Quirky Cat
Written on May 28, 2020
The Unconquered City is the third and final novel in The Chronicles of Ghadid series, and I am completely shaken up about that fact. I've fallen so in love with this world, I'm simply not ready to let go of it.
It's been seven years since the horrifying events of the Siege. Ghadid us recovering, albeit slowly. Cousins like Illi Basbowen are struggling to find their place in this new world. Well, maybe not all of them.
Illi never had a chance to take on any contracts, and while hunting the evils that seek to take her family once again has some satisfaction, it isn't quite the same thing. Perhaps that is why she takes the time to learn as much as possible from Heru.
The real question is, would she have hung around, even knowing all of the trouble and adventures his presence would cause her? The answer is almost certainly yes. Illi is on a path for greatness, after all.
“Then all worries were lost in a flurry of motion; there was no more time left to waste.”
Holy cow. Tell me it isn't over. Please, tell me it isn't over. I loved The Chronicles of Ghadid, and I simply adored The Unconquered City and everything it had to offer. K.A. Doore has done it again, and with exceptional grace.
I'm honestly still reeling from everything that happened in this book, I'm not even sure where to begin. For starters, I suppose I should say that I love the timeline. Setting it seven years after the events of the last book gave the world time to heal, while also allowing secondary characters to grow and change. It was brilliant.
There's simply so much to love about this novel. The opportunity to see characters from the first and second novels all grown up. The world itself. The politics and water rationing. I adore each and every little bit of it.
Without a doubt though, the way trauma is represented in The Unconquered City is unparalleled. Both on an individual and group level. Illi is personally going through so much thanks to the Siege, as are all of the Cousins and members of Ghadid. It's both emotionally tense and beautiful to see, as odd as that may sound.
On to the core plot; wow. Can I just use that as my summary? But seriously, I adored the latest plot. It was even more steeped in politics than ever before, and I just couldn't get enough of it. There's the internal politics of Ghadid, but then larger politics as well. It was fascinating. Especially in regards to water and resources.
Seeing so many characters come together once again for the series finale...it was so powerful. I think that is the main reason I've been left reeling here. K.A. Doore provided us with a chance to say goodbye, but that made it all feel so real. Perhaps too real, in a sense.
I don't know what K.A. Doore is planning on working on next, but I have no doubt that I'll be reading anything and everything they come up with. As soon as possible.
Check out more reviews over at Quiry Cat's Fat Stacks