The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer

Book Description

Librarian Sylvia Ashe knows nothing about her past, having grown up without a father and a mother who refused to discuss him. When she stumbles upon a diary that suggests she’s descended from magicians, she’s skeptical. After all, magicians are special, and she’s just an ordinary woman who loves books. She seeks answers from a member of the most prominent family of magicians, but she quickly learns that finding the truth won’t be easy, especially when he turns out to be as artless as her, and more compelling and dangerous than books.

Review

As an avid reader, novels featuring bookstores and libraries always catch my eye. Add in a hint of art-based magic?

I’m hooked.

In The Librarian of Crooked Lane, Archer transports us to a version of 1920s London where magic exists. Although it exists, magic is rare and everyone prizes magician-created items.

Like many indie-published books, this novel is a genre mashup. Part mystery, part slow-burn romance, this historical fantasy has a lot to offer. It is the first of a 5-book series called The Glass Library, which itself is a spinoff of Archer’s Steel and Glass series.

You can read The Librarian of Crooked Lane as a stand-alone. But, the novel opens a lot of questions that may well pull you into the rest of the series!

This was the first book I’ve read in Archer’s world. While not as sassy as the Victorian-era characters from Carriger’s Prudence, I enjoyed watching Archer’s characters interact. Plus, there is something utterly lovely about sinking into a detailed historical fantasy.

If you enjoy well-written historical fantasy with cozy vibes, give The Librarian of Crooked Lane a read.

Content Warning

Classism, Grief, Misogyny, Panic Attacks, Sexism, Violence, War

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Henry Be on Unsplash