City of Lies

City of Lies

by Sam Hawke

2 out of 5

Synopsis
I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me . . .

Only a handful of people in Silasta know Jovan’s real purpose in life. To most, he is just another son of the ruling class. The quiet, forgettable friend of the Chancellor’s charming, irresponsible heir. In reality, Jovan has been trained for most of his life to detect, concoct and withstand poisons in order to protect the ruling family.

His sister Kalina is too frail to share in their secret family duty. While other women of the city hold positions of power and responsibility, her path is full of secrets and lies – some hidden even from her own brother.

Until now, peace has reigned in Silasta for hundreds of years. But when the Chancellor succumbs to an unknown poison and an army storms the gates, the so-called Bright City is completely unprepared. It falls to Jovan and Kalina to protect the heir and save their homeland – but first they must make their way through a new world of unexpected treachery, a world where the ancient spirits are rising . . . and angry.

This fabulous epic fantasy debut will appeal to readers of Joe Abercrombie and Terry Brooks, Robin Hobb and Mark Lawrence and all points in between.



Review
Jovan has trained his whole life to protect the ruling family; but when the Chancellor is poisoned, enemies are everywhere.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

That first line definitely caught my interest: I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me... 
I mean, that is such a promising start. We meet Jovan, who has been training with his uncle since he was seven years old, to be a poison detector. He has grown up as the best friend of the Chancellor's heir, so no one questions how close he sticks, and his subtle checks of food and drink.

It is written in a way that is beautifully descriptive, but unfortunately slow and lacking any character.
The book's narration is split equally between Jovan and his older sister Kalina (who was originally supposed to have the position of poison-tester, but wasn't strong enough to cope with the training, so had to watch the honour pass to her little brother).
I honestly could not tell the difference between these two. Their voices, thoughts and opinions are so very much alike, that I had to keep flicking back to the chapter header to see who we are supposed to be following.

There's a whole cast of characters that are introduced very early, as Jovan, Kalina and the heir Tain navigate the council and all of the manipulative members. There is no shortage of paranoia and distrust amongst them. And again, they were all very beige. All the names and histories and ambitions blurred into something very bland and long-winded. Nothing and nobody stands out.

There's some very exciting plot points, as the Chancellor is poisoned, and an army storms the gate, and secrets have to be uncovered... It should be awesome, but the lengthy, descriptive style sapped the energy from these scenes.

This book wasn't for me, and I won't be continuing with the series. It is a matter of taste, and if you do like this elaborately-descriptive style, then check it out.

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