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A review by blueshadow
City of Storms by Kat Ross
4.0
Fast paced fantasy noir in an eastern European inspired setting, with slight gaslamp flavor (limited technology), some mystery, lots of action, and very detailed worldbuilding, backstory, and magical system.
The plot.... the plot is complicated and twisty-turny. But we have three major characters, a sort of magical policeman haunted by his past, a woman with secrets, and the man exiled for his evil magic, plus a whole host of supporting characters. A huge strength of this book is that we get POV from each of the major characters, plus some others, which really helps develop all aspects of the storyline. The trouble really gets going soon in the second chapter, and then all mad chaos breaks out about halfway through the book. Buckle up, it's a fast ride.
So, my one problem with the book is that it's a bit confusing. The very detailed worldbuilding isn't explained in detail. We actually get a better explanation towards the end of the story, when we find out (as is wont to happen in these stories) that not everything is quite how we were led to believe.
Nearly all the characters could be classified as morally grey. There are bad guys who do good things, good guys who do bad things, and most of the characters I wasn't really sure if they were good or bad because the plot kept twisting too fast for me to keep up. But somehow I managed to LIKE nearly all of them.
This book was fast-paced and a lot of fun to read. Even though I would have preferred more detailed explanations, the lack of them kept the pace fast and there always was just (barely) enough that I wasn't actually lost, just wishing I understood a bit more. The plot is first-rate and the vivid characters really make the story. Recommended if you like action, dark fantasy, or great characters.
This is the first installment in a series. It ends at a pause in the action - not a cliffhanger, but neither is everything resolved.
Content advisory: Rated R for strong language, sexual references, a couple brief sex scenes, and brief violence.
The plot.... the plot is complicated and twisty-turny. But we have three major characters, a sort of magical policeman haunted by his past, a woman with secrets, and the man exiled for his evil magic, plus a whole host of supporting characters. A huge strength of this book is that we get POV from each of the major characters, plus some others, which really helps develop all aspects of the storyline. The trouble really gets going soon in the second chapter, and then all mad chaos breaks out about halfway through the book. Buckle up, it's a fast ride.
So, my one problem with the book is that it's a bit confusing. The very detailed worldbuilding isn't explained in detail. We actually get a better explanation towards the end of the story, when we find out (as is wont to happen in these stories) that not everything is quite how we were led to believe.
Nearly all the characters could be classified as morally grey. There are bad guys who do good things, good guys who do bad things, and most of the characters I wasn't really sure if they were good or bad because the plot kept twisting too fast for me to keep up. But somehow I managed to LIKE nearly all of them.
This book was fast-paced and a lot of fun to read. Even though I would have preferred more detailed explanations, the lack of them kept the pace fast and there always was just (barely) enough that I wasn't actually lost, just wishing I understood a bit more. The plot is first-rate and the vivid characters really make the story. Recommended if you like action, dark fantasy, or great characters.
This is the first installment in a series. It ends at a pause in the action - not a cliffhanger, but neither is everything resolved.
Content advisory: Rated R for strong language, sexual references, a couple brief sex scenes, and brief violence.