This is a great story and as good as any SF novel.  I read 'A Paler Day' first and am glad I did as it is far superior to the previous one, 'A Violet Night' and I am not sure I would have read further if I had started them in order.  I do have some issues involving writing and inconsistencies.

There is a repetitiveness when the characters think about the night they were shrunk, er 'transferred' as Kenneth would put it, and friends were killed.  I read it the first couple of times then just quickly scanned it in case something new come up as it got boring.  

As for the process, it is strange that no one brought up the subject of what happened to their original bodies.  According to Kenneth (as I understand it) their consciousnesses were transferred into their counterpart's bodies from a parallel universe where everything was smaller and the bodies were adapted to such conditions.  If that universe is like ours but smaller and our versions were transferred to that universe with the consciousnesses of their inhabitants, giants the size of Kong and Godzilla trampling down LA would be met with hellfire missiles and maybe a nuke.  There would be nothing to transfer back to our universe if the process was reversed, therefore they can't return to normal size.  (Basically they were killed and only a crispy critter would appear in our universe and they subjects would quickly die while in the other universe the bodies would appear but since they were dead their bodies would be in a coma.)

 The 'Emperor' appears to be a Lovecraftian element and as the author writes horror, there could be a tie-in to his other stories which don't involve shrinking.  I think the green cat is the one in charge and the guy with a craving for Red Bull is used for communication with humans.

There is a inconsistency involving Isabel.  I haven't gone back to find it but I recall Ike claiming that she was taking from nowhere and made Director and thought the Emperor was insane for doing so. But when she was in her car with her mom in the girl's day out section she mentioned that her father was director (actually above director) and her mom asked for and got that department position but never bothered to do anything with it foisting off the work on to Izzy who is not qualified for anything (having worked in a similar facility sans shrinking tech the directors job is to run interference with the board, other departments, and federal agencies thus allowing the scientist to get along with their research).  So which were it?  Maybe the two chapters were written a long time apart and the author lost that thread.

As for why Izzy would be made director (or not vetoed by the Emperor), both department heads (Ike and the woman who's name I forget) have different ideas of how the technology should be used when perfected and the Emperor chose Izzy because she would be least likely to subvert his vision to that of her own (as she doesn't have any).

I also have an issue with the escape attempt especially as I had worked in a secure lab.  First they attempt to leave in a handbag.  Why??? They are the size of lint.  Laying down in the pocket of her lab could could have worked without any fear of injury that they faced.  Normally such searches are for for stolen equipment, not tiny people.  The pocket would only have to be open wide enough to show there isn't anything in it as no one would examine the very bottom.   No one knew at that time any of the subjects were missing so there would be no need for a thorough search. (In the secure rooms in my facility phones, purses, wallets and such were left in lockers before entering the room).

The handbag went through a scanner (presumably the same type used in the previous story to find them in the mansion) which would have shown three 'signatures'.  Not sure why it didn't show where they were in the handbag.  

Normally procedure would have the perp remove the larger items (purse, keys, phone, charge) to ensure there was no weapon, then have them sit on a chair while security went through everything (presumably when the lab sent someone down to collect the subjects).  The idea that the perp would be the one to search her own handbag and especially through the Rolo into the trash is an example of how incompetent their security is. Every item would be examined (with a magnifying glass when needed) and kept for reexamination if any subject was still missing.

All in all it is a great story and I am looking forward to future chapters.  I had sympathy for the 'subjects' which I wouldn't have had if I started with the first book as many are jerks.  

One of the best writers on this site.

Here's hoping Brooke meets Jim Jr.