Climbing Mount TBR: The Tomb of Dragons

Review by Ed O.

Welcome back to Climbing Mount TBR where I, your humble Book Kaiju, struggle to climb to the top of my “to read” pile one book at a time.  This time we’re doing a special ARC that I’ve been looking forward to for a while:  The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison (a pseudonym for Sarah Monette).  Everyone’s favorite Witness for the Dead, Thara Celehar, is back in this third installment of The Cemeteries of Amalo series.  

The publisher was kind enough to send “Kaiju & Gnome” a review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.  Since I love all of Addison’s works set in the same world (The Goblin Emperor is peak “politics and manners”) I tackled the Gnome and stole this one for myself!  Ah ha!  I get to read about a priest trying to get the paperwork done so that a cemetery can actually inter people!  

If you know nothing of this series, then let me give you a little recap.  The world of Osreth there are two races of people: elves and goblins.  Get your D&D ideas of these two races out of your mind.  They’re basically people with pointy ears.  The only differences between the two are that elves are white and goblins are black.  There are a few other cultural differences, but those are rather understated in the series.

The world was introduced to us in The Goblin Emperor when Maia, the unloved son of the current emperor, is forced to take the throne after a dreadful accident killed everyone above him in the line of succession.  Amongst the cast of a dozen side characters is Thara Celahar, a Witness for the Dead.  Basically, a detective that can talk to dead people.

The Cemeteries of Amalo series is the continuing adventures of Celahar as he tries to solve murders and fix cemeteries (funerary rites are incredibly important in this world).  Along the way he gathers his own cast of side characters that dip in and out of the narrative.

While the setup may make it sound like a mystery novel, they’re really not.  The crimes and mysteries he solves are not the center of the narrative.  Instead, it’s his relationships and the social navigation he must do that book focuses on.

In that way, these novels are best described as cozy.  Yes, there’s murders to be solved, but also it just feels so… warm and fuzzy?  It’s the book equivalent of a nice cup of tea on a rainy day.  

The plot of this novel involves Thara Cellahar having to figure out how to serve as a witness to a dragon.  It turns out decades ago a mining company committed a genocide against the dragons (who are sapient beings) in order to have access to the mines the dragons lived in.  Through a series of misadventures and a kidnapping, Cellahar meets an angry ghost dragon who makes him promise to bring those who profit from the genocide to justice.

That kicks off a series of meetings and discussions over the rights of dragons and how does one give justice to a victim if the guilty party is long dead?  Cellahar must face the fact that some very powerful elves and goblins don’t like him questioning capitalism.  Plus in the background there is a possible coup in the works, but that barely matters, because Cellahar has to figure out what it means to have friends.

This series is lovely and the prose is beautiful.  It is also one of the most meandering, confusing series out there.  Addison has created a vibrant world.  Yet she rarely stops the narrative to info dump on what the heck anything is.

I’ve read all of her books, and jumping back in again after a year or so break I found myself lost.  What’s the difference between an othasmeire and an ulimeire?  Is Untheileian a place or a concept?  Should I know what’s going on or is this all new?

I have a policy when reading books: I’m not going to Google questions.  I shouldn’t have to go to an outside source to understand what’s happening.  So… I didn’t.  I didn’t search for what was what or who was who.

Instead, I just vibed it.  It was a little bit like learning a new language.  After a while, you pick up enough clues from context to figure it out.  Why stress about being one hundred percent sure what a word means, when it doesn’t really matter?  Just go with the flow and enjoy the coziness of it all.

That’s probably the best advice I can give if you decide to dip your toes into the world of Osreth.  Just vibe it.  Don’t worry if you don’t understand all the lore or culture.  Instead, latch onto what you do understand: the characters.  Because Addison nails the characters.

Thara Cellahar, Witness for the Dead, is a man that believes he doesn’t deserve to have friends.  His backstory is tragic and he’s obviously in need of a therapist.  Too bad this is a fantasy world filled with magic and dragons, so therapy is just too unrealistic.  

His entire story arc is his recognition that not only does he have people that love him, but that he is worthy of love.  The book leaves the world open for future adventures of Thala Cellahar, but they will be with a Celahar in a better place mentally and emotionally.  He’ll not be alone when he faces the future.

If you’re in the mood for a series that focuses on politics, manners, and the power of friendship, then give the world of Oserth a shot.  This book is a great addition to the series.  The vibes are immaculate.  Pick up a copy of The Tomb of Dragons when it releases March 11, 2025!

That’s one more down… Only 258 to go.

Tell us what you think about Katherine Addison’s World of Oserth over on Bluesky @kaijuandgnome.bsky.social‬!