"Quite amazing how determined kings and emperors have been to destroy books. But civilisation is built on such desecrations, is it not?"

A horrifying premise for book lovers, yet before you've reached the midway point of EX-LIBRIS, Ross King manages to drive home this very point. Fervent reflections on the detestable practice of conquering armies setting libraries ablaze form a powerful narrative for the literary suspense in this 17th century tale.

Isaac Inchbold, a London bookseller, is commissioned by a widowed woman to recover a rare text that was stolen from her father's mansion during the English Civil War. Alethea Marchamont has dreams of restoring her father's magnificent home and, in particular, his prestigious library, to its original state. Her father, Sir Ambrose Plessington, was a world renowned book collector and served many foreign kings and dignitaries in the capacity of procurer of ancient works. However, the elusive volume, The Labyrinth of the World, is more than just an ancient manuscript. Many died trying to obtain it; both Plessington and Lord Marchamont were murdered because they once possessed it. The secrets it contains are purported to be in the form of a Hermetic text that caused tremors in every civilization since it first appeared nearly 200 years before.

As Inchbold soon discovers, what appears to be a search for a significant literary work soon becomes a dangerous quest to stay one step ahead of a trio of killers and other political agents who are seeking this same ancient prize. While he is told that its value is purely literary, Inchbold soon believes there is far more to the story --- and the missing text --- than he has been led to believe. From the naval archives to the dangerous back alleys of London's seediest sector, Inchbold begins to piece together the history of the provocative manuscript and Alethea's personal obsession to find it.

King's novel is categorized as a literary thriller, yet the historical overview of this period in history and the relevance of the written works of ancient scientists and philosophers is by far the dominant theme. Copernicus, Galileo, and Hermes are but a few who are enumerated for their impact on the religious and secular worlds. The emperors and cardinals, the Counter-Reformation, Cromwell and Raleigh, and the continuously fluid allegiances that spawned wars among nations form the tapestry from which the mysterious quest to obtain The Labyrinth of the World unfolds.

EX-LIBRIS is, in a word, mind-boggling. While King's knowledge in the many fields that interconnect within his story provides an illuminating experience, readers may want to brush up on their European history before tackling this masterpiece. Its complexity and the sheer volume of references is staggering, and he doesn't dumb it down for the average reader. On the contrary, he tosses in the who's who in every field and remarks on their noteworthy tomes, interlaced with doses of theology, philosophy, astrology, alchemy, and science. There's even an entire lesson on the intricacies of cryptography --- a bit more complex than most of us are equipped to handle --- as related by Inchbold while attempting to decipher a message.

Despite the sometimes excessive tutorial, the suspenseful storyline isn't altogether smothered. Readers will find the imaginative backstory that alternates with the current events unfolding in Inchbold's life to be equally intriguing. There's the young girl and her lover who become caught up in the early religious wars of Europe and the frantic race to protect the precious library of a king from destruction. And central to the action is Alethea's father, a colorful but puzzling character that the author parcels out in tantalizing pieces, never quite letting the reader know whether he's hero or villain. Simultaneously, readers are entertained by Inchbold's various adventures in search of a clue to the present owner of the stolen text. As the two stories finally begin to merge they may present some fairly obvious conclusions to be drawn, but readers won't be able to pry themselves away before learning the final revelations in this elaborate, masterfully orchestrated novel of historical fiction.