Donald Maass Literary Agency

Booklist: This book pulls apart what a book is, what a book could be, and gets to the soul of what it means to tell a story, all while delivering queer chemistry and intricate worldbuilding.

Publishers Weekly: World Fantasy Award winner Polk (Witchmark) delivers sharp social commentary in this excellent Regency-flavored fantasy. Sorceress Beatrice Clayborn must marry well or her family will plunge into poverty. But marriage means submitting to a collar that blocks women from access to magic, so Beatrice plans to prove herself as a Mage before anyone can propose, hoping her magical skills will enable her to earn money of her own, making marriage unnecessary. When the Lavan siblings, the equally marriage-averse Ysbeta and her handsome brother, Ianthe, steal Beatrice’s spell book, Beatrice summons Nadi, a luck spirit, to help her get the grimoire back. In exchange, Nadi demands the chance to live vicariously through Beatrice, hoping to experience cake, dancing, and kissing. With Nadi’s help, Beatrice befriends the Lavans and is soon leading a double life: practicing secret magic with Ysbeta, while falling in love with Ianthe over a series of heated debates about structural injustice. To survive the social tightrope, Beatrice summons Nadi more and more frequently, and it becomes her most trustworthy friend, even as its presence in her life puts all her plans at risk. Polk expertly balances propulsive pacing, a rich multicultural world, and a vivid and subversive cast of characters. Readers will be swept away by this powerful and passionate fantasy.

Library Journal: Hell’s Library has survived, but not without the loss of hundreds of books from the Unwritten Wing. Now the muse Brevity has stepped up to become Librarian, as Claire takes over the Arcane Wing. As they try to find their footing in their new roles, they discover that the remains of the destroyed books are leaking curious ink. The fractures in their former camaraderie widen as Claire and Brevity choose to approach the mystery in different ways. When a representative from the Muse Corps arrives, one who has a past with Brevity, Claire’s brusque manner and actions intensify. As the angel Rami and devilish Hero head to other realms to find answers, the true power of the ink manifests, revealing secrets that could once again change the power structure in Hell. Hackwith literally brings books to life with her layered prose, emotional scenes, slow burns, and powerful connections among found family members.

VERDICT The sequel to The Library of the Unwritten will not disappoint as the prickly Claire, brash Hero, bubbly Brevity, and composed Rami build their story lines into solidity.