Review - The Cartographer Returns

Ms. König has done it again!
    This is the sequel novella to The Cartographer from Greenwood. It is now several years later and Soread, the self-exiled mapmaker, returns to Snowcreek and the Lord and Lady of Eridris, Aeglas and Calenyela.
    The Cartographer’s Return is well-written and builds on the first novella. It teases out more of Soread’s past trauma, but this time, integrating a new source not mentioned in the first story. Aeglas, especially, must work to reconcile his own, vastly different, experiences to help Soread.
    Where the first novella dealt with conflict between two kingdoms of elves, this one introduces humans, in both positive and negative light. The backstory is rich, but brought out gradually, as a sequence of discussions and musings, almost as if we are in the room and were familiar with it already. And, in the end, we return to the core issues and, somehow (we are deftly brought along!), Soread comes to face his demons and resolve them.
    Gahedran, the head of Aeglas’ Guard takes a strong secondary role and we also see Aeglas’ children whose interactions with their father bridge the two novellas and help us plumb more of Soread’s past. Calenyela, Aeglas’ wife, confidant, and counsellor, also returns as a strong secondary character.
    Recommended cozy fantasy!