Fallen City by Adrienne Young
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.
Review: Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Luca Matius has been adopted by his childless uncle to carry on the family name and maintain the family's presence in the Forum. But he serves as a novice with the city's Philosopher, which ultimately lands him in the middle of a catastrophe. Meanwhile, Maris Casperia was raised in the middle of the political intrigue of the Citadal. She serves as a novice to the last priestess that posesses magic stolen from the Old War and dreams of a different future for the city. When Luca and Maris meet, it sets off a chain reaction that throws the city into chaos and ultimately the pair ending up on different sides of a holy war.
This has major Greek/Roman vibes, which I loved. I would describe this as light fantasy, as it largely feels historical in nature with the exception of the stolen magic that plays a role in the plot. I loved the idea of star-crossed lovers, tormented by being caught on opposite sides of the war.
This is the fourth book I have read by this author, and I begin to wonder if I am just not the right reader for her books. I liked a lot about this, but it felt as if it was a rough draft. Something about this just did not quite land for me. It didn't feel quite finished or fleshed out and I didn't quite buy into the great war they were plunged into, or the choices Luca makes that pull them apart. While the city and the two factions are fairly well explained, the magic system wasn't detailed enough. I also would have liked to have seen more character development. This felt like love at first sight but with no real depth of connection beyond it. Of course, this is the first book, and the author deliberately leaves many things unresolved. The cliff hanger at the end was a perfect jumping off point to leave us hanging!
I think if I had not already read Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross this year, I would like this book more. Both have strong Greek god vibes and feature star-crossed romantic love stories. The two books had a lot of thematic overlap, but I enjoyed Ross's book infinitely more.
Stars: 3
Related Titles:
- Fable (The World of the Narrows #1) by Adrienne Young
- Namesake (The World of the Narrows #2) by Adrienne Young
- The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
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