I was granted complimentary access to The Underworld Library via Bewitching Book Tours with the intent to review. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
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About the Book
The Underworld Library
Hellbrary Book One
by Laura Bickle
Published 31 March 2021
Syrenka Publishing LLC
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Page Count: 304
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Whoever possesses the Great Library of the Underworld rules Hell itself… and threatens the destiny of both the Heavens and Earth.
The Great Library contains the most deadly magic tomes penned since the beginning of time. This magic is both wondrous and terrible, kept under lock and key by witch-librarians serving the king of the Underworld.
Eve is one of those faithful librarians. She doesn’t recall her life prior to the Hellbrary, and unlike her fellow Hellbrarians, she has very little magic to speak of. When a dangerous book is stolen, she must recover it with the help of a Gorgon librarian, a hellhound, and a mysterious shapeshifting royal envoy. This daemon, Azarr, has a serpent tongue and the heart of a man – can he be trusted?
King Caldrius’s court has fallen under siege. Caldrius’s cruel son, Ral, has returned from exile with an army to assassinate his father. But his father’s crown alone does not guarantee Ral the throne. He needs the library, and he will take it by force. His ambitions don’t end with the Hellbrary – he means to take Earth and the Heavens beyond.
Eve knows there’s only one way to defeat Ral: they must use the recovered book to awaken the Queen of the Witches. Caldrius imprisoned Viridia millennia ago when she grew too powerful to control. Then, he offered the witches a choice: serve him or die. They served, until now…but will awakening Viridia summon an evil greater than Ral?
Time is running out, and all the forces the Underworld must unite to wage war for the library and control of all of existence.
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My Review
My Rating: 4 Stars
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Hellbrarian Eve doesn’t remember life before becoming a librarian in The Great Library of the Underworld, but she’s seen the horrors that await anyone who disrespects the library in any way, and she’s determined to keep all of the library’s books intact and where they belong. So when an important and dangerous book is stolen, Eve and a few unlikely allies must retrieve it.
Dark libraries and dark academia are quite popular these days and I haven’t read many of them yet, so I was very intrigued when this review opportunity came through my inbox. The synopsis enticed me and the cover art was so well done! I had to read it. Somehow I wasn’t expecting quite so much gore and body horror and nearly put the book right back down!
But I’m glad I didn’t. This is dark fantasy done right, and the breakneck pacing of the plot will keep you coming back until the very abrupt cliffhanger ending that leaves wishing book 2’s release date would magically become yesterday. (Or perhaps you’re reading this a ways into the future and the full series is ready and waiting for you to continue your binge read!)
If you love dark fantasy and whirlwind adventures, read this book! Read all this author’s books, frankly. Just be warned that is starts out VERY dark and takes a little getting used to.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review my book! I really appreciate it. I’m so glad you enjoyed!