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rollforlibrarian's review
5.0
The City's Son excited me with inventive new ideas that just felt so RIGHT
The Glass Republic raised the stakes and threw in enormous character development.
Our Lady of the Streets, against the odds, managed to raise the inventive ideas again, gave heroes that were imperfect and didn't necessarily have the highly noble motivations that are so very common in fantasy. It also put me through the emotional wringer. I love it when a book does that!
...I need more of this world. I don't want it, I swear I need it. There were things left to the imagination or not visible through the frame this story was seen through and I hope that someday there might be a chance to learn more.
The Glass Republic raised the stakes and threw in enormous character development.
Our Lady of the Streets, against the odds, managed to raise the inventive ideas again, gave heroes that were imperfect and didn't necessarily have the highly noble motivations that are so very common in fantasy. It also put me through the emotional wringer. I love it when a book does that!
...I need more of this world. I don't want it, I swear I need it. There were things left to the imagination or not visible through the frame this story was seen through and I hope that someday there might be a chance to learn more.
patchworkbunny's review
5.0
It’s been four months since Mater Viae passed through from London-Under-Glass and claimed her throne. In those four months, the city has sickened and its occupants divided. London is on the brink of a civil war like no other.
If you’ve not experienced Tom Pollock’s London yet, go and get yourself a copy of The City’s Son right this minute. The third book does not disappoint at all and I can’t remember the last time a trilogy has delivered so well in every single book.
From the opening pages, the streets are closing in, literally as windows and doors are disappearing, leaving nothing but brickwork and the fading screams of those trapped inside. The outlook seems bleak for both the city and Beth, who now must feed off sickly streets. Loyalties are divided and refugees are camping out in Selfridges, one of the last safe havens from a city that is slowly consuming itself.
Tom’s characters don’t come out of their adventures unscathed. It’s not just their inner selves that are transformed, but when bad things happen in this world, they also have physical impact. Pen still holds her scars from the Wire Mistress (who you can expect to see more from in this book) and has another chance to address her internal scars. Beth’s transformation is more fantastical, but comes with many new challenges.
And there’s loss. Not just of the city they call home, the streets lost to a malignance, but also to those they hold dear. Beth visits the baby Pavement Priest that is all that is physically left of Fil and she carries his stolen memories in a flask. Pen learns how her parents, who no longer remember her, think they are going insane. This is a world of tough decisions, unknowns and living with the consequences.
There’s a nod to some of the creatures from the past, some who side with them and others that see the Mirror Mater as their true Goddess. Alliances are shifting, and not always in the direction that you expect. It feels a much more familiar world by now, less of a learning curve getting to know Tom’s stunning world-building.
The ending is dramatic and emotional. I was so thrown by one bit with the cats, where I was thinking aww, isn’t that lovely, only for the scene to pan out and be something else. It really manages to play with your heartstrings if you’ve come to love this world and the characters.
I’m not sure I was ready for it to end. Pitched as a trilogy, Our Lady of the Streets does feel like a conclusion but this world is so multi-layered and creative, it’s going to be hard to let go. Despite the hardships, I was left with a feeling of hope; that something will live on beyond the pages. Beth and Pen, the Railwraiths, London-Under-Glass, the Pavement Priests and Gutterglass are so real to me that they can’t stop existing, in the corners of our imaginations and in the bricks of London Town…
Review copy provided by publishe
If you’ve not experienced Tom Pollock’s London yet, go and get yourself a copy of The City’s Son right this minute. The third book does not disappoint at all and I can’t remember the last time a trilogy has delivered so well in every single book.
From the opening pages, the streets are closing in, literally as windows and doors are disappearing, leaving nothing but brickwork and the fading screams of those trapped inside. The outlook seems bleak for both the city and Beth, who now must feed off sickly streets. Loyalties are divided and refugees are camping out in Selfridges, one of the last safe havens from a city that is slowly consuming itself.
Tom’s characters don’t come out of their adventures unscathed. It’s not just their inner selves that are transformed, but when bad things happen in this world, they also have physical impact. Pen still holds her scars from the Wire Mistress (who you can expect to see more from in this book) and has another chance to address her internal scars. Beth’s transformation is more fantastical, but comes with many new challenges.
And there’s loss. Not just of the city they call home, the streets lost to a malignance, but also to those they hold dear. Beth visits the baby Pavement Priest that is all that is physically left of Fil and she carries his stolen memories in a flask. Pen learns how her parents, who no longer remember her, think they are going insane. This is a world of tough decisions, unknowns and living with the consequences.
There’s a nod to some of the creatures from the past, some who side with them and others that see the Mirror Mater as their true Goddess. Alliances are shifting, and not always in the direction that you expect. It feels a much more familiar world by now, less of a learning curve getting to know Tom’s stunning world-building.
The ending is dramatic and emotional. I was so thrown by one bit with the cats, where I was thinking aww, isn’t that lovely, only for the scene to pan out and be something else. It really manages to play with your heartstrings if you’ve come to love this world and the characters.
I’m not sure I was ready for it to end. Pitched as a trilogy, Our Lady of the Streets does feel like a conclusion but this world is so multi-layered and creative, it’s going to be hard to let go. Despite the hardships, I was left with a feeling of hope; that something will live on beyond the pages. Beth and Pen, the Railwraiths, London-Under-Glass, the Pavement Priests and Gutterglass are so real to me that they can’t stop existing, in the corners of our imaginations and in the bricks of London Town…
Review copy provided by publishe
tacanderson's review against another edition
4.0
A surreal, dreamlike ending to a unique, young adult, urban fantasy. Tom Pollock is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
Oh, wow, this was an amazing read, I loved watching everything go down, and how everything wrapped up!
charonlrdraws's review against another edition
5.0
Didn't post any reviews for the first two books in this trilogy and it ended on a good note this trilogy would be best described as a urban fantasy based in a modern day London and well our characters are Pen and Beth I won't spoil anything but yeah I enjoyed these books and it just adds to London's mystery and kudos to Tom Pollock for writing these books as I was itching to learn what would happen to Pen and Beth in each book as the trilogy went on and you what the wait was worth it. Considering the fact that picked up the first book because it sounded interesting I had no idea that I would be swept away with the concept but I was.
I just wish this author would release a new book soon because I loved this trilogy.
I just wish this author would release a new book soon because I loved this trilogy.
colossal's review against another edition
5.0
I'm so glad I got around to reading the last volume of this trilogy after having read the first two as they came out. What an amazing climax to a brilliant trilogy!
It's difficult to talk about the third volume in a series without spoiling the first two. I will attempt to do so no further than the blurb already spoils them.
After the events of the first two books in the series our London is much changed. The Mater Viae from London-Under-Glass has entered our world and devastated it magically. The remaining population who haven't evacuated are partially being protected by the very-changed Beth and the newly-returned Pen who together lead a resistance of Lampies, Pavement Priests, Gutterglass, Oscar the Sewermander and some surviving humans. But they're up against the power of a Goddess and they'll need more than that to survive, let alone win, and the allies that they will need to seek are far from their first choices.
The hidden London of [b:The City's Son|13183921|The City's Son (The Skyscraper Throne, #1)|Tom Pollock|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1342797979s/13183921.jpg|18364451] and London-Under-Glass of [b:The Glass Republic|16045366|The Glass Republic (The Skyscraper Throne, #2)|Tom Pollock|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348514607s/16045366.jpg|21823649] were beautifully realized and peopled with fascinating creatures and engaging characters. The London of the Mirror Mater feels like a new world again with fever streets, blind streets, tideways and the horrific claylings all adding an atmosphere of looming disaster. Another strength of the writing of the first two books continues in force here with some absolutely cracking action sequences that don't neglect the depth of these characters or the sacrifices they need to make.
A triumphant conclusion to this series. It's beyond me why it doesn't seem to be widely read.
It's difficult to talk about the third volume in a series without spoiling the first two. I will attempt to do so no further than the blurb already spoils them.
After the events of the first two books in the series our London is much changed. The Mater Viae from London-Under-Glass has entered our world and devastated it magically. The remaining population who haven't evacuated are partially being protected by the very-changed Beth and the newly-returned Pen who together lead a resistance of Lampies, Pavement Priests, Gutterglass, Oscar the Sewermander and some surviving humans. But they're up against the power of a Goddess and they'll need more than that to survive, let alone win, and the allies that they will need to seek are far from their first choices.
The hidden London of [b:The City's Son|13183921|The City's Son (The Skyscraper Throne, #1)|Tom Pollock|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1342797979s/13183921.jpg|18364451] and London-Under-Glass of [b:The Glass Republic|16045366|The Glass Republic (The Skyscraper Throne, #2)|Tom Pollock|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348514607s/16045366.jpg|21823649] were beautifully realized and peopled with fascinating creatures and engaging characters. The London of the Mirror Mater feels like a new world again with fever streets, blind streets, tideways and the horrific claylings all adding an atmosphere of looming disaster. Another strength of the writing of the first two books continues in force here with some absolutely cracking action sequences that don't neglect the depth of these characters or the sacrifices they need to make.
A triumphant conclusion to this series. It's beyond me why it doesn't seem to be widely read.
cindyc's review against another edition
5.0
This is the last book of the Skyscraper Throne trilogy and with every last book in a series I go in with heaps of questions. Will I like the ending the author has come up with? Will it be a happy ending, sad, satisfying, disappointing? I’m always excited and anxious to find out, especially if it’s the end to a series I really liked, like this one.
We've been on quite a journey with Beth and Pen, seen so many magnificent and unimaginable things through their eyes and we've learned so much along the way, about friendship, about equality and about the fact that appearance isn’t important at all. With Our Lady of the Streets I honestly couldn't have wished for a more perfect end to this trilogy.
Pollock has packed his last book in the trilogy full of action, new aspects of his imaginative London and gut-wrenching emotions. I was glad to see many of the interesting characters we met in the previous two books making an appearance in this one, though there might be a few surprises when it becomes clear who’s siding with who.
Mater Viae’s mirror sister has broken free from London-Under-Glass and has placed herself on the throne in London. This obviously hasn’t gone by unnoticed. The city is sick, and with the city so is Beth. I was fascinated by how Pollock transformed this sickness to the city. Fever streets that reach scorching temperatures, the earth beneath the city moving, wrecking most of the buildings, whole areas flooded with molten stone. Sewermanders are serving as Mater Viae’s attack force and even more terrifying creatures hunt the people of the city. Everyone looks up to Beth as their leader, as the one who will make this all go away, but she doesn’t see it that way. She feels weak and doesn’t know what to do to help.
More so than in the previous books, the people of London are very aware of everything extraordinary happening in their city (how can they not?) and they are just as much victims of Mater Viae’s reign as the city creatures.
The pacing is yet again spot on, never is there a dull moment. There are always new aspects waiting to challenge Beth and her friends, or another crazy idea to try and overthrow Mirror Mater. You won’t be bored, not even for a second, and it will be damned hard to put down the book once you’ve started it.
As in the previous books, the writing is strong. Over the three books in this trilogy there has been this same quality of writing, which is what makes this such an amazing series of book. The books are all on par with each other, not one is a disappointment when compared to the others, and they all are a very strong addition to the story as a whole.
The one aspect that delivers again and again in the Skyscraper Throne trilogy is the character of Pen. She's one of the main reasons I absolutely adored The Glass Republic and she's just as great in this book. Pen tops my list of favourite characters and leaves her competition way behind. It's so easy to love her, to care for her and everything she's been through. Her character has grown immensely and she has become such a strong woman.
I didn’t exactly click with Beth in the first book, but I felt more connected to her character in this book. Beth is really struggling. She’s sick, but she feels it’s her responsibility to do something about Mater Viae’s reign of terror, because of her transformation. The decisions she makes and the way she deals with the consequences are admirable and brave. It shows how much Beth has grown as well since the first book.
The ending was both beautiful and heart-rending. I would never have expected an ending like this, but it was perfect. It leaves the reader with a feeling of sadness, but also hope and the feeling that this was the right thing to happen.
The Skyscraper Throne trilogy is one of the best Urban Fantasy series that’s out there, with a fascinating take on London and strong characters that will make you fall in love with the story right away. If you haven’t picked up ‘The City’s Son’ yet, I would definitely recommend you do. You’re in for an amazing ride through a London that will look familiar, but is full of unexpected, wonderful new things to discover.
We've been on quite a journey with Beth and Pen, seen so many magnificent and unimaginable things through their eyes and we've learned so much along the way, about friendship, about equality and about the fact that appearance isn’t important at all. With Our Lady of the Streets I honestly couldn't have wished for a more perfect end to this trilogy.
Pollock has packed his last book in the trilogy full of action, new aspects of his imaginative London and gut-wrenching emotions. I was glad to see many of the interesting characters we met in the previous two books making an appearance in this one, though there might be a few surprises when it becomes clear who’s siding with who.
Mater Viae’s mirror sister has broken free from London-Under-Glass and has placed herself on the throne in London. This obviously hasn’t gone by unnoticed. The city is sick, and with the city so is Beth. I was fascinated by how Pollock transformed this sickness to the city. Fever streets that reach scorching temperatures, the earth beneath the city moving, wrecking most of the buildings, whole areas flooded with molten stone. Sewermanders are serving as Mater Viae’s attack force and even more terrifying creatures hunt the people of the city. Everyone looks up to Beth as their leader, as the one who will make this all go away, but she doesn’t see it that way. She feels weak and doesn’t know what to do to help.
More so than in the previous books, the people of London are very aware of everything extraordinary happening in their city (how can they not?) and they are just as much victims of Mater Viae’s reign as the city creatures.
The pacing is yet again spot on, never is there a dull moment. There are always new aspects waiting to challenge Beth and her friends, or another crazy idea to try and overthrow Mirror Mater. You won’t be bored, not even for a second, and it will be damned hard to put down the book once you’ve started it.
As in the previous books, the writing is strong. Over the three books in this trilogy there has been this same quality of writing, which is what makes this such an amazing series of book. The books are all on par with each other, not one is a disappointment when compared to the others, and they all are a very strong addition to the story as a whole.
The one aspect that delivers again and again in the Skyscraper Throne trilogy is the character of Pen. She's one of the main reasons I absolutely adored The Glass Republic and she's just as great in this book. Pen tops my list of favourite characters and leaves her competition way behind. It's so easy to love her, to care for her and everything she's been through. Her character has grown immensely and she has become such a strong woman.
I didn’t exactly click with Beth in the first book, but I felt more connected to her character in this book. Beth is really struggling. She’s sick, but she feels it’s her responsibility to do something about Mater Viae’s reign of terror, because of her transformation. The decisions she makes and the way she deals with the consequences are admirable and brave. It shows how much Beth has grown as well since the first book.
The ending was both beautiful and heart-rending. I would never have expected an ending like this, but it was perfect. It leaves the reader with a feeling of sadness, but also hope and the feeling that this was the right thing to happen.
The Skyscraper Throne trilogy is one of the best Urban Fantasy series that’s out there, with a fascinating take on London and strong characters that will make you fall in love with the story right away. If you haven’t picked up ‘The City’s Son’ yet, I would definitely recommend you do. You’re in for an amazing ride through a London that will look familiar, but is full of unexpected, wonderful new things to discover.