Libriomancer

Magic ex Libris, Book 1

By: Jim C. Hines

Narrated by: David DeVries

Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg. Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped.

With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic....

©2012 Jim C. Hines (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This may be Jim Hines's best work. Libriomancer is smart, silly, and deadly serious, all at the same time. It's a book about loving books. This is the magic librarian and ass-kicking dryad adventure story we’ve all been waiting for." (Seanan McGuire, The New York Times best-selling author of Discount Armageddon)

"All writers believe in the magic of books; Jim Hines has created a system where that magic becomes real, usable, and very definitely not always safe." (Tanya Huff, best-selling author of the Blood Books)

"This funny and fast-paced series opener...will be sure to surprise and entertain urban fantasy fans.... Isaac is sure to be an instant fan favorite, and the secondary characters are vivid and multidimensional." ( Publishers Weekly)

Interesting idea, but lacks engaging characters

I love the idea behind the book, the storyline is unique and keep your surprised and engaged at every turn. Its basically a story about the love for and power of books, which makes it an fun book for avid readers.

I enjoyed the book, but in the end I didn't feel inclined to continue the series. What I mostly liked was the idea behind the book, and the storyline to some degree, but I didnt become very attached to the characters and cant say I care much what happens to them further on. I didn't like Lena at all, Isaac was alright, but like I said, I didn't get emotionally attached to them. (Smudge was my favorite character by far)

I'm not sure if I'll finish the series at some later point, but right now I don't have any plans of continuing.

Good but not what I was hoping for.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I was so excited about the basic premise of this book - Libriomancers, people with the power to manifest magic from books. What a great idea! But I felt that at one moment the action was rushing by too quickly and at other moments the reflections of the main character were slowing things down. I think the author has great ability but it just didn't hit the mark for me.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

There was a certain amount of the end that was very foreseeable, not surprising. But it was fairly excitingly written, enough that I wanted to finish. I was disappointed by the two main characters and their back and forth feelings that didn't entirely resolve at the end. Not everyone has to walk off into the sunset happily but sometimes, its best to let things be messy than to tie up loose ends disappointingly.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of David DeVries?

While the reader was good at carrying emotion in his voice, his tone for the female voices was poor and, for me, it took away from the implied sexiness of those characters.

Awesome story to read

this was an amazing book! It was funny and lots of nerdy references. Highly recommend

Save yourself! Read the book instead!

Would you try another book from Jim C. Hines and/or David DeVries?

Yes, if read by a different narrator. He has a fun style, good sense of humor and good character development. The premise of this book was outstanding and lured me in. Why, oh why did I not listen to a sample, or read the reviews more carefully? Because I'm a sap, that's why. Bringing objects from books to life? How could it not be fascinating? Every book lovers dream, right? And in fact, the story is fascinating. If you can get past the horrible narration.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The tree nymph. Great sense of humor, interesting premise.

Would you be willing to try another one of David DeVries’s performances?

Not only no, but by cracky, heck no. It was absolutely horrible. Nothing personal, David. Some people are just meant to be narrators, others are not. I hope you didn't quit your day job.

Could you see Libriomancer being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

That's a silly ass question.

Any additional comments?

I may very well get the Kindle edition of the sequel. I'd very much like to know what happens to these characters. I just couldn't stand to listen to it.

Interesting

I enjoyed this audiobook. David DeVries voice fits as a slightly 'nerdy' librarian thrust into an adventure. I liked the concept of this audiobook. I do complain that it gets a little confusing at times. I hope that the next books in the series are as good or better then book 1.