Scan barcode
pilebythebed's review against another edition
4.0
Sam Hawke’s incredibly assured debut fantasy novel City of Lies starts intriguingly. Jovan, the narrator has been trained from a young age in the family trade of taster for the Chancellor. He has been exposed to multiple poisons by his uncle as part of his training and has learnt to identify them in foods. He has been trained in the place of his elder sister Kalina whose constitution was too weak to handle the poisoning. Both are close and are close to Tain, heir to the Chancellorship of Silasta. There world is thrown into stunning and sudden disarray when both the Chancellor and their Uncle Ethan are poison and the city is besieged.
While City of Lies can be read by anyone it definitely has a young adult bent. While not teenagers, the main characters are all young adults, thrust into an adult world, learning quickly how to navigate treacherous political waters while dealing with a series of escalating crises. This also allows them to question the way things have been done traditionally (particularly as this has partially led to current events) and find new ways forward.
The narrative of City of Lies swaps between Jovan and Kalina. It takes some time for their narrative voices to diverge so that it is sometimes difficult to remember which character is narrating at any particular time. But they do become distinct as the siege wears on and each has a very different role to play in events.
City of Lies is epic fantasy but its scope is restrained mainly to the capital city. There are clearly some machinations at play behind the events in this book but the shape of them is unclear. So that while City of Lies tells a contained narrative Hawke has left herself plenty of scope for exploring her world further and continuing this series.
While City of Lies can be read by anyone it definitely has a young adult bent. While not teenagers, the main characters are all young adults, thrust into an adult world, learning quickly how to navigate treacherous political waters while dealing with a series of escalating crises. This also allows them to question the way things have been done traditionally (particularly as this has partially led to current events) and find new ways forward.
The narrative of City of Lies swaps between Jovan and Kalina. It takes some time for their narrative voices to diverge so that it is sometimes difficult to remember which character is narrating at any particular time. But they do become distinct as the siege wears on and each has a very different role to play in events.
City of Lies is epic fantasy but its scope is restrained mainly to the capital city. There are clearly some machinations at play behind the events in this book but the shape of them is unclear. So that while City of Lies tells a contained narrative Hawke has left herself plenty of scope for exploring her world further and continuing this series.
dhee_reads's review against another edition
5.0
One of my unexpected faves. This plays with seige plot archetype really well by juggling a crumbling gov and mystery with possible culprit still at play. Tain, Kalina and Jov really are amazing leads. The bk is dual pov between Kalina and Jov--siblings. Although Tain doesn't have pov but he is big part of the bk. Our crew are on an uphill battle to protect each other and their city as all hell breaks loose. All our characters are funny, moving and heroic. Tack on the high dangers and how in the dark they are while also contending with their own fears, insecurities and growing hopes and ambition. This trio takes everything in, and they actually learn, and listen. My fav parts of this bk is how Hawke continues engaging meaningfully with Dafari. Ofc friendships. A story that focuses on friendships is so rare. It was so sweet and mushy.
Not Real Cons: I don't want to change this. I just want to encourage reading this with breaks. I was exhausted (in a good way) by 60% mark. Our casts is thrown into prob after prob with no rest time. But the plot throughout the 60% mark and on is still excellent. It's just I was tired for them. It's an onslaught. They got 2 minutes of peace. That came way later in the book. It was onto more chaos. I emphasize I loved everything. Not a real con. Just read with breaks.
The only real con is I am not a fan on Kalina unrequited love with internal monologue. She is better than this.
Not Real Cons: I don't want to change this. I just want to encourage reading this with breaks. I was exhausted (in a good way) by 60% mark. Our casts is thrown into prob after prob with no rest time. But the plot throughout the 60% mark and on is still excellent. It's just I was tired for them. It's an onslaught. They got 2 minutes of peace. That came way later in the book. It was onto more chaos. I emphasize I loved everything. Not a real con. Just read with breaks.
The only real con is I am not a fan on Kalina unrequited love with internal monologue. She is better than this.
kevinscorner's review against another edition
5.0
City of Lies was fantastic! I went in with zero expectations as I only bought this book because I kept seeing it featured on Bookstagrams even though I actually had no idea what it was about. The storytelling is tight and fast-paced as it is entirely confined in a single city during a siege. It features political intrigue, military strategy, betrayals, and an underlying mystery. I loved the brother/sister duo protagonists who are neurodivergent and outwardly “weak”. Told in alternating POVs, the story weaves together seamlessly and adds enough distinction in the shifting perspectives without interfering with the narrative flow. City of Lies was a delightful surprise and works both as a standalone fantasy or a series opener.
cortega55's review against another edition
3.0
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sorry this is late but wow! What a refreshing and action packed book!
City of Lies is Sam Hawke’s debut novel and the first book in the Poison Wars series. I was particularly intrigued by this book because of its mention of poison and treachery, I am a sucker for possible assassin work and political machinations.
This book stands apart from other books in its genre most because of how contained it is and its minimal use of magic. The first thing that popped in my head when everything in this started coming to a boiling point was the siege of Constantinople in Now I Rise by Kiersten White. The claustrophobia of being contained in a besieged city adds immensely to the anxiety you feel for the characters and most of the time I was yelling at them to hurry up because they were running out of time. This was also refreshing for a fantasy book because so often fantasy stories focus on large quests spanning the world created by the author.
I am baffled also that this book is the perfect mix of action and political drama. I know that some people can get bored if the major plot points are all subtlety and lies, but I mean this is a war so there is plenty of battle scenes for people who need that. I loved all the characters in this book so I didn't mind the time between fighting when our characters were focused on figuring out the mystery of how this war started.
Sam Hawke did a beautiful job crafting the story of this city and all the lies it was built upon. Everything about its history is detailed. From the different people, to the religions, to the form of government everything is so interesting a layered. I bow to Hawke's skill and the time it must of taken to figure all this out.
What I look forward to in the next book, and what kind of lacked for me this book was the magic. The only hint of magic that we get in this book is from a select number of people and that is maybe used 5 times throughout the book's 560 pages. Now the book didn't suffer from this but I know that sometimes for me it did feel almost more like a Conqueror's Saga-esque historical fiction instead of Fantasy. The other thing that I desperately need in the next book is the revelation of the real mastermind behind this giant plot, because the answers given in this book were a little anticlimactic for me.
In conclusion this book is a twisted and fast paced book that never lags despite its length. With beautifully developed characters and a vibrantly created setting, City of Lies is a unique and unpredictable fantasy that will leave you breathless.
Sorry this is late but wow! What a refreshing and action packed book!
City of Lies is Sam Hawke’s debut novel and the first book in the Poison Wars series. I was particularly intrigued by this book because of its mention of poison and treachery, I am a sucker for possible assassin work and political machinations.
This book stands apart from other books in its genre most because of how contained it is and its minimal use of magic. The first thing that popped in my head when everything in this started coming to a boiling point was the siege of Constantinople in Now I Rise by Kiersten White. The claustrophobia of being contained in a besieged city adds immensely to the anxiety you feel for the characters and most of the time I was yelling at them to hurry up because they were running out of time. This was also refreshing for a fantasy book because so often fantasy stories focus on large quests spanning the world created by the author.
I am baffled also that this book is the perfect mix of action and political drama. I know that some people can get bored if the major plot points are all subtlety and lies, but I mean this is a war so there is plenty of battle scenes for people who need that. I loved all the characters in this book so I didn't mind the time between fighting when our characters were focused on figuring out the mystery of how this war started.
Sam Hawke did a beautiful job crafting the story of this city and all the lies it was built upon. Everything about its history is detailed. From the different people, to the religions, to the form of government everything is so interesting a layered. I bow to Hawke's skill and the time it must of taken to figure all this out.
What I look forward to in the next book, and what kind of lacked for me this book was the magic. The only hint of magic that we get in this book is from a select number of people and that is maybe used 5 times throughout the book's 560 pages. Now the book didn't suffer from this but I know that sometimes for me it did feel almost more like a Conqueror's Saga-esque historical fiction instead of Fantasy. The other thing that I desperately need in the next book is the revelation of the real mastermind behind this giant plot, because the answers given in this book were a little anticlimactic for me.
In conclusion this book is a twisted and fast paced book that never lags despite its length. With beautifully developed characters and a vibrantly created setting, City of Lies is a unique and unpredictable fantasy that will leave you breathless.
innocenthedgehog's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
justmango's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thereadingrambler's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-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
danwulf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
3.25
hanienr's review
2.0
An okay read, but it felt like I could take it or leave it an any point in the story. There was nothing that drew me in or kept me interested. Neither the plot or the characters or the city made me sympathize with their plight.
I think that with the characters they felt too clinical, robotic in a way. They were manufactured it felt to fit the plot and to resolve things in the plot. I didn't think that the sympathy both Tain and Jovan and Kalina felt was organic either. Why did they sympathize so much with the countrypeople? I didn't understand why they were so passionate in their defense of them. Are they just these perfectly moral creatures who want everyone to live well and prosper? I just couldn't make myself buy it.
I think that with the characters they felt too clinical, robotic in a way. They were manufactured it felt to fit the plot and to resolve things in the plot. I didn't think that the sympathy both Tain and Jovan and Kalina felt was organic either. Why did they sympathize so much with the countrypeople? I didn't understand why they were so passionate in their defense of them. Are they just these perfectly moral creatures who want everyone to live well and prosper? I just couldn't make myself buy it.