A review by penakut
City of Thieves by David Benioff

funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I’m done with my eighth book of the year, and this time it’s David Benioff’s City of Thieves. On paper, it should’ve been an instant favorite. I’m drawn to historical fiction—especially stories set during WWII—and Benioff’s prose is everything I admire in a writer: clean, vivid, and effortlessly sharp. The central plot device, a darkly absurd mission to find a dozen eggs during the Siege of Leningrad, is both imaginative and effective, grounding the horrors of war in something deeply human and oddly tender. Framing the novel as a fictionalized account of Benioff’s grandfather also adds an intriguing layer of authenticity and emotional weight.

And yet, despite all that, I found myself strangely unmoved. The novel never fully pulled me in; it kept me at a distance. The framing device, though clever, ended up creating emotional space between me and the story. I admired Lev and Kolya as characters, and some of their experiences were deeply affecting—but I didn’t feel fully with them. It was as if I was watching their story unfold through a window rather than walking beside them.

I think part of it is just taste: I tend to gravitate toward character-driven stories, and City of Thieves is more plot-driven at its core. While the momentum and pacing are impressive, I often found myself craving more inner life, more quiet depth. In the end, City of Thieves feels like one of those vacations you see in someone else’s beautifully edited video—gorgeous, gripping, but ultimately not your own. I can see the craft. I appreciate the skill. But I never quite felt it in my gut the way I hoped I would. Maybe it’s just a matter of timing. Or maybe it’s one of those stories I respect more than I love.