I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I'm in the minority but this story didn't do it for me. I was really bored almost the entire time, which is surprising given how much action is going on. I also really didn't care who was laying siege and why, which is probably a big reason why I didn't care for this book. I felt like the plot never advanced.
The three main characters were ok and I probably would have liked them more in a different setting but I didn't understand how they could know so little about what was going on around them. They grew up there, shouldn't they have had training in case something like this happened? They all seemed way to naive for me.

City of Lies is one of those books that starts off slow and you’re not quite sure how you feel about it. The next thing you know, you’re staying up to 2AM to finish it. It’s a unique take on the epic fantasy genre with more character building than fighting.

What I loved about City of Lies is how character-driven it is. This book could have easily been half its length without the introspection we get from the main duo, Kalina and Jovan. And that’s not a bad thing. At its core, City of Lies is a murder mystery, and the duo are tasked with finding their uncle and Chancellor’s killer. Soon after the deaths, their city comes under siege by an unknown force and they must help the Heir, Tain, defend the city and determine the motivations behind the siege. The alternating POV chapters give a real sense of urgency as problem after problem are stacked upon them. Often, it felt like for every question they answered, three more would spring up.

Reading this, I was surprised by how inherently good Jovan, Kalina, and Tain are. Call me bitter or jaded from too much grimdark, but reading from the perspective of characters who genuinely want what’s best for their people felt so novel, especially in an epic fantasy. While all three are aristocrats who help rule the city, they never act selfishly and truly attempt to fix the problems their people face. They all have such heart and care so much it’s hard not to like them. I know several reviewers have talked about Kalina and Jovan having similar personalities, but I personally found them very distinct. Kalina and Jovan often arrive to similar conclusions, but the routes they take are very different.

Another part this book does well is the worldbuilding. This book is not one for info-dumps, so you pick up only bits and pieces as you go along. By the end though, I have a very solid understanding of the general culture of their land, as well as belief differences between the nobility and common people. I loved the focus on family the society had, as well as the idea that a family runs on the woman’s side. It was a nice change of pace to read about an egalitarian society. This book covers really interesting and topical themes like religion, social inequality, disabilities, and adaption of traditions over time. Most importantly, I found the exploration of treatment of religious minorities in times of crisis very well done.

My one gripe with this book is that I thought the villains felt flat. With how much explanation and backstory goes into other characters and other groups, the villains paled in comparison. In some ways, their motives felt too predictable. I can’t say too much without going into spoilers, but I think if the book had been a little longer just to go into more backstory, the ending would have been more solid

One thing to note for readers is that this book presents a lot of questions to both the main cast and the reader, then takes its sweet sweet time answering them. As the rare person who genuinely enjoys an info-dump, this drove me mad (in a good way). I always wanted to know more, to know why, and this book refused to answer my questions immediately. Plotwise, it made sense, but to my information-loving brain, I was in pain.

Overall, I rate this book a 4.5/5. The characters, worldbuilding, and plot were all fantastic, especially for a debut. While I thought the villains were a little weak, that could be overlooked for how amazing the rest of the book is. This is also a proper mystery novel where the reader can play whodunnit with the main characters. I look forward to continuing the series!

First off, I want to thank the publisher and author for an eARC of ‘City of Lies’ in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this eARC in no way influences my thoughts or opinions on the novel.

I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me…

With a hook like that, how is one not at least interested in learning more? On top of that, DAT COVER DOE. As you may probably well know, I am a sucker for beautiful book covers and this one caught my eye when it was revealed last year. I waited…and waited…and waited for eARCs to hit, and finally got the opportunity when my TBR was filled to overflowing. But the good news is: I have finally been able to finish it and can say it is one of my favorite reads of the year. Though it isn’t the typical hack n’ slash fantasy novel that I am used to, the gorgeous prose, intriguing story-line, and overall development of the characters make this an epic not to be missed.

The first novel in the Poison Wars series takes on two (2) different POVs: brother and sister duo, Jovan and Kalina. Heirs to the “family business” of proofing, they sit in waiting for their opportunities to protect the Chancellor from poisons. When Kalina’s health ultimately prevents her from moving forward with the training, Jovan steps in at the behest of his uncle. Just so happens that Jovan is best friends with the Chancellor’s heir.

But when both the Chancellor and Jovan’s uncle die from ingesting an undetectable poison, Jovan is thrown into duty and must protect the heir from any and all threats to his life. What he doesn’t expect is the city to come under seige, and for the heir’s life to be in immediate danger. Jovan and Kalina must do what it takes to uncover the mystery surrounding the deaths of the Chancellor and their uncle, while also keeping their hope for the future alive. But who can they really trust when it all comes down to it?

I have to commend Hawke because, in my honest opinion, this did not feel like a debut whatsoever. Her writing feels like that of a seasoned veteran and she weaves a web of a story like none I’ve ever seen. Jovan and Kalina just jumped off of the pages and begged for my immediate attention from the get-go. The world-building is sensational, and the world that lives just on the underside of the streets of the city is slowly peeled back like the layers of onion just add to the overall reading experience. I also thoroughly enjoyed how balanced the POVs were between Jovan and Kalina, and how the author included a unique poison and description at the beginning of each chapter. I am a sucker for tidbits like these (all started with Michael R. Fletcher’s ‘Manifest Delusions’s series).

Overall, I don’t care who you are, you need to give this book a shot. City of Lies is a novel chock-full of mystery, lies, deceit, loss, and triumph, and I cannot recommend it enough.

I’m going to put this book on hold for now. Unfortunately, I don’t feel compelled to pick it up and read it, but I think it is an “It’s not you, it’s me situation.” This has been blurbed as for people who are tired of assassins, but I’m definitely not tired of them yet as I am quite new to the genre. I thought there would be a little more people getting back at the assassin, but it’s more of a who did it situation.

But I will say I enjoyed the world building full of different hierarchies, creatures, and food. I also like how the main area is almost like an oasis for the rest of the world. However, I think it’s unrealistic that there wouldn’t be much security for a land so rich and peaceful no matter how safe the land surrounding it makes it.

Sam Hawke also does a great job of characterizing his main POV characters. They are young and naive and full of mental and physical disabilities. I appreciate that they weren’t just suddenly given a ton of responsibly and immediately knew what to do like so many other fantasies with young characters who are thrust into high positions. However, you can’t tell the difference between the POV’s because their chapter voices felt the same. I also think the side characters were interesting, but slightly over the top when it came to dialogue.

So, yes, for now I’m putting this down, but I may come back to it later!

This novel offers a rich world, strong story, and characters who are complicated in all the right ways. I did have a few issues with the narrative, but the majority of them were that I'm too quick to pick up on plot seeding. The characters’ mention of, or realization of, the seed came late enough for me to believe the seeding hadn't been used. Ultimately, though, most of the seeds were either explained or critical to the later plot, and sometimes even in ways I had not anticipated.

The dual first-person narrative offered standard issues with gender and names coming late for me, but the personalities grew from the start. They both showed tangible character growth as they (and Tain) underwent a rapid, event-driven change from child to adult. I did have trouble telling which of the two were speaking at times, but they are each named in the chapter headers. I just tend not to read headers.

I liked how Joven and Kalina, the point-of-view characters, had real physical and mental challenges they struggled with. While some of those limitations turned out to benefit them in very specific circumstances, they did not miraculously overcome their limitations in order to fulfill their roles in the story. Instead, they worked around the issues, were sidelined by them, or had to recognize what paths could never be open to them. It's a more realistic presentation of disability than most.

The cultural elements and philosophies spouted by the various groups were fascinating, even though, and sometimes because, the characters did not live up to those philosophies. Roles reduced to tradition surged to life, and honored pasts turned both into false legends and unexpected fact. It felt very robust rather than contrived because of these contradictions and misunderstandings. Oh, and there are some lovely solutions founded in keen observations that further support the way Joven and Kalina were raised.

As to the story as a whole, it took a bit for things to fall into place, but the directions satisfied me. There was a lot to absorb me as a reader while the characters attempted to solve the mystery they believed held the answer to everything...which it did in part, but not the whole. That whole, which I won't mention specifically, made for a significant strength in the book, offering a reaction and perspective less common among stories of this type. There were several points where the story could have taken the easy way out. Instead, those turning points made things more complicated.

This is oddly a very personal story tightly focused on three then four people, but against a tapestry of sieges, war, infighting, and traitors where thousands hung in the balance along with a country's future. The characters drew me on even when I struggled with what appeared to be story flaws and allowed me to reach the point where, despite the delay, most of the planted seeds bore powerful fruit. It's well worth the patience to see through and I'm hoping for another book to follow. I'm not tired of these characters, and there are some complex issues to deal with in their future. At the same time, the book comes to a solid conclusion, showing character growth and survival of spirit woven through a tumultuous existence.

City of Lies by Sam Hawke is a debut novel and the first in a new fantasy series by the Australian author. I picked it up mainly for its Australian-ness: to show support and because I’ve historically enjoyed many big fat fantasy (BFF) books written by Australian women.

Jovan wears two faces. Outwardly, he is the lifelong friend of the Chancellor’s charming, irresponsible Heir. Quiet. Forgettable. In secret, Jovan is a master of poisons and chemicals, trained to protect the Chancellor’s family from treachery.

His sister, Kalina, hides her frustrations behind a mask of calm. While other women of the city hold positions of power and responsibility, her own path is one of secrets and lies— hidden even from her own brother.

When the Chancellor succumbs to an unknown poison and a revolutionary army lays siege to the city, Jovan and Kalina’s structured world unravels. Trapped and desperate, they soon discover their civilized country also has two faces; behind the beauty and sophistication is an ugly past built on oppression and treachery…

City of Lies takes place in a capital city that sits in the middle of the country, surrounded by estates with farms and a few other cities closer to the foreign borders. The city is run by a chancellor and a council and out protagonists are the legal children (actually nephew and niece) of the Chancellor’s most trusted advisor. The story is told through their (first person) points of view in alternating chapters.

Jovan is the closest friend, advisor and protector of the Chancellor’s heir. His main ancestral job is to check the heir’s food for poison. Not because he’s a disposable food taster, but because he’s been trained to detect poison in even small amounts of food and is immune (or at least resistant to) many poisons, and always has antidotes on hand. Coincidentally, he also has something like OCD (it’s not named in the context of the fantasy world), which stops some people from taking him seriously and, to some degree, hampers his political career. It’s also just something he has to work around. From his point of view we see a lot of the inner politics and problems of the city, as he sticks pretty close to Tain, the heir.

Jovan’s sister, Kalina, is the other point of view character. Having been barred from the family profession due to ill health (in this fantasy world where men and women are treated equally), Kalina still finds ways to help her brother and Tain. Most people dismiss her because they see her as physically weak and hence consequential, but she’s smart and has hidden reserves of determination that not even her brother realised were there. Kalina is written as a very convincing example of chronic illness and the way it’s perceived and engaged with by society. She comes from a privileged family, so has the benefit of the best available medical care (in a pre-industrial society) but still has to contend with people underestimating her. Basically, not only is she a well written character but she kicks arse (but not literally) and I really enjoyed reading the story from her point of view. I highly recommend this book for the disability/chronic illness representation alone.

Of course, there’s more to City of Lies than just good characterisation. The story itself is gripping and kept me interested the whole way. It opens with poisoning throwing the young main characters (who I guessed to be in their 20s maybe?) into the spotlight and positions of power and quickly moves on to a siege of the city. As well as the practical wartime concerns of defence and food distribution, the traitor in their midst hangs over their heads, lowering their trust in everyone else.

I have to say, I was impressed with how this book didn’t drop too many hints as to the source of the treachery. I didn’t see the reveal coming, which is unusual for me these days. And the answer to the question of why the city was being attacked was meted out gradually so that we didn’t understand the whole picture until near the very end of the book. I found it an effective way to keep my interest up through this long tome. (All those short stories I’ve been reading just emphasised the length of this novel, lol.)

This was an excellent read and I highly recommend it to fans of fantasy (especially BFF) and to specific fans who are interested in seeing a society with gender equality with some disability/chronic illness representation thrown into the mix. (Note that the society is, of course, not perfect. If nothing else, there has to be a reason for the war at the heart of the plot.) I’m told there’s a sequel coming, and I look forward to reading more about these characters. On the other hand, the story in this first book is self-contained with no cliffhangers at the end. The overarching problems aren’t resolved at the end, but most of the open plot threads are tied up, making me keen, but not desperate, for the next book.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: July 2018, Tor (US) and August 2018, Transworld/Penguin Random House (UKANZ)
Series: Yes. Book 1 of Poison Wars series
Format read: ePub ARC
Source: (US) publisher via NetGalley

City of Lies is an enthralling novel that subverts fantasy tropes to examine issues of family and class.

The story is told from the point of view of two siblings, alternating chapters from each of them. Jovan is a proofer, a young man trained to detect the presence of poison in food. He's bound by honour and friendship to protect Tain, heir to the city of Silastra. That suddenly becomes harder when both his uncle and the Chancellor are killed by a mysterious poison. Flipping the usual focus on the poisoner to the person trying to prevent the poisoning really raises the stakes of the story, since the latter is much more difficult. Jovan is also obsessive-compulsive, with his compulsions increasing during times of stress. He worries about the judgement this brings from others, but is supported by his sister and Tain.

Kalina is the elder of the siblings and was originally destined to be the proofer. However, it became apparent early in her training that her chronic illness made this unfeasible. While she still harbours some resentment over this, she is fiercely loyal to both Jovan and Tain. She's also determined not to be sidelined, turning instead to diplomacy and spycraft to prove her usefulness. However, her brother sometimes makes this difficult by being overprotective. This isn't entirely without reason; there's an interesting interplay between Jovan's somewhat patronising attempts to make sure she rests and Kalina's tendency to push herself too hard.

There are some mystery elements, as the siblings and Tain try to figure out who poisoned their uncles. These elements dovetail into the political landscape of the story. The Chancellor may have final say on what happens in the city of Silastra, but he is supported by a council comprised of the heads of several powerful families and guilds. Of course, council members are largely only there for their own interests and it soon becomes apparent that (as the title suggests) each of them has their own secrets. Sorting through those secrets to determine which of them is the killer creates a tension throughout the narrative.

One of the things I loved about the story was the way it looks at the role Tain plays as Chancellor. He should be the most powerful man in the city and yet the story shows just how little power he has. He is not ominpotent or omnipresent, which means he has to rely on others. And, as the poisoning of his uncle demonstrates, those others can't always be trusted.

There are also issues of class at play. Jovan and Tain, in particular, come face-to-face with the privilege of their upbringing and the blind spots it has created. I especially enjoyed seeing Jovan wrestle with this because even when he's made aware of it he struggles not to centre his own experience.

Family is at the heart of City of Lies, but not quite in the usual ways. It centres the siblings' relationship not by dwelling on their rivalry but by showing how they function as a team. It also downplays the role of traditional parents. I've spoken a bit of uncles in this review, and they connect to an interesting piece of worldbuilding. Silastra has what we would consider some different norms around motherhood; the role of child-rearing is taken on by a trusted male relative of the mother's, leaving the mother free to pursue other interests. This male relative is referred to as a Tashi and is frequently the uncle of the child. In contrast, the father of Kalina and Jovan is considered so insignificant, he's not even mentioned. Their relationship with their mother is distant. This setup allows the book to avoid some of the sexist norms usually present in epic fantasy.

From the very beginning, the writing style sucked me in (and kept me awake far too late). Silastra is vibrant and alive, painted in detail but not enough to be overwhelming. The pace is kept reasonably swift and although there's often a lot of talking (councils will do that), it's balanced with plenty of action.

The ending wraps up enough threads to be satisfying but leaves open some questions regarding the bigger picture. I did have some quibbles about some of the supernatural elements of the ending, but overall they didn't detract from the story.

All in all, City of Lies is an impressive debut and among my favourite reads of the year so far. And, considering the epilogue, I've got my fingers crossed for more.

This was an excellent debut and thoroughly enjoyable fantasy mystery novel. Everyone likes stories about assassins and most of those are told from the assassin’s pov. City of Lies was different in that it was from the povs of those who guard against assassins. Somewhere between a quest story and a police procedural (though obviously no actual police involved) this kept me guessing to the very end. There’s almost no magic involved, unusual for a fantasy novel, but you don’t even notice that because the world building is so good. The characters were compelling and the angle of the story was unus

Jovan is the quiet and forgettable friend of Tain, the Chancellor’s charming yet irresponsible Heir. He's also a master of poisons and chemicals. He has been trained to protect the Chancellor’s family from unknown dangers. When the Chancellor falls to an unknown poison and an army lays siege to the city, Jovan and his sister Kalina must protect Tain and save the city-state of Silasta. But treachery lurks in every corner, and the ancient spirits of the land are rising...and angry.

City of Lies by Sam Hawke is now easily one of my favorite reads of 2018 - and one of the best debut novels I've read all year long. Believe me when I saw that you need this fantasy novel in your life. The author's writing style immediately hooked me - right from the first line actually. What kept me coming back for more though was the author's stunning world-building and her brilliant character development, plus there's a fascinating magic system to back everything up. This book is over 500 pages and I was so enamored by her style that I managed to speed through it in what amounted to three or four reading binges. I didn't want to put my Kindle down for a second, but unfortunately work got in the way. If I'd had my way, I would have attempted to devour it in only one sitting!

Like I said before, this novel has some of the best world-building I've had the opportunity to experience this year. The city-state of Silasta is practically a character on its own. It's so vividly presented I felt like I could have walked the streets with Jovan, Kalina, and Tain at my side. The description of the setting with everything from daily operations, class, political and societal views, and religion (and the lies everything is built upon, naturally) is so tightly threaded into the core of the story that it felt like a living and breathing entity. Even though we really only get to see the city-state of Silasta with a taste of other locales, the story never managed to feel restricted in anyway since we have such a great sense of Silasta it becomes more than just a place in the mind of the reader.

This debut also features some truly remarkable characters with Jovan, Kalina, and Tain. Like with the world they inhabit, I truly felt like over the course of more than 500 pages I got a great sense of who they were as people as they progressed and developed. The story is told in alternating POVs between Jovan and his sister Kalina. I loved getting to know both of them, but I found myself drawn to the chronically ill Kalina in particular - as great as Jovan is Kalina really steals all of her scenes as she goes toe to toe with her equally skilled brother. As much as I enjoy a fantasy featuring assassins, I have to say it was brilliant seeing the reverse here with leading characters who have been tasked with preventing assassination via poisoning.

Overall, City of Lies by Sam Hawke is an absolutely brilliant debut that I can't recommend enough. You will want to devour this fantasy all at once because you can't put it down. If you like V.E. Schwab, I have a feeling you'll be just as impressed by Sam Hawke's storytelling, character developing, and world-building abilities. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing where the Poison Wars series goes from here. It's going to be brilliant, I can feel it!

Release date: 03 July 2018
Author: Sam Hawke
Publisher: Macmillan-Tor/Forge
Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
One sentence review: Fantasy meets thriller/mystery in a novel about war and assassinations. 
Quick summary: After the chancellor is poisoned, his nephew succeeds him to rule a city known for its long peacetime. The day of the funeral, an army arrives at the gate with no terms of engagement. As protectors of the heir, Jovan and Kalina must determine the source of the assassination attempt and the army before the city falls to the invading force.

After reading enough of any genre, readers begin to understand the general shape of any story they pick up. Often the reveals are not surprising, so much as confirmation of something the reader suspected a hundred pages ago. Hawke's novel has broken that mould by presenting a fantasy novel about a mystery. And, it is a delightful change in pace from a typical fantasy novel. 

The main characters are wonderfully developed. They are also atypical; one suffers from OCD and the other has physical shortcomings as a result of a poisoning training exercise gone badly. These very plausible and relatable differences from your typical lead characters are refreshing to read. As the protectors of the chancellor (rather than the chancellor or the assassin), the point of view of these characters is unique and quite interesting. 

The world-building develops naturally along with the story. Hawke neither overwhelms the reader nor does the story suffer from a single-city setting. The culture is well-depicted and easily understandable, while still foreign enough to be interesting. 

The story is character and plot driven with some emphasis more on the plot events. Yet, there is enough characterisation that fans of either style can appreciate this book. 

City of Lies just has that dash of something that makes it special and enjoyable. I look forward to more from Hawke. 

NetGalley provided an eARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Sam Hawke in exchange for an honest review.

City of Lies is told through the alternating perspectives of Jovan and Kalina, brother and sister from a family pledged in service to the Chancellor. Their duty is to protect the Chancellor from hidden threats. Jovan is Tain’s proofer, the one who secretly tests his food for poison and his trusted adviser. Kalina is his older sister, who would have taken on the role but for her weak body. Despite everyone’s concern for her weak body, she embarks on a secret mission to save their city-state from attack.

Because the mystery/crime of the former Chancellor’s poisoning play such a large part in this novel, the story is slow to start, but as it gets closer to the climax, there are more adrenaline-pounding action scenes. These take place more so with Jovan’s perspective, which made it more fun to read. Kalina tends to do more spywork while dealing with others’ pressure for her to rest her weak body when all she’s ever wanted is to do something for her city-state.

I like how the characters are imperfect. Jovan seems to fall on the autism spectrum and has compulsions. Kalina has her weak body but a strong will that propels her forward. Tain is too honest and optimistic; he wants to believe the best in everyone and resents that his good friend Jovan risks his life every day to proof his food. While these three friends seem a bit naive for young adults who have been raised to hold important roles in their city-state, I’m willing to stretch my disbelief a little bit given how much was hidden from them. And also because, while Tain is hopelessly idealistic, I can imagine a person with his traits. Fortunately, he has good friends to watch his back. In fact, the childhood friends dynamics was one of my favorite parts of this novel.

There is some romance, but for the most part, it felt out of place in the story. Kalina’s love interests fell more on the men’s parts. They served to show her place in the world as a weak woman seen in need of a man (something that felt overdone but is a part of the world). One love interest played a large role for some of the book but fell out of sight once the action started (where did he go?). Jovan’s romance felt fast paced; while I could see the glimmerings of interest from Jovan’s perspective, it seemed to come out of nowhere on the woman’s end. (She seemed to hate him so much at first. Where did her interest come from?) That said, I do like how the two of them challenge each other.

While not intricate, the world building is simple and given as needed. It’s interesting to see the power that women hold in that bloodlines are passed down through them. I do have some lingering questions, such as – if women are so important, then why do men seem to figure so much more prominently in politics, and what exactly are the roles of “Tashis” (the two of which I’ve seen are male and seem to be the true family heads). I also wish that the e-galley came with a map to reference. Hopefully the print version has one!

A major complaint for me is that Jovin and Kalina’s voices are indistinguishable. Though the chapter headings tell us who is speaking that chapter, I sometimes found myself thinking that I was reading from the other perspective. It doesn’t help that both perspectives are told in first person. Another smaller complaint is that most of the sections given on poisons aren’t relevant to the immediate storyline (if at all), which didn’t give me motivation to read them. A glossary in the back with abridged explanations would have been more helpful to reference as needed. There are also many new terms introduced in the beginning of the novel. A glossary would have also aided here.

All in all, City of Lies is a solid debut novel. While it is the first novel in a series, it has a clear arc and can stand alone, but it has prepped readers for a larger conflict to come. Because so much time is spent on the mystery of who poisoned the last Chancellor with no clear leads, the enemy hasn’t been given much time to be fleshed out. I hope that we’ll see more of the enemy in book two and that more time will be spent with this in future novels. (While a likable protagonist is important, a well-fleshed out villain can add much to a story!)

<i>A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in return for my honest review.</i>

(I thank Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)
 
I'm clearly of two minds about this book. I really liked some aspects of the story, and the writing was passionate and thorough. But on the other hand there were some grating details, which annoyed me especially because I wasn't always entertained by the story.
 
The beginning was enjoyable. I liked that the three main characters were young, united by friendship and family ties, without any impeding romance. I also appreciated that they were kind and thoughtful, ready to be adults facing their responsibilities. I loved the author's choice to put forward characters disadvantaged by chronic illness, or neurological difference associated with anxiety and OCD. The society exposed, peaceful and industrious, with a feminine filiation and a family unit where the father is replaced by a male relative of the mother, was interesting and well depicted. The characters different colourings, and various sexual inclinations were delicately indicated without taxing insistence.
 
But if the introduction was easy to read and promising, I struggled during all the  middle of the book. This part was all about a specific situation, which was well rendered I suppose, the atmosphere was good to be honest - but I was bored. I even skimmed though some parts. I usually don't mind long and precise narrations, I even frequently favour them, but this time I wasn't charmed, and for this reason the flaws (or what I perceived as such) became more and more noticeable.
 
I have some grievances about this book; in fact I probably wouldn't have mind so much about them if I've had loved the whole story, but I didn't, so here we are:
 
The secondary characters were introduced too quickly in the beginning and I couldn't track of all them afterwards, as long the book was (but I have to admit that my immediate memory isn't that good...)

Why on earth (or any other world of your choice) is there not any healer guild ? There are hospitals, and healers, who seems to be important persons, but no healer guild. So weird.
 
The city is described as peaceful, centered on arts, crafworks and intellectual pursuits. No weapon is accepted within the city and the atmosphere is mundane, with small politic intrigues, but no brutal animosities. Especially, poisoning one's rivals or opponents doesn't seem to be the custom. Still the Heir is guarded nearly all around the clock by a master of poison, disguised as their personnel advisor. This situation is necessary for the intrigue, but I couldn't help finding it unatural and unbelievable.
 
The double narration : each chapter of the story is alternatively told by the master of poisons or her sister, using the first person. Unfortunately I could never know who was speaking before encountering a helpful hint: the voices sounded exactly identical to me, which is a shame as the two characters have distinctive and endearing personalities. In my opinion choosing the first person for the narration was an error, the third one, even with an alternative point of view, would have been more subtle and effective. And it would have made another (maybe subjective) problem less annoying: there were frequently some over explanations of psychological evolutions, when the show don't tell was good and should have been enough.
 
For my satisfaction the final part was as good as the start, with some nice revelations and character development!
  
To conclude I'll like to point out that the magic part, if central, is nearly inexistant in this first book of The Poison Wars series. I actually don't mind at all, but it could be a deception for some readers. For all its action the atmosphere was rather sedate, and if it was a good point for me, I'm not sure that it'll meet some readers expectations after reading the publisher's presentation.

Jovan lives in this awesome-sounding city called Silasta, where everything is great: Sjona, the country, is the beacon of civilization, none of that barbaric warring and infighting for Sjona, no siree bob.

Except things are not fine. They’re really not fine. Silasta and the leadership of Sjona is so ignorant of how not fine things are that they’re blindsided by a full-on rebellion that turns up right as their Chancellor and his closest advisor are killed by an unknown poison, right as their lines of communication are cut off, and right as literally the whole goddamn army are off somewhere else.
image

Honestly, Silasta is not so much a City of Lies but a City of People Who Are A Bit Too Dumb To Live.

Anyway! Jovan’s family has been serving the chancellors of Sjona for forever, acting as “proofers” – poison experts who test the Chancellor’s food before they eat it. Proofers spend their lives studying and ingesting small amounts of poisons in order to build up immunity. So basically they do a Princess Bride gambit but with all sorts of different poisons.

Jovan’s older sister Kalina was meant to be Etan’s apprentice/next family proofer, but her first exposure to poison left her so sick and frail it was quickly apparent that she’d never have the strength to be a proofer. So she became a professional spy instead. She’s not exactly happy with this consolation prize, but hey, spycraft sounds way better than testing someone else’s food for poison.

Anyway: it’s something of a shock when Jovan and Kalina when their uncle Etan, the expert proofer, succumbs to an unknown poison, along with the Chancellor. Jovan’s lifelong best friend/charge Tain, the former Chancellor’s heir, suddenly finds himself in charge just as everything goes to hell in a handbasket: suddenly there is an army of rebels sieging the city, with zero defenses and, shit, all their messenger birds are dead (messenger birds that were kept literally in one coop, in one location, and said birds were never trained to go to and from more than one location, seriously people you need better methods of communication). The city, so proud of its status as the beacon of civilization, is not exactly built for a siege, and it’s people not fit for military conflict. With the army off chasing wild geese somewhere far away, Silasta is royally screwed. Worse: no one seems to know anything about what the rebels want. Or even why they’re angry. I mean, Sjona is great, right? Everything’s great and good and everyone’s happy, right? No one is starving, everything is equal, and nobody lives in fear or is persecuted for their religion, Right? The whole city is a beacon of civilization, Right???

Seriously, does Sjona have no journalists? Do they not have, like, the Silasta Times or, I dunno, SjonaPost? Do they not have town criers? Homer would have done well here:
image

Honestly, the level of ignorance and incompetence of the City Slickers of Silasta is mind-boggling. The bulk of the book is Jovan, Kalina and Tain running around trying to figure out why in the hell people are rebelling. And also trying to find out who poisoned their uncles. Is the poisoning connected with the rebellion? What’s up with this Darfri religion that’s apparently widespread but Jovan and Kalina know literally nothing about? Why are the rebels accusing the city folk of being spirit killers? Also how is it the rebels seem to be able to do magic?

This book is definitely relies heavily on the Poor Communication Kills trope. The people of Silasta have become so cut off from the rest of the Sjona that they have zero idea why their own people might be rebelling against them. Nobody in this seemingly highly educated, beacon-of-civilization city seems to have any knowledge of the Darfri religion, or what conditions are like out in the countryside. Nobody thought to have more than one messenger bird coop. Seriously, it’s like the whole city had their hands on the Idiot Ball and now it’s come back to bite them. How in the world are they supposed to get out of this mess?

Once you get past the general frustration of “dear God how could the whole city be so goddamned stupid?!?” City of Lies is actually a fun and engaging read – there’s poison, a siege, creepy religious magic, intrigue, more poison, various examples as to why a free press is extremely important… But in between all of that, there’s not a whole lot of worldbuilding – we get vague hints about the environment and history of Sjona, but everyone is too busy figuring out how to not die that it all gets glossed over. City of Lies is intended to be the first in a series, though, so hopefully Hawke will give us some more worldbuilding in subsequent books. In all, City of Lies is entertaining but occasionally frustrating. The book alternates between the first-person POVs of Jovan and Kalina, both of whom are engaging narrators with their own little quirks: Jovan suffers from some serious obsessive-compulsive tics, while Kalina must live with the frustration of being both physically weak and knowing she failed at the family business, even though she’s a badass spy.

Honestly, frustrations aside, I want to know more, damn it! Also, I’d like to see someone in Silasta start a goddamned newspaper.

I'm leaving this 4 stars, as I loved the characters and the story overall, it just took me a while to actually feel connected to the story. I did enjoy the poison aspect of the story and the magic elements too. I just felt a slight disconnect with the writing in parts. I do recommend this book as it is enjoyable!

"I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me…"

Hook, line and sinker. How is it possible to refuse a book that opens that way? I’ll do you one even better, it has a 4-star Goodreads review from Robin Hobb. Yes, please. I’ll take it!

City of Lies lives up to its opening. Jovan, is a proofer. He has extensive knowledge and training in poisons and chemistry. His job is not as assassin but instead is to keep the Chancellor’s family safe from threat. He fails to prevent an attack which kills the Chancellor and lays the city open to siege from without.

This kingdom of Silasta has a complicated past. The author does a good job of world building, and there is a complicated history that has led to rebellion. The nobility like to think of themselves as progressive and sophisticated, but as Faulkner said “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” That past is coming back to haunt them.

A conquering kingdom can be centuries away from its moment of conquest but how do you ever made peace with the people you’ve harmed? If you are a nation who can deny the humanity of another to extent of invading and subjugating them, can you break the pattern and live in peace with the people you’ve suppressed? These are questions that have been drifting around in my mind lately. I recently read The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin and it dovetailed with City of Lies in my thoughts. Don’t get me wrong, these are two very different books, but I feel like they share a kinship in the way they look (in differing degrees) at the harm done to the psyche of the conquered and the conquering people. Certainly the country I belong to has not healed from the violence brought upon it hundreds of years ago. I don’t know that you ever get over it.

City of Lies inspired deep thoughts, but didn’t weigh me down. I enjoyed the writing, and really liked the characters. In particular Jovan’s sister Kalina. I became very fond of her. She was lovely, brilliant and compassionate. This society has respect for women, they are allowed positions of honor and prominence, and is also LGBTQ inclusive. But it killed me every time she felt the need to hide her intelligence or feign weakness in order to get people to listen to her. I have to admit, what a clever way to show the reader, that this society may not be as advanced as they seem to believe themselves. I appreciated the subtlety.

I am happy to see this is the first book in the series. I’m not sure how many more books will follow, but I will be following this new author. Ms. Hawke is a promising new artist.

Song for this book: I Am Chemistry by Yeasayer

What an excellent fantasy debut!

This is a unique book. Many fantasy stories deal with all-out wars and very overt aggression. This story, while it did featured a siege, was a lot more concerned with subtle aggression - poison, political intrigue, spying, etc. And that made it very interesting and unique. None of our characters are paladins or warriors. In fact, they can barely hold weapons some of the time. Our main characters are much more concerned with learning about poison and finding hiding places to spy on people from. They aren't effective in the ways some fantasy characters typically are and I found that change refreshing and interesting.

The world in this story was really unique in some regards. The main city comes from a matriarchal society - women bear children and those children remain part of the woman's family. In fact, it seems that marriage is not a concern in this society at all - when a woman gives birth, there is no concern for the father and the children are raised within the large extended family. That was very unique and I wish this had been a bigger deal in the story - it's mentioned in passing a few times and comments are made about how weird it is when people leave their families (their aunts and uncles and mother, etc) to start their own family (two parents and children). Perhaps in future books, this will be addressed in more depth. The rest of the world was interesting, but not all that unique or significant. There are guilds that basically run the city. There's a lower class that's been treated unfairly by the ruling class and they want change. The "magic" system was interesting, though as a religion (which it is), it isn't that unique. But regarding it as magic makes it more interesting. Overall, it was an interesting world in so many capacities, but a fairly typical fantasy world in other capacities.

The main characters were the one part of this book that I didn't like. While most of the characters were written in interesting ways and had some personality, the two main characters just felt....meh. Our two main characters take turns narrating and there was nothing about their views of the world or their narrating voices that helped to tell them apart. Often, I'd have to go back to the chapter heading to remind myself who was narrating currently. I should have been far more attached to the main characters than I was and I should have been able to get a sense for their personalities and their wants and needs and interests, but most of what I learned about the main characters were things they revealed about each other - i.e. "Jovan cares so much about Tain," "Kalina is sickly and weak and needs me to take care of her," etc. There are ways to reveal your character without making other characters do the work of explaining them and I wish these characters had more clear personality.

Overall, this is a rewarding and interesting read and I'm excited to see more from this author.

This fantastic debut will certainly find it’s place among well-loved fantasy series. It mixes fantasy with mystery and intrigue seamlessly. It was a book that had me guessing right to the end, with the added pressure of literally being penned in and running out of time. I literally went to work sleep deprived this entire week because every time I picked up this book, I had trouble putting it down.

Sibling protagonists, Kalina and Joven are expertly crafted, both with clear strengths and flaws. The alternating viewpoints worked so well in this story, and the clear love that these two siblings had for each other was excellent. Not only that but all of the characters were wonderfully human and presented as such. What really stood out about the characters was the complicated and nuanced relationships between them - done to perfection.

With twists and turns, as well as hints dropped throughout the story, this is one book that had me guessing right until the end. I was drawn in right from the first line (and can we talk about that first line? because I have to say it’s one of the best I’ve encountered in a very long time) and once I was set on figuring out what was going on, there was little else I could think of.

The world-building was subtle but sewn expertly into the plot. Most importantly, it was presented excellently through the eyes of the protagonists. The setting, while limited to only within the city (with a small exception), was brilliantly done. It showcased the multi-layered way in which social populations are structured within a city but also brought to the forefront what happens when the people inside of put into a crisis. In terms of increasing the pace of the book, the setting did that very well, putting even more pressure on an already dire situation.

This is a book that I would recommend to any fan of immersive secondary worlds - it’s well-crafted fantasy at its finest.

Thank you to Tor Books and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.

City of Lies (Poison Wars) felt more of a mystery than fantasy, luckily I’m a huge mystery fan so that worked in my favor. That said, anyone going into this thinking it’s fantasy might be disappointed.

I personally had hoped for more poison, not sure what the says about me. Don’t get me wrong, poison is involved. Every chapter starts with a type of poison, description and how to discover it but outside of the catalyst for the story that’s about it. I was hoping it would be used throughout the story, maybe even from the guy who's the expert with poison but not so much.

The story is told by Jovan and his sister Kalina as they are thrust into a civil war in their city/country. In all honesty I had a lot of trouble getting into the story. It took me until about 30% to really get into it and even I rushed through it. It is not a poorly written book, in fact I feel like the world building and character creation was great, I think it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I will say at times I had a difficult time remembering who’s POV I was in. Jovan and Kalina sounded very similar and that made things tough. Jovan carried the weight of the world on his shoulders but while reading both POV's it felt like both characters did. I

Perhaps it was the digital version I had but the scenes jumped with no warning. From one paragraph to the next we were suddenly in a different day. That confused me more than I care to admit. I wish there was some spacing that would help us pause and move on to the next day.

The main themes of honor, religion, acceptance, tolerance and ignorance were prevalent throughout the story. I think overall it’s an interesting story, I’m not sure where it’s going to go from here but I do hope that the POV’s are worked out a little more.

This is a novel that I was looking forward to. The synopsis immediately attracted me and I was curious to discover this novel by Sam Hawke. Only here … I have not managed to connect to the story. Oh, yet I persisted and I almost read 50% of the novel, but at one point I had to admit that it didn’t work out. It’s been a long time since I DNF abook, it’s not my habit, but I realized the obvious thing. I can not say why it did not work out, but I’m sure it will find its audience!

Roman Emperor Claudius was poisoned by his slave Halotus. The very one whose job it was to taste and deem his food safe. The secret service has been used by many presidents to sample and keep them from harm's way. And some say the current administration goes to McDonald's to avoid poisoning (some irony there).

Sam Hawkes elevates this task to one of esteem and devotion in her outstanding fantasy City of Lies. The novel opens with three quick crises: both the food taster and chancellor die of an unknown toxin, an army has arrived at the walls of the city ready to strike, and the messenger birds have all been killed. Leaderless with a threat of siege, and no way to call for help. This set-up is one of the best I've ever encountered!

Enter the nephew of the proofer (food taster), his sister, and the heir to the chancellorship. All young and inexperienced, but loyal and without political bias other than to take care of the people of Silasta. A duplicitous ruling council filled with guild masters and wealthy family leaders, and a mob of angry, marginalized peasants create a political juggling act that doesn't let up.

The story is told in alternating chapters from the points of view of sibling protectors. Jovan is the new proofer; he's meticulous in his preparation, but this leads to anxiety and compulsions that he'll deal with throughout the story. Kalina was the first proofer apprentice, but a weak constitution made it impossible to continue. She now uses her strengths of secrecy and levelheaded reasoning to help the cause. Together they are bond by familial duty to protect Tain, the new ruler, from forces inside and outside the city walls. Their first task is to answer two burning questions: Who is attacking the city and why? And what and who assassinated the old chancellor and his proofer?

Hawkes excels at all combat writing: city sieges, dark catacomb stealth, hand-to-hand, and council chamber politicking. She mixes the perfect amount of world, city, and interpersonal drama and conflict to keep the reader flipping through the pages. Hawkes's decision to tell the story through the siblings' eyes lets the reader see their different strategies at work. They battle their strengths and weaknesses as the city is surrounded and Tain is unsure of who to trust. 

Honor-down! City of Lies is a book filled with intrigue and violent passion, young idealism and old-world fanaticism, but most of all a loyalty among friends that will keep readers eagerly coming back for more of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan/Tor-Forge, and Sam Hawkes for an advanced copy for review.