Title:	The Tomb of Dragons
Author:	Katherine Addison
Category:	Science Fiction / Fantasy
Rating:
Date Reviewed:	September 27, 2025

he Tomb of Dragons is book three of what is called the The Cemetaries of Amalo Trilogy. At least, I think this was meant to be a trilogy (the frontspiece of the book that lists works by Katherine Addison calls her last three books by that name), but the ending of the novel seems to leave open the possibilities of further adventure for the hero, Thara Celehar. Addison has continued to build upon her intricate world building, so I wonder if she would now abandon that world and go onto something new, or perhaps tell new stories in the same world but featuring a different character. The front of the book mentions The Chronicles of Osreth so perhaps there are more books planned but but with a new protagonist and Celehar appearing at most as just a minor character.

The Tomb of Dragons has four story arcs:

Celehar is kidnapped by miners and taken to the Tomb of Dragons - a mountainside with valuable veins of ore, but also inhabited by the spirit of a vengeful dragon.

Dach'osmr Coralis Clunethar has been plotting against the Prince Orchenis and so had been held in house arrest. But now Clunethar has vanished into the city and the authorities are searching for him.

The cemetary of Ulnemenee has been closed for decades, and the people in that district need a local place to bury the dead. The Archprelate has assigned Celehar the task of discovering what is wrong and getting the cemetary re-opened and functioning again.

During an opera, someone snuck into the loge where Mer Dravenezh sat alone watching the performance. A knife was stuck into his back, murdering him instantly. Who killed him, and why?

Addison's world building is so detailed and complete that it appears she has invented an entire language, complete with grammar, for this world. Perhaps if I read all three books in the trilogy in quick succession, I would remember more from book to book what all of these invented words meant, but often I could not tell what she was describing. Was that a title or profession of a character, or was that a character's name? Celehar sits down to meals with friends, but what is consumed has an unidentifiable name. There are different religions and they each have their sects and rites and customs. Addison must have a complete map of the city, with a description of each building on every block. I ended up confused. Because there are four story arc, there are many characters and they all have names like Othala Drinimar or Dach'othaa Ulzhavar or Doret Athmaza or Halhathvered - I simply could not keep straight who was who. Mostly, I kept track of Celehar and a few of the characters who constantly reappeared in more than one of the story arcs.

The best part of this book is when Celehar finds himself trapped in the Tomb of Dragons. The worst part of the book is when Celehar escapes from the Tomb and then has to tell each of his friends what happened. There must have been seven or eight different descriptions (most of them mercifully brief) when Celehar once again has to sit down and tell the tale of his adventure underground. Couldn't some of this been edited out?

I appreciate the creativity that Addison invested into her world building. I like the character development. But the plot for The Tomb of Dragons seemed like a stitching together of several short stories, one final book to clean up all the ideas that Addison had regarding the adventures of Thara Celehar. I will gladly pick up whatever book she writes next, I hope has more story and less ornate detail.