The Tomb of Dragons

In The Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison returns to the award-winning world of The Goblin Emperor, deftly wrapping up The Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy.

"This trilogy is as close to perfect as books can get."—T. Kingfisher, author of What Moves the Dead

Thara Celehar has lost his ability to speak with the dead. When that title of Witness for the Dead is gone, what defines him?

While his title may be gone, his duties are not. Celehar contends with a municipal cemetery with fifty years of secrets, the damage of a revethavar he’s terrified to remember, and a group of miners who are more than willing to trade Celehar’s life for a chance at what they feel they’re owed.

Celehar does not have to face these impossible tasks alone. Joining him are his mentee Velhiro Tomasaran, still finding her footing with the investigative nature of their job; Iäna Pel-Thenhior, his beloved opera director friend and avid supporter; Anora Chanavar, his stalwart friend and fellow prelate of Ulis; and the valiant guard captain Hanu Olgarezh.

Amidst the backdrop of a murder and a brewing political uprising, Celehar must seek justice for those who cannot find it themselves under a tense political system. The repercussions of his quest are never as simple they seem, and Celehar’s own life and happiness hang in the balance.

Within THE CHRONICLES OF OSRETH

The Goblin Emperor

The Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy

The Witness for the Dead

The Grief of Stones

The Tomb of Dragons

A Most Anticipated Book of 2025: Geek Girl Authority | LitHub | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Screen Rant | The Nexus

“Readers who are enthralled with the new cozy fantasy trend or love a cozy mystery will be delighted with Celehar and his latest investigation.”—Library Journal, starred review

“An utter delight.”—LitHub

“This trilogy is as close to perfect as books can get. A thoroughly enjoyable conclusion to a magnificent trilogy…. I could not love them more.”—T. Kingfisher, author of What Moves the Dead

“An ingenious piece of narrative clockwork—intricate, exquisite, and utterly compelling.”—Foz Meadows, Hugo Award-winning author of A Strange and Stubborn Endurance

“Addison has taken a mystery container, set it carefully inside a fantasy container, and used both to tell a story about a society’s need to reckon with a bigoted past as it charts a course for a future…. It’s a vital reminder—both of the possibilities of this genre, and of what’s actually important and lasting in society.”—Reactor

“Impeccable, heartfelt, ceremonious world-building, brought to an exquisite bittersweet conclusion.”—Francis Spufford, author of Cahokia Jazz

“A symphonic spectacle, radiant with quiet moments, and absolutely terrifying. I wanted to reread her entire oeuvre the moment I finished it, just so I could read it again.”—C. S. E. Cooney, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Saint Death’s Daughter

“Here Be Dragons! Thara Celehar returns in this brilliantly moody, thoughtful tale of loyalty, obligation, and wonder. “—Elizabeth Bear, multiple Hugo-award winner

“A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy…. It is the best book of the three, bringing Amalo and its varied inhabitants vividly alive, as well as dragons which are so wonderfully, viscerally, draconian. Definitely recommended.”—Victoria Goddard, author of The Hands of the Emperor

“Many-layered and gloriously woven…. This is a delight, a reminder that integrity, compassion and basic decency can still form the baselines on which we build our lives.”—Manda Scott, author of Any Human Power

“It is impossible for me to overstate how much I enjoy the novels of Katherine Addison set in the world of The Goblin Emperor…. The Tomb of Dragons reminds me – more strongly than any of its predecessors – of The Goblin Emperor…. It is a piece of art that fed something in me that I had not known was hungry.”—Locus

“Katherine Addison’s fantasy mystery series continues with an emotionally complex story of healing and reparation.”—Shelf Awareness

“A great pleasure of writing about books for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel over the past decade has been reading Katherine Addison’s novels and spreading the word about them…. The Tomb of Dragons further extends the complex world she imagined, and unexpectedly links back to The Goblin Emperor in a delightful way.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Praise for The Cemeteries of Amalo trilogy

“The only thing wrong with The Goblin Emperor was that it was, for a long time, a stand-alone. But now there’s a sequel, The Witness for the Dead — so if you love the world Katherine Addison has created, you’ve got a way back to it.”—NPR, Best SFF of the Past Decade feature

“A delightful story that will satisfy readers of both fantasy and mystery.”—Library Journal, starred review

“Intriguing and well-plotted fantasy mystery. The author’s fans will welcome the chance to continue exploring Amalo alongside this mild-mannered but tenacious detective.” — Booklist, starred review

“I’ve been wanting to return to the world of The Goblin Emperor from the moment I finished that book, and The Witness For the Dead does not disappoint. At once intimate and literally operatic, it’s everything I love about Katherine Addison’s writing, in ways I didn’t know to expect. I loved it.” — John Scalzi

“I enjoyed the book so very much. It was really exactly the sort of thing I needed to read.” — Ann Leckie

“Despite the high-stakes plotting, these short yet immersive fantasy detective novels are pleasantly quiet and optimistic.” —Buzzfeed News

“Kazuo Ishiguro-an style.”—New York Times

“Left me with feelings of warmth and hope for humanity.” — Margaret Rogerson, New York Times bestselling author of Sorcery of Thorns