Super Short Summary

In Stephanie Burgis's novella "The Art of Deception," the once-renowned swordsman Niko Hrabanic is hiding in a rural inn after a scandal forces him to flee the Archduke's court. When the inn's owner, Julia, is summoned to the dangerous White Library, Niko agrees to accompany her, discovering her magical abilities as they journey. Their banter-filled relationship evolves while navigating the perilous, illusion-protected Library, which becomes a battleground for external political ambitions. One of the book's themes includes sexual arrangements.