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latad_books 's review for:
The Last Smile in Sunder City
by Luke Arnold
Fusing a noir detective story with a post-apocalyptic fantasy world, Luke Arnold has created a nicely textured world and story with loads of grey and nastiness.
The world is filled with magical and supernatural creatures: elves, witches, werewolves, vampires, etc, and humans. Years earlier, the massive, terrible, magic-ending event called the Coda happened, and with it, magic left the world. The non-humans have been struggling to survive without their abilities, and are dying off, if not already dead/extinct. They are now the marginalized, the downtrodden, and the beaten. Humans revile them, handing down stories to their children of mistreatment and injustice. Some humans even band together in groups called Nails; these groups maim and murder non-humans when they can.
Enter Fetch Philips. Years earlier, he was orphaned in an attack by a terrifying creature, then adopted by a human and taken to live in an all-human settlement. Fetch never really fit in, and gained his nickname Fetch doing odd jobs and finding things for others.
He eventually became a soldier, and now, years later, lives with pain, huge guilt for the human-caused violence, anger and loneliness. He now finds things for his exclusively supernatural clients.
Fetch is asked to find a missing vampire teacher at a school for young supernaturals, and he slopes his way though Sunder City, looking for fights, drinking too much, and wallowing in his anger, while also finding clues. He also gradually reveals his role in the Coda, and so much makes sense afterwards of his loneliness and need to help the supernaturals around him.
I loved the tone and the world, and Fetch, that wreck that he is. He is also so mired in guilt and anger that he makes poor decisions, and often can’t see certain situations or behaviours around him because of it.
That said, Luke Arnold has crafted a compelling story with a main character trying to do good in a really messed world, and in a messed up way. Arnold kept me interested, and engaged, and I’m going back to Sunder City for more.
The world is filled with magical and supernatural creatures: elves, witches, werewolves, vampires, etc, and humans. Years earlier, the massive, terrible, magic-ending event called the Coda happened, and with it, magic left the world. The non-humans have been struggling to survive without their abilities, and are dying off, if not already dead/extinct. They are now the marginalized, the downtrodden, and the beaten. Humans revile them, handing down stories to their children of mistreatment and injustice. Some humans even band together in groups called Nails; these groups maim and murder non-humans when they can.
Enter Fetch Philips. Years earlier, he was orphaned in an attack by a terrifying creature, then adopted by a human and taken to live in an all-human settlement. Fetch never really fit in, and gained his nickname Fetch doing odd jobs and finding things for others.
He eventually became a soldier, and now, years later, lives with pain, huge guilt for the human-caused violence, anger and loneliness. He now finds things for his exclusively supernatural clients.
Fetch is asked to find a missing vampire teacher at a school for young supernaturals, and he slopes his way though Sunder City, looking for fights, drinking too much, and wallowing in his anger, while also finding clues. He also gradually reveals his role in the Coda, and so much makes sense afterwards of his loneliness and need to help the supernaturals around him.
I loved the tone and the world, and Fetch, that wreck that he is. He is also so mired in guilt and anger that he makes poor decisions, and often can’t see certain situations or behaviours around him because of it.
That said, Luke Arnold has crafted a compelling story with a main character trying to do good in a really messed world, and in a messed up way. Arnold kept me interested, and engaged, and I’m going back to Sunder City for more.