The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

Publication Date:  March 15, 2016
Publisher:  Broadway Books
Pages:  400
Series:  Stand Alone
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts. After all, she was a normal American herself once. That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father. In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God. Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation. 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. But Carolyn has accounted for this. And Carolyn has a plan. The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.

Review:  Admittedly, I picked up this book on a whim, not having one clue as to what it was like except for the fact that the title contained the word "library."  There's just something about reading with no expectations, cracking the spine and getting thrown into a whirlwind of an adventure.  It reminds me of when I was younger and I had no idea Goodreads existed, when it was just me and a library full of possibilities.

The Library at Mount Char is an eccentric, wicked surprise.  I don't remember the last time I had this much fun with a plot.  You get so absorbed as the story pulls you along that reality's cacophony fades into elevator background music.  Half the time I had no idea what was going on or what would happen next, and I enjoyed every action-packed second of it.

Peace of mind is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.

The abundance of ideas packed into this relatively small novel is quite frankly astounding.  In some cases I wished for more world building, or perhaps just a moment to breathe and allow it all to sink in.  It's a lot to grasp, and a bit too convoluted at times, but I couldn't put it down.  It was old myths and new tales turned around and presented as something different altogether.  If there is one word to describe this book, it is certainly different, and in a world where no thoughts are particularly original anymore, that's everything.

Scott Hawkins is no Neil Gaiman, but his writing is solid and compelling.  This is his debut into the world of fiction and I cannot wait to see what he does next. 

The only real escape from hell is to conquer it.

The characters are mad.  Every single one of them belongs in Wonderland because they are an absolute freak show.  Did I love any of them?  I can't say that I did, but I loved following their stories as everything fell apart.  It is one of the most intriguing casts I've had the pleasure of reading about.  

So if all of that didn't quite sell you on The Library at Mount Char, then maybe these will: the talking lions (did I mention there are talking lions?), the psychotic murderer in a tutu, a library that exists on an entirely separate plane.  It isn't perfect by any means, but it certainly deserves to be read.