The Library at Mount Char is a mind-bending, wild, and unbelievable exploration of storytelling, pushing the limits of fiction to new heights. Before you know it, you fall in love with a world of magic, violence, and mortality. 

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Genre: Fantasy, Fiction

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Rating: 5/5.

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“It’s the notion that the universe is structured in such a way that no matter how many mysteries you solve, there is always a deeper mystery behind it.”

The Library at Mount Char is the kind of book you read once in a lifetime. There is no one genre or adjective to describe the mind-bending, almost unbelievably mystical experience you get to have from the very first page. The worldbuilding, how magic is used in often gruesome, but compelling ways, is unlike any other I’ve come across before. And that is saying something, as someone who has been an avid fantasy lover since Middle School. Even though this was actually my second read, it didn’t lose any of the charm that I remembered before; in some ways, I enjoyed it MORE because I could appreciate the narrative without having to worry about the plot. All this to say, this book is simply an incredible exploration of storytelling, pushing the limits of fiction. 

The book focuses on a group of orphans who are adopted by an ancient, millennia-old entity known as “Father.” He is the most powerful being across universes, and he segregates the children into strict categories of knowledge. Each child studies only one specific subject and is forbidden from looking into the others. For example, Carolyn, the protagonist, was tasked with learning all languages. David studies war, combat, and murder. Jennifer masters healing and resurrection. With his guidance, they achieve powers that transcend mortality and human flaws; they become the master at their given subject, with precise control to each do almost everything with their knowledge. 

“Steve sighed, wishing for a cigarette. “The Buddha teaches respect for all life.” “Oh.” She considered this. “Are you a Buddhist?” “No. I’m an asshole. But I keep trying.”

The story starts off with the Father disappearing, when the librarians are locked out of their magical library and are desperate to find out what happened to him. Carolyn, considered to be the quiet and docile one, leads the search to find him. However, the readers slowly realize that she is an incredibly unreliable narrator; she pretends to be blind to information when in fact, she does. The truth is, Carolyn, despite her unassuming demeanor, has actually orchestrated the entire catastrophe, including Father’s disappearance, in a bid to elevate herself to a godlike status.

I simply loved how the twist is not something that comes from the right field; instead, from the very mention of the Father’s abuse and David’s harassment against Carolyn at a very young age, there were clear signs of her motive. It was simply a matter of the readers experiencing Carolyn’s effort to not even think about her plans, for one of her peers has the capacity to read minds. It’s definitely chilling, but this was one of my favorite parts of the entire book. 

“She will warm herself on the memory of you when there is nothing else, and be sustained.”

On top of that, every page is permeated with such weird, wild, almost hilarious occurrences. At one point, Carolyn calls up the President of the United States to order him around. In a fit of revenge, she also creates a sun out of David’s head to replace the old one (it sounds weird, but it’ll get weirder when you find out how she did it). It may be a hit or miss to many, but to me, I absolutely adored the creativity. 

In conclusion, this book is a must-read for anyone looking for a fun read over a weekend. Because best believe, you won’t be able to put it down once you start. 5/5.

“She knew every word that had ever been spoken, but she could think of nothing to say that might ease his grief.”