The Forbidden Library

I wanted to LOVE this book, but I ended up just really liking it. It grabbed me right away, and I was intrigued. Alice is a tough name for a literary character, but this Alice rises to the occasion relying on her intelligence and good sense. I was worried there for a awhile because Alice tells us she is a rule follower, but, like another Alice I know, she then proceeds to break all of those rules. Up to the middle, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I loved the setting (the real world), loved the library, and mostly understood the book worlds. A great many characters are thrown at us at once. I was impressed with the depth of mystery each character has-there are many layers to even the side characters here. Which side are they on? What war is even being fought?
Why I didn't LOVE the book (with no spoilers). Alice relies on the same thing to fight battle after battle. I understand why, I just got tired of reading about them. The world building could have been a bit better. I'm not sure I understand the magic of the books, why everything is stored the way it is stored, and what the goal is.

I sure hope this is going to be a series because there are a TON of resolved issues.