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dustingm 's review for:
City of Miracles
by Robert Jackson Bennett
Note: I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley for purposes of this review.
There's something wonderfully satisfying about a well written, well executed third book in a trilogy. That's essentially what Robert Jackson Bennett has done with City of Miracles, the third (and final?) chapter in his Divine Cities series.
This book contains all the hallmarks of a Robert Jackson Bennett book: compelling characters, intriguing storylines, twists, and excellent writing. The setting deserves particular mention: The Divine Cities is set in a world somewhat contemporaneous to our own in, say, the 1930s -- there are motor vehicles and electricity and sky trams, but it still has the feel of something in the medium past. There's a grittiness and age to the locations that feels as though the Continent and Saypur are just settling into an industrial revolution.
The two major races of people are the Russian-like Continentals and the Saypuri, reminiscent of India, former vassals of the Continent who overthrew their masters and killed their gods. It's the dead gods, and specifically what they left behind when they died, that are at the heart of this trilogy.
City of Miracles shifts the narrative focus to Sigrud, Shara Komayd's bodyguard in the first two books, and the focus appears natural. Sigrud has always seemed somewhat of an enigma in the first two novels: a hulking, Nordic warrior who has some sort of connection to the divine that is never really fully understood. With the start of City of Miracles, Sigrud discovers that his friend and mentor Shara has been brutally murdered, which prompts him to come out of hiding to try and discover who killed Shara, and why. In the process, Sigrud uncovers a secret hidden by the late Shara, and a threat that could consume whatever is left of both the Continent and Saypur.
Without giving too much away, I was very pleased with this book and the conclusion of the series. Bennet's world in The Divine Cities is vast and deep and there could surely be more extremely interesting stories told here, but the narrative threads of the three novels intersect and conclude in a way that is completely satisfying. The main characters of the three novels -- Shara Komayd, Turyin Mulaghesh, and Sigrud je Harkvaldsson -- leave long shadows over the trilogy. All of them appear in some form over the course of City of Miracles, and the by the end of this book all three have come to narrative conclusions that feel appropriate.
If I have to quibble, by nature of his connection to the divine Sigrud has a touch of "Gary Stu" in him -- the things he does and the success he has in bringing about their successful completion feel a bit... well, miraculous. This is addressed in the novel (and I suppose that's the point) but while the action set pieces were page-turners I had a bit of a hard time not side-eying Sigrud's actions throughout the course of the book.
The main plot twist was not altogether unexpected, either, but even if you saw the end-game coming, Bennett's writing is such that it kept you interested and engaged every step of the way.
Bennett's Divine Cities series has been one of my favorite fantasy series of the past 20 years. City of Miracles was both a wonderful read and a fitting conclusion the trilogy. I hope that one day he is able to return to the Continent and Saypur to expand upon some of the themes explored in this series.
There's something wonderfully satisfying about a well written, well executed third book in a trilogy. That's essentially what Robert Jackson Bennett has done with City of Miracles, the third (and final?) chapter in his Divine Cities series.
This book contains all the hallmarks of a Robert Jackson Bennett book: compelling characters, intriguing storylines, twists, and excellent writing. The setting deserves particular mention: The Divine Cities is set in a world somewhat contemporaneous to our own in, say, the 1930s -- there are motor vehicles and electricity and sky trams, but it still has the feel of something in the medium past. There's a grittiness and age to the locations that feels as though the Continent and Saypur are just settling into an industrial revolution.
The two major races of people are the Russian-like Continentals and the Saypuri, reminiscent of India, former vassals of the Continent who overthrew their masters and killed their gods. It's the dead gods, and specifically what they left behind when they died, that are at the heart of this trilogy.
City of Miracles shifts the narrative focus to Sigrud, Shara Komayd's bodyguard in the first two books, and the focus appears natural. Sigrud has always seemed somewhat of an enigma in the first two novels: a hulking, Nordic warrior who has some sort of connection to the divine that is never really fully understood. With the start of City of Miracles, Sigrud discovers that his friend and mentor Shara has been brutally murdered, which prompts him to come out of hiding to try and discover who killed Shara, and why. In the process, Sigrud uncovers a secret hidden by the late Shara, and a threat that could consume whatever is left of both the Continent and Saypur.
Without giving too much away, I was very pleased with this book and the conclusion of the series. Bennet's world in The Divine Cities is vast and deep and there could surely be more extremely interesting stories told here, but the narrative threads of the three novels intersect and conclude in a way that is completely satisfying. The main characters of the three novels -- Shara Komayd, Turyin Mulaghesh, and Sigrud je Harkvaldsson -- leave long shadows over the trilogy. All of them appear in some form over the course of City of Miracles, and the by the end of this book all three have come to narrative conclusions that feel appropriate.
If I have to quibble, by nature of his connection to the divine Sigrud has a touch of "Gary Stu" in him -- the things he does and the success he has in bringing about their successful completion feel a bit... well, miraculous. This is addressed in the novel (and I suppose that's the point) but while the action set pieces were page-turners I had a bit of a hard time not side-eying Sigrud's actions throughout the course of the book.
The main plot twist was not altogether unexpected, either, but even if you saw the end-game coming, Bennett's writing is such that it kept you interested and engaged every step of the way.
Bennett's Divine Cities series has been one of my favorite fantasy series of the past 20 years. City of Miracles was both a wonderful read and a fitting conclusion the trilogy. I hope that one day he is able to return to the Continent and Saypur to expand upon some of the themes explored in this series.