This was a fun little fantasy adventure by E.L. Knox, aka Ellis Knox, aka sknox @ chrons.
It involves a master lockpicker - Quinn-the-sprite - going to a secluded island, where powerful mages have built a sprawling building over the centuries using all sorts of spells.
The problem? Someone has locked the library. Only, it's a magical lock in a magical house where all rules of reality are constantly shifting - and Quinn might the only person able to open it.
Oh, and there's an ogre caretaker - called John Golly - who does what he can to help Quinn...
There's a fun sense of voice in this. Quinn is an affable rogue with a sharp wit, and when teamed up with the ogre they make for an interesting double act.
It's also a short novella rather than a long novel, which is both a positive and negative - positive, because the story never gets a chance to become mired in itself, but a negative in that there's so much here that could be told.
This is especially because because Knox tells what he has really well, with a ream of vivid descriptions, both of the building and the characters. There are also a nice couple of historical points in there I appreciated.
Overall, it's a fun story and an enjoyable introduction to Knox's writing - I just wish it had been longer.
