Libyrinth (Libyrinth #1) by Pearl North - Ashley's Pre-Reading

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Title: Libyrinth
Author: Pearl North
Year Published: 2009

Synopsis: In her debut novel, Pearl North takes readers centuries into the future, to a forgotten colony of Earth where technology masquerades as magic and wars are fought over books.

Haly is a Libyrarian, one of a group of people dedicated to preserving and protecting the knowledge passed down from the Ancients and stored in the endless maze of books known as the Libyrinth. But Haly has a secret: The books speak to her. 

When the threat of the rival Eradicants drives her from her home, Haly learns that things are not all she thinks they are. Taken prisoner by the Eradicants, who believe the written word to be evil, she sees the world through their eyes and comes to understand that they are not the book-burning monsters that she has known her entire life.

The words of a young girl hiding in an attic—written hundreds of years before Haly’s birth—will spark the interest of her captors and begin the change necessary to end the conflict between the Eradicants and Libyrarians. With the help of her loyal companion Nod, a creature of the Libyrinth, Haly must mend the rift between the two groups before their war for knowledge destroys them all. Haly’s life—and the lives of everyone she knows—will never be the same.

A powerful adventure that unites the present and future, Libyrinth is a fresh, magical novel that will draw in young readers of all genres.

Why?: A library that is literally a labyrinth? And has a name that's a mashup of the two words? I mean, what kind of book lover WOULDN'T want to read this book?! Plus mystery, a centuries-old feud, new creatures, adventure... this book sounds absolutely fantastic. I've heard good things about it too, so there's that. And, on top of all of that, the whole trilogy is already out so I won't have to wait a year to read the sequel! At least, not unless I want to anyway.

Expectations: Although I've never read anything else by Pearl North, I've got pretty high expectations for this book. You can't give a synopsis like the one above and throw me a mediocre book. Paul really enjoyed it too, and he usually recommends pretty good books. 

Judging a book by its cover: I'm kind of torn on this cover. I like the pages swirling around, and I love the way the title looks, but I'm not sure how I feel about the girl and the lack of a labyrinth. The cover doesn't really feel like anything special, and I don't think I'd be very likely to pick it up if I saw it in a bookstore or in a library. 


--Ashley