The 2nd novel in The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman, and the sequel to The Invisible Library.
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, a shadowy organization that collects important works of fiction from all of the different realities. Her current assignment has her serving as the Resident Librarian in a magical steampunk version of Victorian London. When she returns from a brief trip back to the Library to turn in a recently acquired book, she learns that her student (and Dragon incognito) Kai, has been kidnapped by forces unknown.
The Library dispatches her to one of the alternate Earths, a Cyberpunk world under the Dragons' domain, to report Kai's disappearance to his uncle, Ao Shun, King of the Northern Ocean (and to fall on her sword, if necessary). She learns from Ao Shun that Kai was kidnapped by a pair of Fae nobles known as The Guantes, and warned that if Kai is not returned safely, the Dragons will destroy the Earth he was kidnapped on in retaliation. Further, Kai's kidnapping could lead to a highly destructive war between the Fae and the Dragons, due to Kai being a member of the Dragons' royal family.
Irene's only hope is to infiltrate the alternate Venice with the help of Silver, chief rival of The Guantes, who Irene most definitely cannot trust, find Kai in the middle of a city ruled by the Fae, and figure out how to get him back safely and prevent a war that could threaten hundreds of worlds.
Followed by The Burning Page.
The Masked City contains examples of the following tropes:
- Badass in Distress: Kai is kidnapped by the Fae, with most of the plot centered on Irene finding and rescuing him.
- Battle Butler: Silver's human minions include butlers and maids skilled in hand-to-hand combat, including a pair of butlers strong enough to go toe-to-toe with werewolves. Irene berates herself for not considering the possibility until she actually notices several of them producing concealed weapons during a confrontation.
- Be Yourself: Aunt Isra's chief instruction - the more "themselves" a Fae is, the more powerful they become.
- Big Damn Heroes: When Irene is cornered by Lord Guantes and realizes she can't resist his power, Vale steps out from behind a curtain, revealing that he infiltrated the alternate Venice without anyone else being the wiser.
- Big Brother Is Watching: Exploited. Vale learns what is going on in Venice by impersonating the Secret Police and questioning people, figuring that any city where everyone goes around wearing masks must have such an agency.
- The Cavalry: When Irene, her friends, and The Horse are trying to escape from The Rider and the other great Fae after dealing with the Guantes, Ao Shun intervenes. The Fae break off their pursuit rather than risk a fight with such a powerful Dragon.
- Conversational Troping: Given that the forces of Chaos basically run on Tropes, the Fae pass the time in discussions regarding the various roles they play in their stories, and discussing whether they are protagonists or supporting characters in others' stories. Zayana in particular is really hoping to find a hero she can seduce, and keeps asking Irene if she's a heroine.
- Cunning Linguist: Irene's skill with languages comes in handy in Venice. Amusingly, she ends up getting taken in by a gaggle of Fae who can't speak Italian and need someone who can translate.
- Cyberpunk: The Gamma world where Ao Shun holds court.
- Enemy Mine: There is no love lost between Irene and Silver, but as it happens, he has a very old rivalry with The Guantes and is more than happy to help Irene foil their plot.
- Extranormal Prison: The Carceri, a prison on an extradimensional plane designed to hold the most powerful Fae.
- Foreshadowing: Aunt Isra's speech about the deeds she has done as storyteller contains hints about her role in upcoming events, both within the current book and future books.
- "I gave a hero the reins to a horse that rides faster than the wind." In this book,Irene uses what she learned about the Theory of Narrative Causality from Aunt Isra to free the Iron Horse.
- "I told a tale that set a Djinn free." In book 8, Aunt Isra's story about the First Storyteller eventually leads to the unshackling of the Library.
- "I knelt at the feet of an emperor who ruled five worlds, and I told him a story that brought doom one one of them, but saved another." Also in book 8, this can once again be interpreted as a reference to the world-shattering nature of Aunt Isra's story of the First Storyteller, which drove Alberich to madness and indirectly led to the destruction of five worlds, but also gave Irene the keys to saving many more worlds from the same fate.
- "Hell, Yes!" Moment:
- Irene realizing how to get The Iron Horse's cooperation:
"Free me of my bridle and reins!" - The Infiltration: Irene spends most of the book sneaking about in an alternate Venice, variously disguised as a human servant or a minor Fae.
- Invoked Trope: Realizing how much high-chaos worlds run on narrative, Irene uses The Language to write herself into The Horse's story, as The Princess who frees The Horse from The Rider, and in turn The Horse helps her and her friends escape.
- It's Always Mardi Gras in New Orleans: It's Carnival when Irene arrives in alternate-Venice. It's implied that in a world that runs on storytelling convenience, it really is always Carnival in Venice.
- Ms. Exposition: Aunt Isra's role as The Storyteller is to explain "proper behavior in spheres of high virtue" (read: the way things work in alternate worlds deep in chaos). This serves as instruction for a group of minor Fae, Irene, and the reader. For starters:
- Less chaotic worlds cannot contain great Fae.
- Great and powerful Fae appear to others in dress and manner most appropriate to their chosen archetype for the given situation.
- One can gain power by sharing in the stories of others, and in the stories of great Fae in particular.
- She also offers details on the situation at Venice: Lord Guantes is due to auction off Kai to the highest bidding Fae at midnight the next day.
- Ninja Maid: Silver's maids aren't any less dangerous in a fight than his butlers are. In particular, one of them is a rather acrobatic martial artist with razor-sharp spurs on her boots.
- Not in This for Your Revolution: Many of the Fae prove to lack enthusiasm for The Guantes' plot, and are only tagging along to see which way the cards fall. At least a few outright help Irene or step aside without trying to stop her once they learn what's going on.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Irene when Ao Shun reacts to finding out that both her parents are Librarians.
- Irene when she realizes that The Guantes have ensnared her.
- Prison Dimension: The Carceri exists as an extradimensional place for the Ten and other Fae to store their most dangerous prisoners.
- The Rival: Silver and The Guantes have been in a power struggle with each other for many centuries.
- Secret Identity: Irene adopts the alias of Clarice while pretending to be a Fae.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Aunt Isra only appears in one chapter in this book, but almost everything Irene knows about how stories shape chaotic worlds comes from her.
- The Storyteller: Aunt Isra adopts this as her Fey archetype.
- Subterfuge Judo: Irene's confrontation with Lord Guantes at the opera house comes down to a duel of words, ideologies, and intent... though Lord Guantes has the upper hand with his Fey glamour.
- Supernormal Bindings: The chains that Lord Guantes binds Kai in are specifically designed to keep Kai locked in his human form and prevent him from using any of his draconic powers.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: Irene uses The Language to make Zayanna's wine ten times more powerful, hoping to cause a distraction. Unfortunately, Irene nearly gives Zayanna alcohol poisoning.
- Terms of Endangerment: Silver likes to call Irene "Mouse" when he's trying to toy with her. Irene decides she will have none of it and demands that he address her as Miss Winters.
- Travel Cool: The Horse, which is itself a powerful Fae which spends the story in the form of a train.
- Unfazed Everyman: Johnson, Lord Silver's Battle Butler...probably due to More than Mind Control.
