catbooking's review against another edition
2.0
The middle and the end were the best parts of the book. The middle was very weak, almost made me stop reading. It was not a new weaknesses just one that became apparent once the excitement of action slowed down.
While I am a fan of skilled people being epic good at what they do, it does not make a very exciting or realistic story. When the story hinges on ‘the good guys’ being super skilled at what they do, it begs the question as to how those ‘good guys’ wound up in the mess that needs solving in the first place.
If we put the plot armor aside there is still the issue of world-building. This is supposed to be set in an Arabic nation, either real or imagined, yet there is very little about the world that is Arabic. There are Sultans instead of Kings and camels instead of horses but that is about it. The narrative language is modern and the dialogue is modern. We get a few Increate thrown in here and there, but that doesn’t really make the setting original and doesn’t add to the story.
The last thing that bothered me about the story, and it does not necessarily speak to the quality of the book as much as to the quality of the message,
In summary, not a waste of time but not really anything unique.
While I am a fan of skilled people being epic good at what they do, it does not make a very exciting or realistic story. When the story hinges on ‘the good guys’ being super skilled at what they do, it begs the question as to how those ‘good guys’ wound up in the mess that needs solving in the first place.
If we put the plot armor aside there is still the issue of world-building. This is supposed to be set in an Arabic nation, either real or imagined, yet there is very little about the world that is Arabic. There are Sultans instead of Kings and camels instead of horses but that is about it. The narrative language is modern and the dialogue is modern. We get a few Increate thrown in here and there, but that doesn’t really make the setting original and doesn’t add to the story.
The last thing that bothered me about the story, and it does not necessarily speak to the quality of the book as much as to the quality of the message,
Spoiler
is how the women did things differently. Sure they went all democracy, not really a unique approach to stories that overthrow monarchs, but they were not really a democracy. People voted but the decisions were made by a few skilled individuals who were not elected and shored up by the violent power of one individual who was very good at being violent. So not really a government by the people and not really as pacifist as they would like it to sound. So at the end of the day the women won because they were better at being men than the men were.In summary, not a waste of time but not really anything unique.
megmcardle's review against another edition
5.0
What could have been an Arabian Nights pastiche ended up being an utterly immersive tale told in linked stories about a harem of women who escape certain death and become warriors to take back their desert city. This should be read by far more people than will probably discover it, but give this feminine fable a chance. It reminded me weirdly of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber that I devoured in my youth, but with kick-ass women.
rgrigsby80's review against another edition
3.0
This was a bit of an unusual book. I enjoyed parts of it, but it easily could have ended after Book One. (I completely lost interest in the last fourth of the book.) Also, modern colloquialisms would pop up here and there, which felt jarring in a book meant to emulate One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. I realize one of the characters has foresight and can apparently see far enough into the future to understand modern English dialect, but (for example) having a character based in ancient Arabia refer to "when &@$# hits the fan" really takes one out of the story.
agathag's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
anonblueberry's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not going to say it's a perfect book, but it was well crafted, engaging and moving from start to finish. There were clunky bits, but they didn't detract, there were a couple of predictable bits that made me, not quite cringe, but feel a little awkward, and some of the foreshadowing was a little heavy handed, but I loved it, and it's only taken me so long to read because I didn't want to finish it (and because I've been busy).
gavreads's review against another edition
Synopsis
Once, in a city called Bessa, there was a sultan who was over throne by religious zealots, lead by Hakkim Mehdad, who didn’t like the way the sultan and his people enjoyed themselves. The sultan’s wives and children were slaughtered and his 365 concubines were banished and sent to a neighbouring caliph as a tribute. But something threatened the banished concubines and everything changed.
Comments/Thoughts/Analysis
Imagine you are in the desert and a group of you are sat around a fire and someone starts telling a story about a City of Women. You may think from the way the narrator tells the story of exiled concubines that it is just a tale that has no basis in reality and to be fair it does start as just as story. But our narrator, the librarian Rem, tells us how a city of women came to be and what they did afterwards.
The City of Silk and Steel is this story but it’s built from asides and reflections and futures of those involved and as it grows you end up seeing the full picture.
Even though you could think of it as an Arabian Nights style tale due to its setting and the classical feel it captures. The Careys have managed to take what may have been a safe linear tale and push themselves into holding a reader’s attention as they pause, re-tell, give backstories, and make you as interested in the events of the characters lives have lead them here as to where they find themselves now.
An example of this is the titles of some the tales. Some are more ambiguous than others for example ‘Tales Whose Application is Mostly Tactical: Bethi’ versus ‘Giver of Gifts’. One of my favourites stories is ‘The Cook’s Story’ as it includes recipes but they are used to make a point. They show the contrast between the old Sultan and Hakkim and how the ascetic movement has effected the kitchens and the merchant’s who supply it. This technique adds a quality that is rare in most stories though to be fair most stories wouldn’t sustain this type of narration.
It works here as there is no main character as such, unless you’d define it as the city of Bessa, instead you have characters who are important to the tale. There are those that make decisions like Zuleika who changed the entire direction of the women’s lives, Gursoon who makes sure they survive Zuleika’s actons, Rem not only narrates but gives commentary on events as she was there affecting them not in small part due to her sight of the past, present and future. Then there is Anwar Das who grows to be much more than a camel thief. There are other characters and other stories including the act of kindness that the women will come to regret in the end.
But it does show rightly that you can have all sorts of strong female characters and what women can achieve. When the tale starts most, but not all, of the women have no other recognisable skills than those needed to survive their role as concubines, which involve not only looking after the sultan’s physical needs but ensuring, along with his wives, that they diplomatically cool his fires when he could make rash decisions.
But as they need to survive outside the city their underused (and unacknowledged) skills have to be used and honed in order to trade as well as fight when needed. And this the heart of The City of Silk and Steel and the source of its title. The silk is the women and their soothing nature and the steel is the fight inside them and both are needed. Though it may not be enough but not for the reasons that you may think. A city run by women is a very successful one but compassion is sometimes a weakness.
The ease with which regime change occurs may be have some readers pausing to wonder why it wasn’t harder but then again it’s a story that plays out over several years and its focus is on the characters not particularly on capturing a true ‘reality’. The narrator freely admits that is a story not a historical record though it is both.
It is the record of Bessa but also a story about Bessa.
Summary
I was truly enchanted by The City of Silk and Steel. The narrative style is refreshing. The way in which the story passes back and forth. The changes in focus. The way it builds. And the devastating way it ends. You may think that it’s bound to be a happy tale. It is in lots of ways as the women are practical but even that isn’t enough.
The Carey’s sometimes gloss and lubricate in some places where more grit and resistance would make the journey feel tougher but when it matters they don’t hold back. You want the women to beat the odds. You know the dangers of what they are doing and all you can do is read and wait.
If you like classical feeling fantasy tales with modern complexities, which is enchanting, captivating and enjoyable then The City silk and Steel should be top of your list.
Once, in a city called Bessa, there was a sultan who was over throne by religious zealots, lead by Hakkim Mehdad, who didn’t like the way the sultan and his people enjoyed themselves. The sultan’s wives and children were slaughtered and his 365 concubines were banished and sent to a neighbouring caliph as a tribute. But something threatened the banished concubines and everything changed.
Comments/Thoughts/Analysis
Imagine you are in the desert and a group of you are sat around a fire and someone starts telling a story about a City of Women. You may think from the way the narrator tells the story of exiled concubines that it is just a tale that has no basis in reality and to be fair it does start as just as story. But our narrator, the librarian Rem, tells us how a city of women came to be and what they did afterwards.
The City of Silk and Steel is this story but it’s built from asides and reflections and futures of those involved and as it grows you end up seeing the full picture.
Even though you could think of it as an Arabian Nights style tale due to its setting and the classical feel it captures. The Careys have managed to take what may have been a safe linear tale and push themselves into holding a reader’s attention as they pause, re-tell, give backstories, and make you as interested in the events of the characters lives have lead them here as to where they find themselves now.
An example of this is the titles of some the tales. Some are more ambiguous than others for example ‘Tales Whose Application is Mostly Tactical: Bethi’ versus ‘Giver of Gifts’. One of my favourites stories is ‘The Cook’s Story’ as it includes recipes but they are used to make a point. They show the contrast between the old Sultan and Hakkim and how the ascetic movement has effected the kitchens and the merchant’s who supply it. This technique adds a quality that is rare in most stories though to be fair most stories wouldn’t sustain this type of narration.
It works here as there is no main character as such, unless you’d define it as the city of Bessa, instead you have characters who are important to the tale. There are those that make decisions like Zuleika who changed the entire direction of the women’s lives, Gursoon who makes sure they survive Zuleika’s actons, Rem not only narrates but gives commentary on events as she was there affecting them not in small part due to her sight of the past, present and future. Then there is Anwar Das who grows to be much more than a camel thief. There are other characters and other stories including the act of kindness that the women will come to regret in the end.
But it does show rightly that you can have all sorts of strong female characters and what women can achieve. When the tale starts most, but not all, of the women have no other recognisable skills than those needed to survive their role as concubines, which involve not only looking after the sultan’s physical needs but ensuring, along with his wives, that they diplomatically cool his fires when he could make rash decisions.
But as they need to survive outside the city their underused (and unacknowledged) skills have to be used and honed in order to trade as well as fight when needed. And this the heart of The City of Silk and Steel and the source of its title. The silk is the women and their soothing nature and the steel is the fight inside them and both are needed. Though it may not be enough but not for the reasons that you may think. A city run by women is a very successful one but compassion is sometimes a weakness.
The ease with which regime change occurs may be have some readers pausing to wonder why it wasn’t harder but then again it’s a story that plays out over several years and its focus is on the characters not particularly on capturing a true ‘reality’. The narrator freely admits that is a story not a historical record though it is both.
It is the record of Bessa but also a story about Bessa.
Summary
I was truly enchanted by The City of Silk and Steel. The narrative style is refreshing. The way in which the story passes back and forth. The changes in focus. The way it builds. And the devastating way it ends. You may think that it’s bound to be a happy tale. It is in lots of ways as the women are practical but even that isn’t enough.
The Carey’s sometimes gloss and lubricate in some places where more grit and resistance would make the journey feel tougher but when it matters they don’t hold back. You want the women to beat the odds. You know the dangers of what they are doing and all you can do is read and wait.
If you like classical feeling fantasy tales with modern complexities, which is enchanting, captivating and enjoyable then The City silk and Steel should be top of your list.
otherwyrld's review against another edition
5.0
It's rare to find a book the world building is so beautifully well thought out and so integral to the story. I loved this feminist version of the [b:The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 1|7123161|The Arabian Nights Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 1|Anonymous|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392253902s/7123161.jpg|25731657] and I was sad to see the end of it. If I have a criticism of the story, it is that part 2 feels like a lesser piece of work than part 1, but it's a minor point at best and easy to overlook when the whole is such a great story.
kentcryptid's review
5.0
Once there was a city of women.
Stories within stories, and the story at the heart of the book is that of a seraglio of women who are cast out of their city by a religious fanatic, and turn themselves into an army in order to take back their home. By turns funny, inspirational and incredibly moving.
Stories within stories, and the story at the heart of the book is that of a seraglio of women who are cast out of their city by a religious fanatic, and turn themselves into an army in order to take back their home. By turns funny, inspirational and incredibly moving.