(Review) The Library at Mount Char

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

Publication Date: March 15, 2016

Pages: 400 (paperback)

Genre: Adult Fiction/Fantasy

My Goodreads Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis: 

A missing God.
A library with the secrets to the universe.
A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.

Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts.

After all, she was a normal American herself once.

That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father.

In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God.

Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation.

As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own.

But Carolyn has accounted for this.

And Carolyn has a plan.

The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.

Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, The Library at Mount Char is at once horrifying and hilarious, mind-blowingly alien and heartbreakingly human, sweepingly visionary and nail-bitingly thrilling—and signals the arrival of a major new voice in fantasy.

My Review: 

I had to pour a drink before I wrote this review because, well...I needed it. Don't get me wrong, this book was good. This book was also weird.

Maybe it's because this is out of my normal genre(s) that I think it's weird. But also maybe not. 

The story is mainly Carolyn's and Carolyn is a Librarian. She's in charge of a certain catalog and her "brothers and sisters" all have their own as well. Some study medicine, languages, animals, or war. As I read I found that no matter what they studied, they were all pretty crazy. 

As we follow Carolyn she meets Steve, who is just a regular guy. Then she frames him for murder and you start thinking that maybe Carolyn is a little more than crazy. Maybe she's kind of diabolical. 

The story unfolds and more characters are introduced. There's a ex-military man who isn't as dumb as he sounds, a couple of lions, and the president. A fictional one, of course. 

It took me a while to get into this book because I really had no idea what was going on at first. The crazy starts right out of the gate without much segway into what's happening. It isn't until Carolyn starts talking that you understand what is going on. Everyone is searching for Father, but they can't get into the house. David wants to take charge, but he's a psychopath so Carolyn and a few other Librarians try to form a plan. Nothing works, everything gets messed up, and poor Steve is kind of stuck in the middle of it. 

As the story progresses I began to like Steve a little bit more and Carolyn a little bit less. Steve is an interesting guy. He wants to do good but doesn't really know how. He doesn't like what Carolyn ends up doing and tries to talk her into something different. Steve cares about others and he can see what has happened because of what happened with the Librarians. 

By the end of the story I was itching for answers. They are given, by the way. So is Steve's good ending, just not the way I expected it. 

This book was definitely interesting, if out of my genre. I would definitely recommend it to people who love fantasy/supernatural stories. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

I made this drink. 

I drank this drink. 

Thanks for reading!