Reviews with content warning for Blood - Die maskierte Stadt

So, I ended up going straight to my local bookstore to purchase the second book in the Invisible Library series and it did not disappoint at all. And this time, it didn't take me 3 years to get around to reading it, so obviously that's progress! I will never tire of reading about badass librarian spies working in alternate universes. This installment of the series centered on a rescue plot: Kai, Irene's draconic student, has been kidnapped by a pair of Fae folk and has been whisked away to another world, one steeped in chaos, to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Once Kai's uncle gets wind of this plot, he tasks Irene with Kai's rescue, threatening the destruction of Vale's London should she fail.

I really enjoyed seeing the structure of a completely Fae controlled world as well as the limitations it placed on both Irene and Kai. Because Kai is a dragon and, therefore, is a creature driven by science and reason, the levels of chaos are nearly toxic to him. Irene must race against the clock to save her student. The masquerade and fairy tale atmosphere of the book was fantastic. It lent an air of intrigue, which was delightful.

While I enjoyed the heist-like setup of the book, it did feel like it didn't live up to the excitement present in the first book. I know that this is something that usually happens in series: the second installment often leaves something wanting. I think I was mostly disappointed at the lack of Alberich. He had been introduced as such an important, formidable, and central character that the lack of his presence in the second book was a little jarring. He was only mentioned a few times towards the very end of the book. I'm sure (hoping, really) that he'll play a larger role as I go through the series, but I was hoping to see more of him in this book.

I've placed an order for the third book at my local bookstore and picked up the fourth for good measure. I'm determined to own and read the entire series. Then, I'll think about transferring it to my classroom for my students to read. Until the third comes in, I've picked up Deborah Harkness's A Discovery of Witches, which I'll be reading in the meantime.

Content Warnings

meganpbennett's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The Masked City picks up almost immediately where The Invisible Library ends. It's not a standalone sequel, rather a continuation of the previous book. It opens with Kai being kidnapped by persons unknown, and continues from there.

Featuring a Train ride, a Venice that is not our Venice, Fae, and Dragons, this sequel is not to be missed.

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