Libriomancer Magic Ex Libris Book 1

For five hundred years, the Porters have concealed the existence of magic from the world.

Now, old enemies have revealed the Porters secrets, and an even greater threat lurks in the shadows. The would-be queen Meridiana, banished for a thousand years, has returned in the body of a girl named Jeneta Aboderin. She seeks an artifact created by Pope Sylvester II, a bronze prison that would grant her the power to command an army of the dead. Michigan librarian Isaac Vainio is powerless to stop her, having been stripped of his power and his place among the Porters by Johannes Gutenberg himself. But Isaac is determined to regain his magic and to rescue his former student Jeneta. With no magic of his own, Isaac must delve into the darker side of black-market magic, where he will confront beings better left undisturbed, including the sorcerer Juan Ponce de Leon.

With his loyal fire-spider Smudge, dryad warrior Lena Greenwood, and psychiatrist Nidhi Shah, Isaac races to unravel a mystery more than a thousand years old as competing magical powers battle to shape the future of the world. He will be hunted by enemies and former allies alike, and it will take all his knowledge and resourcefulness to survive as magical war threatens to spread across the globe. Isaacs choices will determine the fate of his friends, the Porters, the students of Bi Sheng, and the world.

Only one thing is certain: even if he finds a way to restore his magic, he cant save them all….

 

“I picked up the book meaning to read a few pages. My first thought was, ‘This is a cool concept.’ The second thing I thought was, ‘This is really, really clever.’ The third thing I thought was, ‘I should have gone to sleep three hours ago.’”

"Pretty much geek porn for the urban fantasy set. It’s meta-fictional and utterly awesome."

"This may be Jim Hines’s best work. Libriomancer is smart, silly, and deadly serious, all at the same time. It’s a book about loving books. This is the magic librarian and ass-kicking dryad adventure story we’ve all been waiting for."

 

"All writers believe in the magic of books; Jim Hines has created a system where that magic becomes real, usable, and very definitely not always safe."

 

"Secret organizations, supernatural threats, and an unknown killer of unimaginable power—Libriomancer is one of the best reads I’ve had in a long time. It’s a lightning-fast race against time and magic to prevent the darkest secrets from history from unleashing a supernatural war on the world. I can’t wait for the next one. Oh, by the way, never piss off a fire spider."

“This funny and fast-paced series opener...will be sure to surprise and entertain urban fantasy fans.... Isaac is sure to be an instant fan favorite, and the secondary characters are vivid and multidimensional.”

"The book is amusing and action-packed from page one; Isaac is sure to be an instant fan favorite, and the secondary characters are vivid and multidimensional."

"[Libriomancer] is ardent wish fulfillment with a hefty dose of action, romance, literary pop trivia and just a pinch of social commentary."

“Hines has just scratched the surface of what he can do. And I cant wait to see what comes next.”

“Nonstop action and laughter power Hiness riveting second journey into the ‘peculiar life of Isaac Vainio…. Like a good pinball game, Isaacs adventures are frantic, fascinating, and more than a little noisy. Hines supplies everything a reader needs—werewolves, ghosts, robot insects, a fire spider that eats candy, and homages to classic SF—for a very good time.”

“Its all packed together with lots of over-the-top action fought with weapons pulled out of books ranging from HG Wellss SF and Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland, to the Vorkosigan series from Lois McMaster Bujold.”

“Jim Hines is an engaging writer who is also greatly entertaining, and I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys superior worldbuilding.”

First book in genre-bending urban fantasy series by Hugo Award-winning author Jim C. Hines

Superior worldbuilding. Charlaine Harris Really, really clever. Patrick Rothfuss Magic librarian and ass-kicking dryad adventure story we ve all been waiting for. Seanan McGuire
Isaac is a libriomancer, a member of a secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg to protect the world from supernatural threats. Libiomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects.
When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped.
With the help of his fire-spider, Smudge, and Lena a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of wooden swords Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampries alike. His search will uncover dangerous secrets and libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic...."

First book in genre-bending urban fantasy series by Hugo Award-winning author Jim C. Hines

"Superior worldbuilding." --Charlaine Harris - "Really, really clever." --Patrick Rothfuss - "Magic librarian and ass-kicking dryad adventure story we've all been waiting for." --Seanan McGuire

Isaac is a libriomancer, a member of a secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg to protect the world from supernatural threats. Libiomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects.

When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped.

With the help of his fire-spider, Smudge, and Len­­a--a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of wooden swords--Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampries alike. His search will uncover dangerous secrets and libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic....

Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg.  Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped.

With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic. . . .

 

Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg.  Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped.

With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic. . . .

Jim C. Hines is the author of the Jig the Dragonslayer trilogy and the Princess novels. His newest novel, Libriomancer, begins the Magic Ex Libris series, and the sequel, Codex Born, will be published in 2013. Jim's short stories have appeared in more than forty magazines and anthologies. He has a Masters in English from Eastern Michigan University, and he lives in Michigan with his wife and children, who have always shown remarkable tolerance for his bizarre and obsessive writing habits.