Sword and Pen, by Rachel Caine

The fifth and final volume of the Great Library series sees the team of young scholars and soldiers in Alexandria fighting against all odds for the library’s very existence. Not only has the evil deposed Archivist placed assassins and traitors in their midst, but the world’s powers – Spain, England, Wales, Japan, France and Russia – are ranged against them, hoping to scoop up the spoils of civil war. It is an epic power struggle that will determine the fate of the world, as well as the lives of Jess, Glain, Morgan, Khalila, Thomas and Dario. They must use all their skills to survive and protect their mentors, but will the sacrifice be too great? Rachel Caine’s dark alt-history series pays great tribute to librarians and their vital role in preserving knowledge. In this world, in a very real way, knowledge is power and controlling and restricting it corrupts. It provides a nice allegory for the real world and the potential benefits of a new broom.