A review by jhbandcats
The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Another delightful entry in the Invisible Library series, though it's bogged down by details of the peace conference and its political machinations. The addition of an anachronistic villain grated on my nerves. However, the last part of the book redeemed it somewhat so I
finished reading with a happy feeling.

The story takes place in late 19th C Paris in the middle of winter. Librarian Irene, detective Vale, and Irene's assistant Kai are tasked with solving the murder of a high ranking dragon envoy to the conference. Naturally, suspicion falls on the Fae, the dragons' sworn enemies. For the peace treaty to be approved between the dragons and the Fae, the murder must be solved. Irene is walking
a fine line between chaos and rigid order, doing what she can to keep from angering the high-ranked negotiators as she struggles to find the culprit.

The Library, a neutral party, is in charge of hosting the peace talks. The Library itself has quite a large stake in the proceedings, so some feel their neutrality is suspect. Poison, bombs, blizzards, anarchists, and evil cats* are everywhere.

Looking forward to the next book in the series.

* Admittedly, the cats themselves aren't evil. Rather, an evil person is controlling them, refusing to let them snooze away the day in a haze of catnip.

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