iforgotilivedhere's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I’m really confused about this book. First of all, this should not of been marketed as adult. This is all the way YA. The characters didn’t feel really adult, they felt a lot like the typical YA characters that you see a lot in books like ToG and Shadow Hunters.
Second, I had a really hard time with some of them. I kinda hated Angelica especially after what she did near the end with Eran. Taesia was interesting sometimes but her “snarky” comments kinda just blew it out of proportion sometimes. I could not stand her sometimes because of how dedicated Sim was to making Taesia be so badass. Sim tried so hard but it just didn’t work out sometimes. Sometimes Taesia really did feel like a interesting character! Nikolas, I love him. He deserves the world. Julian was also really good. At the beginning of the book I could care less about Risha but in the middle of the book I really started to actually find her generally interesting. She’s a good character!
Second, I had a really hard time with some of them. I kinda hated Angelica especially after what she did near the end with Eran. Taesia was interesting sometimes but her “snarky” comments kinda just blew it out of proportion sometimes. I could not stand her sometimes because of how dedicated Sim was to making Taesia be so badass. Sim tried so hard but it just didn’t work out sometimes. Sometimes Taesia really did feel like a interesting character! Nikolas, I love him. He deserves the world. Julian was also really good. At the beginning of the book I could care less about Risha but in the middle of the book I really started to actually find her generally interesting. She’s a good character!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Mental illness, Gore, Cursing, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Self harm, Murder, Abandonment, Violence, Physical abuse, Grief, Child death, Body horror, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, and Classism
rorikae's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
'The City of Dusk' by Tara Sim is an engaging fantasy novel with great worldbuilding, political intrigue, and necromancy.
The story follows the heirs of four houses who each have their own powers and complicated relationships with one another. Taesia and her brother are dealing with discoveries and possible consequences. Angelica is dealing with learning the proper way to call forth her powers. Nik is hefting his family's expectations and a new responsibility. Risha is struggling to keep the others from coming to blows. With the tenuous relationships between their city and the gods in disarray and the question of succession causing friction between the houses, each of the heirs seek ways to save their city and keep their house afloat.
This story has a slow start but I think that really benefited the characters. Sim gives each character plenty of time within the story so that I felt I had a good grasp on each of the characters and their relationships before the full meat of the plot began to unfurl. The characters and relationships are the heart of this story and so it works really well to cement them strongly at the beginning. For readers looking for more excitement and plot, it definitely appears but only after we have a good understanding of the characters. By weaving in the worldbuilding with the characters, which is aided by them each being heir to different houses and having their own powers, we get to understand the world in a way that felt natural and not forced. There is a solid base layer of understanding that Sim continues to build on throughout the story, especially as characters begin to uncover previously unknown pieces of their world.
A lot is set up in this first book and it's clear that the story is headed for even more intense places (which is saying a lot as this book delves into many different topics). I'm excited to see where Sim takes the characters next and to learn even more about the world.
The story follows the heirs of four houses who each have their own powers and complicated relationships with one another. Taesia and her brother are dealing with discoveries and possible consequences. Angelica is dealing with learning the proper way to call forth her powers. Nik is hefting his family's expectations and a new responsibility. Risha is struggling to keep the others from coming to blows. With the tenuous relationships between their city and the gods in disarray and the question of succession causing friction between the houses, each of the heirs seek ways to save their city and keep their house afloat.
This story has a slow start but I think that really benefited the characters. Sim gives each character plenty of time within the story so that I felt I had a good grasp on each of the characters and their relationships before the full meat of the plot began to unfurl. The characters and relationships are the heart of this story and so it works really well to cement them strongly at the beginning. For readers looking for more excitement and plot, it definitely appears but only after we have a good understanding of the characters. By weaving in the worldbuilding with the characters, which is aided by them each being heir to different houses and having their own powers, we get to understand the world in a way that felt natural and not forced. There is a solid base layer of understanding that Sim continues to build on throughout the story, especially as characters begin to uncover previously unknown pieces of their world.
A lot is set up in this first book and it's clear that the story is headed for even more intense places (which is saying a lot as this book delves into many different topics). I'm excited to see where Sim takes the characters next and to learn even more about the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
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