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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
So, I consumed 400 pages of this book in a day which is borderline unheard of for me but the pacing made it really easy to just keep reading until, eventually, I was so close to the end I had to go for it.
Cities is a character-driven sci-fi fantasy with a small team on a secret mission akin to Rogue One; five unique individuals venturing off to save their country on the brink of war for reasons ranging from honour to money. The journey itself was clouded in mystery and intrigue, I got a lot of Uncharted 2 vibes out of it, especially in the third act, and Uncharted is one of my favourite game series so that really added to my enjoyment while reading this. However, I will say, some of the swearing replacements were jarring just speaking-wise, the word choices made sense but sometimes there were placed where they didn't quite work with the rhythm of human speech, y'know, but that was such a minor thing throughout the whole experience.
The cast was super diverse which was nice, I really liked every member of the team, I was able to get attached to them quite easily, found all of their voices very distinct and realistic, and enjoyed all of the little dynamics between the whole crew throughout the journey. The main characters in this, Kase and Hallie, took a while to fall in love with in comparison, but in a way that made me enjoy getting to know them and watching them grow more than I think I would have if I'd liked them right off the bat. Their dynamic is rife with banter and bickering, their initial meetings being very messy and hostile adds to the satisfaction in watching their relationship develop; and hey, if you want slow-burn, these guys moved at a snail's pace.
The world-building was good, if a little crowded. I think there were a lot of individual elements that were very interesting, but there was so much that not enough of the elements I liked were developed quite as much as I would've wanted them to be. I would've liked more info on the Cerls, their enemy, about the differences in their societies, why there was a war and why there might be another one, and just generally more detail about that specific conflict; why should I root for our heroes in Jayde over the Cerls (aside from the obvious), etc. etc.
Also, I wanted more about the whole First Earth concept, which was mentioned in passing a lot and brought up to explain why certain things existed in this universe, but was never fully expanded on. Especially when the Yalvs came into play, I think it would've been interesting to hear them talk about having their planet basically colonised by ships of lost humans, but we never got more than a few anecdotes about the whole affair. Also with the Yalvs, we never got explicit descriptions of them, but I wish Earnest had leaned into the sci-fi elements of the world more and made them more alien; their society was barely skimmed over, but the way they were written felt too human for a community that, as far as I understand, are the natives to this planet the humans only inhabit after escaping Earth centuries ago, so I wish they'd been more otherworldly and alien, basically.
Overall, aside from the ending feeling a bit abrupt, I really enjoyed my time reading the book and most of my criticisms didn't effect me during my reading process, so I'm happy to rate it highly, just not a five-star read for me. Will be reading the sequel immediately.
Cities is a character-driven sci-fi fantasy with a small team on a secret mission akin to Rogue One; five unique individuals venturing off to save their country on the brink of war for reasons ranging from honour to money. The journey itself was clouded in mystery and intrigue, I got a lot of Uncharted 2 vibes out of it, especially in the third act, and Uncharted is one of my favourite game series so that really added to my enjoyment while reading this. However, I will say, some of the swearing replacements were jarring just speaking-wise, the word choices made sense but sometimes there were placed where they didn't quite work with the rhythm of human speech, y'know, but that was such a minor thing throughout the whole experience.
The cast was super diverse which was nice, I really liked every member of the team, I was able to get attached to them quite easily, found all of their voices very distinct and realistic, and enjoyed all of the little dynamics between the whole crew throughout the journey. The main characters in this, Kase and Hallie, took a while to fall in love with in comparison, but in a way that made me enjoy getting to know them and watching them grow more than I think I would have if I'd liked them right off the bat. Their dynamic is rife with banter and bickering, their initial meetings being very messy and hostile adds to the satisfaction in watching their relationship develop; and hey, if you want slow-burn, these guys moved at a snail's pace.
The world-building was good, if a little crowded. I think there were a lot of individual elements that were very interesting, but there was so much that not enough of the elements I liked were developed quite as much as I would've wanted them to be. I would've liked more info on the Cerls, their enemy, about the differences in their societies, why there was a war and why there might be another one, and just generally more detail about that specific conflict; why should I root for our heroes in Jayde over the Cerls (aside from the obvious), etc. etc.
Also, I wanted more about the whole First Earth concept, which was mentioned in passing a lot and brought up to explain why certain things existed in this universe, but was never fully expanded on. Especially when the Yalvs came into play, I think it would've been interesting to hear them talk about having their planet basically colonised by ships of lost humans, but we never got more than a few anecdotes about the whole affair. Also with the Yalvs, we never got explicit descriptions of them, but I wish Earnest had leaned into the sci-fi elements of the world more and made them more alien; their society was barely skimmed over, but the way they were written felt too human for a community that, as far as I understand, are the natives to this planet the humans only inhabit after escaping Earth centuries ago, so I wish they'd been more otherworldly and alien, basically.
Overall, aside from the ending feeling a bit abrupt, I really enjoyed my time reading the book and most of my criticisms didn't effect me during my reading process, so I'm happy to rate it highly, just not a five-star read for me. Will be reading the sequel immediately.
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved every bit of this book. From top to bottom, perfection! The absolute stunner of a world, the steampunk-esk, and the slooooooooooow and I mean SLOW burn romance. But man was I eating those crumbs up, every one. I had so much fun reading this book. From how everyone was gathered to go on the mission, to the ending that broke me into pieces. When I say don’t get attached, I mean it. Kase and Hallie’s emotions where beautifully conveyed and I absolutely understood them. Also I think the caramel scene with Kase and Hallie was my absolute favorite, such cuties! Cannot cannot cannot wait to read book two! Absolutely going to have to start ASAP.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5-3.75 ⭐️
I actually really liked this book! It's definitely a S L O W burn, and the crumbs were small. But overall I really like Kase and Hallie, I found them both immature at times, but honestly there banter was pretty darn good.
There was so much world building that I found myself getting confused at times, and honestly I think thats what keeping me from rating this 4 ⭐️. Between that and the plot dragging I found myself having to reread and few parts to make sure I knew what I was reading.
All in all though, a good start to a series.
I actually really liked this book! It's definitely a S L O W burn, and the crumbs were small. But overall I really like Kase and Hallie, I found them both immature at times, but honestly there banter was pretty darn good.
There was so much world building that I found myself getting confused at times, and honestly I think thats what keeping me from rating this 4 ⭐️. Between that and the plot dragging I found myself having to reread and few parts to make sure I knew what I was reading.
All in all though, a good start to a series.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s like The Mummy, Atlantis, and Treasure Planet rolled up together
Y’all, this book was a fantastic wild ride from start to finish. Since it is the first book in the series, the first part of the book focuses mainly on introducing the world, its characters, and main plot line.
Things I loved:
✨- the diverse cast of characters especially the wonderfully entertaining and sassy banter between our two main characters Hallie and Kase
✨ - the representation of grief, anxiety, PTSD represented in multiple characters
✨ - new world to explore
✨ - likable and relatable characters
✨ - multiple POVs - though this has become more of a normal trend, I loved the insights from both Hallie and Kase as well as the interlude chapters with Jove’s POV.
✨ - character driven storyline (focuses more on character development and interactions. This seems to be common amongst books with multiple POVs)
✨ - the adventure and discovery make me want to rewatch Atlantis, Treasure Planet, and the Mummy.
Things I didn’t like as much:
✨ the new world - though I love exploring new worlds, cultures, magic systems, etc. I had difficulty understanding some of the mechanics with this one. I think mainly because it was marketed as steampunk but I would market it almost like a futuristic gas lamp world with the use of fantastical technology and electricity in most places (but not all…those places are run on gas lamps instead of steam). This may just be nitpicking though
✨ Magic system and otherworldly elements are not very clear but I feel like they may become clearer in sequels as the characters discover and learn more about them as well
✨ Seemed like almost too many elements thrown together (magic, dragons, futuristic technology, “First Earth” things like the Odyssey for example, romantic subplot, etc).
I was immediately hooked upon reading the book and the enthusiasm only grew as the book continued. Though the book was confusing at some parts, it didn’t completely detract from the enjoyability of the story. I wish certain plot points were more emphasized, but that’s more of a personal preference and desire to know how all of the things work and all of the behind the scenes details.
You may like this book if you like:
✨ sassy, sarcastic, snarky characters
✨ adventure with an eclectic crew of people
✨ nerdy facts/love of classic literature
✨ no spice, slow burn, romantic subplot
✨ unknown magic system and technology
Y’all, this book was a fantastic wild ride from start to finish. Since it is the first book in the series, the first part of the book focuses mainly on introducing the world, its characters, and main plot line.
Things I loved:
✨- the diverse cast of characters especially the wonderfully entertaining and sassy banter between our two main characters Hallie and Kase
✨ - the representation of grief, anxiety, PTSD represented in multiple characters
✨ - new world to explore
✨ - likable and relatable characters
✨ - multiple POVs - though this has become more of a normal trend, I loved the insights from both Hallie and Kase as well as the interlude chapters with Jove’s POV.
✨ - character driven storyline (focuses more on character development and interactions. This seems to be common amongst books with multiple POVs)
✨ - the adventure and discovery make me want to rewatch Atlantis, Treasure Planet, and the Mummy.
Things I didn’t like as much:
✨ the new world - though I love exploring new worlds, cultures, magic systems, etc. I had difficulty understanding some of the mechanics with this one. I think mainly because it was marketed as steampunk but I would market it almost like a futuristic gas lamp world with the use of fantastical technology and electricity in most places (but not all…those places are run on gas lamps instead of steam). This may just be nitpicking though
✨ Magic system and otherworldly elements are not very clear but I feel like they may become clearer in sequels as the characters discover and learn more about them as well
✨ Seemed like almost too many elements thrown together (magic, dragons, futuristic technology, “First Earth” things like the Odyssey for example, romantic subplot, etc).
I was immediately hooked upon reading the book and the enthusiasm only grew as the book continued. Though the book was confusing at some parts, it didn’t completely detract from the enjoyability of the story. I wish certain plot points were more emphasized, but that’s more of a personal preference and desire to know how all of the things work and all of the behind the scenes details.
You may like this book if you like:
✨ sassy, sarcastic, snarky characters
✨ adventure with an eclectic crew of people
✨ nerdy facts/love of classic literature
✨ no spice, slow burn, romantic subplot
✨ unknown magic system and technology