Skip to Main Content (Press Enter)

The Forbidden Library

Django Wexler
In this stellar middle-grade fantasy series, twelve-year-old Alice goes to live with her uncle after her father dies, and soon finds out that she is a Reader—able to control magic through books—and while her uncle wants her to be his apprentice, he may not be all that he seems.
The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler
The Palace of Glass by Django Wexler
The Fall of the Readers by Django Wexler

The Forbidden Library : Titles in Order

Book 4
In this thrilling conclusion to Alice’s adventures in The Forbidden Library she must lead her band of friends, magical beings, and creatures against the collected might of the Old Readers—perfect for fans of Story Thieves, Inkheart, Coraline, and Harry Potter.

When Alice defeated her uncle Geryon and declared war on the totalitarian ways of the Old Readers, she knew she would have a hard fight ahead. What she didn’t anticipate was the ruthlessness of the Old Reader—who can control magic and enter worlds through books. All the creatures she promised to liberate and protect are being threatened, and slowly all of Alice’s defenses are being worn away. So when Ending (the giant cat-like creature who guards the magical labyrinth in Geryon’s library) hints at a dangerous final solution, Alice jumps at the chance, no matter the cost to her life. She and her friends—a fire sprite, Ashes the cat, and the other apprentice Readers she met during her previous adventures—go on a quest to free the one creature possibly strong enough to overturn the Old Readers once and for all.

But before it’s all over, Alice will be betrayed, her true identity will be revealed, and she’ll have to be willing to give up the person she loves the most.
 
This is beautifully written, classic, bold historical fantasy—brave, bloody, action-packed and adventurous—with a girl at the center.
Book 3
An action-packed middle-grade fantasy with classic writing, a resourceful heroine, a host of magical creatures, and no shortage of narrow escapes—for fans of Story Thieves, Inkheart, Coraline, and Harry Potter.

For Alice, danger threatens from inside the library as well as out. Having figured out the role her master and uncle, Geryon, played in her father’s disappearance, Alice turns to Ending—the mysterious, magical giant feline and guardian of Geryon’s library—for a spell to incapacitate Geryon. But, like all cats, Ending is adept at keeping secrets and Alice doesn’t know the whole story. Once she traps Geryon with Ending’s spell, there’s no one to stop the other Readers from sending their apprentices to pillage Geryon’s library. As Alice prepares to face an impending attack from the combined might of the Readers, she gathers what forces she can—the apprentices she once thought might be her friends, the magical creatures imprisoned in Geryon’s library—not knowing who, if anyone, she can trust.
Book 2
The dark and thrilling sequel to the book Kirkus called, “Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, and Inkheart all rolled into one”

When Alice’s mysterious Uncle Geryon sends her to help capture a rogue apprentice–a boy who has the same ability Alice has to Read himself into stories–she knows to expect a wild and unpredictable trip. But even though Alice has visited the magical realms inside libraries before, this adventure is far more dangerous. Because Torment, the magic creature holding this library together, has gone mad.

But he might also have information about Alice’s missing father.
Book 2
The dark and thrilling sequel to the book Kirkus called, “Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, and Inkheart all rolled into one”

Alice has her first adventure outside Geryon’s library after he volunteers her to work with five other apprentice Readers, including Isaac, to capture a rogue apprentice who murdered his master. But none of them realize that the library of the late rival Reader is still a working deadly labyrinth, or that the vicious guardian is still protecting it. As they face the fight of their lives, Alice learns much more about Isaac, Geryon (her own master), and the fate of her father.


“Wexler is an able builder of magical worlds and creatures, with labyrinths, an enchanted library, and a feisty, swashbuckling heroine at the center. A story rich in action and allegory—fantasy fans will want to hang on for what comes next.”—Kirkus Reviews
Book 1
The Forbidden Library kicks off a brand new classic fantasy series perfect for fans of Coraline, Inkheart, and The Books of Elsewhere

Alice always thought fairy tales had happy endings. That–along with everything else–changed the day she met her first fairy

When Alice’s father goes down in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon–an uncle she’s never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it’s hard to resist. Especially if you’re a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within.

It seems her uncle is more than he says he is. But then so is Alice.
Book 1
The Forbidden Library kicks off a brand new classic fantasy series perfect for fans of Coraline, Inkheart, and The Books of Elsewhere!

Alice always thought fairy tales had happy endings. That—along with everything else—changed the day she met her first fairy.
When Alice’s father disappears in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon—an uncle she’s never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And, even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it’s hard to resist. Especially if you’re a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within.

It seems Uncle Geryon is more than he says he is. But then, so is Alice.
Back to Top