A senior dragon has died and there is a vacuum surrounding his station, one that two factions race to fill, dragging the Library into their internal politics, something that it must avoid at all costs to preserve its neutrality, and possibly its existence. A Librarian is caught in the midst of this, and it’s up to Irene to extricate him while preserving everything the Library holds dear, even at the cost of her own life.
This was a great addition to Irene’s adventures. Much more politically focussed than previous instalments, although that doesn’t stop there being lots of action, razor-sharp wit and mobsters with tommy guns in the 1920s style alternate America that Irene finds herself on. Her relationship with her apprentice Kai is stretched right to the breaking point here, as she struggles to avoid involving him in dragon politics that could also further implicate the Library. It’s nice to see that develop and I wonder where it will go.
The usual supporting cast get almost no screen time. Irene’s superior Coppelia is represented only by an email, and the Holmes-a-like Vale only appears in the last chapter. I missed him a lot, as he’s a fun character, but there’s more than enough plot and characterisation to be going on with, even without him.
Niggles are minor. There’s the old trick of ending every chapter with a cliffhanger. It’s an effective tactic, but it can get a bit much. It does fuel that “just one more chapter” feeling but can be a bit exhausting as well. It’s still a great read and I look forward to the next one.
