Review Detail

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and let me just say it lived up to the hype! Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez is the conclusion to Inez’s adventure she started in What the River Knows. Inez’s world has been flipped upside down. Her mother is alive and a criminal, her father is missing and presumed dead, her cousin is dead because of her mother, and her uncle has given her an ultimatum: marry or return to Argentina. Determined to find her mother and make her answer for her actions, Inez refuses to leave Egypt which leaves her no alternative but to accept Whit’s hasty proposal. Newly married with a fugitive to hunt, Inez is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, but she may not like the cost.

Inez has grown quite a lot since we first met her at the beginning of her story. She’s no longer the naive heiress who just lost her parents and yearns for adventure. She’s had her fill of adventure by this point. Now she wants justice. She wants to take down her mother and the illegal auction ring that sells priceless artifacts to the highest bidder. However, everything she thought she knew is now in question. Inez feels lost, unsure of who she can trust and who is playing her.

Whit plays a bigger role in this book than last. Well, maybe not a bigger role, just has more pages from his perspective, which I’m personally not complaining about. Whit has been established as a loyal, rogue of a character, yet he’s been playing a long con. He needs money to save his family, specifically his baby sister, from destitution. To do that, he needs to come into some money and do so quickly. His best option is to marry Inez, however how he goes about it all is heartbreaking to all involved. If not for his perspective chapters, I’m not sure I would’ve empathized with him at all.

The plot of this one, at least in my opinion, moves at a much faster pace than the first book. With the world already set up and the key characters already in play, we jump into the story right away, picking up exactly where book one left off with Whit’s proposal. Between a hasty marriage, hunting down her mother, and a robbery at the tomb of Cleopatra, Inez has her hands full. Again, I love how Ibañez weaves history into this story creating her own world with its own rules seamlessly. The magical artifacts add a new layer of surprise in an already tense story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Where the Library Hides. The story is full of adventure with twists and turns to keep you guessing right to the end. Inez and Whit’s banter is perfection. I seriously could not ask for better. If you enjoy historical fantasies or you are looking for a fun adventure through the ruins of Ancient Egypt, I highly recommend you check this one out.