Reviews

The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold

ws_bookclub's review against another edition

5.0

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on February 25th.

This book is noir-fantasy at its finest. It has all the trademarks of a good, gritty noir, with a dash of the fantastical thrown in for good measure. A hard-boiled P.I with a penchant for getting drunk? Check. A tragic backstory? Check. A talent for stirring up trouble and making everyone mad? Double check.

Fetch is an ex-soldier in a war that was basically humans vs. all things magical. He’s not proud of what he did during the war, or who it turned him into. He’s now a semi-talented P.I., who will take pretty much any case, as long as it pays and he’s not working for a human.

At the beginning of the book, he is hired to find a missing vampire, dead or, um…alive (?). Less dead? I honestly don’t know how to word that. Huh. Moving on. In Sunder City, either state of being is equally likely. Of course, things are brought to light that certain parties prefer stay hidden, and chaos ensues.

Now, on to the setting. Sunder City is a slum, but what a slum! The amount of detail the author put into it is astounding. I could easily picture the entire city, could hear rain drizzling, and could smell the “breakfast” being served at a certain restaurant.

Another thing I loved about the book is Fetch’s internal dialogue. It’s so deliciously old-school detective. He was perfect, the setting was perfect, the storyline was perfect. Basically, the entire book was phenomenal. The only beef I have: I have to wait to see what happens in the next book.

This one would be perfect for fans of the Dresden Files or Breaking Lore. I can’t recommend this one enough.

izzywizzzzy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I highly recommended listening to the audiobook as it's narrated by the author who is an actor. The premise of this novel is interesting but it doesn't feel executed very well? Maybe it's the pacing and trying to figure out what exactly happened during the war as we're only told snippets. Anyway, the main character wasn't super original but hey that doesn't mean he's bad just a little boring. Overall, it wasn't a bad book but I don't feel the need to continue the series. 

dyslexic_a's review against another edition

dark funny sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sapphfoes's review against another edition

is this book “good” no. worldbuilding is very silly. however it is a fascinating look at what happens when an actor is truly deeply unwell about a character they play . the silverisms in here are insane <3

eden3's review against another edition

4.0

4.2 // I couldn't stop thinking about this book much after I had read it; in more ways than one. At first I thought it was as pointless and dull as the day is long. Turns out it's just a slow book, that paints it's world over a series of episodic chapters. This noir-fantasy has one of the most colourful and activated world's that I have read about to date; it's about as immense an MMO. So many species, lands, cultures, food, the list goes on. I believe my core of excitement that came from this novel was grown from the moral of the book; something that not many contemporary fantasy books bother with. The moral, to seek hope and use it to inspire and create, is challenged by the books story as the protagonist delves deeper into a growingly worse world each day. Opposingly, although the world is incredibly vivid, and it's characters equally, we don't actually get much of a peak into many characters lives and perspectives. We only get a small glimpse which although I like, I definitely would have enjoyed learning more. I find Fetch Philips (protagonist) very relatable and inspiring in his own downtrodden way.
I would definitely read this book again and cannot wait for the sequel.

raelovestoread's review against another edition

3.0

An underwhelming urban fantasy set in a world where magic has dried up (thanks to the bloomin' humans.) Fetch Phillips is a man-for-hire charged with finding missing vampire, Edmund Rye.

Despite having a noir feel and elements I appreciated, I wasn't charmed. I didn't like Fetch, and the mystery didn't leave many clues to pique my curiosity.

As the story went on, I did grow an appreciation for the decaying atmosphere of Sunder City, but I kept forgetting what had just happened and having to re-read large sections - something I don't usually have to do.

Not a bad little book by any means, but didn't get the balance of humour and grit quite right for me.

growfromit's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

kiranjoystick's review against another edition

1.0

legitimately so bad. so so bad. lazy worldbuilding lazy plot lazy main character nothing special or interesting about him and arnold can't even commit to him being an asshole hes just snarky and self hating but he never actually does anything. i dont like it

smallskim's review against another edition

Too much clunky exposition and reliance on tired stereotypes.

beemmyrex's review against another edition

adventurous sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Feels very white saviory