The Tomb of Dragons is the third book in “The Cemeteries of Amalo Trilogy,” which takes place in a world populated by goblins and elves that was introduced in an earlier book called Goblin Emperor. All I remember about Goblin Emperor is that I quite liked it. It was one of the first books I read where kindness was more important than the power to wield either sword or magic.

I liked the Amalo Trilogy for much the same reason. There is a quiet heroism in doing the right thing, over and over, no matter how small or difficult or unpopular it is. I picked up The Tomb of Dragons as soon as I finished The Witness for the Dead and The Grief of Stones. It has been a long time since I’ve read the entirety of a trilogy.

Thara Celehar is a Witness for the Dead. This means that, not only can he hear the last thoughts of the dead by touching them, but also that he has the duty to investigate the death if someone asks him to. He takes all requests with the seriousness and carefulness of his calling as a prelate of his god, Ulis. He tells his story himself, with a lovely self-deprecating honesty, and kindness toward everyone except, possibly, himself.

The story is not exactly a murder mystery, though there are several mysterious murders. Celehar is a lonely man (elf, actually, though whether he is elf or goblin is of so little importance to him that it is barely mentioned) who carries the grief of the deaths he investigates along with his own past sorrows. He follows the threads needed to solve deaths with patience and persistence. He feeds the stray cats on his doorstep. He does not seem aware that he is gathering friends and allies along the way.

I did not have to reread Goblin Emperor in order to understand the trilogy. I did have a bit of a problem with the complexities of the government of Amalo, which is made up of assorted religious and secular bureaucracies, all with multi-syllabic, unfamiliar names. I looked for a map or list of characters, but didn’t find one. Despite this, I had no trouble figuring out who was who or understanding the political implications of events.

However, I intend to proceed immediately to rereading Goblin Emperor. I find that, in these times, I want to spend as much time as possible in this world where elf and goblin are learning to peacefully coexist. It is good to be reminded that small acts of decency, while not necessarily world-changing, still matter.