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abby_ace_of_books 's review for:
Cities of Smoke and Starlight
by Alli Earnest
"'There's no one else I'd rather be here with at the end than you.'"
To be honest, the cover was what originally landed Cities of Smoke and Starlight on my TBR, but I'm so glad I read it because the steampunk adventure far exceeded my expectations. It reminded me a bit of Tara Sim's Timekeeper mixed with bits of a whole bunch of other sci-fi books - and I've heard that it has similarities to Star Wars.
The book takes place around the year 4500, and it's implied that the characters live on another planet. A scholar and pilot embark on a mission with a handful of others to seek help from a mysterious race in the hopes of preventing war. There's plenty of action to keep readers intrigued throughout, and even though I admittedly found the pacing a bit slow at times, the ending was amazing and I can't wait to see where the story goes next. The main plot twist was foreshadowed enough that I was able to call it but there was still enough shock factor in the reveal to make it impactful, and while I didn't cry, I wanted to.
However, the real strength is in the characters. I didn't really like Zeke or Ben all that much, but I absolutely adored Ebba (she reminded me of Cassie from Timekeeper). And then there's Hallie and Kase... Hallie reminded me a bit of Fi from The Bone Spindle, but her interest in translating ancient texts intrigued me and I liked her character. I can't pinpoint exactly who Kase reminded me of, but his snark and temper meant liked him a lot as well. And the tension between them? Immaculate. They reminded me a bit of Iris and Roman from Divine Rivals and just strengthened my claim that rivals to lovers is infinitely better than a true enemies to lovers. The slow-burn was 100% worth it.
If you're looking for a unique genre-blending read or a steampunk adventure with a found family of sorts, be sure to check out Cities of Smoke and Starlight.
4.5/5
To be honest, the cover was what originally landed Cities of Smoke and Starlight on my TBR, but I'm so glad I read it because the steampunk adventure far exceeded my expectations. It reminded me a bit of Tara Sim's Timekeeper mixed with bits of a whole bunch of other sci-fi books - and I've heard that it has similarities to Star Wars.
The book takes place around the year 4500, and it's implied that the characters live on another planet. A scholar and pilot embark on a mission with a handful of others to seek help from a mysterious race in the hopes of preventing war. There's plenty of action to keep readers intrigued throughout, and even though I admittedly found the pacing a bit slow at times, the ending was amazing and I can't wait to see where the story goes next. The main plot twist was foreshadowed enough that I was able to call it but there was still enough shock factor in the reveal to make it impactful, and while I didn't cry, I wanted to.
However, the real strength is in the characters. I didn't really like Zeke or Ben all that much, but I absolutely adored Ebba (she reminded me of Cassie from Timekeeper). And then there's Hallie and Kase... Hallie reminded me a bit of Fi from The Bone Spindle, but her interest in translating ancient texts intrigued me and I liked her character. I can't pinpoint exactly who Kase reminded me of, but his snark and temper meant liked him a lot as well. And the tension between them? Immaculate. They reminded me a bit of Iris and Roman from Divine Rivals and just strengthened my claim that rivals to lovers is infinitely better than a true enemies to lovers. The slow-burn was 100% worth it.
If you're looking for a unique genre-blending read or a steampunk adventure with a found family of sorts, be sure to check out Cities of Smoke and Starlight.
4.5/5