travel and some ancient beings who fight over power.

There's a mystery over the disappearance in 1939 of Lady Eleanor Fairfax. Megan Taylor in the present is working on the garden of Foxfield hall, trying to bring some of it's old glory back. Finding information about the missing Lady Eleanor also leads to more missing girls and a mystery that goes back a very long way.

I liked it.… (meer)

Even if I didn't know the author this story about a bookbinder who worked with rare books in a magical (literally) library would have been an obvious choice for me. I would love to work there but possibly would get lost in a research rabbit hole quite quickly.

Sophie's mother disappeared years ago, her bookbinder father took her away from the library she was in and now she's in a relationship that is smothering her and her father is dead. She gets an offer from the library to go back and work there, she jumps at the chance but being there reminds her of a lot of the past and what has happened. There's also layers of politics and then there's also magic. I would love to read more set in this world.… (meer)

A wonderful read, steeped in mystery and magic.
This fantasy adventure involving a secret and magical library had me completely glued to the audiobook. The narration is excellent. The characters all have secrecy and mystery surrounding them and it's only as the story unfolds that we learn of the significance of those characters who belong to the library.
Sophie was interesting. A sad and tragic character, she just needed something to pull her out of her shell and let her inner strength show. Will, her childhood love, is dark, mysterious and protective.
I liked that magic is alluded to rather than in your face. People aren't casting spells like they belong in Hogwarts. The magic is more whimsical and subtle. Nothing really magical occurs in the first 30% of the book but we know that something happened to her mother and it wasn't something ordinary. I liked discovering the secrets of the library along with Sophie as she slowly pieced together her past, her abilities and her future.… (meer)

There is an ancient library deep in the English countryside; a new conservator who has family connections with the library; mysterious, magical murmurings coming from the books; etc...

It would make a great film. Jessica Thorne's descriptions of the library building conjure up images of vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, grandiose staircases, and mysteries beyond the natural.
Jessica Thorne knows how to write a villain; a totally loathsome character. Someone who stops at nothing to get his own way.

Would I read anything else by Jessica Thorne?
Yes, I most definitely would.

Would I recommend this book?
Yes.

To whom would I recommend it?
Anyone with a love of books, libraries, and the craft of making and minding books. They might also like good character formation, the confusion of personal relationships, mystery, and a touch of magic.

Oh yes! I forgot to say; the book has fascinating information about book binding, book care, and such things. The author works in an antiquarian library and obviously knows these things first hand.… (meer)