(Spoiler-Free) Book Review: Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

Rating: 4/5 stars

Published: September 22nd, 2015 by Quirk Books

DescriptionAs the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

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Other books in the series: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Book 1), Hollow City (Book 2)



Before I read Library of Souls, I had pretty high hopes based on the previous books in the series; they were so eerie and mysterious that they seemed like a strange and wonderful dream. As if this trilogy couldn't get any more peculiar, Library of Souls features more evil villains, mysterious creatures and wild adventures than ever.

When I think of my experience reading Library of Souls, the first thing that comes to mind is the detail behind the story. The lore behind the peculiar world was fascinating; without giving too much away, we get a thorough description of the origin story behind peculiardom which adds even more depth to the plot. I also adored the characters and was satisfied with the way they completed their arcs. There are quite a few peculiar children in Jacob's group, but they all have their own little quirks that make them unique and endearing.

One problem I had with this book (and the series in general) was Jacob and Emma's relationship. They're both great characters, but the "romance" between them seemed like an afterthought compared to the rest of the story. I think their dynamic would have been a bit less clunky if they were just friends.

I also found the pacing to be a little slow towards the middle of the book. I'm used to reading books with relatively short chapters, and this 458 page book was split up into just 11 of them. Because I have a pretty short attention span, I would struggle to finish a whole chapter in one sitting. As a result, I would forget what was happening the next time I picked up the book because I usually would have to stop reading in the middle of something important. However, the plot in the second half picked up drastically that I got to the point where I couldn't put it down!

Despite my complaints, Library of Souls and the Peculiar Children series is written wonderfully with a unique plot and lovable characters. If you enjoy fantasy and haven't read it yet, I think it's definitely worth the read!


Have you read Library of Souls? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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