The Library at Mount Char

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The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she’s forgotten to protect the things that make her human. Now, Father is missing--perhaps even dead--and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation. That being said, other aspects of Carolyn’s resolution seemed inconsistent, particularly in what atrocities she was prepared to accept, and what atrocities she felt a need to avenge. Yet, maybe this was absolutely intentional since one continual thread which runs through the book is the fact that the concerns of Father and the Pelapi are so far beyond the concerns of ordinary Americans, that even horrific torture and the scars it leaves cannot be approached in a human way. The most genuinely original fantasy I’ve ever read. Hawkins plays with really, really big ideas and does it with superb invention, deeply affecting characters, and a smashing climax I did not see coming.” —Nancy Kress, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Beggars in Spain

What I am trying to say is that it was odd, I often had no clue what was going on, but I loved every second of it! i think my obstacle is that with MR and slipstream, things are only just slightly tweaked, and what i relish is that unsettling feeling - that the possibility for fantastical occurrences is present, but there's still something concrete and recognizable to ground me.Did it hold up to my beefed-up expectations? Did it lose any of the fires of ultimate agony or any of its Asshole Buddhism? Hello, No. :) I still love it. 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. After several decades of learning their assigned catalog, Father goes missing, and a mysterious trap settles around the Library that causes severe harm (and probably death) to any who get too close. Carolyn and her “family” must find a solution. The knowledge in the Library is vast enough for someone to be a God and truly rule the world; it must be reclaimed before Father’s enemies can take control of it.

As I write this review, it occurs to me that this is one of those books that I like the ideas way more than the execution. The magic system reminds me of The Magicians a bit and I love the idea of a nigh-immortal wizard training twelve orphans. However, I didn't really care about any of the characters other than Steve and the lions. I thought the story meandered all over the place and could have been more focused. It's also one of the few books where I wanted a lot more worldbuilding.In a way this can be classed as urban fantasy. It's set in fairly modern day America, but if certain kinds of magic were real but only available to a very limited number of people who had been carefully groomed for the roles to fulfill certain purposes. It's not urban fantasy in the noir-detective-but-with-magic vein.

One of the most sadistic characters, if not the most sadistic character, I've come across in fiction, Father is thousands of years old and has written the books contained in the world's largest library (the one at Mount Char), cataloging all of the knowledge of all times. When Carolyn's and 11 other children's parents are killed, Father adopts them all and begins training them to be Librarians. The ways in which he does so are..... are.... well, let's just say he would never win the Parent of the Year award.So yes, a very imaginative, very well written, intriguing, exciting, brutal, funny book that you should definitely give a go. Once upon a time, there was a dude - Scott Hawkins. He lived quietly in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and his dogs. And he was working on projects and books for Unix/Linux.