I struggled with this one and almost didn't finish it. About sixty per cent of the way in it became easier to get through but for a while there I thought I was going to set it aside.

I think part of the issue was that this novel was just too fantasy for me. Which I know, right. It IS a fantasy novel. But I feel like the first book in the series was more urban fantasy/steampunk than outright fantasy. And this one had those elements in it, but there was a lot of Fae and Dragon stuff and a lot about fae magic and fantasy politics in regards to wars between Fae and Dragons etc. Despite enjoying some urban fantasy, I'm not a huge fan of the fantasy genre as a whole so I think I struggled with that.

The other issue for me was that it wasn't really about The Library. Or even being a Librarian within the Library. I mean sure, at times it was mentioned and Irene casually spoke on behalf of the Library and used the Library's magic and yes, Irene is a Librarian, but she didn't really head off on this adventure with the full blessing/backing of the Library. This was mostly a personal quest to save a friend. Not a mission that was set for her by the Library.

So generally speaking, to me at least, this was just your average fantasy novel where your protagonist sets off on a journey to rescue someone they care deeply about and along the way they have a magical adventure filled with dragons and fairies. There isn't anything wrong with that, really. It was well written and the plot moved along as plots usually do. But. As a part two of a series, this skirting along the edge of being a Librarian by going off solo didn't really work for me. I wanted to learn more about the Library and the Librarians. I wanted to see Irene go on missions to retrieve books. I didn't get that, so I was left me wanting more.

It also ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, which I really dislike. Boo.