City of stairs – Robert Jackson Bennett!

Title: City of stairs (Divine Cities #1).

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett.

Format: Paperback.

Publisher: Broadway Books.

Page count: 452

Release day: September 9^th 2014.

Genre: Adult, fantasy.

Rating: 3 stars.

What is it about? (Summary from GoodReads)

The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions — until its divine protectors were killed. Now, Bulikov’s history has been censored and erased, its citizens subjugated. But the surreal landscape of the city itself, forever altered by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it, stands as a haunting reminder of its former supremacy.

Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov’s oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country’s most accomplished spies, dispatched — along with her terrifying “secretary”, Sigrud — to solve a murder.

But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem, and that Bulikov’s cruel reign may not yet be over.

A tale of vast conspiracies, dead gods, and buried histories, City of Stairs is at once a gripping spy novel and a stunningly original work of fantasy.

Rating:
Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Writing: 6/10
Plot: 7/10
Intrigue: 6/10
Logic: 6/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Average: 6.71 (which means 3 stars!)

My thoughts:

I’ve been wanting to read this series for quite a while! I was actually more interested in Foundryside, but I wanted to read his older series first!

I really struggled with the beginning of this book, I’m still not sure if it was the writing or the plot, but it really took me quite a while to get through the first 100 pages. Probably it was just because we dive into this new world, and this world was very different from what I had expected from this book!

I really loved all of the characters, Shara was so interesting, I really liked learning about her background but also I feel like there is still so much to learn about her. Especially after where the ending was going! But honestly, I feel like Sigrud was my fave! This is definitely a character for which I feel like there is lots to learn about! So much is still hidden about his past! And the gods! They were so interesting as well, especially one that we meet at the end (not saying which, no spoilers!)!

I loved learning about this world! It was so much more ‘modern’ then that I had expected! Which was interesting, and mode it more original!

I did struggle a bit with the writing, it just took me quite a while to connect to it. Which made it hard at times to pick up this book.

I think after ~150 pages I really got into the story, and I started to really enjoy it! After those pages I got more intrigued, and more interested in where the story was going!

And after that ending, I really need to read the sequel!

This is a bit of a short review haah, I’m just not really sure what to say about it. It was definitely an original world, with some interesting politics, and I can’t wait to see where City of Blades will take us!

Have you read this book? What did you think?