Overall, this was a fast-paced, action-filled adventure where you'll be rooting for morally gray characters as in a world filled with crime, everyone has their own reasons for doing what they can to survive.
I really enjoyed the last two-thirds of the book. The fight sequences were thrilling, and twists and turns kept me reading and I just could not put the book down. The story leaves some openings for romance, and I'm very curious to see where it will go in subsequent books.
On the flip side, the first third of the book was slow to start, and even once it really got going, there were info-dumps/character reflections of the past that really slowed it down. There was an attempt at diversity, but we were not given more than the different countries' names. I hope there is a map in the finished books.
I wish we got to know more about the magic system, but as the world has magic as a forbidden aspect of the city, it makes some sense as to why we were just given the bare bones.

Please keep in mind that I read an ARC and there might be changes in the finished book. Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC.

This book grabbed my attention from the first page! The world building is amazing. This is a world I definitely would not want to be a part of. The corruption and the horror. Nope not for me. I felt I was able to see Aina grow from her parents death. The only reason I deducted two points is because I felt some times some parts were left unexplained. I am actually looking forward to the sequel to this.
Thank you Netgalley from giving me an advance readers copy to review it.

Diamond City is a novel that follows Aina as she works as an assassin after the death of her parents. However, a job gone wrong leaves her teaming up with her enemy in order to survive the wrath of her boss.

I really enjoyed the character development in this book. I feel like I was able to see the characters grow and develop as the novel progressed, and I found myself rooting for them. I think the author did a good job on fleshing them out and telling us about their histories throughout the novel, so I was engaged and interested in the characters from start to end.

I think the world building in this book was simply okay. I feel like I had a good understanding of the world from the jump and it was explained clearly, however I think there could’ve been more done with the world and sometimes the author would hit the surface of something interesting, but not really build upon or develop on.

All in all, this was a quick, fast and interesting read that I overall found enjoyable.

This story is fantastic! Great plot that kept me flipping the pages, incredible characters, and full of action.

This story starts off with a prologue that chills you and the story does not let you go. Aina is a kick-ass heroine that grips your heart, and you’ll love the secondary characters just as much.

There are so many awe-worthy moments in this story. Many moments that make you think and feel and appreciate. There are times you don’t know who to trust and what to believe. I love that we get so see the flaws and moments of truth for each of the characters. This story elicits so many emotions.

Francesca Flores built this incredible world filled with grit and despair. Corruptness. Gangs. Betrayals. There’s a lot to absorb, great twists and turns, and is action packed. The writing is so engaging and detailed, I felt like I was a part of the danger and the fight scenes. I wanted to fight alongside these amazing characters and help their cause. And that ending! I’m excited to see what the author will bring us next!

Where to start with this book... overall, I enjoyed it but it seemed like two books shoved into one. I really enjoyed the first 'half' with Aina and Teo and their mission to kill Kouta, but the second 'half' I didn't like as much. I felt like it shoul'd've been a completely different book and the subject matter was almost entirely different.

I received a free copy of DIAMOND CITY by Francesca Flores, through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Aina Solis works as an assassin for a powerful crime boss. Aina’s primary ambition is to earn her freedom and become a powerful crime boss in her own right. Finally, her boss tells her he has one last job for her, and it’s a big one. She has to kill the highly protected heir of the Steel fortune. It’s hard to get to him; all he does is read inside his library. This is the story of Aina’s quest for independence.

I just couldn’t connect with the primary character. Aina’s a sociopath; she has no empathy or value for human life. Though she has brief flashes of attachment or guilt; they’re shallow and completely overruled by her own selfish goals and desires. Aina has no desire for a better life; she’s perfectly content killing for a living; she only wants more power. Please note that, though nothing sexual happens in this book, Aina appears to be bisexual, so the next book may explore her more carnal desires.

<I> I was given an advanced copy by Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. </I>

Aina grew up in a world of those who have and those who have not. At the age of eight she watched her parents be killed for nothing more than practicing their religion; something they were doing in secret to avoid such persecution. A religion based on blood magic. After spending sometime on the street she is taken in by Kohl and taught to be one of his hired assassins. Aina dreams of one day becoming owning her our guild of assassins. To accomplish this dream she has made a deal with Kohl. One last job. Infiltrate the home of one of the cities most wealth citizens and murder him. Aina believed that she accomplished her task but soon realizes that her target is not dead.

I enjoyed Diamond City. Francesca Flores has built an amazing world and developed wonderful characters. I could visualize every moment of the story. Including the moments that involved my biggest fear - extremely large sized spiders! This story has a lot of complex twists and turns. Because it was so overwhelming I found myself having to read then step back to absorb and take in what I read.

My only real issue with the story would be a character flaw of Aina. I believe that this flaw was by design and I also believe there will be redemption by Aina should there be future installments to the story. In her time with Kohl Aina has developed a bit of Stockholm Syndrome. She believes herself to be in love with Kohl even though he often times treats her poorly. After Aina discovered that her target, Kouta, was not dead she works with her target's brother, Ryuu, in an effort to locate where Kouta is hidden. Aina gets to know Ryuu and they form a friendship. Once Kouta is located Aina still follows through in righting her botched assassination. Fortunately for Aina someone else has beaten her to the punch and Kouta is already dead. I love Ryuu's character and the way he made Aina think about herself and what she could become despite where she had been. I felt it was unfortunate that she betrayed that developing friendship.

I look forward to the next installment.

What is this book about?
Diamond City follows Aina, an assassin working for one of the worst crime bosses in Koshima. When presented with an opportunity to break away from the Blood King and start her own establishment, she takes on a high-profile assassination job. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned and she gets caught up in a game of politics, conspiracy, and murder.

What did I like?
This is a case where the book started out so amazingly but slowly lost steam as the story went on. I thought the world-building was clever: a world caught between industrialization and religion. The struggles between the two sides felt very believable and added depth to the story.

I also really loved Aina! It was refreshing to have an assassin that actually commits murders without qualms. Orphaned at a young age, she struggled to overcome poverty and homelessness, and is eventually “saved” by the Blood King, the leader of a ruthless gang. Speaking of the Blood King, Francesca Flores did an excellent job exploring the kind of power and emotional control people like Kohl have over impressionable younger girls such as Aina. Aina transitions from romanticizing him and their relationship to finally opening her eyes to the kind of person he truly is.

What didn’t I like?
Towards the end of the book, the story started to lose a bit of steam. The action really picked up, but the conflicts were resolved quickly and without much fanfare. There were also a few aspects and “plot twists” that felt a little forced and a bit too clean for the kind of story this started out as.

Overall thoughts: I highly enjoyed this debut book from Francesca Flores! The world-building was unique and different from what I was expecting for a novel about a young assassin, and the heroine was truly the heart of this book. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a YA read that had many of the usual YA themes, situations, and character types. A quick read.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. It was a bit too high paced on the action and I felt like the world and characters were not built up enough because of it.

An adventurous tale of an orphan's struggles to find freedom in a world that wants to keep her under its heel. Brimming with danger, action, and of course some mild romance, Flores seamlessly incorporates themes of classism and religious persecution while giving readers a strong heroine whose vulnerability and flaws only serve to further endear her to you. Plenty of twists and turns keep you on your toes as you speed to the end. Looking forward to book two in the series.

Oh my! What a wild ride this book is! I kid you not, from page one this book takes off. Eighteen-year-old Aina grew up in the street of mazelike where she is trained to be an assassin for the Kohl — the Blood King. Tasked to kill Kouta Hirai, a wealthy businessman who holds the monopoly on diamond-mining — this job won’t come easy for her. With the lose of her parents on her mind and other gangs after her Aina does what she must in order to survive. My only issue is the world building, there just wasn’t enough of it.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books and Netgalley for gifting me this darc in exchange for an honest review. Over all I gave this a 3.5 but bumped it up to 4/5 stars.

I could NOT get into this one... It sounded intriguing and was offered to me and I tried, but I just couldn't find myself caring about the characters or following the gangs or feeling compelled at all by the story. I think it just wasn't a good fit...

This book has a very strong Six of Crows vibe. That story wasn't my favorite style of writing and this one was even less so. Unfortunately I don't see myself picking this one up again anytime soon.

Diamond City was absolutely incredibly written and kept me completely caught up in the story. An orphaned girl being turned into a highly skilled assassin, I love it. The main character Aina had an interesting back story that was brought up throughout the book. The author continuously gave hints to how Aina became the Blade she is today. Admittedly, I love books that have a darker side to them. Toss in some ruthless killing and incredible skill and I am all in.

The supporting characters help move the story along at such an amazing pace. At first, I was a little unsure who I wanted to like and who I felt something was off about. In the end, I actually fell in love with each main character because they were so... themselves. You could really tell who was who and the characters truly played into that. The author did a wonderful job shaping them. I only struggled a little bit with one character, just because I was not sure if I could truly justify his feelings and such willingness to forgive.

Now, the world building was incredible. I could easily recall the city layout and I had a very vivid image painted in my mind of the Stacks and Amethyst Hill. With warring gangs, numerous assassins, tons of plot twists, this book had me completely hooked. I easily give Diamond City four stars.

If you like books that keep you guessing, have lots of action, and are overall incredibly well written then this is the book for you.

I liked the sound of the world-building in this novel - it gave me some Ace of Shades vibes (a book I adored!), so I immediately requested it from NetGalley.

If you love action-packed books that move at a brisk pace, Diamond City checks those boxes.  From nearly the first page, the story takes off and rarely slows down - which makes sense given the MC is an assassin.  And she's very good at her job.  Other reviewers have mentioned difficulty in connecting with Aina because of her profession.  Admittedly, she's racked up quite the body count, but she was also orphaned at a young age and lived on the streets.  She could choose to either give up and die or kill others to survive.  Someone from her walk of life doesn't have a long list of choices.  

The world-building is dark and gritty with gangs, rampant religious persecution, and a wide divide between the rich and the poor.  Magic is connected to religion and is outlawed, but there are still those who still practice it and risk their lives.

Initially, I became annoyed with Aina and the way she's attracted to nearly everyone she meets, but the reason becomes obvious to Aina and the reader by the end of the book, and I was glad romance isn't a prominent element of the story.  There are some fascinating, complex dynamics going on between some characters, and I'm anxious to see where this goes in the next book.

Diamond City is a dark, bloody tale and requires suspension of disbelief in a couple of places, but it's a solid debut novel and a series I plan to continue.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced access.

This was an exciting narrative set in a stratified society, where magic is wielded through diamonds, and those in power have banned the trading of diamonds for magical use. Yet the illegal sale of diamonds endures via the blackmarket, and practicers continue to exist and are persecuted.

The main character, Aina, is the orphaned daughter of magical users, who has since become an assassin for the Blood King. After accepting an almost impossible job targeting a well-known member of the upper class, Aina enlists the aid of her friend and fellow assassin Teo. Encountering obstacles and revelations along the way, she bands together with Ryuu, her target's brother, and Raurie, a girl from a magic-using family.

I thought that the plot had a lot to offer, and Aina's growth and self-realization as the novel progressed was a highlight. However, some of the characters felt underdeveloped. Specifically, the Blood King was supposed to be this big, bad, enigmatic lord of crime with a dark backstory, but I found myself still puzzling over him and his relationships to other characters. How did he come to be this powerful? Also, Aina's assassination target was supposed to be this pivotal character in uncovering the major conspiracy. But he did not have a single speaking line, which is not a major issue. However, we did not really get to know him at all. Everything we did know about him was learned indirectly through other characters' thoughts or dialogue. It just felt incomplete somehow.

Overall, I thought that the main character's inner conflict was portrayed skillfully and I appreciated the author's exploration into themes of persecution and self-realization.

I couldn't put this book down. The author sucked me in from the beginning and spit me out at the end. Aina wasn't a likable person. But she was shaped into who she was by the death of her parents and the training of her boss. By the end of the book, the world she used to view in black and white morphed into many shades of grey.

I do have a warning. The world that Diamond City is violent and bloody and the author doesn't hold back. So, if this isn't your thing, I would skip it. Other than that, strap in and enjoy the book.

Diamond City is currently available for pre-order. Its expected publication date is January 28th, 2020.

This epic fantasy with so many things that are similar to our current world knocked me off my feet. I loved everything about this dark and well written book. The world building was excellent and I cannot wait for the next in the series. With that being said, get ready to LOVE a heroine and feel everything that she feels. Aina is a character unlike any other and the way you go on your journey with her will rock your soul.
In a city built by magic that is just yearning to be saved, Aina will be the one. She comes from nothing and has blood magic. Her parents have died and she is just trying to survive in life. As she takes on the job of an assassin she will find those that are like her, whose souls call out to hers. As she plays the games her evil boss wants to play with her, you have to wonder will she survive or will this new gritty reality win over her.

I really liked the cast of characters in Diamond City. I didn't think that the overall theme was particularly unique: female character gets caught up in a gang that's run by a man/boy who is too young to have believably accomplished everything he's reputed to have done. Plus sexual tension between them. It's been done before. However, I still enjoyed this book. The characters were well fleshed and and I found myself rooting for the main character.