The 113th Assistant Librarian by Stuart Wilson

Title: The 113^th Assistant Librarian

Author: Stuart Wilson

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 29^th October 2024

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 304

Price: $19.99

Synopsis: If you liked The Grandest Bookshop in the World or The Book of Wondrous Possibilities, you’ll love this fantasy adventure story where books have power, cats are more than they seem, and the library is the most dangerous place in the city . . .

Oliver Wormwood is sure his new job in the library will be boring. Until he learns that books hold great power – and danger.

By the end of his first day, Oliver has witnessed a death, been frozen by a book, met a perplexing number of cats, and fought off a horde of terrifying creatures.

With only a mysterious girl called Agatha to show him the ropes, Oliver needs to learn fast . . . if he wants to live longer than the 112 assistant librarians before him.

~*~

The 113^th Assistant Librarian is a new, first in series book by Stuart Wilson. Set in Blackmoor-upon-Wyvern, we meet Oliver Wormwood at age thirteen as he is about to head to the Calling and find out what his Trade will be. Oliver is the sixth child in his family, and his father has high hopes for him – that he will get a Trade that will be as good, and as powerful as the rest of his family. When the day of the Calling comes, Oliver goes to every stall – and soon finds out that he’s not suited to anything – until he stumbles into the library and meets Hieronymus Finch-Thackery, the librarian. When Hieronymus discovers Oliver can read, and translate all sorts of languages – including rare and dead ones. And so, Oliver begins his apprenticeship in a new Trade to become a librarian – starting as the 113^th assistant librarian.

But Oliver’s first day does to go to plan. He thinks working in the library will be easy – checking out books, helping patrons, and shelving them when they’re returned. The library has other plans for Oliver though. And his first day includes seeing someone die, being frozen by a book, and meeting too many cats to count, as well as Agatha, who always seems to be around when he needs them.

Following the death of the first day, Oliver is thrust into a strange world of visiting dignitaries, politicians determined to censor books, and an array of patrons determined to have their needs seen to immediately – and that’s the tip of the iceberg, before people start dying near the library. And near a certain window in particular. Oliver’s new life has just begun – and it’s a lot more dangerous than he thinks. In this book, reading is freedom, and it is danger, and it celebrates the power behind reading as well. There have been lots of books that have bookstores or libraries as their settings, and they always feel like they take something everyone can recognise, and gives all kinds of spins on it. I’ve read two recently, enjoyed both, and loved this one. Each one had something different to add though, and each story is unique and has unique characters.

The important role of cats in this book is something I adored, because cats, books, and libraries go together so well. They seem to work very well together, and Stuart Wilson has brought them together in a fun way for this new series that looks like it is going to be fun, educational, magical and utterly enchanting for middle grade readers. It is the kind of book that I would have been drawn to as a child, and was drawn to it as an adult, because there’s something lovely about kids books. They explore things in a diverse range of ways, and I have found that they have always brought me joy. And this book was no exception – it was one that I was eager to find out more about. I loved the mystery and am hoping that there might be some more answers in the next book. It also works as a standalone, and gives us the sense that things are okay, or okay for now. It is filled with tension and action but also shows that books are important, they are comforting, and in Oliver’s world, they can literally eat you. But they have power. Power to make people see new ways of thinking, the power to inform and educate as well as entertain. And most importantly, in Oliver’s world and in our world, books can be revolutionary.

Books like this showcase how important books, libraries and cats – yes, cats, are in our lives. Cats bring companionship, and they go well with books and libraries. Don’t ask me why, they just do. And I loved how it was done in this novel that a bookseller at my local bookstore recommended. I think this is a great book, and a great introduction to what looks to be a new series. I am looking forward to seeing where Stuart takes us next with Oliver.