Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Pandora’s Website

*Affiliate Link Used*

–Synopsis–

When Nyssa returns to the magical library she adored as a child, it’s not quite how she remembered it. A wild magic storm has brought the books to life, leaving her to repair the library while wrangling tiny dragons, even tinier knights, a grumpy demon lord, and so much more.

With the Tales and Tomes Festival just around the corner, Nyssa needs the library ready for its grand reopening or it might disappear for good. But with the story spirits causing playful chaos, and the townsfolk convinced it’s haunted, she’ll need help bringing the magic back.

Roan, a wandering adventurer, takes the job expecting danger but instead finds himself charmed by the library and by Nyssa. As they prepare for the festival, they’ll learn that restoring the library isn’t just about fixing what’s broken, it’s about building something new, together.

–Review–

*There is some very light cussing in here with only a handful of cases*

The world in this book is one of the best I have reviewed so far. Having a library in which characters literally come out of the pages and exist in the real world has always been a fantasy of mine. This book has dragons, knights, a demon lord, an adorable and fluffy red panda, and even a large golem who loves gardening. It is a whimsical fantasy lover’s dream set in a book-core paradise. The library itself is obviously magical and sits on top of a mountain within the forest. With a name like the Misty Mountain Library, it definitely lives up to the vision of being mysterious and grandiose. We do not get too much exploration of the town at the base of the mountain outside of the adventurer’s guild but from what we do get, it gives me fantasy video game vibes. Very much a place I would take all day to explore.

This book is written through the alternating viewpoints of Nyssa and Roan. The romance plot takes a back seat compared to the magical and fantasy themes, which I preferred in this case.

The magic I found to have some very original ideas. Basically, all libraries are imbued with magical properties that come from the three OG gods that created everything in this world. They dish out this magic every year during the Tales and Tomes festivals that each library can participate in. One of the traditions of this festival is dropping the writings of an author in this well, followed by the written words of all the patrons in attendance which is typically about how this past year had gone for them and what they wish for in the future. If the gods are pleased with the different stories dropped into the well, the great tree (which is situated inside the library seemingly in a vocal position) gets a rush of fresh magic from them. Apparently if a library goes too long without getting a new blessing of magic, the library eventually disappears which was the reasoning behind Nyssa and Roan putting so much work into the place in the book. The Misty Mountain library was special in the fact that a wild magic storm blew through which gave it its unique characteristic of storybook characters coming to life within its walls. I loved the unique magic system in this book a lot and the fact it centered around libraries, which I have always considered magical to begin with, was extra amazing.

Nyssa is the headstrong head librarian of the Misty Mountain Library. She is a spitfire from the very beginning and willing to do virtually anything to achieve her goals which is evident with how she sells everything she owns to travel to the library in the first place. Being initially tossed out of the library by the story spirits, her stubbornness leads to her eventually placing herself back inside the walls and getting the spirits to warm up to her and her visions for the library. As Nyssa becomes more aware of the past of the place and why it has such a negative reputation with the townspeople, she remains sympathetic to how the library itself and the characters feel about all of her renovations. Everyone is wary of opening the doors up once again to strangers, but she remains patient and optimistic the entire book. The fact she is always willing to hear everyone’s opinions and takes ideas seriously, shows how great of a leader she truly is.

Roan is the rugged and slightly broody adventurer that takes on the task of assisting with the reopening of the library. He has a bit of a troubled past filled with abandonment and thoughts of never truly belonging anywhere. As the story goes on and he begins to figure out what his purpose truly is, he begins to display the best character development in the book. He begins to open up more and more to not just Nyssa but the book spirits and the adventurers of his past. He is able to apologize to certain individuals as he was holding onto some regrets which were unknowingly holding him back from realizing his future. He is always on guard particularly around Nyssa, always carrying his sword with him as a true adventurer. Always willing to follow Nyssa’s lead and put any plan into motion, makes him a wonderful partner for her as well as a general assistant to the library as a whole.

The romance between Nyssa and Roan felt a little bit rushed at times, as the flirtations between them began really quickly. At the same time, their attraction towards each other felt genuine, if a little awkward at times. It felt like two adults who have not really had any true relationship experience before, so it felt really innocent. They were an epitome of the broody male, bubbly female love story which I love so if you enjoy that trope, feel free to give this book a read. Roan is actually the one who eventually pushes their relationship to the next level which was very endearing in my opinion.

This book is the first in a series of two books (so far). The sequel seems to follow the perspective of the demon lord and one of the other side characters in this story. The female lead is actually the writer that sponsored the festival for the library. She seemed to be attracted to the demon character humorously, so the next story would be fun to read.

All in all, if you love magical and fantastical stories that center around a library with a minor romance plot, this book could be a great pick for your next adventure!

-About the Author-

Pandora Pierce writes cozy fantasy where the monsters are charming, the magic is whimsical, and the adventures are delightfully low-stakes. She has a weakness for slimes, red pandas, and other adorable creatures that inevitably sneak into her stories.

When she’s not writing, she streams as a VTuber, connecting with readers, writers, and gamers in a space as cozy and lighthearted as her books.