Review of ‘Evie and the Pack-Horse Librarians’ by Laurel Beckley
This was a cute WLW New Adult fantasy novella. This was originally published by Less than 3 Press under the name of ‘The Book Woman’, so if you read it then I believe it is the same story. It says republished not revised or reedited. This story was new to me and it was a sweet, quick read. I really wanted to read more of this story so my biggest complaint really is that I wished it was longer.
Evie is a book witch. Her magic makes books come alive so she quickly rose in the ranks to become an assistant editor at a prestigious publisher. When she is stabbed in the back by someone she cares about, Evie is exiled to become a journey carrier with the Pack-Horse Librarians. It looks like Evie’s first run in the wilderness alone might end in total disaster until she meets a woman that could change her life forever.
I liked that this world had a historical fantasy feel. While I am putting the fantasy tag on this it is very light. Besides a few people with magic abilities and items, and a little surprise that comes later in the book, this could almost be a normal historical fiction book. I loved the old-time librarian feel and the whole premise put a smile on my face.
There is a romance in this book but it is also very light and very sweet. The relationship moves faster than I would like, but with this being a novella there is only so much time so I’m trying not to complain too much. I did like both characters and liked them as a potential couple. Evie is pretty wimpy and spineless in the beginning, which I’m not a fan of, but it was nice to see her growth and she eventually grew on me too.
I think most of us hardcore readers enjoy stories about librarians. I know I do and this was a sweet novella that fits that bill. I would recommend this to readers looking for a quick and sweet fantasy read. This would also be good for readers who want to dip their toes into fantasy but don’t want anything too overwhelming or heavy. With its NA feel, this was a short story that I could easily see in school libraries. 3.50 Stars.
A copy was given to me for an honest review.
