Audio Review: Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine

Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine
Narrator: Julian Elfer
Series: The Great Library #5
Published by Penguin on 2019-09-03
Length: 10hr and 28min
Reviewing Audiobook from Audible
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2020, 2020 Audiobook Challenge, 2020 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge

With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it's worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library...or see everything it stood for crumble.

Oh my heart! I can’t with this book 😭😭😭 Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine is the final book in her The Great Library. Y’all I’ve loved this series from the start and I have to say the finale lived up to all of my expectations. I might have aged 10 years while reading it though. SO stressful! If you are a fan of the series, I highly recommend it. If you are coming across this review and haven’t heard of the series, be forewarned there are minor spoilers for the previous books (though I’ll do my best to avoid them). Picking up right where Smoke and Iron left off, Sword and Pen is a breathtaking final stand for the scholars against the injustices of the prior regime. 

The group dynamic has changed from the start of the series, and the progression for each of the scholars is believable with what each of them has gone through. Jess, who normally takes the lead, is grieving and lost at the start of the book. He’s drifting and his friends are taking turns caring for him. Khalila and Thomas are working with the new archivist. Dario is using his connections in Spain to stop an impending war. Glain is taking over a squadron of soldiers, and Wolfe and Santi while not as prominent in this book still stand out. 

The main goal of this book is for the scholars to find the Archivist and stop him from trying to regain control of the Library. This doesn’t sound like a lot, however it is nonstop action from page one. There is little downtime in this plot. And the suspense….y’all I didn’t know if any of my favorites would make it to the end. I could not stop listening! Julian Elfer brings the characters to life, giving a unique voice to each so I had no trouble telling them apart. While I didn’t want it to end (and that ending shattered my heart), I’m happy with it. Rachel Caine ties all the loose ends together nicely, leaving no questions as to what will be happening in their world after the end. 

Overall Sword and Pen is a phenomenal ending to a fantastic series. I’m sad and happy all at the same time. All of the characters come full-circle in their development, the plot comes to a conclusion, and the final words “The End” were perfect. If you’ve enjoyed this series, you will love the book. If you haven’t started it yet, I highly recommend it for anyone that enjoys steampunk and dystopia. 

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