The Masked City

A great fun read, pretty much non-stop action yet somehow squeezing in excellent character development and a setting that is a joy to explore. If you haven't read book 1 which introduces Irene the world-hopping hero-Librarian, I recommend it.

For those who have read book 1, the following should be spoiler free if you've read the blurb:
Book 1 had Irene in one “Victorian” world with her assistant Kai (a dragon in disguise) and local consulting detective Peregrine Vale (who lives on Baker Street, need I say more?). Book 2 opens with [really mild spoiler - for page 2] Kai being kidnapped. This sets the stage for a much more epic adventure to save Kai and prevent a multi-world war between the (Lawful) Dragons and the (Chaotic) Fae.In the progress we get to see more worlds and learn far more about the workings of the multiverse. We also get to know our old friends better, and meet some brilliant new characters.If you loved the humour and amazingly creative action from the first book, you're in for a treat.

Btw. In the “About the Author” section it said Ms Cogman has worked with RPGs., for those who know their RPGs I will add three words: “Planescape, Shadowrun, Mage:TA” ... mixed with Ms Cogman's excellent secret spice.

Like The Invisible Library, The Masked City is absolutely delightful! The series follows the adventures of Irene, a spy for an organization existing outside of time and space known as the Library. Though this installment didn't build on the first as much as I had hoped or have as much Kai as I would have liked, it made up for this in other ways: a plot revolving around the power of stories, the introduction of Zayanna, and especially Irene herself. She's a wonderful heroine–competent, practical, quick-thinking, and all-around difficult to unnerve–and the highlight of the novel.

My Full Review

The exciting new sequel to The Invisible Library starts off with Irene's usual task of acquiring a book – this time in a not so legal auction. Irene and Kai intend to find the persons who are trying to steal the book from them but before they do, Kai is kidnapped by the Fae. The remainder of the book deals with how Irene navigates the extreme chaos infested city of Venice where the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred and eventually rescues Kai, preventing a war between the dragons and the Fae in the process.

Irene was delightful in the first book but we get to know her more in this adventure. She is so brave, responsible and thinks quickly on her feet to get out of tricky situations. Her thoughtful words when dealing with Kai's royal uncle or the Fae kidnappers Lord and Lady Guantes are a treat to read. The innovative ways in which she uses the Language to help Kai and escape Venice is also very interesting. Irene is turning into a great literary heroine and hopefully, we will see her in more adventures in the series. There is not much to any of the other characters except some interesting conversations which are few and far between.

Overall, the book is an enjoyable adventure with a female protagonist we can root for and the multiple worlds in the series are quite fascinating. The only disappointment with the book is that we get to know hardly anything more about the Library and there is not much plot revolving around books (which is what I was really hoping for).