The Burning Library

This DNF is completely on me. If I’d read the blurb more closely I would’ve noticed this is dark academia and conspiracy fiction revolving around a historical artifact and secret societies. It’s drawn comparisons to The Da Vinci Code, a story I didn’t love. My biggest issue, though, was that it revolves around a certain kind of female empowerment storyline that’s more irritating to me than inspiring.

Small soapbox moment, so bear with me. I get that women have historically gotten and still get a raw deal from unfair or outdated patriarchal ideas, but female characters resorting to murder, manipulation or unchecked ambition towards men or each other is quite literally emulating what they supposedly hate. The goal may be to illuminate the systems, but in the end it always seems to demonize men either explicitly or implicitly. How about we just elevate female characters and celebrate their good qualities? What a breath of fresh air that would be! 

Please read others’ reviews to get a detailed description of the story. I don’t feel qualified to do so having read so little of it. I finished about 15% and to be quite honest, found the prologue and first couple chapters about as exciting as a piece of dry toast. Not even buttered. *sad* 

This was my first try with Gilly Macmillan who I’ve heard such good things about from friends, so I do think it’s just the particular themes and content that weren’t a good match for my tastes. Her writing is quite descriptive and set the scene and atmosphere of the story very nicely. I trust that another book of hers would be a better fit!

I won’t rate this since it’s a DNF. 

Thanks to William Morrow, NetGalley and author Gilly Macmillan for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out on November 18, 2025.