Set in a gorgeous world of bone and shadow magic, of vengeful gods and defiant chosen ones, The City of Dusk is the first in a dark epic fantasy trilogy that follows the four heirs of four noble houses—each gifted with a divine power—as they form a tenuous alliance to keep their kingdom from descending into a realm-shattering war.
The Four Realms—Life, Death, Light, and Darkness—all converge on the city of dusk. For each realm there is a god, and for each god there is an heir.
But the gods have withdrawn their favor from the once vibrant and thriving city. And without it, all the realms are dying.
Unwilling to stand by and watch the destruction, the four heirs—Risha, a necromancer struggling to keep the peace; Angelica, an elementalist with her eyes set on the throne; Taesia, a shadow-wielding rogue with rebellion in her heart; and Nik, a soldier who struggles to see the light— will sacrifice everything to save the city.
But their defiance will cost them dearly.
After reading another novel by this author that hooked me from page one, I was thrilled to see this first book in her dark epic fantasy trilogy on NetGalley.
Four realms, each with a god, each with an heir possessing a divine power – and one king without an heir. The world-building is immersive, complex, and well-explained. The cultures, magic system, politics, dynamics between realms – I was never confused. What I missed was a map, which would have been very helpful, but I had an ARC, although it looks like a map will be included in the final copy.
The story is told from several different POVs, but primarily the four heirs who are all well-crafted and distinctive. Taesha is morally gray (my favorite kind of character) and rebellious, but cares deeply for people. Risha is analytical, family-oriented, and agrees to meet a potential husband for an arranged marriage. Nikolas is kind, still grieving the death of his brother, and constantly trying to prove his worth to his father. Angelica is ambitious and powerful, but lacks control. The relationships between these characters is complicated. Sometimes they’re friends or occasionally more, but they’ve been raised to compete against each other, their parents believing one of them will be chosen as a successor to the crown since the king is without an heir.
At over five hundred pages, this is a hefty read, but that’s something to be expected in the fantasy genre, especially the first in a series. There’s plenty of action with vivid fight scenes, but also lots of downtime, and I felt the pacing was a little inconsistent.
Make no mistake – this is a very dark fantasy, and scenes can be graphic and gory. Some characters want what’s best for their people. Others desire power. But that’s part of the reason it’s such a compelling read, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Books and Such 
I can take dark as long as there is magic and the prospect of coming out of the dark. I just finished a dark fantasy that didn’t have either of those things and was just too much. This book, however, sounds like a very intriguing read. One that I would love to be carried away in. Excellent review!
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It’s dark, but full of magic, Tessa. It’s a complicated magical system and well-explained. Sometimes dark fantasies can weigh heavy when there’s nothing to lighten them up a bit. After that I usually need a fluffy read!
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I remember the days of sinking into complex lengthy fantasy novels. Rarely did they ever disappoint. This sounds intriguing, Teri. Great review!
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Thanks, Mae! It had some ups and downs, but also some wicked twists and complex characters. Everything you love in a good fantasy.
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I think this is the first enthusiastic review I have seen about the book! That gives me hope as I know I’ll get it from a book box.
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I’ve also seen mixed reviews, Sophie. I feel like some pages could have been cut for better flow, but it was a win for me.
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Super review, Teri. Thanks
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Thanks, John!
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Great review and glad you liked it. I *think* I was getting this in a book box but I had to skip as I have 4 boxes each month now so take it in turns skipping!!!
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Four boxes! Like having Christmas every week with books, Caro!
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I know but bloomin expensive!!!!!
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I´m really excited to pick this one up!
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It’s had mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it, Evelyn – hope you do also!
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Yes! I had a lot of issues with the pacing but the actual story was very compelling. I cannot wait for the next book!! Great review.
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I agree about the pacing, Leslie – I think it could have been trimmed a little and nothing would be lost from the story. Thanks!
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Yes, exactly! I hope that gets cleaned up a bit in book two!
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It’s been a while since I took on a 500 page book, so kudos to you, Teri. Sounds like you were immersed in the story. Thanks for sharing!
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I didn’t even look at the page count before I requested it, Jan, or it might have given me pause. Still, I was so excited to see a new series from this author I doubt it would have changed my mind.
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This sounds amazing. I always enjoy royal politics and if it includes gods even better. Adding to wish list.
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Sounds like this one was made for you, Yesha!
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Great review.
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Thanks, Craig!
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What a terrific review, Teri. I don’t read much fantasy, but this one looks like it’s well developed
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The world-building was phenomenal, Wendy – so well-planned and creative. It was a lot to unpack, but I was never confused.
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