Thara Celehar has lost his ability to speak with the dead. When that title of Witness for the Dead is gone, what defines him?
While his title may be gone, his duties are not. Celehar contends with a municipal cemetery with fifty years of secrets, the damage of a revethavar he’s terrified to remember, and a group of miners who are more than willing to trade Celehar’s life for a chance at what they feel they’re owed.
Celehar does not have to face these impossible tasks alone. Joining him are his mentee Velhiro Tomasaran, still finding her footing with the investigative nature of their job; Iäna Pel-Thenhior, his beloved opera director friend and avid supporter; and the valiant guard captain Hanu Olgarezh.
Amidst the backdrop of a murder and a brewing political uprising, Celehar must seek justice for those who cannot find it themselves under a tense political system. The …
Thara Celehar has lost his ability to speak with the dead. When that title of Witness for the Dead is gone, what defines him?
While his title may be gone, his duties are not. Celehar contends with a municipal cemetery with fifty years of secrets, the damage of a revethavar he’s terrified to remember, and a group of miners who are more than willing to trade Celehar’s life for a chance at what they feel they’re owed.
Celehar does not have to face these impossible tasks alone. Joining him are his mentee Velhiro Tomasaran, still finding her footing with the investigative nature of their job; Iäna Pel-Thenhior, his beloved opera director friend and avid supporter; and the valiant guard captain Hanu Olgarezh.
Amidst the backdrop of a murder and a brewing political uprising, Celehar must seek justice for those who cannot find it themselves under a tense political system. The repercussions of his quest are never as simple they seem, and Celehar’s own life and happiness hang in the balance.
If you liked any of the previous Witness for the Dead novels, this is highly recommended. It probably makes sense to read the series in order.
Nicely stuck the landing. Sometimes even a single book ending is unsatisfying, let alone the end of a trilogy. This not only wraps the story lines well, but manages the exceptional magic of both concluding gracefully while it also leaves open and opportunity for further stories.
The book itself is another chance to spend time in the marvelous goblin world. If you've read others in the series and wanted more, it's here.
This is the final book in the Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy. I’ve read the first book although not the second (I’m a cheapskate and wait for discounts), so was aware I wasn’t up to speed with all the characters and events.
The tone and pacing remains at a leisurely amble, which is great for when you want a comfortable, low-stress read. I enjoyed the various mysteries that unfolded, although some were experienced rather secondhand. The explanations/solutions didn’t always feel “logical”. Without spoiling specifics, I found it hard to believe that some situations would have gone on for so long without being noticed or some kind of intervention. But a tightly knit plot isn’t what draws the reader in to this cosy, slice of life narrative.
Other reviewers have commented, and not always favourably, about where the romance element ended up. To me, it felt contrived. But given how conveniently everything …
This is the final book in the Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy. I’ve read the first book although not the second (I’m a cheapskate and wait for discounts), so was aware I wasn’t up to speed with all the characters and events.
The tone and pacing remains at a leisurely amble, which is great for when you want a comfortable, low-stress read. I enjoyed the various mysteries that unfolded, although some were experienced rather secondhand. The explanations/solutions didn’t always feel “logical”. Without spoiling specifics, I found it hard to believe that some situations would have gone on for so long without being noticed or some kind of intervention. But a tightly knit plot isn’t what draws the reader in to this cosy, slice of life narrative.
Other reviewers have commented, and not always favourably, about where the romance element ended up. To me, it felt contrived. But given how conveniently everything else fell into place by the end, and where Celehar ended up, I guess the author decided this was a way to avoid loose ends.
Overall, a pleasant, undemanding read.
The Tomb of Dragons is the third book in the Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy. The first book in this series felt like a straight mystery in a fantasy setting, but by the time we get to this third book, the mystery portion gets balanced out by more politics and interpersonal growth and the story is stronger for it. I appreciate the way a number of plot points and characters from the previous books (including Goblin Emperor) all get woven into this story. The plot is just messy enough in a way that's believable, but tight in a way that makes events (especially of the first book) feel even more relevant. I loved it enough that I finished it and immediately reread Goblin Emperor because I wanted to be in the world a little bit more and revisit Thara back at the beginning.
In the previous book, Thara has lost his …
The Tomb of Dragons is the third book in the Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy. The first book in this series felt like a straight mystery in a fantasy setting, but by the time we get to this third book, the mystery portion gets balanced out by more politics and interpersonal growth and the story is stronger for it. I appreciate the way a number of plot points and characters from the previous books (including Goblin Emperor) all get woven into this story. The plot is just messy enough in a way that's believable, but tight in a way that makes events (especially of the first book) feel even more relevant. I loved it enough that I finished it and immediately reread Goblin Emperor because I wanted to be in the world a little bit more and revisit Thara back at the beginning.
In the previous book, Thara has lost his ability to speak with the dead, and this book is partially about him dealing with understanding who he might be when he is unable to do the work that he has been called to for years. But, it's also about witnessing for a dragon genocide against an overwhelmingly powerful mining corporation, and about Thara learning to accept being cared for. It's got a lot going on.
One thing I always forget about these books are how name dense they are. Everybody has fantasy titles and surnames and personal names and get referred to in multiple different ways. It makes the world feel much more real, but foof does it create some friction to get back into it after a while away. Sometimes it also breaks out fantasy words like "revethvezvaishor’avar" which I can only assume is meant to be half joking, but it can feel like a lot.
If I have any real quibble with the book, it's that the legal climax of this book is a little underwhelming; however, the personal and emotional elements land perfectly for me. (The multiple hand holding scenes!!!)
On this note, the conversation with Iäna midway through the book is absolutely incredible. This moment has been building the entire trilogy, between Iäna's escalating kindness to Thara and Thara's inability to accept care for himself. It gets to be too much for Thara, where he just can't understand why Iäna is being so nice, and it turns into an incredible conversation hashing out what they mean to each other, the nature of friendships, and love. Honestly, Iäna is such an incredible role model.
The Tomb of Dragons is another solid Thara Celehar.
When I first read The Witness for the Dead, I was disappointed, because it had such different energy than The Goblin Emperor. After finishing The Tomb of Dragons, I went back to The Goblin Emperor again, but I actually stopped fairly quickly and went forward to Witness for the Dead instead, because this time what I wanted was the Thara Celehar energy. I have really come to enjoy how the pacing is very smooth and gradual, while being ultimately relentless. Celehar is never hurried or frantic - he just applies steady pressure to all his problems until they eventually crumble.
Though feeling adrift after losing his ability to speak with the dead, Thara Celehar remains very much himself. Happily, he has finally realised and accepted that others value and love him. This is helpful when he has to deal with a change of job, a loss of purpose, threats on his life, and political upheaval.
I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the previous books, but unsure why. Perhaps the too easy resolution of a certain plot point? Also, the (potential?) romance’s slow burn is so mean. Let Thara love and be loved! Still an enjoyable read.
