The Kronos Chronicles Book 2: The Celestial Globe by Marie Rutkoski

My name is John Dee, and I've rescued Petra from four Gray Men, the prince's assassins. I got confirmation from an air spirit that she's a chimera and has multiple powers, which makes her very special. I keep her in my home for her own protection, although she feels like she's in prison. I'm trying to solve the murder of an advisor to Queen Elizabeth, and I've agreed to a deal presented by young Petra. I've agreed to free her if she's able to uncover the murderer before I do; this should be amusing. The bigger mystery surrounds the Terrestial and Celestial Globes. The person who holds both of them will have access to all the portals in the world, able to enter and leave countries without resistance. A ruthless ruler like the prince might even get thoughts of ruling all of Europe.

I've enjoyed the first two books in this series, and you should read the first one before reading this sequel. Petra is a strong, independent character. She's determined to find her father and is frustrated at Dee's mental connection with her. She does all she can to improve her abilities, but she secretly schemes to get free of him. Petra carries a mechanical spider named Astrophil in her hair, and he acts as Petra's conscience. He understands the consequences of decisions and tries help Petra make wise decisions. I said tries. Astrophil is hungry to learn, so Petra tries to collect things for him to read in order to gain knowledge. This relationship is fun to follow and usually works out in the end. The story of Neel and Tomik was interesting, but it seemed a little disconnected from Petra's story until the end. It will be interesting to see where the next book goes, as the plot's resolution takes the characters to a whole new setting.