antagonist's review against another edition
4.0
Talia dies but instead of entering the afterlife, she ends up in a terrifying city with kings, dragons and war. She is mistaken for the princesses and is brought to the dragon king that looks just like her real father. Ryin is a warrior that doesn't want to fall with Talia, especially since she is the daughter of the enemy. But the more time he spends with her the more he realizes he isn't who she thought she was.
As soon as I saw the cover of this book I knew I needed to read it. This was an easy read that felt like a young adult book while not being one. There were some slow moments, but overall I found it interesting and unique. I enjoyed the magic system and thought the universe-building was well done. This book had castle vibes but took place in the city which was fun.
I liked the concept between the Nimali and the Fai and enjoyed the characters even though at times they felt one-dimensional. The romance felt odd at first because a lot of Talia's feelings were driven by old relationships we don't see. But as soon as it started to pick up I totally wanted them to be together. I didn't expect smut so I was very happy that this got steamy.
My favourite part of this book was the Antagonist. He was clearly a psychopath but also complex with a pretty big soft spot. I enjoyed all his scenes and was honestly taken aback by his heart at the end. Talia's relationship with him was complicated and I appreciated his uncertainty when it came to it. He allowed horrible things to happen but I also understood how he ended up the way he did.
I think this was a great read and I am excited to see how the rest of this series unfolds. If you haven't added this book to your tbr yet, what are you doing? Despite its flaws, it was enjoyable and I totally recommend this if you love young adult romance but want it more adult.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As soon as I saw the cover of this book I knew I needed to read it. This was an easy read that felt like a young adult book while not being one. There were some slow moments, but overall I found it interesting and unique. I enjoyed the magic system and thought the universe-building was well done. This book had castle vibes but took place in the city which was fun.
I liked the concept between the Nimali and the Fai and enjoyed the characters even though at times they felt one-dimensional. The romance felt odd at first because a lot of Talia's feelings were driven by old relationships we don't see. But as soon as it started to pick up I totally wanted them to be together. I didn't expect smut so I was very happy that this got steamy.
My favourite part of this book was the Antagonist. He was clearly a psychopath but also complex with a pretty big soft spot. I enjoyed all his scenes and was honestly taken aback by his heart at the end. Talia's relationship with him was complicated and I appreciated his uncertainty when it came to it. He allowed horrible things to happen but I also understood how he ended up the way he did.
I think this was a great read and I am excited to see how the rest of this series unfolds. If you haven't added this book to your tbr yet, what are you doing? Despite its flaws, it was enjoyable and I totally recommend this if you love young adult romance but want it more adult.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
cristinaelenalaaa's review against another edition
3.0
“Savage City” follows the story of Talia, who dies in our own version of San Francisco and re-awakens as a look-alike “Nimali” missing princess from a parallel San Francisco. In this world, the two races, Fai and Nimali. This makes it a great story for fans of fantastic creatures and unique magic systems.
Although it has heavy YA fantasy components, the ending is a cliffhangers and the epilogue opens the possibility for more world-building and character exploration.
Having listened to the audio version of the book, I was happy to hear the story narrated by multiple people. This made the story easy to follow and it gave a better insight into the personalities of the characters.
Special thanks to NetGalley, OrangeSky Audio, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!
#LifeLongLearning #SavageCity #NetGalley
Although it has heavy YA fantasy components, the ending is a cliffhangers and the epilogue opens the possibility for more world-building and character exploration.
Having listened to the audio version of the book, I was happy to hear the story narrated by multiple people. This made the story easy to follow and it gave a better insight into the personalities of the characters.
Special thanks to NetGalley, OrangeSky Audio, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!
#LifeLongLearning #SavageCity #NetGalley
ludo411's review against another edition
3.0
When Talia dies she ends up in another world, so different from her own..
I gave this book three stars!
At first I didn't really feel particularly interested in the story, some elements where a bit confusing. But then i started to enjoy it.
It has mistery, adventure and romance (although i feel it was all a bit rushed) and the last chapters are really intense.
All in all i feel that i would love to know how the story will continue so i'll wait to read the next book of the series, hoping to find it even better than this one.
I gave this book three stars!
At first I didn't really feel particularly interested in the story, some elements where a bit confusing. But then i started to enjoy it.
It has mistery, adventure and romance (although i feel it was all a bit rushed) and the last chapters are really intense.
All in all i feel that i would love to know how the story will continue so i'll wait to read the next book of the series, hoping to find it even better than this one.
sarrie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I feel like there was a lot of potential here but it didn't all come together very well? I really struggled a bit at the midway point which is shocking considering how short this is. I am still very interested in the Earthsinger series however, and will be picking that up soon.
notjustacoolmom's review against another edition
4.0
This was such an interesting and fun book! I’ve never read anything like it. Instead of going to the afterlife she ends up in a terrifying city being mistaken as a missing princess and that’s just the start. I had a blast listening to it. I thought the writing style was great. I sometimes struggle with fantasy but this was well written and I could picture everything. Definitely recommend it.
brookeonbooks's review against another edition
2.0
It started out with an interesting premise but it never quite reached a compelling climax. We never learned enough about Serena or Talia, we never understand the true plan or purpose of the coup…among many other examples of missed opportunities. The narration was underwhelming and lacked emotion.
despinareviews's review against another edition
5.0
"The first time I die, my life doesn't flash before my eyes in a rush of images" ... what a first line!
Plot:
After Talia passes away, she expects to wake up in the afterlife. Instead, she finds herself in a version of San Fransisco she doesn't recognise, where she is mistaken for the missing princess of the Nimali people, Celena. The first person she sees is someone who looks incredibly like her childhood crush who passed away years ago. Ryin is a Fai prisoner of war, and is nothing like the Victor she remembered from her childhood.
The Fai and the Nimali are two groups of people, separated by significant ideological differences, who have been fighting one another for a long time. Serious concepts such as slavery, humanity, souls, relationships to nature and the world, and even possible genocide are covered in this book. In a post-apocalyptic San Fransisco, we see a cruel world with a power structure which forces actions and reactions by various actors, leading to a powerful story.
Review:
This story was genuinely incredible. The worldbuilding was very interesting, and though the book took its time explaining the various elements it introduces, I truly think it is worth the wait. Talia's inner monologue is something I could easily identify with and it helped connect me to her character instantly. Ryin is a character I slowly fell in love with throughout the book and the more details of the world were introduced, the more I understood him and his motivations.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series, as the world set-up is amazing and I became so invested in the characters and world. Very light spoiler ahead:
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
Plot:
After Talia passes away, she expects to wake up in the afterlife. Instead, she finds herself in a version of San Fransisco she doesn't recognise, where she is mistaken for the missing princess of the Nimali people, Celena. The first person she sees is someone who looks incredibly like her childhood crush who passed away years ago. Ryin is a Fai prisoner of war, and is nothing like the Victor she remembered from her childhood.
The Fai and the Nimali are two groups of people, separated by significant ideological differences, who have been fighting one another for a long time. Serious concepts such as slavery, humanity, souls, relationships to nature and the world, and even possible genocide are covered in this book. In a post-apocalyptic San Fransisco, we see a cruel world with a power structure which forces actions and reactions by various actors, leading to a powerful story.
Review:
This story was genuinely incredible. The worldbuilding was very interesting, and though the book took its time explaining the various elements it introduces, I truly think it is worth the wait. Talia's inner monologue is something I could easily identify with and it helped connect me to her character instantly. Ryin is a character I slowly fell in love with throughout the book and the more details of the world were introduced, the more I understood him and his motivations.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series, as the world set-up is amazing and I became so invested in the characters and world. Very light spoiler ahead:
Spoiler
The epilogue does leave a bit of a cliff-hanger, which I think will lead brilliantly into another book exploring all the elements of this world we didn't get to touch in this introductory novel.I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
olivia_meret's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up. This is a great portal/urban fantasy and overall I liked it and would recommend it for fantasy romance fans. Talia wakes up after dying in a world like her own but not. She is mistaken as the Fae princess that went missing. I will say I think it was so short that some things like the romance felt a little rushed and we didn’t get a lot of backstory or answers. This is a series so maybe that will be addressed in future books.
katbenimble's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to the publisher, OrangeSky Audio, for providing me with an audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!
monikasbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
Have you ever wondered what happens when you die? Where you / your soul goes? Other than the mythical heaven or hell? - As an over-thinker, I have wondered a lot about this!! But if there is an afterlife that is similar to the world Penelope has created in Savage City, it’ll be interesting