Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians – Brandon Sanderson (2022)

Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson, published in 2022, is the final installment of the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series, a wildly inventive and satirical middle-grade fantasy saga. This entry stands apart by shifting the narrative voice from the infamous Alcatraz Smedry to Bastille, a sharp-tongued, no-nonsense Knight of Crystallia who has long served as both bodyguard and reluctant companion to the Smedry family. Set against a world dominated by an evil cult of Librarians who suppress knowledge and manipulate reality, this volume reveals long-concealed truths, wraps up epic conflicts, and offers a surprisingly profound conclusion about heroism, responsibility, and sacrifice.

Plot Summary

The Penguinator was on fire. Or at least it smelled that way. Cinnamon, smoke, and the unmistakable whiff of chaos. Bastille awoke strapped to a table in her pajamas, barely aware of how she’d gone from hurling a teddy bear at a massive robot in Mokia to being trapped aboard a burning Smedry airship. But Bastille was not one to linger in confusion. Her sword was nearby, her Crystin strength surged through her, and the moment the hatch gave way beneath her bare foot, she stepped out into the wreckage of the Highbrary – the most dangerous library in the world.

Alcatraz was strapped to an altar at the top of a towering bookstack, a bloody encyclopedia wedged beneath his head. Librarians with guns turned as one, but bullets were no match for a Knight of Crystallia. Bastille weaved and deflected, ducked between buildings made of overdue book receipts, and launched herself toward her unconscious charge. But she was too late. Attica Smedry – Alcatraz’s father – lay dead on the altar. His heart had been removed, sacrificed for a bloodforged Lens by Biblioden, the Scrivener himself, thought to be long dead. The enemy had taken what they came for and vanished. And the Highbrary, thanks to a self-destruct mechanism set by Leavenworth Smedry, was now preparing to melt itself with magma.

With no functioning airship and no more Talents – because Alcatraz had broken them – Bastille and a ragtag band of Smedrys, reformed Librarians, and her no-nonsense mother sprinted through melting corridors and collapsing archives. They dodged magma flows, hurdled crumbling stairways, and used fans from the Highbrary’s ventilation system to launch themselves into the Washington air like muddy, screaming fireworks. Bastille landed in a patch of mud, her sword gleaming, her resolve solidifying. Alcatraz, still silent, still grieving, had to be carried like a sack of sadness, unable to lift even his sarcasm.

Above ground, the Librarians had already veiled the city behind a glass illusion, hiding the battle from unsuspecting Hushlanders. The group found shelter on a hill overlooking the false serenity of Washington, DC. There, the weight of the day collapsed on them like a stack of obsolete encyclopedias. Leavenworth Smedry was dead. Attica had been butchered before his son’s eyes. The Talents were gone. And Alcatraz, who had always been reckless, ridiculous, and infuriatingly lucky, lay catatonic and silent.

But not deaf. Bastille’s pleas stirred him. Bits of truth fell from his lips like broken glass – Biblioden had masqueraded as their cousin Dif for years, infiltrating the Smedry family, waiting to steal Attica’s research. That research revealed how the Worldspire, a towering spike of crystal in the middle of the Pacific, was connected to every human soul. The Incarna had once channeled power through it, but it burned them away, every one, save for Alcatraz the First. That ancient ancestor had created the Talents to siphon off the energy and survive. Now that the Talents were broken, that power was flooding back, and Biblioden planned to use it to wipe out every Free Kingdomer by overloading their very beings.

Bastille tried to coax Alcatraz back to himself, dangling a case of backup Lenses once meant for his father. One touch was enough to ignite the Lenses with violent power. No one knew if Alcatraz could control it, or if he would simply melt anything he tried to use. He was now a walking conduit for something ancient, volatile, and possibly lethal.

There was no time to wait. The group needed to get to the Worldspire, but they had no airship, no Talents, no Oculator stable enough to use Lenses, and an entire Librarian network hunting them. Bastille argued with her mother, defied protocol, and marched the group down the hill without a plan but with unshakable determination. She would do what Smedrys did best – something utterly insane.

An escape plan materialized in bits and pieces. They needed a ship, and there was one – a barely-functioning Free Kingdom vessel hidden near the Potomac. Himalaya’s rebels helped them navigate Librarian checkpoints and black-veiled illusions, dodging flying robots, navigating tunnels guarded by grammar-obsessed sentries, and sneaking through zones where reality bent under the weight of curated fiction. Meanwhile, Alcatraz remained silent, the weight of guilt clamped to his shoulders like lead-lined Lenses.

At the dock, the group encountered one last obstacle – a Librarian strike team armed with glass-shattering ordnance and a fanatical belief in order. A battle erupted, chaotic and unbalanced. Bastille, armored and blazing, carved through enemies while protecting Alcatraz’s still body. Draulin fought like a storm, Kaz vanished and reappeared in strange spots, and even Folsom tried to distract enemies with some impressively bad dancing.

In the midst of the chaos, Alcatraz stirred. His voice, when it came, was ragged and hollow, but filled with finality. He spoke of the Incarna, of the lens Biblioden carried, and of the burning inside his own chest – power he could not contain forever. Bastille helped him to the ship, every step uncertain, but his mind finally focused.

The voyage to the Worldspire was storm-wracked, and the tower itself shimmered like a shard of lightning stabbing the sea. The final confrontation came not with armies, but with wills. Biblioden stood atop the Worldspire, Lens glowing with the power of the Incarna, his hand poised to release the surge that would unmake an entire civilization. His cultists stood chanting in circular scripts, their eyes ablaze with fanatic purpose.

Alcatraz stepped forward. Not as a hero. Not as a leader. But as someone who understood what needed to be broken.

He shattered the Lens.

The resulting explosion of energy ripped through the Worldspire, through the sky, through every vein of power still buried beneath the world. But Alcatraz took the force inside himself, the way his ancestor once did, and turned it inward.

The Worldspire held.

Biblioden was gone.

And Alcatraz disappeared.

No body. No blood. Only a shimmer of broken light.

Bastille stood on the Worldspire, clutching a single Lens – cracked but still warm. Her eyes burned, but not from the light. She looked out across the sea, the wind tearing through her white hair, and whispered a word no one could hear.

A glass wind stirred the world again. The Talents were gone. The Librarians scattered. And Bastille, for the first time, told the truth that Alcatraz never could.

He was a hero.

Main Characters

• Bastille Vianitelle Dartmoor the Ninth – The fierce, sarcastic narrator and protagonist of this volume. As a Knight of Crystallia, Bastille has long fought to protect the Smedrys, particularly Alcatraz. In this volume, her voice leads the narrative, showcasing her strength, wit, loyalty, and growing maturity as she grapples with the cost of war and the meaning of heroism.

• Alcatraz Smedry – The former narrator and central figure of the series, Alcatraz is a boy with the Talent of breaking things. In this installment, he’s broken more than objects – he’s broken the Talents themselves. Emotionally devastated after witnessing his father’s brutal death and believing himself responsible, Alcatraz struggles with despair, leaving Bastille and the others to carry the weight of resistance.

• Draulin (Bastille’s mother) – A stern, duty-bound Knight of Crystallia. Her unwavering adherence to rules and protocol contrasts with Bastille’s more impetuous approach. Throughout the story, Draulin reveals layers of humanity and maternal concern that deepen her character.

• Kaz Smedry – Alcatraz’s eccentric, undersized uncle whose Talent is getting lost. Kaz adds levity but also plays a crucial role in escape and strategic maneuvers. His loyalty is fierce, and his optimism becomes essential in dire moments.

• Folsom Smedry & Himalaya – Folsom is a Smedry with a (now defunct) Talent for dancing badly. Himalaya is a reformed Librarian turned rebel leader. Together, they represent hope for cooperation between Free Kingdomers and defected Librarians, offering a vision of change and unity.

• Biblioden the Scrivener – The central antagonist, long thought dead. He infiltrates the group in disguise and ultimately reveals a devastating plan to annihilate all Free Kingdomers using a powerful Lens and the Worldspire, making him a chilling embodiment of long-simmering ideology twisted into fanaticism.

Theme

• Heroism and Sacrifice – The book interrogates the very nature of heroism. Bastille insists Alcatraz is a hero despite his flaws, emphasizing that courage is found not in perfection but in perseverance, guilt, and doing what must be done. The ultimate sacrifices made reflect a deeper truth – that being a hero is often tragic.

• The Power and Danger of Knowledge – A central theme in the series, here it’s pushed to the brink. The Librarians’ tyrannical control over knowledge is juxtaposed against the chaos of truth unleashed. Bastille’s perspective adds nuance, showing how knowledge, while powerful, can also be weaponized or overwhelming.

• Identity and Inheritance – Alcatraz grapples with his legacy, particularly his family line’s connection to the Incarna and the burden of having broken the Talents. Bastille, too, must reconcile her identity not only as a Knight but also as someone shaped deeply by the Smedrys, whom she once disdained.

• Satire and Subversion of Fantasy Tropes – True to the series’ tone, this book continues to mock conventional fantasy (and literary) norms: exaggerated villains, overwrought chosen ones, and even genre expectations. Bastille’s blunt narration satirizes both high fantasy and the conventions of middle-grade storytelling.

Writing Style and Tone

The writing style, while carrying the stamp of Brandon Sanderson’s intricate world-building, is purposefully reframed through Bastille’s acerbic, no-nonsense voice. Janci Patterson’s co-authorship ensures that Bastille feels like a fully-realized narrator, distinct from Alcatraz. Her prose is sharp, brisk, and peppered with dry humor and emotional undercurrents. The frequent asides, direct reader address, and fourth-wall-breaking commentary keep the tone fresh and irreverent. Bastille’s internal monologue, often sarcastic or self-deprecating, offers surprising insight into her character and the world’s absurdity.

Tone-wise, the book balances comedic absurdity with emotional gravity. It’s a unique mix – you’re laughing at a Librarian’s obsession with alphabetizing baby clothes one moment, then grappling with the aftermath of a father’s brutal death the next. This juxtaposition enhances the emotional resonance, making the comedic moments shine brighter and the darker moments hit harder. The tone matures with the story, particularly as Bastille reflects on trauma, duty, and love in quieter, more thoughtful interludes.