Luke Arnold, actor (Black Sails) and new fantasy writer, stops by to talk about his debut novel, The Last Smile in Sunder City.

The story centers on Fetch Phillips, a broken human trying to help lost and broken magical creatures trying to survive in a world where the source of magic has been destroyed. How do you put a society back together when the currency that made everything run is gone?

It’s a fast, gritty read, Luke narrates the audiobook version, and there are definitely more stories to come!

https://www.writersafterdark.com/writers-after-dark-49/

I love this story! What a great beginning to this series! The premise that magic has just disappeared feom this world caught my attention immediately. Can't wait for more.

An interesting start to a new series. Good characters, plot, and writing. Intriguing and engaging enough to bring me back for book two.

An enjoyable romp of an adventure. Arnold's Last Smile is a charming beginning to a new fantasy series.

I did not finish this, I dnfed it at 22% I lost interest in this book. I couldn’t vibe with the writing style.

I wasn't sure what to expect going on but this story hooked me from page one and I can't wait to pick up the sequel and continue the journey!

The premise of this (a world where magic has recently disappeared) was so promising, but I had mixed feelings about its execution. I didn’t dislike the main character, but I had the feeling that I’d come across PI-type characters just like him many times before. Still, I’ll probably read the next book in the series eventually because I am curious to see where the world building goes.

I've been reading this off and on since the end of February. Not sure why it's taken me so long to finish it. I did enjoy it when I read it. Good character and good story. An okay pace. It was slow at times and dragged a little for me, but it wasn't too awful. Overall it was enjoyable.

Ultimately I am disappointed by this, relatively, hyped new series. I was looking forward to an ‘urban’ setting in a fantasy world with a gritty, bitter leading male whom took down the bad guys for the greater good. This was really not what we receive in The Last Smile in Sunder City; instead it's a testosterone fuelled mess that just lacks true emotion.

Setting, History & Magic
It feels like Luke Arnold had a clear intent with his new debut series: create a grim dark fantasy world, add in a complex magical history (that our leading man had a major role in affecting), plus a large disparity between races/species; all which culminates into a beautifully put together setting. This complex world and history is easily the best part of Arnold’s opening book in the Fetch Phillips Archives. I love the intertwined magical abilities that each species has (or had) at any given point; and how it affected the stereotype of each group of characters. From wealth, typical job, community lived in, etc. Arnold gives us a messy society that mirrors our own in so many ways. From unfair disparities to societal expectations to rules/laws, etc.
If the actual plot itself had been better and our leading man Fetch Phillips had more personality and intrigue then I believe this would have been a brilliant opening book to a series.

Leading Man, Fetch Phillips
Unfortunately our leading man Fetch misses the mark. He feels close in the beginning. But put him up next to say, Geralt of Riviera and suddenly he feels like a poor archetype of a macho man who messed up badly and is attempting, fairly badly, to ‘redeem’ himself. I know we are supposed to have sympathy for Fetch and feel like everyone else screwed him over and set him up; but to me I feel like if he was as “clever” as Arnold seems to want him to be, then he would never have made the mistakes of the past that dominate his current situation. There is a careful balance that needs to happen between young and reckless versus plain stupidity that doesn’t match up, even considering his experience over the years, with the man we know in the current timeline.

Supporting Roles & Masculinity
As with most fantasy stories, the characters around our lead(s) are super important. This is another place where Arnold almost makes it but then ultimately misses. It’s a bit frustrating as Arnold is an actor himself (in Black Sails) and should know how important every voice and person are in a story. Given he has played many minor characters I would have expected him to know that each of them needs to feel genuine and have a rapport with the leading man.
It becomes particularly relevant just past halfway that there are only ‘macho’ male characters in this book. It’s a typical pre-1990’s issue in fantasy; but I’m super disappointed to see it happening in 2020. There is no reason why some strong female characters or at least a few LGBTQ+ ones couldn’t have been put in some of the placements where we encounter more ‘manly men’. And while many of them are enemies I still don’t see why the testosterone level has to be so high on almost every character.

Silly Language
I’lll confess I have a pet peeve against ridiculous metaphors, similes, and absurd language. There are so many in The Last Smile of Sunder City that I could write pages of them for you. But here is the one that annoyed me the most:
”The last thing I remember was the sound of the landing, like someone stepping on an egg full of snails.”
Let’s just break this sentence down for a minute…
1) Snails are not born with hard shells, they are soft and so there is no sound of a breaking snail baby (it’s too squishy),
2) Like snake eggs the shells of snails are gelatinous or very soft; they don’t have the crisp break of a chicken egg like we are used to, and
3) why on earth would you use a comparison that no one has probably ever heard (even if the shells were hard)? I just don’t get it and it drives me crazy.
I literally put the book down upon reading this line just to post on Goodreads about how ridiculous it is. Anything that takes me out of a book so abruptly is a fail.

Overall
I really did want to love this book. I had high hopes for a new grim dark, gritty series with a sarcastic leading detective that would be a good break between intense historical or in-depth fantasy stories for me. This is Arnold’s debut novel and it is possible that this series will improve. I will likely wait for further reviews of book 2 (just recently released) or further releases in the series to see if other reviewers feel the story and writing improves. However at this time I have to say that if you are desperate for a detective story that is different in a complex world you might like this one. But if you are just fulfilling books on a TBR that were/are hyped or new; The Last Smile of Sunder City could be passed over for now. If you want a super witty, sarcastic, and disillusioned character I have to (continue to) promote Murderbot as the best choice in the last few years or pick-up any Jim Butcher series for some fun.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

A really imaginative it and fantasy and a solid debut. If you’re a fan of noir With grumpy cynical detetctives, you’ll like this. Not sure I’m interested enough to continue the series, but it held my attention while reading it and was a unique, dark and twisty tale.

I’m not sure what I expected when I requested a copy of this book for review. I’m not a fan of the self hating down on his luck private detective male savior main character and that is probably why I’ve been setting on this review copy for about a year. This book is not to my taste but the idea of a magical world that has lost its magic was very well done.

If you like Fantasy detectives like the Dresden Files then you might enjoy this.

Imagine the world went to hell in a handbasket, and you knew whose fault it was. Like, you could name them.
Now imagine that person told their story, and you have Last Smile in Sunder City.
Original magic system (or lack of), characters I can believe, enough darkness to be believable but ends in hope for a slightly-less-shitty future, I really liked this book.
I couldn't love it though. It has a noir detective feel, but tries too hard. The one-liners start out great, but towards the end seem forced.
The characters carried this book for me. They sin, have faults, try their best but sometimes just aren't good enough. You know, like real people.
Looking forward to the sequel.
**I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book screamed noir detective story with fantastical creatures from the very first chapter. The world was gritty and immersive, and the characters were amazing.

The underlying premise of this book is that 6 years ago humans tried to harness magic but instead they destroyed it. Since then all of the magical creatures lost their powers and have had to struggle for existence. That poses a problem in urban fantasy, since the author has removed all of the fantasy from the present. The formerly magical creatures (including elf, dwarf, werewolf, vampire, ogre, gnome, goblin, satyr and siren) just look weird and are helpless in the presence of human greed and indifference. All of the magic is in the backstory of the PI, Fetch Phillips. The book is written in cliché-ridden noir fashion. If you have read any urban fantasy you have already met Fetch. Here, he is tasked with finding a missing vampire, but that search gets lost in the general busyness and world building of this book.

The writing is fairly pedestrian. “I swung my left arm out at him; I never was much good with it. I telegraphed it so bad that he had heard rumors of it three weeks earlier.” I made it through 50% of this book and started to skim. This is the author’s first book, and there is enough there to make me consider reading him again. I assume that this book is intended to be the start of a series. The author narrated his own audiobook and he did a good job, probably because he is an actor.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I wasn't able to read the book but it will be featured in a series called "I Wish I'd Read That." Text below:

The concept of The Last Smile in Sunder City is brilliant. I love the idea of mixing a good PI mystery with a fantasy world that’s filled with any number of magical beings. I’m always interested in a good creature feature, and I was excited to discover how Arnold incorporates those creatures alongside what I imagine to be a modern city. The description is simple but super compelling, and I’d love to hear what everyone thought of the book! Read more about the author and book below, or purchase a copy for yourself. And of course, a big thank you to Orbit for the free review copy!

DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy! I decided to not keep reading this one, it was not for me. Thanks!

I have bought this book for three people since The Last Smile In Sunder City's release date.

What could be more enjoyable than a reluctant Raymond Chandler main character looking for a dying vampire in a world with hard and fast choices? Hard-boiled detective novels have been a guilty pleasure of mine and so have intricate fantasy novels so when I heard and read Luke Arnold's book (on a plane) I spent the entire trip engrossed in that ebook.

The writing style was everything it promised. Gritty and harsh and so lovely at the same time. The main character is instantly likeable in a reluctant hero sort of way. Drinks too much. Doesn't ask many questions and flirts with librarians. Then we add the detective plot and a city marked by rich people and fantastical creatures and the want/need for magic in a place where it doesn't exist anymore. Oh, and humans are the bad guys. Another guilty pleasure storyline.

This book really makes you want to sit at a dimly lit bar, sipping a two-fingered scotch to watch that one guy who enters the bar and doesn't order anything. I want everyone I know to read this book. It's so beyond cool. It's watching a black and white film dipped in magic.

Thank you Netgalley & Orbit Books for this advanced sampler!

Sadly, this book was not for me. After trying a couple of books following a detective, I don't think those stories are for me. I was hoping that the world and the fantasy aspect in this one would be enough to make me interested and make me enjoy it but unfortunately, it wasn't the case.

I think if I had DNF'ed it instead of finishing it, the result would have been the same. I didn't connect with the writing and I didn't care about the mystery and my mind wanted to do pretty much anything else but focus on the words. I also had a hard time picturing this world where humans and monsters exist.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an arc via Netgalley)

Content warnings: Violence, drug use, fantasy gore, arson

I saw that Long John Silver from Black Sails had written a fantasy novel, and I was immediately interested. In this fantasy noir, Fetch Phillips is a human detective who doesn't work for humans, investigating disappearances around town.

This city felt so alive. There is a deep sense of history and a contemporary culture. It manifests most obviously in the presence of a private school which teaches both magical and human students, and the various types of bars and tea shops. It feels modern in a way I don't see too often, especially given the presence of cars and other non-magical technology. I found it interesting that perspective of the city came from a feeling of recent-history, not so much ongoing conflict. There is healing, there is trauma, and Arnold doesn't flinch from any of it.

Fetch is also a compelling narrator. A depressed PI consumed by his regrets, he has insights into the city that ring true given its history. There's a very self-inflicted kind of bitterness, and that kind of introspection lent the voice an authenticity. He doesn't seem to feel that the world did him any wrong, but his view of things isn't at all optimistic. Fetch, however, is also a bit of a disaster. He's so nervous about repeating the mindset that set off his mistakes, at the expense of his own better judgment and safety.

The plot, however, is a bit slow, with not many action pieces until the very end. It meanders through the different worldbuilding pieces which help us get to know Fetch and Sunder, plus the things that ail both of them. It's windy, but the bitter, darkly humorous voice helps bring it to life.

A fantasy noir about a city with as many regrets as our main characters, drenched in the aftermath of conflict.