Library Journal
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Librarian/spy Irene returns from Germany after retrieving a full copy of the Heiland, hoping to enjoy a little downtime with her former apprentice Kai. But Bradamant, her erstwhile trainer and rival, gives Irene and her friend the great detective Peregrine Vale the assignment to find the killer of a high-position dragon at a secret dragon-fae peace conference. The Invisible Library is mediating this talk, and the balance between order and chaos is at stake. Vale and Irene head to 1890s Paris to solve the crime, only to discover tension among all the groups and that anyone-fae, dragon, or librarian-could have committed the murder. Librarians are held hostage in both the dragon and fae courts, as Irene seeks to uncover the truth. Her parents' lives are also in danger, as is any chance of peace between the two powerful factions. But what if the betrayal lies among the librarians themselves? -VERDICT -Cogman's witty follow-up to The Lost Plot once again provides a historical mashup of detectives, libraries, and fantasy characters revolving around time-traveling librarian spies. A delicious mix for a range of readers.-Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

*Starred Review* Cogman's fourth Invisible Library novel (after The Lost Plot , 2017) displays her delightful penchant for witty discourse, perplexing mystery, and ingenious uses of language to facilitate fantastic escapes. Irene Winters, librarian-in-residence in a multiverse of alternate earths, learns her employer, the enigmatic Library, is involved in an unprecedented event: mediating a covert peace conference between the dragons and the Fae, powerful agents of order and chaos. When a dragon delegate is murdered, the ever-so-clever Irene is called to assist her friend, the great detective Perrigen Vale, in the investigation. Working alongside dragon and Fae counterparts, the duo must find the elusive culprit as quickly as possible so the talks are not disrupted. Whether Irene will be helping to serve justice is another question. Trust is a priority, but Irene quickly discovers that all parties involved, dragons, Fae, and the Library, may be more interested in a cover-up if it leads the negotiations to a treaty. Complicating the situation even more for Irene, she cannot work directly with her former apprentice, the dragon prince Kai, frustrating her hopes of furthering their new romantic relationship. Tantalizing loose threads will have readers eager for the next installment.--Lucy Lockley Copyright 2018 Booklist

Publishers Weekly
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Following on the heels of The Lost Plot, Cogman's exciting fifth Invisible Library adventure finds Librarian Irene Winters, who travels through time rescuing rare and dangerous books and hiding them in the interdimensional Library, called to a version of Paris where peace talks between dragons and Fae have been interrupted by the murder of one of the principals in the dragon delegation. Also summoned to investigate is Peregrine Vale, "the nemesis of criminals across Great Britain," and rounding out the team are Mu Dan for the dragons and Lord Silver for the Fae. As keepers of the balance between the chaos generated by the Fae and the order promulgated by the dragons, the Librarians have been brought in as arbitrators, but the deceased mentioned "a mysterious book," leading some to suspect the Librarians of the murder. There are also rumors that the powerful and malevolent Blood Countess is involved, and Irene sees connections with the death that she and the dragon prince Kai investigated in The Lost Plot. Cogman ably combines sleuthing with politics, magic, and a bit of romance for a satisfying tale. Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.