The Librarians and the Lost Lamp by Greg Cox

I’m a fan of both The Librarian movies as well as The Librarians TV show so I was very excited to see that Greg Cox was writing a novel based on The Librarians universe. The Librarians and The Lost Lamp certainly did not disappoint.

The Librarian is sort of an Indiana Jones type character, except instead of an archeologist, he’s a librarian. The Library is both a depository and a fortress designed to protect the world from all manner of dangerous objects, from King Arthur’s sword to the fountain of youth. Most adventures involve tracking down some sort of artifact that is loose in the world and retrieving it before it causes further mayhem. The series is light-hearted and adventurous and Greg Cox perfectly captures that spirit in The Librarians and The Lost Lamp.

This book is split into two narratives set about 10 years apart and alternates between the two timelines throughout. In the earlier timeline, Librarian Flynn Carsen must track down Aladdin’s Lamp before the notorious Forty Thieves find it and unleash the dangerous djinn trapped within. Flynn teams up with a beautiful museum curator to track down the location of the lamp based on clues from The Arabian Nights.

In the present, new librarians Jake Stone, Ezekiel Jones, Cassandra Cillian and their Guardian, Eve Baird must track down a magical run of luck that an ordinary Joe in Las Vegas is having which ultimately turns out to be attributed to the lamp. Once again, the Forty Thieves are hot on its trail. It’s up to the Librarians to find the lamp first and save the world.

While the movie and television show share the same universe, there are subtle differences between the two. Greg Cox manages to capture the spirit of each and weave together a fast-paced and entertaining tale. This story is just plain fun. The lamp is the object that ties the two narratives together and while somewhat independent of each other, they combine to tell a wonderful adventure.

Therese Plummer does an amazing job with the narration of the book. There are a number of voices to deal with and she juggles them all wonderfully with a number of accents and personalities. She draws you into the story and adds to its enjoyment.

The Librarians and The Lost Lamp is a great book for anyone who loves light-hearted adventure. The characters and universe are described in enough depth that those unfamiliar with the TV version should have no trouble enjoying it. For fans of the show, this is an added delight to fill the time between seasons. I’ll be anxiously awaiting future releases in the series. Highly recommended!

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this audiobook for review.

Description: For millennia, the Librarians have secretly protected the world by keeping watch over dangerous magical relics. Cataloging and safeguarding everything from Excalibur to Pandora’s Box, they stand between humanity and those who would use the relics for evil.

Ten years ago, only Flynn Carsen, the last of the Librarians, stood against an ancient criminal organization known as The Forty. They stole the oldest known copy of The Arabian Nights by Scheherazade, and Flynn fears they intend to steal Aladdin’s fabled lamp. He races to find it first before they can unleash the trapped, malevolent djinn upon the world.

Today, Flynn is no longer alone. A new team of inexperienced Librarians, led by Eve Baird, their tough-as-nails Guardian, investigates an uncanny mystery in Las Vegas. A mystery tied closely to Flynn’s original quest to find the lost lamp. . . and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.