The Great Library of Tomorrow

This earnest high fantasy from debut author Solace mingles sorcery and metafiction, with a magic system based on the act of storytelling itself. Helia, the Sage of Hope and one of the protectors of the Great Library that connects the various realms of the Paperworld, narrowly escapes an attack by a legendary villain, the Ash Man, but her partner, the Sage of Truth, is not so lucky. Now the Great Library and its founding Book of Wisdom are vulnerable to further violence from the Ash Man. Meanwhile, discontented copywriter Arturo, plucked from Mexico City, discovers that his way with words is amplified in the Library, where his written ideas come to life. Together with a junior staffer who acquires a Sage’s Orb, an apprentice alchemist, and a wildcat airship crew, Arturo sets out to recover a missing dragon guardian and stop the Ash Man’s agents from further infiltration. Solace places emphasis on the interior struggles of characters facing up to their vocations, though it leaves the plot around them to run along very familiar lines. The one-dimensional Ash Man is more of a straw man at times, but the angst of the protagonists rings true. Readers will be curious to see where Solace goes next. (Nov.)