The Masked City
Ratings84
Average rating3.7
I didn't like it as much as I liked the Invisible Library. But it was OK. Less Kai :-D
The Language is making Irene a bit too powerful.
2.5 stars. This one needed a serious edit. I appreciate the expansion of the world, but there were too many melodramatic scenes and throwaway characters to give it any higher.
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.
I think because I knew the world better, I actually enjoyed this book more than the first.
Truly enjoyed this read and reading about Irene taking action and doing her thing. Still don't think Vale was quite necessary and he is an old-fashioned character, but he has his charms. I hope Kai will be featured in the next book, as well as Zayanna (?) I can't remember her name but I enjoyed her character and the friendship blossoming between her and Irene.
There isn't a huge mystery here or a whodunit aspect, but more of figuring out how to get things done, which was a fun ride to tag along on.
I very much look forward to reading the next book and might actually bump it further up the list.
This was such a delight to read! I don't know why I feel so surprised, but mostly I'm incredibly happy and glad to be ending 2017 on a high note with this book!
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).
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