Citadel by C.M. Alongi grabbed my attention with a wonderful premised and kept me hooked with a stellar plot.
What I Loved
-Non stereotypical Autism Rep means the world to me. Especially in fantastical settings.
-Excellent Pacing
-Unique and fully developed main cast
-The all is not as it seems /the government or religion isn't telling you the truth trope.
What Didn't Work as well for me
-Honestly now it is just the waiting to get my hands on a physical copy a can love and cherish.
Who I would Recommend this title for
Readers Looking for a first book in a Science fiction series that gives intense high stakes situations and strong character voice should look no further.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

4,5 stars! Citadel surprised me so much! What an incredible story.

Citadel follows Olivia, a nineteen year old nonverbal, autistic girl, who lives in a walled city which is surrounded by a forest full of demons. Her lover was killed, which is why she sets out to exterminate the demons responsible. During her time in the forest, she runs into one of these demons and begins to realise the demons are not what they’re thought to be. She learns to communicate with them telepathically and finds out that the demons are not as evil as is told in her society.

This book was so much better than I expected it to be. The plot was very exciting, and I really liked seeing everything play out and all the twists and turns. The main character was well developed. Besides Olivia's chapters, there are some chapters from the POV of side characters, such as Riley, Olivia’s best friend, and Ormus, Olivia’s father. I really liked reading from their perspective as well and the multiple POV’s gave more depth to the characters. The worldbuilding was done fantastically. I loved the way the world is described throughout the book.

In short, I can definitely recommend this book. I didn’t realise this book was part of a series at first, but I can’t wait to read book two.

Citadel
by C.M. Alongi
#ScienceFiction #Dystopian
#NetGalley #ARC
Publication June 20, 2023
Ages 15 +
3 Stars

Olivia, nineteen and a nonverbal autistic girl lives in Citadel, the only city on the planet Edalide. The city's walls protect them from the weekly floods and the creatures that lurk in the Flooded Forest, especially their mortal enemies the demons. The only way their god will allow the people of Citadel to enter heaven is for them to destroy all of those demons.

Even though her boyfriend was killed months before in the forest while on a demon hunt, she was still willing to go out into the forest for scientific reasons, and on one of these trips collecting flowers, she crosses paths with a demon. But instead of tearing her viciously apart, it only watched her before snatching her food from her hands before flying away. It returned a few moments later with the same flowers Olivia was collecting.

As with a lot of Science Fiction stories, religion is the bases of this civilization, meaning their religious beliefs are the politics that control the citizens of Citadel, and disagreeing with it will cost you your life. The belief system of these people is the reason the demons are hunted.

This is a really good story and the characters are well thought out, especially Olivia, the author did a great job giving her a voice when she didn't have one. But I do feel as if the author had left out the reasoning for Olivia to be wearing earmuffs and her breakdowns. I didn't get the significance of these until deeper into the story. Details of why and how, not just that she did, would have given me a deeper connection with Olivia much sooner and shown me who she really was.

All of the characters are really great, though I feel that Augustus needed more time in the light to make him even more of a villain.

I did have a few guesses on where the book was going, and most were pretty close, but I did not know this was the first book in a series. I have yet to find any wording that it is, but the story is left wide open for there to be another book, which I would like to read.

3 Stars

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

Citadel caught my eye when I scrolled past it on Netgalley. The blurb sounded good and I am glad I decided to request a copy. This book is amazing! It grabbed me from the first chapter and kept my attention throughout. This is one of those books I had a hard time putting down as I just wanted to read more. And I was sad when I finished the book as I wanted to read more.

This book was so good! The plot was exciting and I liked seeing everything play out. Seeing what the characters did next and what happened was great. And I liked all the twists and turns. There are some great reveals and I was just so excited to see what would happen next. It's hard to say much about the plot as I don't want to give any spoilers, seeing everything play out and wonder what would happen next was one of the best things about the book.

Citadel mainly follows the point of view of Olivia, a nonverbal autistic character. I loved reading about her. I don't think I've read about a nonverbal character before and wasn't sure how that worked, but I was impressed how the author handled it and how Olivia still found ways to communicate with others. She's considered a freak by many people in Citadel. I admired how she didn't feel that way about herself and instead embraced her differences. Her neurodivergence causes some challenges as well as strengths, I liked her unique view on the world and open-mindedness, the way she acted and handled things that came her way.

Besides Olivia there are chapters from the point of view of her best friend Riley, who is a great character too. He has a controlling father who is the governor and he wants a different path for himself than what his father set out for him. There are also chapters from the point of view of Ormus, Olivia's father, who has some great character development throughout the series. Everyone felt so realistic. There are a few chapters from other point of views and I thought the multiple point of view really worked here and the other point of views added to the story and character depth.

I didn't realize this was the first book in a series until I got to the ending and was surprised as that did not read like an ending of a standalone book, so that was a bit confusing. I had expected this to be a standalone as I didn't see word anywhere of this being the first book in the series. The further I got in the book the more I was wondering how the author could possible wrap it up in time. The ending left me feeling sad as I didn't realize this was the first book in the series and book 2 isn't out yet. At the same time I am glad there will be more books as I can't wait to read more about this world and characters.

The world building is one of my favorite things about this book. I love books that can paint a picture of a different world so well. There are huge blue trees in this world, two moons and the tide influences how much water covers the ground. The city, Citadel is walled and build on a hill to defend against the water of the tides and the demons that roam the forest. Then there is the religion and the way this influences how people act, there's a lot of depth there too. The world really comes to life and I could imagine so vividly how everything looked like. And throughout the book the world building gets expanded on and I enjoyed learning more of the world.

To summarize: I loved this book! The story is exciting with plenty of twists and turns as well as some great reveals. The characters feel very real and all have their own personality and motivations. I liked reading about Olivia, who is nonverbal and autistic, although this world doesn't have those words for her. I liked how her being autistic was an integral part of who she was. I admired her belief in herself and how she didn't feel less because of her differences. She has a lot of courage and is open-minded and I liked how she handled things in this book. I also liked the chapters from Riley's point of view, who is a great character, and Ormus, who has some great character development throughout the book. The world building is fantastic, this alien world really comes to life and I could vividly image what everything looked like. The world building was done super well and I liked how it was different from our own world, yet also made sense why things were they way they were. As the book progresses I liked learning more about the world. I was sad when I finished this book as it was so good and I want more. I thought this would be a standalone, but with the way things ended I am pretty sure this will be a series. And I can't wait for the next book, I want to read more about these characters and this world!

Citadel
By C.M. Alongi
Blackstone Publishing
publishing date: 06-20-2023
430 pages
sci fi/ fantasy
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
What an incredible story! Initially, what attracted me was the gorgeous cover, and then I was hooked once I read the synopsis. This book definitely delivered all my hype, and then some!
Citadel is about a nineteen year old non verbal, autistic BAD ASS female named Olivia. Her lover is killed and she sets out to exterminate the demons- literally- responsible. Along the way, she comes across one of these demons, and comes to realise they are not what they are thought to be. She communicates with them telepathically and learns a great deal that she had not anticipated.
CW: ableism, sexism, death, demons, blood, violence.
The characters were SO well written. The prologue really set up Elias well, for the reader to really feel for Olivia. I loved the journal entries throughout. It kept Elias’ spirit alive and reminded me as a reader, why Olivia set out to do what she did.
The pacing was great and I read at chunks at a time because I was so invested in the story. The story made sense and I never felt lost or confused.
This is a great read for lovers of fantasy, in particular dark/demon themed. Speaking as someone with neurodiversity, it was great to be represented in such a fantastic fantasy story! I think this helps open up a whole new world of MC’s with neurodiversity and I hope to read more!
I am very interested in reading more by C.M. Alongi in the future!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending this book for review consideration! All opinions are my own.

What a great story! While Citadel explores themes similar to those in stories like Avatar and Ender's Game, Alongi's characters really bring this story to life in a unique way. I loved seeing the world through Olivia's eyes, and got to the last page eager to know what would happen next.

Citadel is a wonderful book with beautiful world building. Badass female MC who is also neurodivergent? Yes please and thank you! It read as much more of a fantasy at the beginning of the book, and then there is suddenly sci-fi thrown in there. Although maybe I should’ve seen it coming a la Styx’s “Come Sail Away”.

“I thought that they were angels
But to my surprise
We climbed aboard their starship
We headed for the skies.”

There were so many complex characters, and then there was Augustus, an incredibly one-dimensional, evil man with absolutely zero redeeming qualities. I can’t stop thinking about Riley, Olivia, and Ormus.
I thought the ending, though maybe a little rushed/abrupt, was also rather perfect. I don’t have any suggestions of how to successfully add just a couple more chapters to adjust speed of the ending. And it’s a really good stopping point.
I can’t wait for a book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

"Citadel" is such a wildly cool book. From the nonverbal autistic-coded main character to the surprise Sci-Fi, I enjoyed reading this one so much. Olivia, the main character, is a freaking badass. She's curious, intelligent, brave, and stubborn. I love her and would die for her.

The story of "Citadel" follows Olivia and her people in Citadel, a walled town that is in opposition to these demons that occupy the surrounding forest. After the killing of her boyfriend, Elias, Olivia goes into the forest alone and discovers that the demons are not what the people of Citadel have believed them to be. I don't want to spoil anything but Olivia's discovery and forest journey is so freaking cool and well done. It easily could have resulted in Olivia being perfect and never doing anything wrong but she struggles and things go wrong and so, it's so gratifying when she does succeed.

I am so excited for the next book and will definitely be picking it up when it's announced.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Summary: Alongi does not shy away from commentary about corrupted, greedy politicians utilizing their power as religious figures to line their own pockets while their constituents starve. It's a brave, realistic representation of "othering" those who do not fit the mold of the society to cast blame and distract from the true problems.

Our two main protagonists, Olivia and Riley, approach not only the faith of the hundred-faced god in different ways, but also how to address the Citadel's poverty, crime, and corruption. Olivia is content to see the Citadel be destroyed after its beliefs killed her mother and sent her lover to an unnecessary death while Riley strives to face inner demons to reach heaven. Throw in Ormus, Olivia's father, who sees the laws and beliefs of the Citadel as almost a necessary evil, and you've got all sides of the ongoing debate of separation of church and state.

The worldbuilding of the setting is beautifully done, and I loved the idea of the flooded forest where the demons lived. The complexity of the characters really fed into the immersion of the world, however I needed more from Augustus (Riley's father and the governor). At times, he was evil just to be the antagonist and cause conflict. We saw a very one dimensional version of him, ruling with fear and nothing else. Also, as we were only in the heads of those who had doubts about the Citadel and who were not as affected by the poverty, it was very difficult to understand what mechanisms were in place to keep average citizens from rebelling.

My other issue with the book was the lack of subtle ways the social commentary was integrated. It was all very shoved down our throats, with the characters directly saying how they were affected more often than the author showing up through various interactions.

I wouldn't say the book ends on a cliffhanger, more like in the middle of action. It left me wanting more...but not in a good way. The final conflict felt un-climatic, and I felt like I was cheated out of another 4 or 5 chapters.

Overall, yes I would recommend this to a friend and I will be requesting the sequel when it becomes available.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*

"Citadel" is a sci-fi / dystopia where monsters roam the forest outside the walled city and the people within are struggling to survive which is why they need to do research, gather supplies or explore the forest strongly influenced by high tides. The society in the City is very strict, patriarchal, sexist, ableist, homophobe and our main character is a young, non-verbal autistic woman who has lost her partner to the "demons" beyond the walls. But nothing is as it seems in this novel.

While I could foresee the majority of the plot, I found the main character absolutely wonderful. I don't want to spoiler anything, but the novel was absolutely worth reading for the autistic rep only. I'd never read anything like this, especiall making the character in this sci-fi/fantasy/dystopia setting non-verbal.

4.5 stars

Wonderfully beautiful world building, amazing characters and greatly represented disabilities and a unique intriguing storyline. This was amazing from the start, the prologue really gets you hooked into this world and desperate to read on. This is a really original, great sci-if and I would recommend to anyone who likes dystopian novels.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book takes place in a futuristic world in which humans have colonized the planet of Edalide, living in the titular Citadel. Externally, they battle the demons that Scripture tells them must be defeated in order for humans to regain access to Heaven; internally, they face corruption, starvation, disease, and bigotry.

Our two protagonists, Olivia and Riley, are both outcasts in the extremely rigid society of Citadel. Olivia is on the autism spectrum and is nonverbal (with the representation done very well, props to the author!), struggling with the grief of losing her love Elias a year ago and her mother ten years prior. Riley is the son of the governor, but faces abuse from his father, his mother’s alcoholism, and his own desire to pursue a career path that is all but forbidden. These two have a beautiful friendship and together they are the heart of the novel. They’re both determined and courageous, they inspire each other, and they try to do their best to help those around them. Honorable mentions have to go out to almost all the other supporting characters: Ormus, Olivia’s traditional but upstanding father; Asiya, her compassionate and intelligent stepmother; Evelyn, her brilliant and just as individualistic stepsister; and Augustus, Riley’s maniacal father who makes a truly terrifying villain. The best part of this book was the crafting of the characters and the interactions between them; I almost would have preferred that this book was solely a psychological thriller without all the sci-fi elements.

An additional honorable mention for the world building: Edalide was so beautifully constructed, with so much detail and thought put into the geography and ecosystems of the planet and the ways that different species evolved and adapted to them. It was reminiscent of N.K. Jemison’s Broken Earth Trilogy, or the way Brandon Sanderson constructs warfare in the Stormlight Archives. It was so well thought out and so gorgeously described, and it gave me similar vibes of one of my favorite TV shows, “Terra Nova.”

My struggles with this book are mostly with the writing style and the main plot line. The writing was fairly choppy, at times too conversational and at other times beautifully illustrative in a way that felt very inconsistent. I also wasn’t able to really invest in the main humans vs demons storyline; since the demons were killing Citadel’s humans, who largely suck, the stakes didn’t feel very important to me. Truthfully, Citadel does not seem worth saving. I also felt that the subplot involving the Doves was underdeveloped and was seemingly only added to give Riley even more of a sense of isolation from his family.

Citadel was surprising, in a great way. All I really knew going in was the main character Olivia, is autistic and the genre is sci-fi. I was (metaphorically) on the edge of my seat throughout the book. I love Olivia's character, I loved that she was autistic and nonverbal. The moment when she realized she had judged the chimera the same way the other humans judged her for her apparent inability to communicate was profound and very impactful. I found the story to be original, and well done, mixing sci-fi and dystopian futuristic in a fantastic way. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- this was a solid story! the representation of the main character was well done, and it showed her as willing to take action and do what she needs to do in order to survive in this world.

- the worldbuilding was interesting, and i found myself wanting to learn more about how the world surrounding the characters worked.

- the writing style was a tad childish at times, but i didn’t mind, as it didn’t drag away from the story.

Citadel is a harrowing tale of a girls journey to face the “demons” of the world. The main character is nonverbal and autistic which adds layers of complexity that is not seen in many books. Olivia is trying ti make the world better and prevent others from seeing their family members legally murdered by the government. I would definitely recommend this book and give it 4 out 5 stars.

Citadel by C.M. Alongi is an amazingly unique NA sci-fi debut, with incredible world building.

This book gripped me from the first page! The author has a unique voice and does an exceptional job of making me root for the characters.
I believe Alongi did an incredible job with the talk of the neurodivergent representation. The characters were lovable and realistic.
This book was very fun and kept me interested from the start. It also had emotional, romantic, and action scenes. I love the world and characters this author has created and I can't wait for the next book!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book is not what I have in mind when I started reading, but I really enjoyed it!
It's not a romance story, and there is very little romance subplot so if you're here for it... sorry. BUT if you are here for adventures, studying and bonding with monsters (aka chimeras, but that's for later) from the POV of non-verbal, autistic, strong female lead? Yes please please continue reading.
Love the world building so much. It's so rich and detailed, and so immersive. Olivia is a strong lead with dependable voice which carry out the plot well.
All in all, love it!

Thank you, NetGalley and Blackstone for the E-arc!
This book was absolutely fantastic but the best thing about this book is the amazing protagonist. Olivia is autistic and nonverbal and utterly amazing. She is smart and clever while also being unbelievably caring. She brings so much to the story and makes the book extremely enjoyable to read. I also really like the promise with Olivia needing to broker peace between do humans and demons. The themes of acceptance understanding and moving on from hatred are very well done.
Overall I was very happy with this story and cannot wait to see more.

Phenomenal book. Really well written. Enjoyable read. Reminded me of Avatar because you have a misunderstood species. I also loved that the main character is nonverbal and autistic. I have autistic family members and I love the representation. I was hoping for a romance and was sad we didn’t have one so I think if there was one thing that could have made this book extra better for me it would have been that. But don’t let that stop you from reading it. Great fantasy elements and political commentary.

Citadel is a fascinating and unique sci-fi novel which has a great take on how we view demons and how religion plays a role in government to maintain power and control. While this is not typically something I would enjoy reading, CM Alongi expertly interspersed these themes with loveable characters with compelling storylines, and adorable demons. Not once did I ever need to question a character's motivations, for they all had so much depth built in to so few pages. Olivia is a nonverbal autistic woman, and I loved seeing her as the heroine of the novel, through her struggles in neurotypical society and the strengths others don't take the time to see. She is relatable, flawed, and loveable the way any wonderfully written character is.

As any book, there were some aspects I did not so much enjoy. I found the writing style to be kind of choppy, with little flow from one idea to the other, often making me wonder if I perhaps skipped a page or two. I also did not love how the entire first half of the novel read more like fantasy, then abruptly became science fiction as the plot was revealed. (That might have been intentional, I just wasn't a fan.) I do think my least favourite part would be the blatant sexism, ableist bullying, and homophobia from the antagonists. While none of that was made to be okay (as our villains are the ones saying these things), it made the story a little rough to read. The worldbuilding in Citadel was incredibly unique, and I wish Alongi had taken some themes from the real world (such as religious commentary, authoritarian government, etc) and leave out the rest.

Overall, I never found myself bored with this book, and I love the new ideas it presented. :)

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.