justinekorson's review against another edition
5.0
I was lucky enough to have received an E-Arc of this book and I was NOT disappointed by what I read. I’m going to try to not spoil things in my review but I will be mentioning a few characters that aren’t named specifically in the book’s description.
This is a story of magic, colonization, and the lengths people will go to for those that they love. The characters in this story are all driven by fear, for themselves or the ones they love, loyalty, for their city and it’s people, and responsibility, either for their desire to run from it or accept it. All of these emotions drive the characters down different paths that converge together in the best way imaginable.
The four POV’s that Elisa established in this novel were all very different and unique. I could feel each specific character’s emotions, understand their actions through their mindset, and found myself falling in love with these characters because of it.
The twins, Arian the master thief, and Liam that last mage of Arcanum, had very contrasting personalities but were still in tune with one another enough to gauge each others reactions and feelings. Their arc’s in the story were incredible to witness as they pushed past their own fear of failure in an effort to create change.
Zephyr, a Knight turned traitor, is a prime example of what someone will do for the people they love. Although she was outwardly hated by those around her, she never backed down from a fight. Without giving too much away… I’m very excited to see more of her storyline with a certain someone should we get a sequel.
Cavar, the Weaver of the Wastes, was probably my FAVORITE character but I’m also biased towards cute, sarcastic boys who like to steal artifacts and hearts. He’s smart, captivating and all around a joy to read about. I trusted/fell in love with him from the moment Arian met Cavar.
The world building in this novel was incredible. I ate up every little bit of it from the descriptions of the Leithon itself, to talk of the Wastes/Empire, and all of the discussion about magic and how it worked in the world. The way magic was used in this story almost gave me a sci-fi feeling to it and I’ve always loved when magic almost sounds like technology instead of fantasy.
There is very little in the way of romance, and while that would usually upset me (I’m a big romance reader) this did not. Any more than what we were given would have felt like a distraction from the plot and what we DID receive was perfect for any readers who like a good slow burn. With that in mind, I REALLY HOPE Y’ALL HAVE PREORDERED I WANT A SEQUEL.
Overall this book was MORE than I expected. The twins POV’s I anticipated but the addition of Zephyr and Cavar was a delightful surprise. All four of these characters, their different experiences, and thoughts worked so well together and I ended up loving the book from start to finish. I’d recommend this to anyone who loved Elisa’s world building from her first book and anyone who loves heists and fantasy.
This is a story of magic, colonization, and the lengths people will go to for those that they love. The characters in this story are all driven by fear, for themselves or the ones they love, loyalty, for their city and it’s people, and responsibility, either for their desire to run from it or accept it. All of these emotions drive the characters down different paths that converge together in the best way imaginable.
The four POV’s that Elisa established in this novel were all very different and unique. I could feel each specific character’s emotions, understand their actions through their mindset, and found myself falling in love with these characters because of it.
The twins, Arian the master thief, and Liam that last mage of Arcanum, had very contrasting personalities but were still in tune with one another enough to gauge each others reactions and feelings. Their arc’s in the story were incredible to witness as they pushed past their own fear of failure in an effort to create change.
Zephyr, a Knight turned traitor, is a prime example of what someone will do for the people they love. Although she was outwardly hated by those around her, she never backed down from a fight. Without giving too much away… I’m very excited to see more of her storyline with a certain someone should we get a sequel.
Cavar, the Weaver of the Wastes, was probably my FAVORITE character but I’m also biased towards cute, sarcastic boys who like to steal artifacts and hearts. He’s smart, captivating and all around a joy to read about. I trusted/fell in love with him from the moment Arian met Cavar.
The world building in this novel was incredible. I ate up every little bit of it from the descriptions of the Leithon itself, to talk of the Wastes/Empire, and all of the discussion about magic and how it worked in the world. The way magic was used in this story almost gave me a sci-fi feeling to it and I’ve always loved when magic almost sounds like technology instead of fantasy.
There is very little in the way of romance, and while that would usually upset me (I’m a big romance reader) this did not. Any more than what we were given would have felt like a distraction from the plot and what we DID receive was perfect for any readers who like a good slow burn. With that in mind, I REALLY HOPE Y’ALL HAVE PREORDERED I WANT A SEQUEL.
Overall this book was MORE than I expected. The twins POV’s I anticipated but the addition of Zephyr and Cavar was a delightful surprise. All four of these characters, their different experiences, and thoughts worked so well together and I ended up loving the book from start to finish. I’d recommend this to anyone who loved Elisa’s world building from her first book and anyone who loves heists and fantasy.
kristinv20's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
tanaz_masaba's review against another edition
2.0
As somebody who absolutely loved Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin, Stolen City was a painful letdown. While I appreciated her efforts in creating a diverse, complex world, I couldn't help but think that ultimately, the book was a massive hodgepodge of conflicting ideas. It lacked the passion and emotion that Dauntless had, and it was difficult to really immerse myself in the story.
Even the characters, whose background and stories were truly compelling, couldn't hold my interest. Maybe I read it at the wrong time, but it just isn't my cup of tea.
Even the characters, whose background and stories were truly compelling, couldn't hold my interest. Maybe I read it at the wrong time, but it just isn't my cup of tea.
stone_stupas's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chronicallybookish's review against another edition
4.0
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 13+
Over All: 4 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Special thanks to FierceReads and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
The first few chapters of this book focus on a futuristic world built in towering skyscrapers. That, paired with the cover, made me assume it was going to be scifi—but it was definitely high fantasy. The magic system, yes, but also just the vibes.
Think: magic, rag tag team, heist plot, revenge, political subterfuge.
And yes, it is as good as it sounds.
Stolen City is narrated through four (third person) POVs, Arian, Liam, Cavar, and Zephyr. I’m always hesitant when books go over two POV characters, because I often find it confusing or generally less engaging, but I enjoyed every POV and they were different enough that I never got their voices muddled. Each character gave their own unique and necessary viewpoint to the story.
The plot was equally engaging—fast paced and twisty. There were a few reveals that I saw coming from early on, but others completely caught me off guard in the best way. I do wish the heist aspect had been played into a little more, mostly because I’m a sucker for that trope, but I think there was room for more building of tension in that regard.
My only other complaint was in the world building. The Leithonian magic system was well developed, as was the political climate of the world and its relations to the other nations. The tribal clans of the Weavers were also well developed, but I am still highly confused on what, exactly, the Weavers themselves are. They’re…spies? Who think the fate of the world is there responsibility? What are their motives? Do they or do they not have magic of their own? Every mention of the Weavers just confused me more.
In the start of the book, alongside the cover, there is a lot of emphasis of a world based on towering skyscrapers (think Rebel by Marie Lu), but after those first few chapters, the skyscraper and similar layout of the city is almost never mentioned, nor is it relevant. On occasion there would be a throwaway mention, and I’d get confused as I remembered this city is set up very very oddly. Due to the lack of explanation to how these skyscrapers interacted with the story itself, I often found myself trying and failing to picture any sort of landscape, terrain, or map of the world.
I enjoyed the book as a whole. It was fast, sweeping, and intriguing. It was open-ended, and while the ending was satisfying, I’d love to return to the world of Stolen City and see what everyone—especially Liam—are up to. I enjoyed Elisa A. Bonnin’s writing and I’m excited to pick up her debut next!
Age Rating: 13+
Over All: 4 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Special thanks to FierceReads and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
The first few chapters of this book focus on a futuristic world built in towering skyscrapers. That, paired with the cover, made me assume it was going to be scifi—but it was definitely high fantasy. The magic system, yes, but also just the vibes.
Think: magic, rag tag team, heist plot, revenge, political subterfuge.
And yes, it is as good as it sounds.
Stolen City is narrated through four (third person) POVs, Arian, Liam, Cavar, and Zephyr. I’m always hesitant when books go over two POV characters, because I often find it confusing or generally less engaging, but I enjoyed every POV and they were different enough that I never got their voices muddled. Each character gave their own unique and necessary viewpoint to the story.
The plot was equally engaging—fast paced and twisty. There were a few reveals that I saw coming from early on, but others completely caught me off guard in the best way. I do wish the heist aspect had been played into a little more, mostly because I’m a sucker for that trope, but I think there was room for more building of tension in that regard.
My only other complaint was in the world building. The Leithonian magic system was well developed, as was the political climate of the world and its relations to the other nations. The tribal clans of the Weavers were also well developed, but I am still highly confused on what, exactly, the Weavers themselves are. They’re…spies? Who think the fate of the world is there responsibility? What are their motives? Do they or do they not have magic of their own? Every mention of the Weavers just confused me more.
In the start of the book, alongside the cover, there is a lot of emphasis of a world based on towering skyscrapers (think Rebel by Marie Lu), but after those first few chapters, the skyscraper and similar layout of the city is almost never mentioned, nor is it relevant. On occasion there would be a throwaway mention, and I’d get confused as I remembered this city is set up very very oddly. Due to the lack of explanation to how these skyscrapers interacted with the story itself, I often found myself trying and failing to picture any sort of landscape, terrain, or map of the world.
I enjoyed the book as a whole. It was fast, sweeping, and intriguing. It was open-ended, and while the ending was satisfying, I’d love to return to the world of Stolen City and see what everyone—especially Liam—are up to. I enjoyed Elisa A. Bonnin’s writing and I’m excited to pick up her debut next!
caylieratzlaff's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars!
I LOVED Dauntless by Bonnin, so I was excited to request and receive this one. Also, the cover? Like STUNNING. The premise of this speaks to me, especially when dealing with thievery, heists, magic, and the everpresent consequences of imperialism. While it was a bit difficult to stay focused on the plot with FOUR different POVs, it all connected well toward the end of the novel. I particularly like how morally gray the characters all were, as they all grappled with moral decisions and how their decisions can have a larger impact on their actions and the ramifications of them Zephyr's betrayal arc, Liam's dark magic, Carvar's change in ideas, and Arian accepting who she was made interesting plot points, and I like how there wasn't a right or wrong answer for most of their decisions.
The lore is really interesting too, but I think there needed to be more explanation for it. There is a LOT of lore and world building in the novel, and while it leaves itself open for more books at the end, I think some of the message and the plot was lost because the world building was not fleshed out enough. I wanted to learn more about the weavers, and the clans, and the empire, and imperial and all of that, and I think it would have made the story more developed and potent in its message.
I LOVED Dauntless by Bonnin, so I was excited to request and receive this one. Also, the cover? Like STUNNING. The premise of this speaks to me, especially when dealing with thievery, heists, magic, and the everpresent consequences of imperialism. While it was a bit difficult to stay focused on the plot with FOUR different POVs, it all connected well toward the end of the novel. I particularly like how morally gray the characters all were, as they all grappled with moral decisions and how their decisions can have a larger impact on their actions and the ramifications of them Zephyr's betrayal arc, Liam's dark magic, Carvar's change in ideas, and Arian accepting who she was made interesting plot points, and I like how there wasn't a right or wrong answer for most of their decisions.
The lore is really interesting too, but I think there needed to be more explanation for it. There is a LOT of lore and world building in the novel, and while it leaves itself open for more books at the end, I think some of the message and the plot was lost because the world building was not fleshed out enough. I wanted to learn more about the weavers, and the clans, and the empire, and imperial and all of that, and I think it would have made the story more developed and potent in its message.
julieannasbooks's review against another edition
4.0
⭐⭐⭐.5
Thank you to Fierce Reads and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I love a good heist novel. Who doesn’t? There’s so much potential when it comes to meeting the characters involved, the planning, and holding out for that great execution at the end. Stolen City is one of those novels, artfully combining its story with a unique urban fantasy setting.
A big element of heist novels is plotting out the heist itself, and the pace of this novel definitely reflects that. I’d tend to recommend this book more to those who would prefer a slower-paced novel, as this one does take some time to set things up. But as a result, you have a rich story and world to become immersed in.
The characters’ motivations and interactions with each other were really well-done as well. But this book also included a lot of perspectives, which I personally thought made the book a little more complicated than it needed to be in terms of telling the story and character development. This tends to be a preference for me, however – other readers may not mind this.
Overall, Stolen City was a solid sophomore novel. This is not only a good pick for readers who enjoy Grishaverse, but also urban fantasy series like Renegades.
CW:
Thank you to Fierce Reads and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I love a good heist novel. Who doesn’t? There’s so much potential when it comes to meeting the characters involved, the planning, and holding out for that great execution at the end. Stolen City is one of those novels, artfully combining its story with a unique urban fantasy setting.
A big element of heist novels is plotting out the heist itself, and the pace of this novel definitely reflects that. I’d tend to recommend this book more to those who would prefer a slower-paced novel, as this one does take some time to set things up. But as a result, you have a rich story and world to become immersed in.
The characters’ motivations and interactions with each other were really well-done as well. But this book also included a lot of perspectives, which I personally thought made the book a little more complicated than it needed to be in terms of telling the story and character development. This tends to be a preference for me, however – other readers may not mind this.
Overall, Stolen City was a solid sophomore novel. This is not only a good pick for readers who enjoy Grishaverse, but also urban fantasy series like Renegades.
CW:
Spoiler
Death, Death of a parent, murder, violence/gorepuzzle_ad's review against another edition
2.5
This is honestly much more it's not the book it's me thing I suppose. I had some shit happen this week and had to go to the ER so after that it was pretty hard for me to focus on the audiobook, which I was already midway through. I feel like I couldn't really connect to any part of the story or characters. I didn't hate it, I just didn't love it either. Also, I feel like the cover gives much more of a sci-fi vibe and I kinda expected it to be more sci-fi when in fact it's straight-up fantasy. This is not a problem for me but it does kind of feel like false advertising. I forced myself to finish it yesterday so that I can be done.
lisbethwhite's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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