kaybee435b2 's review for:

City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett

4.0

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I received an ARC from the LibraryThing Early Readers program. "City of Miracles" is the third book in The Divine Cities series by Robert Jackson Bennett and I think it's the best of the trilogy. What a vast universe Bennett has created and how well the main characters are developed over the course of books. This fictional world is populated by divine and semi-divine beings, strong females, frighteningly evil creatures, and all manner of heroes. There are beautifully described urban settings, fantastical imaginative architecture, sea adventures, and lovely quiet moments with cups of tea. The first book of the trilogy focused on world-building and a wily female spy named Shara Komayd and her strongman sidekick Sigrud. The second book was more militaristic and focused on Turyin Mulaghesh, a strong female general/governor and all around bad-ass. City of Miracles is centered around Sigrud's story - and there's more to this huge, strong man than meets the eye. I feel that much is gained by reading all of books in order, especially to understand the author's messages about the inevitability of time, the real dangers of ultimate power, the foolishness of bureaucracies and politics, and the strength of true hearts in the face of impossible odds.