Personal Librarian

This holding is a little unique among that subset of holdings, as it has not 1 ability, but 2. First, as a reaction, if the holding is unbowed, you may put a card from your hand and put it on the bottom of your fate deck. This can be done once per turn, per copy of PL you control. The second ability is an open action, where you bow and destroy the PL to discard your hand, to draw a number of cards equal to what you discarded.

So, you have one ability that saves cards, but makes them inaccessible, and one that allows cards to be drawn, but at the cost of several cards and a holding. How is this a useful card, then?

Well, the ability to put cards back into your deck can be used for the rest of the month to help get the old Ring of Void into play. Just something to remember. However, with the upcoming MRP to the RoV, it becomes a useless ability, right? I don't think so. For one thing, if you know you are going to be using the other ability, why not use this ability to save one of the cards from your hand before discarding all those cards. There are other ways to get cards from your deck, after all, so the bottom of deck feature is not necessarily permanent.

Another strange combo to think about, though it will occur very rarely, is if the Doom of the Dark Lord has resolved, and you are nearly decked. In a case like this, having one, or especially two, copies of PL in play can be a lifesaver [literally]. Just a little thing too remember if it ever comes to be.

Well, there is a quick little look at one of the two abilities on this card. The second, as mentioned above, is to destroy this holding and discard your hand to draw an equal amount of new cards. What makes this so good? First, it is the first card draw I have seen that is an Open ability instead of a Limited or Reaction. This gives it a flexability most other card draw does not have. The ability to do the action on any other player's turn can be quite powerful. If nothing else, grinning evilly after drawing a couple of the new cards can worry your opponent. Also, as I mentioned above, if you know you are going to use it, delay until you used the other ability to save one card.

This ability does require the ability to think ahead, but can be useful. If you are the defender, or know you will be, but have nothing useful in your hand, get rid of that hand, and try again. Alternately [this happened to me], you have a duel deck, and lots of chi, but no duels in your hand, this can give you more of a chance at getting an all important duel. Or you want to attack, but don't have the right cards in hand to do so, this lets you reset and check again [see also comment about evil grin above].

One note of concern is that this holding is a retainer, so it can be destroyed by a Kolat Assasin. Of course, if your opponent is spending 10 gold to destroy a 2 gold holding, either they are inexperienced or already handily winning. So far, there have not been a whole lot of things keying off the retainer trait, but that could change.

If you have an opening in your deck for another holding, consider this one. It fits all gold structures I've seen, and can give any clan card draw, especially ones not noted for it.