To be honest, I haven't read or even heard of Rachel Caine before reading Ink and Bone. That being said, I wasn't expecting much when I started reading it because what drew me to this book was the subject matter. Who doesn't want to read about the Great Library, a place that holds all the knowledge of the worlds? But as soon as I started reading my expectations where blown straight out of the water! 
 The sheer amount of world building and character depth of most of the characters introduced is phenomenal. Rachel did something that, honestly, I thought couldn't be done. She actually made me like a dystopian/alternate history book. Not to say that there aren't good ones out there but what makes this book so different is that the history and dystopian aspect is realistic! I found myself nodding and muttering to myself "that could have really happened...thank god it didn't!" 
 The two characters that I grew to love was Jess (the main character) and his instructor Wolfe. There were many side characters, but none of them drew me in like Santi a highly skilled solider that guards the Alexandrian compound. Rachel does a great job at creating well-rounded characters that even the buttholes you want to root for! 
 Another well thought out aspect of this book is the sheer diversity of this book. The fact that it was so well done that the diversity did not consume the story is just brilliant. There is actual, well thought out, tension between the students that come from various places in the world. 
 The only aspect of the story that I did not find myself enjoying was the love between Jess and another classmate. In my humble opinion, I believe that it was rushed and it could have been slowed down a little bit more. It felt more insta-love then I would have liked. But hell, I think who he fell in love with was the wrong person in general so that might be another reason why this part bothered me. 
 Another aspect of the story that did not necessarily bother me because I was so well engrossed in the book was that the pace was a bit on the slow side. Again, not a problem for me, but I am just warning you. You have to want to read a slow burning book (read the book and you will get that pun). 
 All in all, I think that Ink and Bone has become one of my favorite top books that I've read in 2015. Go ahead, give it a try!