vjlp22_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Murder, Cannibalism, and Death
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
luckykosmos's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Reading this one was a doozy, because the things I didn't like, I hated, but the things I liked, I adored. The biggest detractor was the pacing - skimming over the other reviews, some said it was too fast, some said it was too slow, but really it was very uneven. The world is beautifully imagined, but the lore is a slog to get through in the first third, because there's so much of it. Now that it's established, I'm hoping book 2 can hit the ground running, but this is a book that would have benefited from in-world lore inserts (textbooks excerpts or letters, for example) between chapters, just so less needed to be explained.
On the other hand, I loved the character. The whole last third of the book was a doozy and kept me company during a bad bout of insomnia. For the size of the cast by the end, all of the main and most of the secondary characters had distinct personalities and motivations, and the way Sim wove them together in the last act was masterful. My one exception is
I settled on a 4 because, while the issues I had did take me out of the experience and went on for a solid chunk of a long book, I think those won't be an issue in book 2 (at least to the same degree), and I really do adore this cast.
On the other hand, I loved the character. The whole last third of the book was a doozy and kept me company during a bad bout of insomnia. For the size of the cast by the end, all of the main and most of the secondary characters had distinct personalities and motivations, and the way Sim wove them together in the last act was masterful. My one exception is
Spoiler
Fin - I like his place in the larger plot, but not really where he belongs in Nikolas' story. This might be personal preference, but the amount witheld made it hard to grow attached to him the way I did with, for example, Cosima or Jas, who play similar roles.I settled on a 4 because, while the issues I had did take me out of the experience and went on for a solid chunk of a long book, I think those won't be an issue in book 2 (at least to the same degree), and I really do adore this cast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Cannibalism, and Child death
Minor: Self harm
i_write_on_occasion's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The book has interesting ideas, but a poor execution. The pacing is far too slow to keep interest and the characters are difficult to connect with
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, and Gore
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Death of parent
memento_morri's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Child death
gingergothicc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was a RIDE I only wish the audiobook was clearer when switching perspectives
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism and Violence
chloe_sherlock_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Murder
Minor: Cannibalism and Cursing
scribewarden's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism
msradiosilence's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Tldr; Taesia is the best, and I’m really looking forward to book 2.
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/the-city-of-dusk.
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/the-city-of-dusk.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Cursing, Racism, Police brutality, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship
kelitta_cosmic_cloister's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Cannibalism