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mbenzz's review against another edition
4.0
This was definitely much darker than the first novel, but really good. A couple surprise deaths in this one, too! Immediately started Book 3, 'Bright Ruin' (thank you NetGalley!!). Really looking forward to seeing how this series ends!
fantasticalsam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
vandavknihach's review against another edition
3.0
Druhý díl je za mě o chlup horší než díl první.
Děj se zabíral hlavně urozenými Mocnými a životem mezi nimi. Byl zde pořád pohled jak Mocných, tak ,,obyčejných" lidí bez Síly, což drželo tu zajímavou linku, a my tak mohli vidět více pohledů ze všech stran.
Co mi tu naopak chybělo, byl děj z pracovních měst týkající se pracovníků odbývajících si nucené práce. To byla linka, která mě u Zlaté klece nadchla nejvíce, a kde bylo i nejvíce akce. Tím pádem byl děj druhého dílu o dost pomalejší a akčnost nabral až ke konci.
Pořád mě nejvíce zajímal příběh Luka, protože se mi hrozně líbila problematika reálnosti/nereálnosti v jeho dějové lince, a jak se s tím vlastně pral.
I přesto, že je tento díl o něco horší, pořád mě zajímá, co se bude dít dál a těším se až za nedlouho vyjde závěrečný díl.
Děj se zabíral hlavně urozenými Mocnými a životem mezi nimi. Byl zde pořád pohled jak Mocných, tak ,,obyčejných" lidí bez Síly, což drželo tu zajímavou linku, a my tak mohli vidět více pohledů ze všech stran.
Co mi tu naopak chybělo, byl děj z pracovních měst týkající se pracovníků odbývajících si nucené práce. To byla linka, která mě u Zlaté klece nadchla nejvíce, a kde bylo i nejvíce akce. Tím pádem byl děj druhého dílu o dost pomalejší a akčnost nabral až ke konci.
Pořád mě nejvíce zajímal příběh Luka, protože se mi hrozně líbila problematika reálnosti/nereálnosti v jeho dějové lince, a jak se s tím vlastně pral.
I přesto, že je tento díl o něco horší, pořád mě zajímá, co se bude dít dál a těším se až za nedlouho vyjde závěrečný díl.
gatun's review against another edition
5.0
Tarnished City
by Vic James
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Pub Date 06 Feb 2018
Courtesy Netgalley
Tarnished City is the sequel to Gilded Cage. You must read Gilded Cage first or there will be major spoilers in this review. Gilded Cage is amazing so go read it.
Tarnished City continues with the same lush detail that I enjoyed so much in Gilded Cage. Every event, person and thing merits a second look because nothing is what it seems at all. The Skilled and the Unskilled both have unexpected reactions to the events that culminated in Gilded Cage. Abbey goes on the run in an attempt to find the truth and free her brother, Luke. Luke is taken captive and delivered into the hands of Crovan. At Crovan’s isolated castle, which cannot be entered or exited without the lord’s permission, Luke is to be tortured and questioned about his activities at Kenyston.
I have read over 100 books in 2016, and The Gilded Cage was in the top 3. It is a finely crafted novel. I enjoyed it so much I purchased it in a Kindle version, a hardback and an audiobook version. I plan on doing the same with Tarnished City. I already have the paperback from the United Kingdom because I could not wait for the American release date. It continues the wonderful story lines that Gilded Cage excelled at. Now everything is in flux. Abbey has found the resistance and found them to not all be Unskilled like her. Luke is trying to survive each day and find a way to escape the castle without instant death as he walks through the door. The Jardines work to consolidate their power, seeking to make their family not just powerful but royal.
I was so pleased that Abigail Hadley, strong in the first book, continues to fight to save not only her brother but all the Unskilled. She has moments of doubt but stays strong. It makes her a very relatable protagonist. Luke has lost some of the strength he gained in Milltown. What the Jardines and Corvan did to him has left his brain broken. Gavar is still hot tempered but not as naive as he once was. To share his father’s vision of a powerful future means to lose his Unskilled daughter. Silyen has his own plans for the family’s power. He just has not shared them. Since he seems to be the most powerful Skilled of all, people must use caution around him.
All of the characters in both books are 3 dimensional. None of the characters are flat or unformed. This world, with all its magic and class distinctions, is very believable because the characters and their reactions to the events are so real. Tarnished City takes the politics and action from Gilded Cage and turns it up several notches on the scale. It leaves the reader breathless and ready for book number three.
by Vic James
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Pub Date 06 Feb 2018
Courtesy Netgalley
Tarnished City is the sequel to Gilded Cage. You must read Gilded Cage first or there will be major spoilers in this review. Gilded Cage is amazing so go read it.
Tarnished City continues with the same lush detail that I enjoyed so much in Gilded Cage. Every event, person and thing merits a second look because nothing is what it seems at all. The Skilled and the Unskilled both have unexpected reactions to the events that culminated in Gilded Cage. Abbey goes on the run in an attempt to find the truth and free her brother, Luke. Luke is taken captive and delivered into the hands of Crovan. At Crovan’s isolated castle, which cannot be entered or exited without the lord’s permission, Luke is to be tortured and questioned about his activities at Kenyston.
I have read over 100 books in 2016, and The Gilded Cage was in the top 3. It is a finely crafted novel. I enjoyed it so much I purchased it in a Kindle version, a hardback and an audiobook version. I plan on doing the same with Tarnished City. I already have the paperback from the United Kingdom because I could not wait for the American release date. It continues the wonderful story lines that Gilded Cage excelled at. Now everything is in flux. Abbey has found the resistance and found them to not all be Unskilled like her. Luke is trying to survive each day and find a way to escape the castle without instant death as he walks through the door. The Jardines work to consolidate their power, seeking to make their family not just powerful but royal.
I was so pleased that Abigail Hadley, strong in the first book, continues to fight to save not only her brother but all the Unskilled. She has moments of doubt but stays strong. It makes her a very relatable protagonist. Luke has lost some of the strength he gained in Milltown. What the Jardines and Corvan did to him has left his brain broken. Gavar is still hot tempered but not as naive as he once was. To share his father’s vision of a powerful future means to lose his Unskilled daughter. Silyen has his own plans for the family’s power. He just has not shared them. Since he seems to be the most powerful Skilled of all, people must use caution around him.
All of the characters in both books are 3 dimensional. None of the characters are flat or unformed. This world, with all its magic and class distinctions, is very believable because the characters and their reactions to the events are so real. Tarnished City takes the politics and action from Gilded Cage and turns it up several notches on the scale. It leaves the reader breathless and ready for book number three.
rynflynn12's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
existenchellecrisis's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
In Gilded Cage, Vic James created an alternate Britain ruled by a magical elite, who use the Unskilled as slaves, portraying a broken political system and class divides.
Tarnished City picks up from where the previous book left our characters; Luke framed for murder, Abi on the run, their little sister Daisy left in the clutches of the Jardine family.
The Skilled characters are multi-faceted, yes some are just evil, but some have mixed loyalties. Gavar just wants to protect his baseborn child and is becoming increasingly disgruntled with his family. For some unknown reason Silyen seems to have a soft spot for Luke, and while he does send him into the hands of torturer Crovan, he also demands that he not be damaged beyond repair.
Doc Jackson and the Angel of the North's true identities are now known, but Meilyr paid a huge price for standing up for Luke, with his Skill drained he is now a hollow shell of a man. The rebels still have a lot of work to do and Bodina takes over. Abi becomes much more involved in the cause, wanting justice for her brother, who everyone seems to know is innocent. But why would the Equals care about a commoner boy who serves perfectly well as a warning to others? The whole thing escalates into a horrifying climax and some characters will surprise you.
Luke ends up on Crovan's estate, where those who committed the worst crimes against Equals go. A castle, on an island in a loch in the remote Highlands of Scotland. The loch's water enfused with Skill to inflict pain on any who enter. Inside the castle, Crovan inflicts punishment on his prisoners, making them forget again and again what he does to them. He runs the castle-prison like some grotesque social experiment, with some prisoners living as guests and the rest as the servants.
I started to really like Silyen. He's far from perfect but he clearly doesn't have the same agenda as his family. He is interested in how Skill works but in less of a cruel way than Crovan.
It's interesting reading this in the current political climate. It shows how the people in power bend the "facts" to their purpose and take advantage of media to amplify their own agenda. As well as the obvious class struggles and terrible government. We can all sympathise.
I actually picked up the finale, Bright Ruin, immediately after, so I am struggling to keep the two books separate in my mind. They definitely need to be read as a trilogy and the story does run from one to another. It's a middle book, with a clear beginning and end, but overall I thoroughly recommend this trilogy as something a bit different.
Tarnished City picks up from where the previous book left our characters; Luke framed for murder, Abi on the run, their little sister Daisy left in the clutches of the Jardine family.
The Skilled characters are multi-faceted, yes some are just evil, but some have mixed loyalties. Gavar just wants to protect his baseborn child and is becoming increasingly disgruntled with his family. For some unknown reason Silyen seems to have a soft spot for Luke, and while he does send him into the hands of torturer Crovan, he also demands that he not be damaged beyond repair.
Doc Jackson and the Angel of the North's true identities are now known, but Meilyr paid a huge price for standing up for Luke, with his Skill drained he is now a hollow shell of a man. The rebels still have a lot of work to do and Bodina takes over. Abi becomes much more involved in the cause, wanting justice for her brother, who everyone seems to know is innocent. But why would the Equals care about a commoner boy who serves perfectly well as a warning to others? The whole thing escalates into a horrifying climax and some characters will surprise you.
Luke ends up on Crovan's estate, where those who committed the worst crimes against Equals go. A castle, on an island in a loch in the remote Highlands of Scotland. The loch's water enfused with Skill to inflict pain on any who enter. Inside the castle, Crovan inflicts punishment on his prisoners, making them forget again and again what he does to them. He runs the castle-prison like some grotesque social experiment, with some prisoners living as guests and the rest as the servants.
I started to really like Silyen. He's far from perfect but he clearly doesn't have the same agenda as his family. He is interested in how Skill works but in less of a cruel way than Crovan.
It's interesting reading this in the current political climate. It shows how the people in power bend the "facts" to their purpose and take advantage of media to amplify their own agenda. As well as the obvious class struggles and terrible government. We can all sympathise.
I actually picked up the finale, Bright Ruin, immediately after, so I am struggling to keep the two books separate in my mind. They definitely need to be read as a trilogy and the story does run from one to another. It's a middle book, with a clear beginning and end, but overall I thoroughly recommend this trilogy as something a bit different.
amethystbookwyrm's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me this book to review.
Tarnished city is a really good YA paranormal dystopian novel which is even darker and violent and the previous book Gilded Cage. It is fast paced and with all of its twists, political manoeuvring and unpredictability it makes you not want to put the book down. It did not suffer from middle book syndrome and I felt the characters have become more interesting and those who were a bit two-dimensional in the first book have developed a lot more.
I felt like Luke had the least character growth in this book, partly because his story arc did not grab me as much but also, he was the character who had developed the most in Gilded Cage. However, Abi had the most growth as she is still determined to save her family but she understands that change is needed. She has also lost her naivety and her belief that her family can stay impartial. Silyen is just as mysterious and complex as before and I still have no clue what his plans are all for. The most surprising character was Gavar as he was so much more interesting in this book and developed into a character I was not expecting.
The ending was a bit confusing and did end on a massive cliffhanger but I am looking forward to reading the next book Bright Ruin. I would recommend Tarnished City to those who enjoyed the first book Gilded Cage, and this series to those who like dystopian alternative worlds.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
Tarnished city is a really good YA paranormal dystopian novel which is even darker and violent and the previous book Gilded Cage. It is fast paced and with all of its twists, political manoeuvring and unpredictability it makes you not want to put the book down. It did not suffer from middle book syndrome and I felt the characters have become more interesting and those who were a bit two-dimensional in the first book have developed a lot more.
I felt like Luke had the least character growth in this book, partly because his story arc did not grab me as much but also, he was the character who had developed the most in Gilded Cage. However, Abi had the most growth as she is still determined to save her family but she understands that change is needed. She has also lost her naivety and her belief that her family can stay impartial. Silyen is just as mysterious and complex as before and I still have no clue what his plans are all for. The most surprising character was Gavar as he was so much more interesting in this book and developed into a character I was not expecting.
The ending was a bit confusing and did end on a massive cliffhanger but I am looking forward to reading the next book Bright Ruin. I would recommend Tarnished City to those who enjoyed the first book Gilded Cage, and this series to those who like dystopian alternative worlds.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
moviebuffkt's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this book, and it’s the first ARC I’ve read beginning to end. I love this story and the characters a lot, but be forewarned that it is heavily political not just a solid fantasy. Appropriate for older YA but written for adults.
It is a continuation of a story set In an alternative history of Britain where those with Skill (basically nondescript magic) rule over those without. Anyone without Skill is forced in to ten years of slavery (at any age they choose) and this book lands us in the middle of a revolution. Skilled allies are helping unskilled slaves to change the system.
Would like to revisit this series on audio when it’s complete (book 3 out in October!)
It is a continuation of a story set In an alternative history of Britain where those with Skill (basically nondescript magic) rule over those without. Anyone without Skill is forced in to ten years of slavery (at any age they choose) and this book lands us in the middle of a revolution. Skilled allies are helping unskilled slaves to change the system.
Would like to revisit this series on audio when it’s complete (book 3 out in October!)
mcad92's review against another edition
4.0
I can’t even.. so much went down in this book. So many shocking moments! Can’t wait to read the next one!