The Dark Archive

Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now ${{ price }} Send as a gift

Listen to a sample

What to expect

A mysterious archive. A powerful enemy. And a cunning plan. The Dark Archive is the seventh book in the Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman.

Danger is part of the day job for a librarian-spy. So Irene’s hoping for a relaxing weekend break in Guernsey, on the tail of a rare book. That's when her jaunt takes a dire turn.

Irene is almost assassinated, Kai is poisoned and Vale barely escapes with his life. Then the attacks continue in London – targeting those connected with the Fae-dragon peace treaty. Irene knows she must stop the plot before the treaty fails. Or someone dies.

But when Irene and friends are trapped underground, in a secret archive, things don’t look so good. Then an old enemy demands vengeance, and a shocking secret is revealed. Can Irene really seize victory from chaos?

The fantastical journey continues in The Untold Story, the eighth book in the Invisible Library series.

Praise for the series:


'I absolutely loved this' – N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Season

'Irene is a great heroine: fiery, resourceful and no one's fool' – The Guardian

'Cogman keeps upping the ante on this delightful series!' – Charles Stross, author of the Merchant Princes series

Critics Review

Atherton doesn't falter while handling the lightning-fast pace of this story as she sets the perfect tone for each new plot twist and reversal of fortune. She also manages to give each character in an enormous cast a distinctly recognizable accent and timbre, keeping listeners on the edge of their seats as they follow along with ease.
AudioFile
I absolutely loved this . . . flavoured with truly unique mythology and a dash of the eldritch. Such clever, creepy, elaborate worldbuilding and snarky, sexy-smart characters!
N. K. Jemisin on The Invisible Library
Irene is a great heroine: fiery, resourceful and no one’s fool, she has a wonderfully droll sense of humour – much like the novel itself
Guardian on The Masked City
Brilliant and so much fun. Skullduggery, Librarians, and dragons – Cogman keeps upping the ante on this delightful series!
Charles Stross on The Burning Page
a fantastic addition to Genevieve Cogman’s oeuvre, and paves the way for a deeper exploration of the fantastic world that she has created.
FantasyBookReview on The Lost Plot
Cogman fills a captivating story with animated characters and propels the narrative at a cracking pace, planting perfectly timed plot twists and reversals of fortune along the way
Guardian on The Mortal Word
Simply a joy to read - deeply atmospheric where it should be, properly exciting when anything's going on as it generally is, and tender too. This is a series that shows absolutely no sign of losing pace, and I'm already impatient for the next
BlueBookBalloon on The Secret Chapter
Without sacrificing the adventure that is a hallmark of the series, Cogman pulls Irene through a multilevel maze of doubts and paranoia that will have readers jumping at shadows, too. Fans will be delighted to find this series still going strong
Publishers Weekly

User Reviews

Book 4.0
Narration 5.0
4.0
5.0
It’s been quite a while since I read the previous book and it took me a bit of time to get back into it. But the excellent narration helped and I’m looking forward to listening to the next one!
dizzydyslexic 04/08/2025

About xigxag

Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.