The exciting conclusion of the Hell’s Library trilogy!
When we last left our heroes, they were all settling into their new roles: Brevity as Librarian, Hero as Assistant Librarian, Claire as Arcanist, and Ramiel as Assistant Arcanist.
Hero’s book was destroyed, but he appears to be OK without it, which is news to everyone.
They managed to solve the problem of the renegade ink, and learned that stories are souls, which makes their position in Hell much more dangerous if Hell ever finds out the Library is full of juicy souls.
In the previous book, the friendship between Claire and Brevity was on shaky ground due to the awkwardness of Brevity taking over Claire’s job. Also Probity was deliberately making things worse.
In this book, Claire has mostly gotten over it. The wound has mostly scabbed over and she’s learned from past mistakes. She’s now more willing to listen to those around her instead of assuming she’s always right.
That doesn’t stop her from releasing Andras, the demon that attacked the Library in the first book, despite Rami’s protests.
Hell still hasn’t figured out that books are souls, but it knows the Library is hiding something and it’s determined to find out what.
When the Arcane Wing collapses in on itself, Claire and Rami are forced back into the Library to team up with Brevity and Hero again.
The rule has always been that, although the Library exists in Hell, it is not of Hell, although it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Hell wants to change that.
Claire realizes the Library will never be safe as long as it’s in Hell. It needs its own realm.
That means they have to create a new realm, and for that, they need a god. As if that weren’t difficult enough in normal times, it turns out all the gods vanished a while ago and all the angels and demons are just trying to keep up appearances. For a series that takes place in Hell, that’s an awfully atheistic view to take.
I liked this book, but I think it’s the weakest of the three. I enjoyed the reveal in the second book that stories are souls, but in this one, I think Hackwith waxes a bit too poetic on the whole thing.
I also liked the budding relationship between Hero and Rami in the second book, and I liked seeing it develop here. It’s one of those relationships that at first is surprising because the two people are so different, but then you realize how they complement each other. That was further exemplified in this book and I loved it.
Then they made it weird by turning it into some sort of threesome between the two of them and Claire and that just made no sense.
Part of what makes the first two books work is the concept of found family, but when you make it romantic/sexual you ruin the family element.
Also there had been earlier comments suggesting Claire might be a lesbian and this threesome throws all that out the window.