The Lost Plot: An Invisible Library Novel by Genevieve Cogman

The only reason it took me until this weekend to finish reading this book, was that at one point I got mad at Irene and had to put the book down and walk away.  Once I calmed down and started reading again I wished I had just pushed through because the adventure has a great story line and plot twists.

Irene is gathering a reputation as not only a great librarian but a fixer of library, dragon, and fae diplomatic problems.  Irene’s determination to protect the library at all costs and her intellect there is nothing this woman cannot do.  Irene’s assignment take her to prohibition era New York City and puts her in the cross hairs of dragons, fae, gangsters, police officers, and direwolves.  I love how Genevieve Cogman shows that a woman can use her brain to figure out what is really going just as easily as she can use her fist to get out of a tough situation.  Sadly, Kai and Irene are separated for a good chunk of this adventure, and while they miss each other and realize they work well as a team they can work independently too.  Multiple sub-plots are at work, and some characters might make appearances in future books based on how Irene and Kai left NYC.  After reading this book, by biggest heartbreak is that I have to wait for another adventure.
Character List/Book Summary:

Irene Winters = Librarian, travels to different alternates to recover books, finds out about something that could destroy the library and is tasked with fixing it, goes to A-658 with Kai to find a missing Librarian and stop political turmoil in a dragon court

Kai = Dragon, royalty, youngest son, gives Irene a haircut when they are hiding out, continues to offer to share a bed with Irene, is a key element in Irene’s plan to stop the battle between two other dragons, has to work with another Librarian and compares him to Irene when doing so

Minister Zhao = a dead dragon, had been an extremely senior member of the Queen of the Southern Lands’ court, was assassinated, and there is a competition between two dragons to replace him

Alberich = enemy to the Library, Irene and Kai hope they have killed him, but are not 100% sure and did not encounter him on this adventure, to their knowledge

Melusine = Library Security, in a wheelchair, has a history on Irene, sends her on a mission to recover a missing Librarian and keep the Library out of dragon politics, says she will not help Irene if things go wrong

Lady Walker = a Vampire in the alternate that Irene is Librarian-in-Residence for, agrees to swap a book with Irene, and thinks Irene is a spy for the fae

Peregrine Vale = friend to Irene and Kai, does not travel with them to the other alternate, does offer Kai use of his extra bedroom if it is needed

Jin Zhi = dragon, surprises Irene at her hotel in London, serves the Queen of the Southern Lands, wants a version of “Journey to the West” is part of the Black Mountain family, one of the dragons competing for Minister Zhao’s position.  Arrives in NYC after failing to locate the book in China

Ao Shun = Kai’s uncle, dragon

Li Ming = Ao Shun’s personal assistant, dragon

Ya Yu = dragon, Queen of the Southern Lands, reputation for fairness, going to fill her open spot in 5 days instead of years (as is usual), is intrigued by Irene’s line of questioning when all parties involved in the fight are taken to her court, saves Irene’s life with the use of science and does not hold anything against Irene, Evariste, or the Library

Ao Ji = Kai’s uncle, Dragon King of the Western Ocean

Qing Song = dragon, has pet direwolves, one of the dragons competing for Minister Zhao’s position, is in NYC trying to locate the book, has an alliance with a local gangster, has crossed the line of the competition and what is acceptable dragon behavior (according to Kai), part of the Winter Forest family

Julian = Librarian, died a few weeks ago from a heart condition, wrote a note stating that he approved of the Winter Forest Dragons, but didn’t give a specific name, Librarian in Residence to alternate G-14, recruited Evariste to the Library, kept a big secret from Evariste

Evariste = Librarian, suspected of working with the dragons, putting the Library in jeopardy of not being seen as neutral, on compassionate leave to put Julian’s estate in order, Irene and Kai swear to help him escape Qing Song so long as it does not put the Library in jeopardy, has leverage that Qing Song held over him to try and help him win the competition

Jeanette Smith = one of England’s most notorious mobsters, looks like Irene, Irene uses this as her alias in NYC, gets kidnapped because of this alias

Captain Venner = waiting for Jeanette Smith at Grand Central Station, arrests Irene and Kai, Irene uses the language on him to let them go

Miranda Sofia = Evariste’s daughter, Julian kept her a secret, Qing Song kidnapped her and is using her as a threat to get Evariste to do his bidding

Lucky George = owns a speakeasy, real name is Giorgio Rossi, mob contractor, Qing Song has a deal with him, he kidnaps Irene as Jeanette and makes a deal with her, agrees to help Irene with Qing Song and Jin Zhi start fighting

Professor Jamison = current curator of Colonel Matthew Permberon’s collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, drinks alcohol for lunch,

Lily = Fae, works for Lucky George as an assassin and follows his orders on who to shoot, agrees to not get in Irene’s way as long as George does not give the order to have Irene killed

Lina Johnson = legal secretary, meets Irene as Clarice Backson during a protest march and Irene uses her as cover to hide from Qing Song and George, but without much luck

Maria = came to collect a book from Professor Jamison, tells Kai where to find the collection he and Evariste are looking for

Ao Guang = Kai’s father, King of the Eastern Ocean

Mei Feng = right hand to the Queen of the Sourthern Lands