Gabrielle's Reviews > City of Miracles

The last book of the Divine Cities trilogy… I knew this would be emotional, because this might just be my favorite fantasy series of all time (and the two previous installments did get me all chocked up) but also because I saw all those reviews that seemed to indicate people scream-cried their way through this conclusion… So I braced myself and dove in anyway, because I love Robert Jackson Bennett’s world building and magic system, his complicated, strong and flawed characters who try to do the right thing so hard, his philosophical storytelling and beautiful prose…

Reader, I cried too. The end of this book simply gutted me.

Sigrud lost a lot of things in his life: his title, his home, his daughter… After the tragic events of “City of Blades” and his *ahem* reaction to Signe’s death, he had no choice but to go in exile in an isolated region of Bulikov, under a false name, in order to stay safe. He spent thirteen years this way, waiting for Shara, spunky and clever former Prime Minister Shara, to reach out and tell him she finally needs him back. But then he learns of her assassination… Sigrud’s unwavering loyalty to Shara is not diminished by her death, and he vows to find out why his friend died and who is responsible for the terrorist act that claimed her life.

Did anyone else immediately think, “Revenge rampage!! This is going to be awesome!”, or is that just me? Shara pissed a lot of people off when she was Prime Minister, so finding out who hated her enough to want her dead is a complicated puzzle for Sigrud to solve. And even when he begins to find answers, they only lead to more questions, and a side of this world he wasn’t prepared for is eventually revealed to him. Through what may just be his most dangerous mission yet, he also struggles with his conscience and deep regrets over the things he’s done in the past.

I’ve gotten to know and love Sigrud over the course of these books, the intimidating Dreyling who is so much more than a lean, mean ass-kicking machine. He is in fact a man filled with sadness, and Shara kept him from sinking for so many years that he inevitably feels unmoored by her death. A full book from his perspective was as much of treat as it was to have “City of Blades” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) be focused on Turyin Mulaghesh; Bennett once again developed a beloved side character into a fascinating and layered protagonist, with a rich history to come to terms with.

As usual with Bennett’s books, the world building is beautifully detailed, and so vivid that it is almost as much of character as its inhabitants. Bennett also brought up a yet-unexplored element of his incredible world forward: the Divinities’ children and their descendants.

If you like intelligent and deeply engaging fantasy fiction, do yourself a favor and read this trilogy. Bennet wrote beautiful, refreshingly original books that are beyond genre, as far as I am concerned. They might break your heart, but it’s totally worth it.

“My definition of an adult is someone who lives their life aware they are sharing the world with others. My definition of an adult is someone who knows the world was here before they showed up and that it'll be here well after they walk away from it. My definition of an adult, in other words, is someone who lives their life with a little fucking perspective.”