The Dragon Conspiracy (SPI Files) - Lisa Shearin

Ok, now I'm starting to get a feel for the author's style.

 

There is no navel-gazing. You're in the character's head as the story progresses, interacting with her environment and fellow cast members. That actually explains a lot. We're so used to the MC mentally discussing everything with herself (which often takes up pages), that this seems a bit disconnected but...

 

So now that I'm getting a feel for the h, I can say that I like this one. She's no Mary Sue - someone else has to save her butt - but she's not useless either. And because we're not in her head 24/7; just when progress is being made in the story itself (which is fast-paced, so I guess in a way we ARE in her head 24 hours or so), we don't get to hear her thoughts on her shoes or her hair or...

 

The plot is, as per usual, some supernatural wanting to cause a disaster of epic proportions in Manhattan. It's somewhat interconnected with the previous book in that the behind the scenes bad guy was in the previous book, though a bit more prominent. This go-round, he "assisted" a gorgon in an attempt to find a cure. Of course, it didn't work out the way he'd planned, so back to the drawing board. I do hope he gets taken care of soon as I dislike evil masterminds.