elvinagb
Written on Jul 31, 2016
In life I was a scientist called Fanning.
Then, in a jungle in Bolivia, I died.
I died, and then I was brought back to life...
Prompted by a voice that lives in her blood, the fearsome warrior known as Alicia of Blades is drawn towards to one of the great cities of The Time Before. The ruined city of New York. Ruined but not empty. For this is the final refuge of Zero, the first and last of The Twelve. The one who must be destroyed if mankind is to have a future.
What she finds is not what she's expecting.
A journey into the past.
To find out how it all began.
And an opponent at once deadlier and more human than she could ever have imagined.
'Compulsively readable.' NEW YORK TIMES
- ISBN10 140915100X
- ISBN13 9781409151005
- Publish Date 24 May 2016
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Orion Publishing Co
- Imprint Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
- Edition Digital original
- Format eBook (EPUB)
- Pages 624
- Language English
Reviews
lisacee
Written on Jun 17, 2016
*I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley.
pamela
Written on Jun 6, 2016
For those reading The City of Mirrors after a few years hiatus, get ready to be a little disappointed. I could remember the basic plot points of The Passage and The Twelve, but the details and characters were a little lost on me. There is very little individual development in this book and it relies heavily on a good knowledge of the books that came before; which is why the years between release really did this novel a disservice. I might have enjoyed it more had I re-read the first two, but I guess now I'll never know. Ultimately The City of Mirrors was quite a major disappointment.
The main issue I had with The City of Mirrors was that everything was just so...convenient. Back story was told in long exposition, characters found happy endings (deserved or not) through lengthy and numerous dream scenes, there was an element of the fantastical/supernatural which served to conveniently drive the integral plot forward, and for the first time ever we had a stereotyped vampire character, rather than the unique virals of the series. There was also a lot less of the time jumping and found documents that made the first two novels so fascinating. It really felt like Cronin was just conveniently trying to tie up loose ends, which he certainly did, but it just didn't make for the riveting reading I was so desperately hoping for.
The one bit of The City of Mirrors that did stand out for me however was the epilogue. It introduced new characters with surprising depth, and returned to the tried and true formula of found documents intertwined with narrative. If the epilogue had been peppered throughout the novel, the same way that the time jumps were used in the first two novels, I think it would have been a far more interesting read. Even Fanning's back story, for which we waited so eagerly, could have benefited from some of the same treatment. In the epilogue I saw what the novel should have been but failed to deliver.
If you've read the rest of The Passage Trilogy it's definitely worth picking up The City of Mirrors. The story ends in a satisfactory way, and rounds out the plot which will make every completionist happy. For a book that took this long to come out though I definitely expected a little bit more.
http://iblamewizards.com/review-the-city-of-mirrors-justin-cronin/
kimbacaffeinate
Written on Apr 23, 2016
In City of Mirrors in the Texas Republic a settlement rose from the ground as men and women worked together to protect themselves. Since the fall of the Twelve, there has not been a viral sighting. They are beginning to expand to reclaim the land and dare I say hope. Readers quickly learn Zero is held up in New York, and the threat is far from extinct.
The book is broken up into parts and from these we gain perspectives of Zero (Professor Tim Fanning) the first infected and learn of his nests. We spend time with Peter and watch him become an integral part of this newborn nation. We travel with Lis, mourn her losses and shiver as we learn of the threat yet to come. Michael plagued by dreams is repairing a freighter and hiding a secret. Sara, Pim, Greer, Calaeb and more all add to the tale and gave depth. They reminded us of the strength of the human race and its shortcomings. The story has paranormal elements from the mind links to the vivid dreams and premonitions. All of these elements served to add suspense and had me losing myself within the pages. We spend time with Carter and Amy, both thought to be dead and witness their reawakening for the final battle. Smaller characters like Dunk made me laugh and further expanded the emotional hold these characters had on me.
The timeline is nonlinear and Cronin brilliantly shares moments from the past shedding unexpected new light to events first shared in The Passage and The Twelve. At times the tale was horrifying but his strength of characters, tender moments, and even humor helped balance the story allowing readers to catch their breath. Even though we traveled from past to present I easily slipped into each timeline and became caught up in the story.
The battles, narrowing escapes, unbelievable losses and sacrifices brought forth tears from this reader. These characters were my people, their feelings and fears my own. Shivers ran down my spine, my pulse increased and there were moments when I held my breath and flipped the pages at a maddening rate.
Readers who stuck with the trilogies drawn out release dates are rewarded with answers that brought hope for a bright new dawn. From the brilliant world building to the plethora of questions Cronin presents to the reader The City of Mirrors and the entire Passage trilogy is one that will stick with readers for years to come.
Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer