heyitsniky's review
4.0
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
City of Shards is basically a coming-of-age novel about a strange boy named Larin, who has been having weird outbursts followed by the chanting of three foreign words ever since he was 10. He was adopted by his uncle, Akul, who did everything to keep this strange habit of Larin out of other people's sight, confining her nephew in a four-blocks part of a garbage city called Wormpile. Soon it turns out that he is the servant of a demon God, named Haraf, and will serve as the one who will free the demon from the cages of of the world he was forever confined to.
You know, I had a weird experience with this book.
Usually, I'm the type of person who doesn't enjoy slow-paced books because they bore me to death and hinder me from getting engaged with the story or the characters. With this book, however, I had no such problem, depite it being rather slow-paced and definitely beyond my liking.
I'm almost fully positive that has been the case because of the amazing world-building and the vast amount of possibilities hiding in all the layers of this story. The world is completely anew and unlike what we've ever known of – and while lot of bits of information is thrown at us right from the beginning, which was rather overwhelming as I understood nearly nothing, one by one they're explained in a way that doesn't disrupt the flow of the story and is immersed right within. I found the system of magic very interesting, but my favorite part was how the Gods and religion was portrayed. I loved how this story put the demons and the human gods in a completely new light and didn't follow tradition.
The book is beautifully written, albeit sometimes the fantastic writing turned into useless purple prose to me, but it was bothering only a few times. I loved the characters, although couldn't quite get into Larin until the last portion of the book, but the others were compelling enough not to let that bother me.
If you don't mind slow-paceness of a book but do enjoy new, creative worlds with a story that has lot to offer, pick up this book. I myself can't wait for the adventure to continue and to learn more about the world and especially the demons.
City of Shards is basically a coming-of-age novel about a strange boy named Larin, who has been having weird outbursts followed by the chanting of three foreign words ever since he was 10. He was adopted by his uncle, Akul, who did everything to keep this strange habit of Larin out of other people's sight, confining her nephew in a four-blocks part of a garbage city called Wormpile. Soon it turns out that he is the servant of a demon God, named Haraf, and will serve as the one who will free the demon from the cages of of the world he was forever confined to.
You know, I had a weird experience with this book.
Usually, I'm the type of person who doesn't enjoy slow-paced books because they bore me to death and hinder me from getting engaged with the story or the characters. With this book, however, I had no such problem, depite it being rather slow-paced and definitely beyond my liking.
I'm almost fully positive that has been the case because of the amazing world-building and the vast amount of possibilities hiding in all the layers of this story. The world is completely anew and unlike what we've ever known of – and while lot of bits of information is thrown at us right from the beginning, which was rather overwhelming as I understood nearly nothing, one by one they're explained in a way that doesn't disrupt the flow of the story and is immersed right within. I found the system of magic very interesting, but my favorite part was how the Gods and religion was portrayed. I loved how this story put the demons and the human gods in a completely new light and didn't follow tradition.
The book is beautifully written, albeit sometimes the fantastic writing turned into useless purple prose to me, but it was bothering only a few times. I loved the characters, although couldn't quite get into Larin until the last portion of the book, but the others were compelling enough not to let that bother me.
If you don't mind slow-paceness of a book but do enjoy new, creative worlds with a story that has lot to offer, pick up this book. I myself can't wait for the adventure to continue and to learn more about the world and especially the demons.
barb4ry1's review
4.0
Actual rating: 4.25/5
Kinech Aklad Vahrusen!*
Larin has a problem. Call it a magical Tourette syndrome - he reacts to stress with uncontrollable, three-word outbursts. Being a laughingstock is no fun, but things get worse. It turns out the words he repeats every time can unleash Haraf, Lord of Demons, who’s been imprisoned by Six-Legged Gods. Larin will have to play, unwillingly, an important role in this conflict.
Raised in a four-block area of a slum (known as a Wormpile) by his junkie, warrior-priest uncle, Akul, Larin lacks skills to face this kind of adversity. He's a bookworm, not a hero. Alas, daydreaming and study will have to wait. Harnessing his magical powers and choosing the right path is more important.
Happily, he has allies. Who wouldn't feel confident facing the evil gods in the company of a drug-addicted uncle, an alcoholic priestess and a haughty wizardress?
Rodgers plays with traditional fantasy tropes and refreshes them. Sure, Larin's journey is full of well-known elements (monsters, magical powers ready to harness, treason), but it's also unpredictable, and nuanced. His possibilities vary between bad and worse - each choice he can make carries dark consequences. There's no way around it.
Rodgers' heroes are flawed but believable. Making humans relatable is easy though. Making strange, ungodly creatures, like Lidathi, understandable is a much bigger achievement. And it's done remarkably well. We learn about the Created ones through Kemharak's (a Lidathi "general") POV. His efforts to understand humans and their emotions made me smile a few times. Here's what a Lidathi thinks about humans:
As most relationships in the book, the relationship between Kemharak and his human prisoner - Theralle is done very well. It's probably the most intriguing bond in the book. Also, the one that leads to a strong cliffhanger.
The Empire of Treban feels real; there's some serious effort behind the realm's comprehensive history, politics and varied races. At times things get dense, but I never felt assaulted with info-dumping. Magic system is interesting and unique - to succeed in magic you need a natural talent, the correct pronunciation of a spell and the right phase of the huge moon, Spellgiver.
The author’s writing style is accessible, crisp, and engaging. It propels the book through a wealth of plot twists. While there's no purplish prose here, it tends to be strongly descriptive in places.
As you've already guessed, I enjoyed this book a lot. The sequel is on my kindle. I'll read it shortly. I encourage you to give this one a try.
* The Lord escapes his prison.
Kinech Aklad Vahrusen!*
Larin has a problem. Call it a magical Tourette syndrome - he reacts to stress with uncontrollable, three-word outbursts. Being a laughingstock is no fun, but things get worse. It turns out the words he repeats every time can unleash Haraf, Lord of Demons, who’s been imprisoned by Six-Legged Gods. Larin will have to play, unwillingly, an important role in this conflict.
Raised in a four-block area of a slum (known as a Wormpile) by his junkie, warrior-priest uncle, Akul, Larin lacks skills to face this kind of adversity. He's a bookworm, not a hero. Alas, daydreaming and study will have to wait. Harnessing his magical powers and choosing the right path is more important.
Happily, he has allies. Who wouldn't feel confident facing the evil gods in the company of a drug-addicted uncle, an alcoholic priestess and a haughty wizardress?
Rodgers plays with traditional fantasy tropes and refreshes them. Sure, Larin's journey is full of well-known elements (monsters, magical powers ready to harness, treason), but it's also unpredictable, and nuanced. His possibilities vary between bad and worse - each choice he can make carries dark consequences. There's no way around it.
Rodgers' heroes are flawed but believable. Making humans relatable is easy though. Making strange, ungodly creatures, like Lidathi, understandable is a much bigger achievement. And it's done remarkably well. We learn about the Created ones through Kemharak's (a Lidathi "general") POV. His efforts to understand humans and their emotions made me smile a few times. Here's what a Lidathi thinks about humans:
Both humans and the Created ones had heads, necks, and faces, and both faces held sensor pods on the top and feeding orifices on the bottom. Yet the human sensor pods were three colors and used only for vision, with separate pods for hearing on the sides and a strange protuberance in the middle for sensing things Kemharak could only guess at. Whereas, Kemharak's four bulbous pods were evenly spaced around his head, each functioning independently for vision or hearing. In addition, the human's vision pods never revealed its intent through color, as did his people's. It was as if the human creator had been drunk on the fermented fruits of the forest or was new to the act of creation. In every physical way, his people were better designed.
As most relationships in the book, the relationship between Kemharak and his human prisoner - Theralle is done very well. It's probably the most intriguing bond in the book. Also, the one that leads to a strong cliffhanger.
The Empire of Treban feels real; there's some serious effort behind the realm's comprehensive history, politics and varied races. At times things get dense, but I never felt assaulted with info-dumping. Magic system is interesting and unique - to succeed in magic you need a natural talent, the correct pronunciation of a spell and the right phase of the huge moon, Spellgiver.
The author’s writing style is accessible, crisp, and engaging. It propels the book through a wealth of plot twists. While there's no purplish prose here, it tends to be strongly descriptive in places.
As you've already guessed, I enjoyed this book a lot. The sequel is on my kindle. I'll read it shortly. I encourage you to give this one a try.
* The Lord escapes his prison.
lindzy's review
5.0
Original Review Here
I was delighted to be approved for an ARC for City of Shards: it sounded my type of book and I had seen positive reviews already.
It was exactly my kind of book; fantasy; magic; gods waging war and the main character being the underdog in over his head.
Larin is cursed with shouting a phrase – one he ultimately understands makes him a servant of a Demon. His life is lonely and isolated, ruled by fear – his uncle offers protection, but a crime-lord rules his district and no one will be seen with Larin.
Just as he feels like he can move on, the city falls prey to a cult and a powerful mage. Swept up in the chaos, Larin realises he has a bigger part to play in it.
Larin is a great main character. He is vulnerable and lonely, but also brave – to the point of bordering on stupidity. He stands up for himself, regardless of the consequence, and refuses to endanger those closes to him. When he finds out he is more than he seems, he accepts the burden, knowing his power could save those he loves.
While Larin is the main narrator, there are a number of strong characters. Larin’s uncle is more than he seems, with a hidden past and a proficiency for sword-play beyond anyone else. Kemharak – an enemy creature I can’t even begin to describe – develops a conscience as the book progresses – and he isn’t sure what to do with it! Laniette is powerful and beautiful and has the measure of Larin from the start. The few friends Larin have are loyal to him, no matter what.
In the early parts of the book, I got a little lost as to exactly how the god system works – it wasn’t clear who was supposed to be good and who bad. But it’s not enough to distract from the story and I pieced it together as the plot unfolds.
Apart from the gods, there was something comforting and familiar about this book. I was reading echoes of some of the other fantasy books in it. Never enough that it was similar to one or another, but just in the way the character was isolated from his friends (Robin Hobb) and the way the rules of magic worked (reminded me slightly of Eragon).
The book was original and extremely well-written, don’t think otherwise. But I enjoyed it more because of these familiarities – I could focus my attention on figuring out the gods, because the other fantastical elements were clear to me from the beginning. It’s difficult to explain: for me, it was a positive thing that I felt familiar with a world that I didn’t know.
The tension and pacing worked perfectly for the story. Larin never has it easy, but the level of the threat increases as the plot unfolds and draws the reader deeper and deeper into this world of trouble Larin has landed in.
I’m looking forward to the second book!
I was delighted to be approved for an ARC for City of Shards: it sounded my type of book and I had seen positive reviews already.
It was exactly my kind of book; fantasy; magic; gods waging war and the main character being the underdog in over his head.
Larin is cursed with shouting a phrase – one he ultimately understands makes him a servant of a Demon. His life is lonely and isolated, ruled by fear – his uncle offers protection, but a crime-lord rules his district and no one will be seen with Larin.
Just as he feels like he can move on, the city falls prey to a cult and a powerful mage. Swept up in the chaos, Larin realises he has a bigger part to play in it.
Larin is a great main character. He is vulnerable and lonely, but also brave – to the point of bordering on stupidity. He stands up for himself, regardless of the consequence, and refuses to endanger those closes to him. When he finds out he is more than he seems, he accepts the burden, knowing his power could save those he loves.
While Larin is the main narrator, there are a number of strong characters. Larin’s uncle is more than he seems, with a hidden past and a proficiency for sword-play beyond anyone else. Kemharak – an enemy creature I can’t even begin to describe – develops a conscience as the book progresses – and he isn’t sure what to do with it! Laniette is powerful and beautiful and has the measure of Larin from the start. The few friends Larin have are loyal to him, no matter what.
In the early parts of the book, I got a little lost as to exactly how the god system works – it wasn’t clear who was supposed to be good and who bad. But it’s not enough to distract from the story and I pieced it together as the plot unfolds.
Apart from the gods, there was something comforting and familiar about this book. I was reading echoes of some of the other fantasy books in it. Never enough that it was similar to one or another, but just in the way the character was isolated from his friends (Robin Hobb) and the way the rules of magic worked (reminded me slightly of Eragon).
The book was original and extremely well-written, don’t think otherwise. But I enjoyed it more because of these familiarities – I could focus my attention on figuring out the gods, because the other fantastical elements were clear to me from the beginning. It’s difficult to explain: for me, it was a positive thing that I felt familiar with a world that I didn’t know.
The tension and pacing worked perfectly for the story. Larin never has it easy, but the level of the threat increases as the plot unfolds and draws the reader deeper and deeper into this world of trouble Larin has landed in.
I’m looking forward to the second book!
popthebutterfly's review
3.0
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: March 30, 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore, some mature themes)
Pages: 268
Author Website
Amazon Link
Synopsis: In the gang-ridden Wormpile District, 16-year-old Larin shouts nonsense words into the decaying alleyways, a magical tourette’s syndrome that has brought him grief from every neighborhood thug. Protected from the worst beatings by his drug-addicted warrior-uncle, Larin’s life is one of loneliness, trapped in his uncle’s four block safe zone where no gang member dares tread. But when he learns his words have marked him as servant to Lord of Demons, things go from bad to worse. For that phrase has shoved him into the middle of an ancient war between his Master and the Six-Legged gods, both of whom regard humanity as mere playthings.
With his home facing threats from every direction, Larin will have to tread the narrow path between two evils, his only allies his drug-addicted uncle, a permanently drunk priestess, and a high-born wizardress who must hold her nose and work with the street rabble she despises. For as bad as Larin's Master is, refusing to follow him will only plunge his empire into a greater darkness—an abyss so deep, it will turn mankind’s soul to ash.
I felt that this book had some really good writing and the characters are really really really well developed. The plot is also interesting and overall it’s a good book. I felt like it could be an awesome epic fantasy for a lot of people like LOTR is.
However, for me it just wasn’t something I felt drawn to. The backstory is so daunting. The book spans several thousand years and honestly it made me a tiny bit anxious reading it because that’s a lot of information to retain for one book. The book is heavily character driven and it’s really slow in parts. The time jumps are discomforting and when the plot picks up, I just couldn’t get into it at all. The pacing, in my opinion, is too slow.
Verdict: An epic high fantasy novel that would be perfect for LOTR fans!
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: March 30, 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore, some mature themes)
Pages: 268
Author Website
Amazon Link
Synopsis: In the gang-ridden Wormpile District, 16-year-old Larin shouts nonsense words into the decaying alleyways, a magical tourette’s syndrome that has brought him grief from every neighborhood thug. Protected from the worst beatings by his drug-addicted warrior-uncle, Larin’s life is one of loneliness, trapped in his uncle’s four block safe zone where no gang member dares tread. But when he learns his words have marked him as servant to Lord of Demons, things go from bad to worse. For that phrase has shoved him into the middle of an ancient war between his Master and the Six-Legged gods, both of whom regard humanity as mere playthings.
With his home facing threats from every direction, Larin will have to tread the narrow path between two evils, his only allies his drug-addicted uncle, a permanently drunk priestess, and a high-born wizardress who must hold her nose and work with the street rabble she despises. For as bad as Larin's Master is, refusing to follow him will only plunge his empire into a greater darkness—an abyss so deep, it will turn mankind’s soul to ash.
I felt that this book had some really good writing and the characters are really really really well developed. The plot is also interesting and overall it’s a good book. I felt like it could be an awesome epic fantasy for a lot of people like LOTR is.
However, for me it just wasn’t something I felt drawn to. The backstory is so daunting. The book spans several thousand years and honestly it made me a tiny bit anxious reading it because that’s a lot of information to retain for one book. The book is heavily character driven and it’s really slow in parts. The time jumps are discomforting and when the plot picks up, I just couldn’t get into it at all. The pacing, in my opinion, is too slow.
Verdict: An epic high fantasy novel that would be perfect for LOTR fans!
kalventure's review
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
[b:City of Shards|38119693|City of Shards (Spellgiver Book 1)|Steve Rodgers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516598547s/38119693.jpg|59807241] is a fantasy book that I wanted to love: a new world, misunderstood magic, and mysterious pasts. I am in the minority, but I could not get into this book. I spent about 3 weeks struggling with the book to get to 25% but just did not ever become engaged. I cannot pinpoint a reason for this: the writing is good and the premise is interesting, but I never connected with the story.
Larin is an orphan that lives with his drug-addicted uncle with a mysterious past that rules a four-block area of the Wormpile; outside of this "safe-zone" gangs rule the streets. Larin has a condition or curse where he yells out these mysterious words, and to protect him his uncle tries to hide him from everyone else. Much of the 25% that I read, Larin tries to understand and overcome this curse and have some semblance of a normal life.
The world he lives in has a complex political structure and back history of religion, the latter of which was particularly interesting to me (dragons! dragon worship?!). The world is exposed to the reader slowly, and is really meant to be a character-driven tale. Much of the first quarter of the book is highlighting Larin's life growing up in relation to this affliction, and the overall worldbuilding is developed slowly around that.
This is a slow-paced book, but that in and of itself isn't the reason for my apathy. I did wind up putting the book down to read something else, and after almost two weeks I just don't want to pick it up. Life is too short for me to read something that I am not engaged in, but just because this book wasn't for me doesn't mean that it won't be for you if you enjoy high fantasy narratives with complex characters and backstory.
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[b:City of Shards|38119693|City of Shards (Spellgiver Book 1)|Steve Rodgers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516598547s/38119693.jpg|59807241] is a fantasy book that I wanted to love: a new world, misunderstood magic, and mysterious pasts. I am in the minority, but I could not get into this book. I spent about 3 weeks struggling with the book to get to 25% but just did not ever become engaged. I cannot pinpoint a reason for this: the writing is good and the premise is interesting, but I never connected with the story.
Larin is an orphan that lives with his drug-addicted uncle with a mysterious past that rules a four-block area of the Wormpile; outside of this "safe-zone" gangs rule the streets. Larin has a condition or curse where he yells out these mysterious words, and to protect him his uncle tries to hide him from everyone else. Much of the 25% that I read, Larin tries to understand and overcome this curse and have some semblance of a normal life.
The world he lives in has a complex political structure and back history of religion, the latter of which was particularly interesting to me (dragons! dragon worship?!). The world is exposed to the reader slowly, and is really meant to be a character-driven tale. Much of the first quarter of the book is highlighting Larin's life growing up in relation to this affliction, and the overall worldbuilding is developed slowly around that.
This is a slow-paced book, but that in and of itself isn't the reason for my apathy. I did wind up putting the book down to read something else, and after almost two weeks I just don't want to pick it up. Life is too short for me to read something that I am not engaged in, but just because this book wasn't for me doesn't mean that it won't be for you if you enjoy high fantasy narratives with complex characters and backstory.
swiff's review
4.0
Note: This book is part of the SPFBO 4 competition, and its score has been graded on a different set of rules than the usual. This score might change over time as our team discusses which selections will move on to future rounds.
Steve Rodgers’ City of Shards, book one in the “Spellgiver” series, is a rewarding read. On the surface, the book is a coming-of-age tale that centers on a chosen slum-dwelling orphan trying to survive in a harsh city controlled by a creeping religious sect and a gang of petty thugs. Dig a bit deeper, and you’ll discover a rich land full of detailed history, a struggle between gods new and old, an exiled eldritch race trying to reclaim their homeland, and a vast empire of secrets, betrayals, and mysteries that date back to the Creation of the world itself.
Fans of worldbuilding will rejoice upon opening the book. Readers are immediately greeted with a four-page Chronos, detailing the history of this world dating back nearly 28,000 years. Dozens of important dates and events are listed, and as the story progressed, I realized that this entire history was important in unraveling some of the mysteries and motivations of its various rulers and races. The book then treats us to two maps: one of the City of Aldive (aka the City of Shards, where most of the book takes place), and another map of the Empire of Tanbar at large. I found myself referencing these maps quite a bit; while Rodgers displays ample skill describing the characters’ settings and environments, I found these maps extremely helpful in connecting some of the various locales that are referenced. As stated above, the further you allow yourself to be immersed in this world, the more you will get out of it.
As the first chapter opens, we are graced with lyrics from a bard’s song that is pertinent to the chapter’s events. Every chapter in the book is preceded by some quote, lyric, or passage that greatly enhances the worldbuilding experience. Thus far, before the narrative has a chance to start, the reader has been taught lessons in history, geography, and culture. This careful attention to detail does not relent for the entirety of the story. It was a lot to absorb at first, but I admire Rodgers’ decision to spend the first few chapters developing the setting without pushing the plot forward too quickly. Rodgers writes with a sharp wit, crafting both humorous and scathing analogies while introducing several mysteries that piqued my interest early on. At times, Rodgers introduces the reader to in-depth histories before immediately subverting them, so it’s important to absorb this early information to gain a true understanding of world at large.
I must emphasize again that this is a very detailed world, and it is plain to see how much time the author spent developing its various eccentricities. It is a world where the location of the moon (the titular Spellgiver) determines the strength of spells that mages can access. While the moon is at its Apex stage, the spell strength is strongest, but its position also can prevent access to certain areas of the continent. There are multiple sets of gods, including an ancient and immortal race known as the Carvers that brought magic to the world. There is an evil Eldegod named Morphat that thrives on pain and human sacrifice that is somehow gaining in popularity across the human cities and beyond. Another god, Haraf of the of Demons, has been banished to a prison dimension and driven insane by its solitude. He seeks vengeance against the humans that imprisoned him. There’s a Lovecraftian race of indigenous, six-armed lizard-like beings that have been driven by war to live in a northern frozen tundra, led by a commander of uncommon intelligence who vies to reclaim their southern homeland back from the humans who drove them away. (Fans of Phil Tucker’s Chronicles of the Black Gate series might draw a few parallels between Kemharak and Tharok.) And at the center of it all is our main character Larin, a troubled youth battling loneliness and depression, who occasionally explodes with a Tourette’s-like outburst that may end up being the key to humanity’s salvation… or downfall.
At its heart, this is a coming of age story that centers on Larin trying to survive his affliction in a thug-controlled ghetto of the City of Shards. There are some familiar beats in the story: Larin is a ‘chosen one’ hero who comes from nothing to play a key role in the fate of the world. Yet there are plenty of interesting twists that separate this story from others of its kind. What if the only two choices Larin has is to decide between humanity’s enslavement to cult of horror and repression, or to face an insane and powerful being who is hell-bent vengeance and destruction?
There are several other notable aspects to the book that I admired. Rodgers is skilled at crafting mysteries and revealing them at a generous pace, which felt gratifying and prevented the book from getting too dark. I also enjoyed how Rodgers not only built this diverse world, but attempts to explain its origins, histories, birthing of magic, creation of races, and vast environmental changes over the course of millennia – and it’s all tied into the central plot of the saga. Even though there is substantial information to absorb and review, none of it feels extraneous, and it all has its place in furthering the story and its repercussions across the world. It’s a lot to cover, but somehow it all works very well!
Side note: chapter 12 is one of the most interesting and unique chapters I’ve read this year. Not just because of the blood-clowns, but they certainly helped the cause. Yes, there are blood-clowns. If I had been undecided at whether I was enjoying this story or not, there was no longer any question after I finished this chapter.
Although City of Shards is the first SPFBO 4 book I decided to review, I have a strong sense that it will be in discussion for our team’s finalist entry. Although I have many more books I’ve committed to read and review before the end of this year, I decided to put all of those aside and immediately purchase and read the next book in the series. That is probably the best endorsement I can give City of Shards: it made throw away my reading schedule because I wanted to find out what happens next. And that is a rare feat indeed. Regardless of its fate in the contest, this is a book that should be shared and discussed, and I’m eager to continue exploring Rodgers’ catalog further.
Scores: 7.5/10
Steve Rodgers’ City of Shards, book one in the “Spellgiver” series, is a rewarding read. On the surface, the book is a coming-of-age tale that centers on a chosen slum-dwelling orphan trying to survive in a harsh city controlled by a creeping religious sect and a gang of petty thugs. Dig a bit deeper, and you’ll discover a rich land full of detailed history, a struggle between gods new and old, an exiled eldritch race trying to reclaim their homeland, and a vast empire of secrets, betrayals, and mysteries that date back to the Creation of the world itself.
Fans of worldbuilding will rejoice upon opening the book. Readers are immediately greeted with a four-page Chronos, detailing the history of this world dating back nearly 28,000 years. Dozens of important dates and events are listed, and as the story progressed, I realized that this entire history was important in unraveling some of the mysteries and motivations of its various rulers and races. The book then treats us to two maps: one of the City of Aldive (aka the City of Shards, where most of the book takes place), and another map of the Empire of Tanbar at large. I found myself referencing these maps quite a bit; while Rodgers displays ample skill describing the characters’ settings and environments, I found these maps extremely helpful in connecting some of the various locales that are referenced. As stated above, the further you allow yourself to be immersed in this world, the more you will get out of it.
As the first chapter opens, we are graced with lyrics from a bard’s song that is pertinent to the chapter’s events. Every chapter in the book is preceded by some quote, lyric, or passage that greatly enhances the worldbuilding experience. Thus far, before the narrative has a chance to start, the reader has been taught lessons in history, geography, and culture. This careful attention to detail does not relent for the entirety of the story. It was a lot to absorb at first, but I admire Rodgers’ decision to spend the first few chapters developing the setting without pushing the plot forward too quickly. Rodgers writes with a sharp wit, crafting both humorous and scathing analogies while introducing several mysteries that piqued my interest early on. At times, Rodgers introduces the reader to in-depth histories before immediately subverting them, so it’s important to absorb this early information to gain a true understanding of world at large.
I must emphasize again that this is a very detailed world, and it is plain to see how much time the author spent developing its various eccentricities. It is a world where the location of the moon (the titular Spellgiver) determines the strength of spells that mages can access. While the moon is at its Apex stage, the spell strength is strongest, but its position also can prevent access to certain areas of the continent. There are multiple sets of gods, including an ancient and immortal race known as the Carvers that brought magic to the world. There is an evil Eldegod named Morphat that thrives on pain and human sacrifice that is somehow gaining in popularity across the human cities and beyond. Another god, Haraf of the of Demons, has been banished to a prison dimension and driven insane by its solitude. He seeks vengeance against the humans that imprisoned him. There’s a Lovecraftian race of indigenous, six-armed lizard-like beings that have been driven by war to live in a northern frozen tundra, led by a commander of uncommon intelligence who vies to reclaim their southern homeland back from the humans who drove them away. (Fans of Phil Tucker’s Chronicles of the Black Gate series might draw a few parallels between Kemharak and Tharok.) And at the center of it all is our main character Larin, a troubled youth battling loneliness and depression, who occasionally explodes with a Tourette’s-like outburst that may end up being the key to humanity’s salvation… or downfall.
At its heart, this is a coming of age story that centers on Larin trying to survive his affliction in a thug-controlled ghetto of the City of Shards. There are some familiar beats in the story: Larin is a ‘chosen one’ hero who comes from nothing to play a key role in the fate of the world. Yet there are plenty of interesting twists that separate this story from others of its kind. What if the only two choices Larin has is to decide between humanity’s enslavement to cult of horror and repression, or to face an insane and powerful being who is hell-bent vengeance and destruction?
There are several other notable aspects to the book that I admired. Rodgers is skilled at crafting mysteries and revealing them at a generous pace, which felt gratifying and prevented the book from getting too dark. I also enjoyed how Rodgers not only built this diverse world, but attempts to explain its origins, histories, birthing of magic, creation of races, and vast environmental changes over the course of millennia – and it’s all tied into the central plot of the saga. Even though there is substantial information to absorb and review, none of it feels extraneous, and it all has its place in furthering the story and its repercussions across the world. It’s a lot to cover, but somehow it all works very well!
Side note: chapter 12 is one of the most interesting and unique chapters I’ve read this year. Not just because of the blood-clowns, but they certainly helped the cause. Yes, there are blood-clowns. If I had been undecided at whether I was enjoying this story or not, there was no longer any question after I finished this chapter.
Although City of Shards is the first SPFBO 4 book I decided to review, I have a strong sense that it will be in discussion for our team’s finalist entry. Although I have many more books I’ve committed to read and review before the end of this year, I decided to put all of those aside and immediately purchase and read the next book in the series. That is probably the best endorsement I can give City of Shards: it made throw away my reading schedule because I wanted to find out what happens next. And that is a rare feat indeed. Regardless of its fate in the contest, this is a book that should be shared and discussed, and I’m eager to continue exploring Rodgers’ catalog further.
Scores: 7.5/10
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