A review by bintinery
A City Dreaming by Daniel Polansky

4.0

A City Dreaming was not what I expected to be. It doesn't have a traditional plot and reads more like a set of short stories than a singular story on its own. Each chapter introduces new characters and new conflicts that all connect in a sort of timeline. The characters were interesting and I ended up liking the protagonist, M more than I thought I would when I started the book. I was entertained by the way that magic worked in this world, it wasn't your typical wave a wand and say the words kind of magic. It was complicated but fun to learn about. The dialogue and narration was clever in every chapter. It's just an amusing read. I also found it to be pretty uplifting. This was probably the most unexpected thing about it, it left me feeling incredibly positive. Overall, I'm a fan and would definitely recommend A City Dreaming if you're looking for a not-so-typical fantasy novel.