Books themselves take center stage in these SFF novels about the magic of the written word.

Lawrence, Mark. The Book That Wouldn’t Burn. Ace: Berkley. (The Library Trilogy, Bk. 1). May 2023. 576p. ISBN 9780593437919. $29. FANTASY
In this spellbinding fantasy series launch about books that have the power to change the world, Lawrence (The Girl and the Moon) creates a fabulous library, one that is home to a vast, ancient, and sprawling mystery that is a delight to explore. The story focuses on two main characters, Livira and Evar; the former wants to explore the library’s reaches, while the latter is looking to escape the library’s confines. The novel alternates between Livira and Evar’s perspectives, allowing each the chance to push the boundaries of their understanding of the library and the great machine at its heart. It soon becomes clear that nothing is quite as it seems in the library, despite the elaborate machinations of the various librarians and their individual attempts to organize the great, almost alien, collection of material that periodically allows civilizations to rise and fall outside its bounds. VERDICT There is a lot to enjoy here, with a fantastic setting, a feisty heroine, and hints of a deeper mystery that calls to mind the depths of Frank Herbert’s Dune and its intertwined cultural and religious issues.—Jeremiah Rood

Törzs, Emma. Ink Blood Sister Scribe. Morrow. May 2023. 416p. ISBN 9780063253469. $30. FANTASY
DEBUT Törzs’s debut novel features a wonderfully realized and atmospheric world and a plot filled with unexpected twists. It takes place in modern-day Vermont, where a family plagued by tragedy, including two half-sisters, guards a collection of books that contain, and are themselves, spells. Esther, the eldest sister, is immune to magic, and her presence counteracts the protection wards over the collection. To save her sister, the books, and likely herself, she has fled and changes locations every year (living most recently in Antarctica). Meanwhile, in London, lives Nicholas, a scribe who inherited his family’s legacy of writing the spell books, as well as the burden of protecting them. But from what, or whom? Over time he learns the perceived danger might not be as he thought. VERDICT Törzs does a fantastic job creating a gripping and suspenseful story that keeps readers on their toes and wanting more. Fans of The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern will love this magic- and suspense-filled novel.—Leigh Verburg