Book Review: Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine — A Gripping Dystopian Tale of Knowledge, Power, and Rebellion
What if the Great Library of Alexandria had never burned? In Ink and Bone, the first installment in Rachel Caine’s The Great Library series, this alternative reality becomes a thrilling, high-stakes world where books are sacred, forbidden, and dangerous. Caine reimagines history in a riveting young adult fantasy that examines the value of free thought—and the cost of suppressing it.
Set in a near-future 2025, knowledge is strictly controlled by the omnipotent Great Library, which has morphed into a totalitarian regime. It dictates what the world can read and think, using alchemy and advanced technology to transmit approved texts instantly to devices called codices. But there’s one uncompromising rule: owning a physical book is a crime. And in a world where reading the wrong text can get you killed, that rule is taken very seriously.
The story follows Jess Brightwell, a teenager from London whose family runs an illegal book-smuggling operation. Despite growing up surrounded by rare and priceless volumes, Jess’s passion for books runs deeper than profit—he cherishes them for their beauty, their truth, and their power. When his father forces him to infiltrate the Library as a spy, Jess embarks on a path that will challenge everything he thought he knew—about his family, the Library, and himself.
Jess travels to Alexandria with a group of hopeful recruits, all vying for just a handful of coveted positions within the Library. The training is ruthless, intellectually brutal, and occasionally deadly—think Hunger Games meets Harry Potter but with books as weapons and knowledge as the ultimate power. Caine keeps readers on edge with relentless tension and plot twists that refuse to let you predict what’s coming next.
What makes Ink and Bone truly captivating is its cast of richly developed characters. From the enigmatic Scholar Wolfe to Jess’s fierce fellow trainees, every figure is complex and memorable. Jess’s internal conflict—as both a lover of books and a reluctant traitor—is deeply compelling and adds emotional depth to the fast-paced action.
Rachel Caine does a remarkable job crafting a believable dystopia, blending magical realism with sharp political commentary. Her writing is immersive, her world-building meticulous. As the stakes rise, Jess must decide whether he will protect the institution he’s sworn to serve or defy it in the name of truth and freedom.
Ink and Bone is an exhilarating, thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of dystopian fiction, historical fantasy, and anyone who believes in the transformative power of books. It’s intense, imaginative, and impossible to put down. This is not just a story about forbidden books—it’s a tribute to why stories matter.
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopian
Reviewed by: Kelli
Final Verdict: ★★★★★
An outstanding start to a groundbreaking series. The Library is watching—but you won’t be able to look away.
