City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

City of Stairs (Divine Cities, #1)

by Robert Jackson Bennett

'Robert Jackson Bennett deserves a huge audience' - Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of The Black Prism

In the city of stairs, nothing is as it seems.

You've got to be careful when you're chasing a murderer through Bulikov, for the world is not as it should be in that city. When the gods were destroyed and all worship of them banned by the Polis, reality folded; now stairs lead to nowhere, alleyways have become portals to the past, and criminals disappear into thin air.

The murder of Dr Efrem Pangyui, the Polis diplomat researching the Continent's past, has begun something and now whispers of an uprising flutter out from invisible corners.

Only one woman may be willing to pursue the truth - but it is likely to cost her everything.

'Truly refreshing' - New York Times Book Review

Reviewed by lindsey on

3 of 5 stars

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(I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.)

I feel like I must have missed some vital part of this book. It has received so many four- and five-star ratings on Goodreads, but I spent most of my reading time debating between two and three stars. I suppose it is very true that not every one enjoys the same books.

There were times when I thoroughly enjoyed City of Stairs, and there were others when I was completely bored. There was even a brief moment when I considered stopping completely and just marking it has a did-not-finish, even though I really loathe doing that. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, as I feel it was just one rough patch in an otherwise decent novel.

While there were quite a few slow parts, the characters were well-written, and the world-building was imaginative. I wouldn't consider this an epic fantasy, however; it's more of a political thriller with a bit of fantasy mixed in.

In short, I think readers who enjoy political thrillers with a little mythology and religion added in will like City of Stairs.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 31 December, 2014: Finished reading
  • 31 December, 2014: Reviewed