The Olympian Affair: The Cinder Spires - Book 2 starts off some years after the events of The Aeronaut's Windlass where our main characters helped to fend off an invading force that slipped behind Spire Albion's defenses in order to wreak havoc and destabilize one of the world's great power nations. While Spire Aurora's actions will surely lead to an official declaration of war, the conflict between the two superpowers is still simmering and there is hope that the politicians will be able to keep all-out war from breaking out.
Since the events of The Aeronaut's Windlass, Bridget Tagwynn has decided to stay more than the customary year in service to the Spirearch's Guard. Now a sergeant, Bridget has developed a reputation for being a strict member of the guard. And, of course, always at her side is her cat, Rowl, Prince of the Silent Paws Tribe, though to hear him say it, he is there to protect his human and for no other reason.
Meanwhile, Gwendolyn Lancaster has taken up a different role since her year with the Spirearch's Guard finished. She is now serving as XO on the AMS Predator under Captain Grimm. Her time on the ship has not only allowed her to get a different perspective of the world, but it also allows her to get some real world experience with the various crystals that her family produces. Now she not only has experience with their growth and formation, but under the eyes of Predator's engineer, she is getting some practical time with their function.
Captain Grimm and the Predator continues its work as a privateer for Spire Albion, and with the help of the etherealist apprentice, Miss Folly, the crew often goes on missions for the Spirearch himself. It seems that the relationship that was forged during the first book between Grimm and the Spirearch has become a fruitful one over the years.
The Olympian Affair starts off with the Predator waiting for Sir Benedict, Gwyn's cousin and Bridget's romantic interest, to return from investigating a devastated outpost. When he makes it back aboard the Predator, not only does he report that the colony has been utterly devastated, but the only witnesses appear to be a small tribe of cats. While the cats claim to have seen what happened, they refuse to talk without being granted new territory within Spire Albion.
While the idea that someone has a weapon that can cause so much damage is distressing, the fact that this isn't the first time reports of such destruction occurring is even more worrisome. Benedict must find a way to appease the sensibilities of these cats if he is going to get any information out of them. Thankfully, Bridget is fluent in cat and with her and Rowl's help, they can hopefully find out exactly what this new tribe knows. Their particular part of this story will take the group all over Spire Albion and even to the deadly surface before they learn the shocking truth of what destroyed that outpost.
Meanwhile, Grimm and the Predator have been called upon by Spirearch Albion to escort one of Grimm's closest friends, Alex Bayard, to a trade summit at Spire Olympia. On the surface, this is a diplomatic trip to help bolster alliances and strengthen relationships with the other Spires, but given that Spire Aurora is there to do the same, what results is a powder keg of political intrigue that could turn the skirmishes between Albion and Aurora into something much more violent.
It's clear that Aurora isn't exactly pushing for peace though. Amongst their delegation is a man named Valesco. While Bayard is renowned as a master duelist, Valesco is one of the few men who boasts more wins than Bayard. If Bayard is cornered into a duel with the man, the outcome of such an event could be the spark that finally kicks off the war.
Where Bridget and Benedict's story is often heart-racing and filled with action, the scenes following Grimm and Gwendolyn are often filled with court intrigue and political maneuvering. Butcher's ability to balance the two types of story is well done and not something really seen in The Dresden Files. The Olympian Affair is a great follow-up book to The Aeronaut's Windlass. While the tone of this book is noticeably different than the first, it is a wonderful next step in the story with a ton of great character development and world-building. I can't wait for the next installment in The Cinder Spires. Hopefully it won't be as long as the previous wait, 8 years is just too much.
