the_literary_cat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-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? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed The City of Dusk a lot, but I also feel mixed about it. The story reads more as YA Fantasy than (New) Adult Fantasy. The first half of the book is slow and there’s a lot of info-dumping about the magic systems, the world, the Houses and the politics, which is a lot to take in. The plot and the pacing set in around the second half of the story, and everything was great and interesting from there. The worldbuilding and magic system were beautifully done, and the characters were very well written. I would still definitely recommend this.
emmyshmemmy's review against another edition
4.0
The City of Desk is an expansive dark fantasy with a sprawling cast, in-depth world-building, and an intriguing magic system. It read more teen/YA than adult. The primary cast (there are many POVs) is young, and their choices often reflect this.
koreybroderick's review against another edition
3.0
The review was first published on Korey B.
Tara Sim’s The City of Dusk is a broad, dark tale set in a fanciful realm with an energetic, youthful cast.
The City of Dusk lends itself well as an allegory for the decline of modern civilization. Sims does this by setting the story at the tail end of a decadent city’s long fall from grace. This theme permeates the story. The world is dying, and no one seems interested in doing more than maintaining their grasp of whatever power and influence remain. Resources are disappearing. Long-held traditions are a sham, continued only for tradition’s sake. The useless king doesn’t seem interested or even capable of ruling. It was hard not to read this and think of our world in comparison.
Sims dresses this world with many things that seem or sound familiar. Doing so creates several anachronisms and some head-scratching moments. But it also gives the world a lived-in feel. I’d guess that Sims saved the most effort for an intriguing and well-developed magic system and the legacies supporting it.
Despite being pitched as a new adult fantasy, Sim’s young adult writing experience is evident. A reader should be forgiven for thinking the characters were all in their teens. And there are many characters, with the POV spread evenly throughout a half-dozen or more perspectives.
The City of Dusk clearly aspires to be more than it is. Its length alone could qualify the tale as epic. But readers looking for a repeat of Shadow and Bone would enjoy it.
This book contains mentions of physical and mental abuse, loss of family members, addiction, cannibalism, state violence, racism and xenophobia, and detailed descriptions of war, violence, and death.
Tara Sim’s The City of Dusk is a broad, dark tale set in a fanciful realm with an energetic, youthful cast.
The City of Dusk lends itself well as an allegory for the decline of modern civilization. Sims does this by setting the story at the tail end of a decadent city’s long fall from grace. This theme permeates the story. The world is dying, and no one seems interested in doing more than maintaining their grasp of whatever power and influence remain. Resources are disappearing. Long-held traditions are a sham, continued only for tradition’s sake. The useless king doesn’t seem interested or even capable of ruling. It was hard not to read this and think of our world in comparison.
Sims dresses this world with many things that seem or sound familiar. Doing so creates several anachronisms and some head-scratching moments. But it also gives the world a lived-in feel. I’d guess that Sims saved the most effort for an intriguing and well-developed magic system and the legacies supporting it.
Despite being pitched as a new adult fantasy, Sim’s young adult writing experience is evident. A reader should be forgiven for thinking the characters were all in their teens. And there are many characters, with the POV spread evenly throughout a half-dozen or more perspectives.
The City of Dusk clearly aspires to be more than it is. Its length alone could qualify the tale as epic. But readers looking for a repeat of Shadow and Bone would enjoy it.
This book contains mentions of physical and mental abuse, loss of family members, addiction, cannibalism, state violence, racism and xenophobia, and detailed descriptions of war, violence, and death.
wesinwords's review against another edition
3.0
This was a long dark fantasy story with highly detailed world-building and a large cast of POV characters. I appreciated how the book had strong queer representation and was set in a world devoid of homophobia. The author clearly spent a lot of time developing the deep lore for the book's setting, and the world's dual magic systems were interesting to explore. Readers who prefer a focus on world-building over character development would enjoy this book.
theatrenutmeg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
It's a good start for a new series and I was fascinated by the magical system and the world building.
It's got the potential to become an epic dark fantasy series even if there's some issue in this first installment.
There's not a lot of action and the plot is quite static as it took a long time before it moved on. As it's a very complex world I assume the author wanted to deliver a detailed introduction to this world and these characters.
The characters are interesting, each of them represent a different god and each of thm has something that can help the quest to succeed even if they've got different agenda.
I think they will evolve in the next book.
That said I enjoyed the story and find it gripping and fascinating.
I can't wait to read the next story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's got the potential to become an epic dark fantasy series even if there's some issue in this first installment.
There's not a lot of action and the plot is quite static as it took a long time before it moved on. As it's a very complex world I assume the author wanted to deliver a detailed introduction to this world and these characters.
The characters are interesting, each of them represent a different god and each of thm has something that can help the quest to succeed even if they've got different agenda.
I think they will evolve in the next book.
That said I enjoyed the story and find it gripping and fascinating.
I can't wait to read the next story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
daisycakes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
angielucy's review against another edition
4.0
The writing of this book, in a word - incredible. Sim is a powerhouse when it comes to storytelling and I cannot wait to see what they write next. This had me on the edge of my seat at every moment. I cannot stress how beautifully the wordbuilding flowed, how perfectly paced everything was, how the characters had me rooting and loathing them in equal measure. Fantastic.
lemon_nadie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
5.0
lone_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really wanted to like this book. The premise of four gods with mortal heirs, each of whom might become the ruler of their works is intriguing. It was too drawn out with multiple plot lines that became entangled. I had a hard time keeping up the momentum to finish the book. And it was good, with complex characters who struggled with their rules and the expectations placed upon them. But not so good that I will read more of the series.