I just finished the Powder Mage series by Brian McClellen. Entertaining books with an interesting setting and the outline of an interesting magic system, pretty quick read. Everyone does seem implausibly treacherous, however. You can definitely tell McClellen worked with Brian Sanderson, very similar style.
I also finished The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin, which I enjoyed.
They get to ~8" long, so they’re only as big as a very, very small bus.