Devi Nair
š§ Listened in audio š¢ Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld ā± Duration: 9 hours š·ļø Publisher: William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins) š Published: February 17, 2026 Genre: Fantasy
I'll be honest, I almost bailed on this book in the first few chapters. The pacing wobbled, and for a moment, I wondered if this magical library was one I'd quietly exit. But then, Kate Quinn hit the emotional resonance that makes her writing so addictive.
The concept of The Astral Library is exactly the kind of fantasy that speaks directly to the inner bookworm you've been carefully maintaining since childhood. A hidden library wher eyou can step inside your favorite novels and live there, not as the hero, but as a nobody? As the green grocer across from 221B Baker Street, watching Sherlock Holmes sweep past you on a Tuesday? As a teacher at Hogwarts, making small talk with McGonagall over a mug of butterbeer in the staffroom? As a retired resident of Coopers Chase trying to worm your way into Joyce's inner circle? (Just me? Fine!) I'd genuinely like to resign from real life and submit my CV to the Astral Library immediately. Kate Quinn was absolutely channeling her inner childhood bookworm with this one, and it shows. This book has the energy of someone who was told no, you can't live inside a story one too many times and finally decided to write back.
Alix is an easy to root character as a foster kid who's finally found a place where stories return her love. The slow-burn romance between her and the costume-maker adds tenderness without distracting from the central plot. The threat-to-the-library plot is solid, and Saskia Maarleveld narrates with the kind of warmth and energy that makes a 9-hour listen feels like three. What lingered for me though, was the delicious ache of wanting to step into a book and never leave. By the end, I had made approximately four different lists of which book worlds I would immediately apply to live in. That's the mark of a story that's done its job.
Would I recommend it? For every bookworm who has ever dog-eared a page and thought I'd never want to leave this world, this book is for you. This is not a perfect book. The pacing plays a little too coy with the very premise you came for. But the concept is pure joy, the narration is gorgeous, and the emotional core of books as refuge and libraries as lifelines, hits right where it's meant to. For those who've ever wished their library card was a portal pass, this one's for you.
š§ Listened in audio š¢ Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld ā± Duration: 9 hours š·ļø Publisher: William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins) š Published: February 17, 2026 Genre: Fantasy
I'll be honest, I almost bailed on this book in the first few chapters. The pacing wobbled, and for a moment, I wondered if this magical library was one I'd quietly exit. But then, Kate Quinn hit the emotional resonance that makes her writing so addictive.
The concept of The Astral Library is exactly the kind of fantasy that speaks directly to the inner bookworm you've been carefully maintaining since childhood. A hidden library wher eyou can step inside your favorite novels and live there, not as the hero, but as a nobody? As the green grocer across from 221B Baker Street, watching Sherlock Holmes sweep past you on a Tuesday? As a teacher at Hogwarts, making small talk with McGonagall over a mug of butterbeer in the staffroom? As a retired resident of Coopers Chase trying to worm your way into Joyce's inner circle? (Just me? Fine!) I'd genuinely like to resign from real life and submit my CV to the Astral Library immediately. Kate Quinn was absolutely channeling her inner childhood bookworm with this one, and it shows. This book has the energy of someone who was told no, you can't live inside a story one too many times and finally decided to write back.
Alix is an easy to root character as a foster kid who's finally found a place where stories return her love. The slow-burn romance between her and the costume-maker adds tenderness without distracting from the central plot. The threat-to-the-library plot is solid, and Saskia Maarleveld narrates with the kind of warmth and energy that makes a 9-hour listen feels like three. What lingered for me though, was the delicious ache of wanting to step into a book and never leave. By the end, I had made approximately four different lists of which book worlds I would immediately apply to live in. That's the mark of a story that's done its job.
Would I recommend it? For every bookworm who has ever dog-eared a page and thought I'd never want to leave this world, this book is for you. This is not a perfect book. The pacing plays a little too coy with the very premise you came for. But the concept is pure joy, the narration is gorgeous, and the emotional core of books as refuge and libraries as lifelines, hits right where it's meant to. For those who've ever wished their library card was a portal pass, this one's for you.