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

I struggled with this one and almost didn't finish it. About sixty per cent of the way in it became easier to get through but for a while there I thought I was going to set it aside.

I think part of the issue was that this novel was just too fantasy for me. Which I know, right. It IS a fantasy novel. But I feel like the first book in the series was more urban fantasy/steampunk than outright fantasy. And this one had those elements in it, but there was a lot of Fae and Dragon stuff and a lot about fae magic and fantasy politics in regards to wars between Fae and Dragons etc. Despite enjoying some urban fantasy, I'm not a huge fan of the fantasy genre as a whole so I think I struggled with that.

The other issue for me was that it wasn't really about The Library. Or even being a Librarian within the Library. I mean sure, at times it was mentioned and Irene casually spoke on behalf of the Library and used the Library's magic and yes, Irene is a Librarian, but she didn't really head off on this adventure with the full blessing/backing of the Library. This was mostly a personal quest to save a friend. Not a mission that was set for her by the Library.

So generally speaking, to me at least, this was just your average fantasy novel where your protagonist sets off on a journey to rescue someone they care deeply about and along the way they have a magical adventure filled with dragons and fairies. There isn't anything wrong with that, really. It was well written and the plot moved along as plots usually do. But. As a part two of a series, this skirting along the edge of being a Librarian by going off solo didn't really work for me. I wanted to learn more about the Library and the Librarians. I wanted to see Irene go on missions to retrieve books. I didn't get that, so I was left me wanting more.

It also ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, which I really dislike. Boo.