City of All Seasons
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Description
Nominated for the 2025 Philip K. Dick Award
"A beautifully strange and unique fable." The Guardian's Best SF of 2024 on Aliya Whiteley
"A unique and memorable work." The Guardian's Best SF of 2024 on Oliver K. Langmead
"An elegantly told meditation on how we can't leave ourselves behind." Esquire's 30 best SF Books of 2024 on Oliver K. Langmead
Welcome to Jamie Pike's Fairharbour - a city stuck in perpetual winter, its windows and doorways bricked shut to keep out the freezing cold, its residents striving to survive in the arctic conditions.
Welcome to Esther Pike's Fairharbour - a city stuck in constant summer, its walls crumbling in the heat, its oppressive sunlight a relentless presence.
Winter and Summer alike, have both fallen under the yoke of oppressive powers, that have taken control after the cataclysm.
But both Fairharbours were once a single, united city. And in certain places, at certain times, one side can catch a glimpse of the other. As Jamie and Esther find a way to communicate across the divide, they set out to solve the mystery of what split their city in two, and what, if anything, might repair their fractured worlds.
Book Information
Posts
Felt like a dystopian fantasy movie 🎬
A city and a family split in half - cursed forever, one side in perpetual winter, the other in everlasting summer, all connected to a deep, dark secret waiting to be uncovered. The concept of this was so intriguing. When @vera_buchwelten and I saw this book, first we were drawn to it by the awesome cover art. It already gave us a glimpse or rather a vibe of the amazing story that was about to follow. This book was only released at the end of April, and we went in completely blind (no reviews, no ratings) - and it was absolutely worth it. This book felt like a movie throughout all of it! I could almost see this being adapted to the big screen, see the different colour grading that would be used to portrait the different sides of the city. It was so cinematic!! The authors created a truly unique reading experience with an almost artsy feeling to it. I loved how it got darker and more twisted and brutal with every page I read, more intense, and I was on the edge of my seat for like the entire second half. There was a lot of hidden history to discover (which is one of my favourite story tropes) and the way it all connected to one old fairytale that kept being repeated throughout the story. Beautifully done! I also really enjoyed how the two cities and the POVs we got often mirrored one another, and the themes kept popping up again and again. It felt like such a special reading experience, I don't think I've EVER read anything like it. It was all connected, by blood, by story, by hints, by seasons. I still can't pinpoint the genre of this. It felt like a dystopia science fantasy somehow, but truly was just a mix of different genres and influences that mingled together so beautifully. Was it a highlight? I don't think so, but it was really, really good, and I absolutely recommend you try this if you're in search of something ... unique. And if you like it dark and twisted. The writing was fairly easygoing (which is always a plus for a non-native like me), yet it completely managed to capture the atmosphere of the book.
Description
Nominated for the 2025 Philip K. Dick Award
"A beautifully strange and unique fable." The Guardian's Best SF of 2024 on Aliya Whiteley
"A unique and memorable work." The Guardian's Best SF of 2024 on Oliver K. Langmead
"An elegantly told meditation on how we can't leave ourselves behind." Esquire's 30 best SF Books of 2024 on Oliver K. Langmead
Welcome to Jamie Pike's Fairharbour - a city stuck in perpetual winter, its windows and doorways bricked shut to keep out the freezing cold, its residents striving to survive in the arctic conditions.
Welcome to Esther Pike's Fairharbour - a city stuck in constant summer, its walls crumbling in the heat, its oppressive sunlight a relentless presence.
Winter and Summer alike, have both fallen under the yoke of oppressive powers, that have taken control after the cataclysm.
But both Fairharbours were once a single, united city. And in certain places, at certain times, one side can catch a glimpse of the other. As Jamie and Esther find a way to communicate across the divide, they set out to solve the mystery of what split their city in two, and what, if anything, might repair their fractured worlds.
Book Information
Posts
Felt like a dystopian fantasy movie 🎬
A city and a family split in half - cursed forever, one side in perpetual winter, the other in everlasting summer, all connected to a deep, dark secret waiting to be uncovered. The concept of this was so intriguing. When @vera_buchwelten and I saw this book, first we were drawn to it by the awesome cover art. It already gave us a glimpse or rather a vibe of the amazing story that was about to follow. This book was only released at the end of April, and we went in completely blind (no reviews, no ratings) - and it was absolutely worth it. This book felt like a movie throughout all of it! I could almost see this being adapted to the big screen, see the different colour grading that would be used to portrait the different sides of the city. It was so cinematic!! The authors created a truly unique reading experience with an almost artsy feeling to it. I loved how it got darker and more twisted and brutal with every page I read, more intense, and I was on the edge of my seat for like the entire second half. There was a lot of hidden history to discover (which is one of my favourite story tropes) and the way it all connected to one old fairytale that kept being repeated throughout the story. Beautifully done! I also really enjoyed how the two cities and the POVs we got often mirrored one another, and the themes kept popping up again and again. It felt like such a special reading experience, I don't think I've EVER read anything like it. It was all connected, by blood, by story, by hints, by seasons. I still can't pinpoint the genre of this. It felt like a dystopia science fantasy somehow, but truly was just a mix of different genres and influences that mingled together so beautifully. Was it a highlight? I don't think so, but it was really, really good, and I absolutely recommend you try this if you're in search of something ... unique. And if you like it dark and twisted. The writing was fairly easygoing (which is always a plus for a non-native like me), yet it completely managed to capture the atmosphere of the book.