The Untold Story is the eighth and concluding book in the Invisible Library Series. Frankly, this is one of the best fantasy series out there. It has elaborate worldbuilding and fabulous characters that the reader falls in love with. There is adrenaline-rushing action and a plucky heroine who is determined, gritty and smart. Also, to its credit, the quality of the plots and the writing has been consistent across all eight books, which is truly a rarity.

Although there had been a few hints in previous novels of some of the reveals and plot twists used to wrap up the series, the foreshadowing was pretty light; most of it was crammed into this book and that at times did feel a little sudden and wrapping one’s head around the motivations of The Library could have benefited from a few more words on the page. However, as a concluding book, this was a fairly satisfying read, and the characters were all left in a reasonable place. Irene–you rock!

This entire series can be unequivocall recommended to lovers of fantasy and action. Even young adult readers will want to reach up and discover these books.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 1 religious exclamation; 5 religious profanities; 1 F-word derivative.

Violence/Gore: References to events from prior books; statement that body dragged across the snow left a streak of red blood; extended scene in which assassins attack, there is shooting, explosions, hitting, etc. resulting in deaths, mention of blood; discussion of whether killing someone is moral; discussion/assignment to kill; character pursued; character tripped and held, magic used to inflict burning pain; encounter in which magic, hitting, punching, etc. is used to fend off an attack and attackers are bound; reference to a character receiving a gunshot and would is subsequently examined/treated; extended scene in which characters are attacked with intent to kill and there is fighting with magic, objects, martial arts, etc. resulting in injuries, implied deaths; destruction of property when characters flee pursuers; verbal threats of harm/death; extended scene in which individual dies by magic, pain inflicted on a character, mass destruction with accompanying death of an individual; character is knocked unconscious and bound; characters are pursued; character bleeds from nose from strain of using magic; character bleeds from mouth from strain of using magic; fight scene between creatures resulting in injuries and destruction, magic used to bind creature, explosion; sounds of fighting from two magical creatures is heard; essence of individuals are destroyed; character knocked unconscious; character attacks another with a knife, blood mentioned; character pushed into a bookcase and knocked unconscious; character considers cutting self to use her blood as an offering (does not cut self); characters captured and bound; scene of characters knife fighting and one purposefully drives knife further into herself in order to accomplish a specific task, mention of blood.

Sex/Nudity: Character who is seductive in nature; discussion of parentage that involves a child born out of wedlock, implication that child was not wanted by the mother and pregnancy was forced by the male; character verbally expresses love to another; male and female hold hands, embrace, and kiss; implied/understood that a male and a female are in a sexual relationship, but no details.

Mature Subject Matter:

Parentage, forced pregnancy, corruption, politics, death, assassins, discussions about death, ethics around killing.

Alcohol/Drug Use:

Character is using opium; mention of opium; characters asked if they want to drink brandy.