The tomb of dragons

In the conclusion to the Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy (which started with The Witness for the Dead, 2021), Thara Celehar is at loose ends without his ability to communicate with the dead. He is assigned to reopen a municipal cemetery that has been closed for years due to mismanagement, and if wrangling bureaucracy isn't Celehar's favorite thing, well, he hasn't got anything better to do. Then Celehar is kidnapped and forced deep into an old mine in a mountain known as the Tomb of Dragons. Alone in the dark, Celehar encounters the miraculous return of his witnessing abilities . . . and the vengeful spirit of the dragon Ithalpherix, who petitions him to witness for 192 dragons massacred over a century ago by a still-powerful mining company. To provide justice for the dragons and avoid the wrath of an influential family, Celehar must rely on friends and connections new and old across the empire. Like its protagonist, the book flounders a bit in the beginning but ultimately finds its footing, providing an appropriately epic finale for the series and introducing the welcome prospect of further adventures for Celehar beyond the city of Amalo.

This cozy fantasy mystery, set in the world of The Goblin Emperor, picks up where the previous book, featuring Witness for the Dead Thara Celehar, left off, with Celehar uncertain of his future after the loss of his abilities from his run-in with a deadly ghoul. But Celehar still has his intelligence, his dogged determination, and his contacts in the city. Serving as his Arch-Prelate's troubleshooter, Celehar investigates the 50-year complete dysfunction of a city cemetery, gets kidnapped, and finds his abilities have miraculously returned when he faces a dead dragon who needs a witness to bring justice against a corporation capable of bringing down the whole empire. In theory, this series shouldn't be cozy because Celehar has a knack for ending up in epically awful trouble, but he is such a cozy character, just getting the job done and taking each task as it comes to its conclusion. His self-effacing modesty makes him a delight to follow even as it drives his friends to distraction. VERDICT Readers who are enthralled with the new cozy fantasy trend or love a cozy mystery will be delighted with Celehar and his latest investigation.--Marlene Harris