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briggamooz's review against another edition
5.0
There is literally not enough that can be said for City of Lies. The world-building! The people! The relationships (both platonic and not)! Hawke details and scrutinizes the world of Sjona with a meticulous blade, peeling back the layers of culture and society to delve into conspiracy and war in a manner George R. R. Martin would be in awe of.
This is a decadent, page-turning, churn of a read that is so inexorably satisfying I immediately started trying to get my hands on its sequel, Hollow Empire.
This is a decadent, page-turning, churn of a read that is so inexorably satisfying I immediately started trying to get my hands on its sequel, Hollow Empire.
leni215's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
tonyriver's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book. The story is interesting, the main characters have ‘flaws’ as is usual, but these are both more ordinary and more profound than often in these stories. The Writing is descriptive and plot interesting. Some plot lines just felt a little clunky.
I enjoyed the range of ideas, the different societies described and the corrosive influence of power on groups of people. Some bits didn’t ring true. Imagining that a major city would only have one source of communication is far fetched and several other similar slips felt too easy.
Overall a good read and I will look to the second in the series later in the year.
I enjoyed the range of ideas, the different societies described and the corrosive influence of power on groups of people. Some bits didn’t ring true. Imagining that a major city would only have one source of communication is far fetched and several other similar slips felt too easy.
Overall a good read and I will look to the second in the series later in the year.
nattyg's review against another edition
5.0
This was really, really, amazing. A debut book worth reading
The beginning was slow-ish in the way that all world-building authors start, they have to introduce you to the characters and the world all while starting the plot. It's a balance. The first 20 pgs or so was that way with me. We're dropped into the plot and kind of paddle around getting our bearings.
Have you ever wondered, during a rebellion, the point of view of the oppressors? I didn't realize I needed that until this book. It's true that there's two sides to every story and that while it is easier to side with (and write about) the repressed, Sam Hawke took on the oppressors. The elite. The ones who should have known better but didn't. Hawke crafts a tale that has you whipping through 100pgs and wondering how that happened. In fact, I read from pg 400 till the end last night and stayed up happily.
There's two narrators - a brother Jovan and a sister Kalina - and the chapters alternate between the two. And once one of the narrators stops narrating.... oh wow! Masterful. The loss is very profound.
I highly recommend, it's really well done.
The beginning was slow-ish in the way that all world-building authors start, they have to introduce you to the characters and the world all while starting the plot. It's a balance. The first 20 pgs or so was that way with me. We're dropped into the plot and kind of paddle around getting our bearings.
Have you ever wondered, during a rebellion, the point of view of the oppressors? I didn't realize I needed that until this book. It's true that there's two sides to every story and that while it is easier to side with (and write about) the repressed, Sam Hawke took on the oppressors. The elite. The ones who should have known better but didn't. Hawke crafts a tale that has you whipping through 100pgs and wondering how that happened. In fact, I read from pg 400 till the end last night and stayed up happily.
There's two narrators - a brother Jovan and a sister Kalina - and the chapters alternate between the two. And once one of the narrators stops narrating.... oh wow! Masterful. The loss is very profound.
I highly recommend, it's really well done.
pip94's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good introduction to this new fantasy series. I liked that these characters specialised in poison but they are not assassins - their job is protect against poison, not poisoning others. I've not really seen this in other books and liked that aspect of it. Although I enjoyed the plot overall, I found this quite a slow read and it dragged in places. My main issue with this one though was that I wasn't invested in the characters. I can't really put my finger on why but something about them just didn't quite click with me. The world building was good, if a little lacking at times. Overall I enjoyed this and I would recommend checking it out, if especially if you are a big fantasy reader.
franklyfrank's review against another edition
5.0
If you are a fan of fantasy like Robin Hobb, (who reviewed this) you need to read this book.
blodeuedd's review
4.0
I wish I could have read this one faster, but alas, life with a toddler does not always make it so. But I did take it with me any chance I could because it was that good!
It is a siege story wrapper in a murder mystery. Thrilling!
The story starts with poison. Soon the country's leader is dead and the city is under siege. The question is now, why are they under attack? Is there something more at play? And who killed the Chancellor?
Jovan was brought up knowing poisons so he could protect the Chancellor the day it came to that. Jovan was honorable and took his work seriously. I did like him.
His sister Kalina is more reckless, but at the same time not. She is sickly and could not take on the poisoner mantle. But she has her own part to play and I liked how she did not let anything hold her back.
And the questions kept on piling up. What is going on with this brutal siege? I really wanted the answer and kept reading faster and faster. I also liked how we did get an ending, but there will be more books so I guess life is not done with these characters yet.
Great storytelling. More now please.
It is a siege story wrapper in a murder mystery. Thrilling!
The story starts with poison. Soon the country's leader is dead and the city is under siege. The question is now, why are they under attack? Is there something more at play? And who killed the Chancellor?
Jovan was brought up knowing poisons so he could protect the Chancellor the day it came to that. Jovan was honorable and took his work seriously. I did like him.
His sister Kalina is more reckless, but at the same time not. She is sickly and could not take on the poisoner mantle. But she has her own part to play and I liked how she did not let anything hold her back.
And the questions kept on piling up. What is going on with this brutal siege? I really wanted the answer and kept reading faster and faster. I also liked how we did get an ending, but there will be more books so I guess life is not done with these characters yet.
Great storytelling. More now please.
fantasyfunk's review against another edition
3.0
This book had great potential. I loved the world building and the plot, but man, the pacing was just too slow for me. I actually put this down for... a month and a half? It just didn't grip me and keep me going, and finishing it was more a determination thing, although thankfully, the pacing started to pick up.
The biggest problem was just not connecting to either of the character POVs. While brother and sister, they actually seemed like the same character, and I had difficulty telling which character's head I was in. I get in the end why there needed to be two characters, but I definitely think they needed more fleshing out to be distinctive people.
The biggest problem was just not connecting to either of the character POVs. While brother and sister, they actually seemed like the same character, and I had difficulty telling which character's head I was in. I get in the end why there needed to be two characters, but I definitely think they needed more fleshing out to be distinctive people.
vvxld_flqvver's review against another edition
4.0
AAAAAA! Ok contains three of my favourite lines ever written and one of best confrontations I've read since Harry Potter. Oh man that ending!!
bookguyinva2022's review against another edition
5.0
Well that was fun. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to escape to a well thought out fantasy land. It did leave one thing unresolved which is frustrating, but not enough to ruin the book, although I would like to know.