

Loading... City of Stairs (2014)by Robert Jackson Bennett
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Best Fantasy Novels (497) » 13 more Books Read in 2015 (231) Top Five Books of 2018 (165) Books Read in 2018 (758) SantaThing 2014 Gifts (271) Strange Cities (15) KayStJ's to-read list (1,214) 2010s (105) Library Books/Loans (28) No current Talk conversations about this book. This... was not a bad book. It was entertaining and fun, it was readable and recommendable, a book to read to pass time. It wasnt an excellent book, it was highly predictable, if you where paying attention, something you could easily do because the book traps you inside the story and you do pay attention to all little details, but took away the surprise when you get to the point where the "mysteries" resolve. The book also had a problem where it was too cinematic, and by this i mean, you feel like you are watching the story, from away the story, its not up until the very last passage of the very last chapter that I really feel an emotional connection to the characters, and by that the book gets a high boost, because it leaves you with a fond hug, like an old friend you part away, I liked that a lot. The book itself is about dead gods and political intrigue, but mostly about self discovery and building one own. I very much expect to read the next installment on this series. I went into City of Stairs completely blind. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't a spy thriller/mystery set in one a highly imaginative fantasy interpretation of what seems to be late 19th century India and Russia. Welcome to Bulikov! Once home to gods and their miracles, the now-conquered city is a shade of its former self with its citizens subjugated and its history suppressed. Officially, Cultural Ambassador Shara Komayd has been sent to the city to investigate a murder. Unofficially? Shara has her work cut out for her to figure it all out. The story is a slow burn. Bennett takes his time setting the stage and introducing us to his characters. Each step along the way is revealed slowly and deliberately as we gradually learn that there is a lot more going on in the city than first meets the eye. The story eventually gains momentum and it turns into one long roller coaster ride with a few unexpected twists and drops in the second half. What impressed me with the setting is how much history and age the author was able to give to Bulikov. As I wandered the city with Shara and her, ah, secretary Sigurd, it feels like I'm wandering the streets of a city that's been around for hundreds of years. I liked the main character, Shara, and her secretary immensely. Shara and Sigurd make for an odd pair that work together fabulously. Shara is highly intelligent and plays the spy game as a master. Sigurd is a bit of an enigma with an interesting skill set and I hope we learn more about his character in the rest of the trilogy. This story could be read as stand alone as all major plot points are tied up by the end. I like these characters and this world enough that I'm looking forward to finding out what is in store for Shara next. Well, that was quite a journey. Excellent! Seemingly starts slow, but takes off and pulls you in. no reviews | add a review
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"The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions--until its divine protectors were killed. Now Bulikov has become just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself--first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it--stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy. Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country's most accomplished spies, dispatched to catch a murderer. But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem--and that Bulikov's cruel reign may not yet be over."-- From back cover. No library descriptions found.
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LibraryThing Early Reviewers AlumRobert Jackson Bennett's book City of Stairs was available from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Popular covers
![]() GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6 — Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:![]()
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This was really cool. A bit of a slow chug to get established and introduce the concept, but by 50% I was both hooked and had largely correct theories on most of the mysteries. So it makes you feel smart, just like the characters (even if the hints are perhaps a bit more heavy-handed than a traditional mystery).
Whatever, I liked it, it was great fun. (