Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ishouldreadthat 's review for:
City of Lies
by Sam Hawke
Originally posted to I Should Read That
This is a spoiler-free review.
4.5 out of 5 stars
City of Lies had been languishing on my TBR since its release last year. Despite hearing amazing things about this book, I just never seemed to have the time to read it. I finally decided to pick up the audiobook with a spare Audible credit and I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner! Part political fantasy, part closed-room mystery, City of Lies is a gorgeous tale of family, betrayal, and war.
You all know I love world building, and the world of City of Lies is absolutely fascinating. It is lush and gorgeous in its detail, but you never feel overloaded with information -- Hawke manages to tell you everything you need to know in such a way that flows well with the plot and story. I adored the lush and gorgeous world that Hawke creates -- I would happily read anything set here. I'm always a bit sucker for interesting fantasy cultural practices and traditions, and City of Lies gave me that with the wonderfully intricate 'lost lore' trope and non-standard (by our society, anyway) family structure. Because of this, the nuanced family relationships at the heart of City of Lies is absolutely wonderful.
Frustrations and tensions keep the story alive, but it’s the characters that really made me love this book. This one is for the Hufflepuffs out there who, like me, don’t see themselves in sword-wielding, badass characters that are so common in fantasy. Both Jovan and Kalina are soft, caring characters thrown into a terrible situation. However, they do not cower from their responsibilities -- they rise to the occasion and become heroes in their own ways. Not only is their sibling relationship absolutely wonderful to read about, they both stand firm as amazing characters in their own right. Jovan’s character arc was absolutely wonderful and I really loved reading his chapters. Characters who suffer from mental illness are always a soft spot of mine, and I was really happy to see that OCD was being sensitively written about and presented in fantasy.
As much as I like Jovan, Kalina was my absolute favourite character. I will always have a soft spot for female characters who are more than they appear, twist people’s expectations of them to their own benefit, and have an incredible inner strength. Kalina suffers from a chronic illness -- her condition means that her place as the next proofer was taken from her and given to Jovan -- however, she doesn’t give up. She uses people’s perceptions of her as a frail and meek woman in order to provide the help that she can -- she has many secrets of her own. She’s exactly the kind of female character I love reading about and in undoubtedly a new favourite of mine.
City of Lies is a fantastic debut that feels like it is written by a veteran of the genre. If you’re looking for something unique and refreshing in fantasy, you should absolutely pick up this book. I’d highly recommend the audiobook, as both narrators are just fantastic and capture Jovan and Kalina so perfectly. I can’t want to see what Sam Hawke writes next!
This is a spoiler-free review.
4.5 out of 5 stars
City of Lies had been languishing on my TBR since its release last year. Despite hearing amazing things about this book, I just never seemed to have the time to read it. I finally decided to pick up the audiobook with a spare Audible credit and I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner! Part political fantasy, part closed-room mystery, City of Lies is a gorgeous tale of family, betrayal, and war.
You all know I love world building, and the world of City of Lies is absolutely fascinating. It is lush and gorgeous in its detail, but you never feel overloaded with information -- Hawke manages to tell you everything you need to know in such a way that flows well with the plot and story. I adored the lush and gorgeous world that Hawke creates -- I would happily read anything set here. I'm always a bit sucker for interesting fantasy cultural practices and traditions, and City of Lies gave me that with the wonderfully intricate 'lost lore' trope and non-standard (by our society, anyway) family structure. Because of this, the nuanced family relationships at the heart of City of Lies is absolutely wonderful.
Frustrations and tensions keep the story alive, but it’s the characters that really made me love this book. This one is for the Hufflepuffs out there who, like me, don’t see themselves in sword-wielding, badass characters that are so common in fantasy. Both Jovan and Kalina are soft, caring characters thrown into a terrible situation. However, they do not cower from their responsibilities -- they rise to the occasion and become heroes in their own ways. Not only is their sibling relationship absolutely wonderful to read about, they both stand firm as amazing characters in their own right. Jovan’s character arc was absolutely wonderful and I really loved reading his chapters. Characters who suffer from mental illness are always a soft spot of mine, and I was really happy to see that OCD was being sensitively written about and presented in fantasy.
As much as I like Jovan, Kalina was my absolute favourite character. I will always have a soft spot for female characters who are more than they appear, twist people’s expectations of them to their own benefit, and have an incredible inner strength. Kalina suffers from a chronic illness -- her condition means that her place as the next proofer was taken from her and given to Jovan -- however, she doesn’t give up. She uses people’s perceptions of her as a frail and meek woman in order to provide the help that she can -- she has many secrets of her own. She’s exactly the kind of female character I love reading about and in undoubtedly a new favourite of mine.
City of Lies is a fantastic debut that feels like it is written by a veteran of the genre. If you’re looking for something unique and refreshing in fantasy, you should absolutely pick up this book. I’d highly recommend the audiobook, as both narrators are just fantastic and capture Jovan and Kalina so perfectly. I can’t want to see what Sam Hawke writes next!