Fallen City
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Description
In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate's daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.
Luca Matius has one purpose-to carry on the family name, maintaining its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city's Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.
Maris Casperia was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel's inner workings, and she knows what her future holds-a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War has made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives.
As a secret comes to light and throws the city into chaos, Luca and Maris hatch a plot to create a calculated alliance that could tip the scales of power. But when an execution forces Luca to become the symbol of rebellion, he and Maris are thrown onto opposite sides of a holy war. As their fates diverge, they learn they are at the center of a story the gods are writing. And even if they can find their way back to each other, there may be nothing left.
Book Information
Posts
A big thanks to the publishers for the opportunity for immersive reading with both the ebook and audiobook. What this book excels in: a fallen empire inspired by Greco-Roman politics. The political intrigue is deep, the setting vivid, and the worldbuilding absolutely epic. Where it falls flat: while the premise hooked me right away, the dual timelines and dual POV made it harder to fully connect. I often found myself more impressed by the scale than invested in the characters. The characters feel distant, and the romance never quite convinces. Two narrators of the audiobook bring the story to life, which fits the dual POV structure. I enjoyed the male narrator, but the female voice sounds a bit detached, which unfortunately mirrors the overall tone of the book — well thought out, but hard to feel close to. Great premise, stunning world, but emotionally a bit flat. 3/5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the eARCs! #FallenCity #AdrienneYoung #Netgalley #Bookstagram
4.25☆ - I had such a good time reading this book! We get political intrigue, fates and gods, and above all a doomed love story.
This story is told from the perspectives of Maris and Luca in two different timelines, and I loved seeing how their fates became increasingly entwined as their love story developed and everything came together in the end. I just didn't know it’s going to be a duology - the ending came as a bit of a surprise, but not in a bad way! One thing I absolutely loved was the setting. It's a city inspired by Greece and Rome, ruled by magistrates and gods. It was fascinating to learn about all the myths and legends, and I really hope we get to learn more about them in book two! The only thing that bothered me were all the names. Sometimes I found it difficult to remember who was who and what their actions meant, etc. And I would have liked the love story to have had more time to develop – it went a bit fast once it got started. But all in all I thoroughly enjoyed it and am already looking forward to the next installment! ✨
A 3.5 ⭐️ read but an 4 ⭐️ audiobook experience!
I got to listen to the audiobook in advance thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I think I might have rated the story a little higher if I read the book, but the worldbuilding and political structure is intense and highly thought through, which made it harder to follow everything while listening. Especially with two timelines and POVs, it sometimes got a little confusing who doesn’t like whom, who is fighting who etc. Nevertheless, I was amazed by the design of the Fallen City and its religion/politics. I think the whole situation gave a little depressed vibe throughout the book which also could be felt in the relationship between the main characters. It was a good book, really great narrators that matched the characters, but nothing too special unfortunately.
Description
In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate's daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.
Luca Matius has one purpose-to carry on the family name, maintaining its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city's Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.
Maris Casperia was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel's inner workings, and she knows what her future holds-a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War has made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives.
As a secret comes to light and throws the city into chaos, Luca and Maris hatch a plot to create a calculated alliance that could tip the scales of power. But when an execution forces Luca to become the symbol of rebellion, he and Maris are thrown onto opposite sides of a holy war. As their fates diverge, they learn they are at the center of a story the gods are writing. And even if they can find their way back to each other, there may be nothing left.
Book Information
Posts
A big thanks to the publishers for the opportunity for immersive reading with both the ebook and audiobook. What this book excels in: a fallen empire inspired by Greco-Roman politics. The political intrigue is deep, the setting vivid, and the worldbuilding absolutely epic. Where it falls flat: while the premise hooked me right away, the dual timelines and dual POV made it harder to fully connect. I often found myself more impressed by the scale than invested in the characters. The characters feel distant, and the romance never quite convinces. Two narrators of the audiobook bring the story to life, which fits the dual POV structure. I enjoyed the male narrator, but the female voice sounds a bit detached, which unfortunately mirrors the overall tone of the book — well thought out, but hard to feel close to. Great premise, stunning world, but emotionally a bit flat. 3/5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the eARCs! #FallenCity #AdrienneYoung #Netgalley #Bookstagram
4.25☆ - I had such a good time reading this book! We get political intrigue, fates and gods, and above all a doomed love story.
This story is told from the perspectives of Maris and Luca in two different timelines, and I loved seeing how their fates became increasingly entwined as their love story developed and everything came together in the end. I just didn't know it’s going to be a duology - the ending came as a bit of a surprise, but not in a bad way! One thing I absolutely loved was the setting. It's a city inspired by Greece and Rome, ruled by magistrates and gods. It was fascinating to learn about all the myths and legends, and I really hope we get to learn more about them in book two! The only thing that bothered me were all the names. Sometimes I found it difficult to remember who was who and what their actions meant, etc. And I would have liked the love story to have had more time to develop – it went a bit fast once it got started. But all in all I thoroughly enjoyed it and am already looking forward to the next installment! ✨
A 3.5 ⭐️ read but an 4 ⭐️ audiobook experience!
I got to listen to the audiobook in advance thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I think I might have rated the story a little higher if I read the book, but the worldbuilding and political structure is intense and highly thought through, which made it harder to follow everything while listening. Especially with two timelines and POVs, it sometimes got a little confusing who doesn’t like whom, who is fighting who etc. Nevertheless, I was amazed by the design of the Fallen City and its religion/politics. I think the whole situation gave a little depressed vibe throughout the book which also could be felt in the relationship between the main characters. It was a good book, really great narrators that matched the characters, but nothing too special unfortunately.