#46 Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders by Aliette de Bodard

This novella is set after the three books, but a new reader can read this and not be lost in the setting. Newlyweds have returned the family palace of dragon partner in the marriage. The fallen angel half has found a murdered servant and now they have been drawn into solving the murder before Tet. A solid murder and a glimpse into how life was for Thuan before he married Asmodeus. I hope there will be more small slices of life stories to come.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

#47 Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne

Set in the same world as the Iron Druid but with the exception of a cameo he doesn’t figure in the story. This can be read without having read any of the Iron Druid books but there will be some spoilers but it might spur the reader to find them after reading this book. Al is a sigil writer, he handles magical issues that come up with the Fae that want to spend time in the mortal world. The specials inks he uses infuse the sigils with power to both hurt and heal. The book starts with him investigating the death of his most current apprentice, one who it seems was dealing with magic that Al hadn’t taught him and the slave trade of lesser Fae. Al is also working under a curse that if people hear his voice they eventually grow to hate him so he uses tech to work around it. I really liked the story and that the main character was older and had an interesting background. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and see where it will go.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss