Thank you to North Star Editions for providing me an e-Arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a treat! The cyberpunk elements mixed with black mirror vibes made the story such a fun and immersive book.

The writing is beautifully done. The imagery was amazing. My head was full of glowing, electrified descriptions of the surroundings. It was such a fun ride.

In terms of the plot, I have to say that it was well developed and innovative in a way that makes the reader not want to stop reading. We get to explore the consequences of AI and the way it can affect it on a higher level. But we also get to explore the dynamics between the characters that threaten to break a fragile alliance.

Characters:

Ty: A first-year medical student with a distaste for violence. He is a pure sweetheart.

Riven: Gun-slinging smuggler. Riven is such a strong female lead. Ngl, she gave me Aelin vibes from tog. She was fierce and ready to protect her loved ones. A badass, take-no-bullshit kind of girl.

Asa: heiress to a powerful tech empire but naive to the atrocities that happen behind curtains. She was such an interesting character to read and her desire to save her sister was well developed.

Overall, this is a very good and electric sci-fi story. The writing is immersive, the pace is fast and the plot is engaging.

Read this book if you like:
↝Bi love triangle
↝Strong female leads
↝Multi-layered plots
↝Loveable found family

~4.5 Stars~

Writing and Plot: I was BLOWN AWAY by the way this book was written. The world-building was beautifully done and helped me imagine as someone who struggles with imagery. The plot was also well constructed. All the twists left me shook and on my toes for more.

Characters:
Asa: I absolutely love Asa!! She was your “I get looked down on because of my look and reputation but I’m actually a badass mechanic who’s head-strong” and I lived for it. Her character growth was so satisfying to see.

Riven: Riven is the “badass with a gun and impulsive choices who’s dealing with illness” She made questionable decisions but that simply made her more real and a vulnerable character. I loved how she held herself and others.

Diego, Ty, and Samir: I wished they had a bit more development but the side characters really added to the story. The little banters and communication really created a fabulous found family.

Romance:
I enjoyed the love triangle a lot for someone who usually hate them. It made sense and was not cliche like other typical YA books. I would’ve been happy if it went either way, but the ending choice was perfect.

Thank you Netgalley and North Star Editions/Flux books for the arc in exchange for an honest review

5/5
sapphic heist story what more could i want?
city of shattered light was amazing overall, with interesting characters that feel incredibly real, a fast paced story and captivating writing.
while the beginning was a bit slow in my opinion, the rest made more than up for it. the action scenes were insanely well written and made me feel as if i was right there with the characters who you really grow to live during the course of the novel.
no words stunning

What a remarkable read!
Our main character Asanna is heiress to a tech empire and our other main character, Riven is a badass smuggler with her own crew and ship. I mean just that was enough for me to crave this book. The story starts as Asanna and Riven (+her crew) get together to fight a virus that is destroying their city, Asanna wanting to save her sister and Riven to get revenge while both want to save their city.
The world setting and building was outstanding, the tech, the ships, the AI and robots. I really enjoyed reading that but also the character dynamic was 10/10 and even though I would've a enjoyed a little more banter I still really enjoyed the connections between the characters and all the couples.
The ending was spectacular, just that cliffhanger had me. This book is releasing in October itself and I've already started waiting for the next one. Someone please help jsjsjs.
Also the writing was so we'll done, it sets such an amazing tone and is just really refreshing overall. An amazing futuristic sci-fi with badass characters and also an absolutely gorgeous cover, I would recommend it to everyone wanting an awesome story.

It is hard to put into words how little I cared about reading City of Shattered Light. I don’t know what it was, whether it was my mood, or something about the book itself, but I just didn’t care about the characters, or the plot, or anything at all. None of it interested me.

So, really, this review is probably not a good yardstick for working out if you want to read this book. It’s a perfectly decent book, I’m sure. It just came up against me as its reader.

But let me try to put into some words at least why I felt like this. If I can.

First and foremost, I think my problem was that there was a lot going on that had very little basis to it. For example, if you’re going to push a relationship on me, I have to see both characters wanting it, or if you’re going to have me believe one character sacrifices themselves for the sake of another (and thus clears the way for that side of the love triangle!), you have to have established that character’s personality and overarching motivations and reasons you might expect them to do that. As it was, I read that scene and was… taken aback to say the least.

And I think the same was true of the worldbuilding, because it felt very much like a lot of vibes and not much basis. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, I know, and the plot didn’t rely too heavily on worldbuilding which wasn’t there, but it did, at times, feel lacking in that respect. It wasn’t a lot, so I think this one I can chalk up more to mood or tastes in general: I just want my science fiction to have a bit more depth to its world than this did. Mostly because I find that filling out the world contributes to the characters also feeling more rounded.

And then there’s the fact that the development of the f/f relationship, which I’m supposed to be rooting for, is part of a very lopsided love triangle. In the sense that the m/f relationship gets all the development, and the f/f basically none. Which wouldn’t be such a problem (it’s not a standalone after all), but for the fact that this is where the aforementioned sacrifice happens. Ty who has, not two chapters before, been kissing Asa, sacrifices himself, for no reason, and tells Asa and Riven that they “deserve each other” and to “look after one another”.

So, I come full circle into the most annoying part of this book: the lack of established motivations. There’s absolutely no emotional payoff for this scene, because there’s absolutely no set up to it. I don’t want to keep harping on about it (but I can tell I’m going to), but it makes no sense to have your final emotional beat be something you haven’t even set up for. You want this to be a big angsty ending, but I just don’t feel a thing. (Although, admittedly, here it may have helped if I’d cared about the characters in the first place…)

But in the end, what I’m left with, is yet another YA SFF novel that has let me down.

Excellent debut in a sci-fi setting with strong main characters and an interesting plot. Good lgbtq+ representation, nice action and world building. I thoroughly enjoyed the story about Asa, a tech entrepeneurs daughter and heir, and Riven with her ragtag crew consisting of Ty and Samir who cross paths and seeing as they have a similar goal they team up for a while. When trust becomes an issue both girls have tough decisions to make while everyone's life hangs in the balance as they are being chased by a dangerous lifeform.

My biggest critiques would probably be that a) the wlw romance felt a little rushed— not on-page but in the characters’ minds— and b) there was a definite overuse of em-dadhes. Which is a really weird thing to notice, but they were used so often that it actually stood out to me. Which. Uh. Says something. Mostly, I think that Winn’s novel is good, but simply could be better. Hopefully the editing process will clear some of that up, and by the time the novel is in hardcover, it’ll be purely enjoyable!

Thank you NetGalley, North Star Editions and Claire Winn for allowing me to read this eARC!
I've been living Sci-Fi and been wanting to read more of the genre and thank God this appeared in my life! Love the worldbuilding, the very different and very unique characters, the enemies/threats were also a really great addiction!
These last few chapters had me on edge of nervousness and THAT EPILOGUE.... Oh damn, this better have a sequel!
A 4.5 stars for me!!!

Thank you North Star Editions and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

The world building made me intrigued by this story; I liked the storyline very much. The writing style was another thing I liked. Besides that it was a fast paced adventure that was interesting. The main character however felt flat for me and couldn’t hold my attention much which made me decide to give it 3*

Wow. This book was amazing!

I love a good YA sci fi and this one truly did not disappoint. This book has everything you can want in a ya sci fi: great characters, great plot, and great diversity!
I loved seeing the love triangle. One of my favorite aspects of the book.
I really hope we get a sequel and soon!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Flux for the eARC.

first things first: if this doesn't get a sequel I will eat a broom [shakes fist at publisher] because what is not to love about this book? Look at the cover, look at the summary - this checks so many of my boxes.

Tech prodigy and heiress Asa runs away from her manipulative father to save her sister (loving sibling relationships ✅). During her escape, she stumbles upon Raven and her crew of friendly thieves (morally grey characters ✅) who take her in, maybe not for quite the right reasons. This brings her in the awkward predicament to rethink everything her life used to be (great character growth ✅) and a bit of a love triangle (chaotic bisexual sapphics ✅). On the run from her father, a ruthless bounty hunter and a disturbingly smart tech virus, she might just find everything she never knew she wanted (found family ✅) . Bonus points: all this plays out in the distant future in a whole different galaxy where humanity has moved on from Earth to some degree. If any of this didn't tick your boxes yet, may I present a cyberpunk matriarchal colony on a moon?

I was a bit wary if my expectations weren't too high going in. Well, they weren't high enough it seems! There's hardly anything I didn't like about this book at this point which is why I'm chewing my nails hoping this turns into a series or at least a duology.

You have compelling main and side characters with their own motives and desires, an interesting world (that wasn't too complicated with all this high-tech even for someone with little interest and knowledge in these things, like me), and a plot that is far from over and just about to truly kick-off. Winn does such a great job of grabbing you and pulling you in, immersing you in the bright lights and smoke and danger of Requiem fully. And yet there is so much I still want to see: of Riven and her crew, of Diego and Samir's backstory and hey how is their dog doing btw?, of Asa and Kaya, of [redacted] and [redacted] and [redacted] because well, spoilers. You get the idea though.

The only true downside I've had with this is the love triangle. Which... I get it... bisexuals. And I know the author is also bi so I'm not mad about it. Just personally tired of bi characters being torn between two love interests of different genders. (That being said though both pairings were God Tier so I'm mostly okay with this in the end).

Trigger warnings for: emotional and physical abuse by a parent and ex, terminal illness, sexual assault, generally much violence and gore, death (on page and mentioned), and pretty much everything you could think of on a lawless planet.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flux for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As heiress to a powerful tech empire, Asa Almeida strives to prove she's more than her manipulative father's shadow. But when he uploads her rebellious sister’s mind to an experimental brain, Asa will do anything to save her sister from reprogramming—including fleeing her predetermined future with her sister’s digitized mind in tow. With a bounty on her head and a rogue A.I. hunting her, Asa’s getaway ship crash-lands in the worst possible place: the neon-drenched outlaw paradise, Requiem.

Sapphics, criminals and found family! What more do I need ? This book was amazing. It was so fun and engaging, I really look forward to reading the sequel, there has to be one after that cliffhanger ending.
The writing was very immersive and refreshing. The descriptions of the setting and the different technological devices were really interesting.

This book was really easy to get into, with loveable characters and witty dialogue. The queer found family was definitely the highlight of the book. There was a love triangle which I usually can't stand but I didn't mind this one that much. The secondary characters had potential but they lacked depth and development.

Overall, this was very good. It's fast paced and the plot is full of twists. The main characters are endearing and there's a romance sub plot among all the fighting. If you love sci-fi, found family, heists and gangs then you should read this.

This was such an amazing read. I thought it handled several hard discussions in a beautiful way and the relationships and friendships in this were so heartwarming. The say that this book had in how allies can often get things wrong when trying to support was so important and I thought it was handled nicely. This book was also very beautiful artistically, I really loved the art style and the colors that were used to support different scenes. Overall 5 out of 5 stars!

City of Shattered Light (ARC) Review

I absolutely loved this YA sci-fi debut novel and was hooked from the start. The story follows two girls; Asa, an heiress to a major tech company (she’s practically a princess) and Riven who is a member of the grimy underworld of Requiem aiming to claw her way up the matriarchal hierarchy that rules the city, as one needs to save their sister and the other wants to save their city whilst fighting against a monstrous AI. Whilst both Asa and Riven come from very different backgrounds and are very different/unique characters, both are extremely badass MC’s and I loved reading both of their POV’s through out the book.

The story was filled with action, heists, and escapes which were very well written and I loved seeing how everything unfolded. The pacing of the book felt perfect to me and never felt like there was to much or to little going on which meant I was constantly engaged with the storyline. It also features a bunch of queer rep with both Asa and Riven being bi/pan, as well as queer side characters and casual non-binary rep. Plus, it includes the found family trope which is one of my favourites! Go add this your TBR right, I can’t wait for this to be released and have already preordered my copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Flux Publishing for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Synopsis- An heiress runs away from her father to try to save her sister. She meets up with a gang of outlaws and has to convince them to help her make it to Earth to save her sister. LGBTQ ✅ Enemies to lovers✅Sci-fi ✅Action packed ✅

Review: I received a copy of this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had issues with the format of this book. This is mostly just my personal preference though. I love books with multiple points of views but it has to be a done a certain way in order for me to enjoy it. That being that the point of view changes need to be very clear (I.e- chapter changes/ name headings). This was not the case with this copy. Point of view was changed in between chapters. Which is hard for me because a lot of times I only read one chapter before I have to put the book down and then I don’t know who’s viewpoint I’m starting with when I pick it up. The action in this book was incredible. The plot was very complex to the point that I was confused in the middle parts sometimes. For awhile I felt like I was forcing myself to read it and not enjoying it though. I loved the last 20% of this book though. This book had great LGBTQ+ rep. I’m very intrigued on if there will be more given that the book ends on a cliff hanger. Definitely pick this up if you want to read an LGBTQ+ action packed Sci fi novel. This book releases October 19th 2021

~ Thank you to NetGalley and North Stars Edition/Flux for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. ~
This story had me stay up late refusing to put the book down. The synopsis promises a heist, but it gives us so much more. The plot was moving fast, twists and turns were made and I was so here for the ride.
The general plot is very YA, but the execution was done in such a unique way. However, I am not a fan of love corners (which did not bother me as much in of itself, since the romance was not the centre of the story), but (minor spoiler) I absolutely hate it when that love corner is resolved with one party having to sacrifice themselves. Add this to the underdevelopment of the side characters and you get my reasoning behind the four-star rating.
Overall, if you love Sci-Fi, heists that go wrong and require on-the-spot plans that you do not know if they will work out, found family, and to die for cover (because, again, just look at it and admire it) this book is for you.

First of all, a big Thank You to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC! I read the description and was immediately taken in by the story; on top of this gorgeous cover, it was hard to resist!

City of Shattered Light is a Science Fiction adventure that takes place on a distant moon. Asa is the heiress to a big tech company and dedicated to becoming the kind of person her father wants her to be. When his experiments on her sister go too far, however, Asa is forced to flee and she ends up in Requiem, a city controlled by criminals. There, she meets Riven - a bounty hunter whose only goal it is to protect her crew. Both of the protagonists have conflicting motivations and goals, but the only chance to survive lies in their cooperation. Not only are other bounty hunters after Asa, she was also followed by a terrifyingly intelligent virus that threatens to destroy the entire city.

I really liked the setting from the get-go. Requiem is atmospheric and such a cool backdrop for the story. In extension, the characters are also relatable and likable despite their flaws. It didn't really stand out to me most of the time, but after some reflection the side characters felt a little flat. That is really only an issue at one specific part towards the end where I just didn't feel the emotions I was supposed to feel. But that might have been on me for not getting invested enough. In contrast, I absolutely adore the way Asa and Riven are written - despite her painful naiveté, Asa is smart and quick on the uptake. She struggles with the guilt of realizing just how harmful her father's - and her - technologies are and the uncertainty of leaving behind everything she has ever known. Riven, on the other hand, is obsessed with creating a legacy and ensuring the future of her crew while also being full of vengeance and grief. Those dynamics are utterly fascinating to me.

The rest of the book is fantastic. I really appreciate the fast pacing and the numerous heists that propel the action forward. The found family dynamic between the characters is really enjoyable, too! Not all the fights are described in full detail in order to keep the plot moving, which works very well in this action-packed story. There is one subplot with a romance - a love triangle, no less - but it doesn't take too much time and, thankfully, doesn't create unnecessary drama. I do have to say that this is the first time I read about a love triangle where I found it odd that no one is really stressing about it at all. Which is nice! And it gets another plus for being queer.

In conclusion, I recommend this book to anyone who likes fast-paced action, sci-fi-aesthetics and super cool protagonists. It combines the snappy feel of a YA novel with dark themes (do check out the content warnings online) and characters that feel pretty grown up. I really enjoyed reading this adventure and I am hoping that one day it will get a sequel!

Cyberpunk, sapphic, diverse, good-hearted criminals and found family. What more do I need? This book was amazing. I’m so impressed and believe me when I say I was shocked by the end of this. What a twist. If the synopsis didn’t sell you on this, just take a look at the cover. It’s so gorgeous (okay, I may or may not be obsessed . . . )

"That left Riven, outnumbered.

But she’d never be outgunned."

Riven is exactly the type of character I needed to read about. She’s a gun-slinging, badass, take-no-crap kind of girl. I absolutely loved reading about her, and although she could be a little cold at times, she’s fiercely loyal and could actually be really nice.She’s the type of character that rarely shows her feelings and I was basically begging her to open up to people throughout this book. She can definitely be reckless, but she has good motivations and just wants to protect her family (which was so sweet, the whole found family element in this book was just amazing and so wholesome.) Overall, I found her personality to be pretty unique and I enjoyed reading about her, especially when she showed her love and care for her friends.

Her relationship with Samir and Ty was the sweetest thing ever (I don’t care what people say, I’m calling them siblings). Samir being her protective older brother and Ty being her younger one that she just has to protect. And the slow way she became friends with Asa was perfectly done, and true to both of their personalities.

Also, the fact that she’s apart of a crime syndicate is so cool.

"Right now, she was a part of one of the galaxy’s biggest crime syndicates–a thief, a runaway, a liar. She was a nobody.

And she fit right in."

Asa was my type of girl. She’s smart, she has a kickass brain, and you gotta love her. She goes through so much character development and I really enjoyed watching it. I probably enjoyed her perspective more than Riven’s, just because it seemed a bit more interesting. She goes from a shy, naive girl who just wants to meet her father’s high expectations to someone who knows that they are enough (I love the messages the author is sending with this book, they’re all so relatable and positive).

Something I didn’t like, though, was the lack of complexity for the side characters. I always want likable and interesting side characters so I was disappointed in that aspect of the book. Ty, Samir and Diego were likable and sweet but the author barely went into their personalities and motivations which I didn’t like. The book would have improved a lot if she went into more depth.

I loved the romance, despite the love triangle between Asa, Riven and Ty. I really liked how it was a minor thing throughout the story and the only time it’s prominent is the end. There was so much tension and I was there for it. To be honest, though, I felt like Asa and Ty had more chemistry than Asa and Riven, which sounds kind of weird.

"You might think you’re too good for Requiem, but you’d better damn respect it. It’ll devour you otherwise."

The world-building was incredible. The author took cyberpunk and put an incredible, unique spin on it. I’ve never described worldbuilding as vibrant, but that’s what I think about when I think of this book. Claire Winn created a gorgeous world of Requiem, a lively, colorful, and ruthless planet filled with criminals, Cortellion, a prim, upper-class world with the best technology in the galaxy, and regular ol’ Earth.The way these places were described, the changes in mood when traveling to different planets, were all amazing. The descriptions were amazing, I could clearly imagine everything in my mind.

The writing was gorgeous. It wasn’t flowery at all, just vividly descriptive and I loved it. The dialogue were perfect and simple. Also, I loved the humor.

"When all the world has burnt, even the ashes feel like home."

This plot never stops. It’s filled with twists and turns and betrayals that will break your heart. There are so many details wedged into each sentence and you never know what’s important. There are so many things happening at any given time. This book fills you with excitement and sadness and literally everything. The ending is heartbreaking and yay, it’s a cliffhanger because authors hate us.

Unfortunately, it was pretty easy to guess who the real antagonist was. I wish I had been kept on my toes throughout the mystery, but it was obvious who it was (or maybe that’s just me since I watch a lot of mystery).

Is it weird that I need the 2nd book to come out when the first hasn’t even come out yet? Overall, City of Shattered Light was an electrifying cyber-punk debut novel by the talented author Claire Winn. I’m excited to read the sequel.

"The city of shattered light. The place Kaya had wanted to start her life over. Despite the rumors, Asa couldn't deny it was beautiful."

This is an electrifying cyberpunk debut novel that is all bark & all bite.

Winn's world-building is out of this world, literally. The setting for this book spans 3 different planets; Requiem : a neon, vibrant, full-of-life planet overrun by crime syndicates, Cortellion : a crisp, elite planet overflowing with the most sophisticated technology across the galaxy & plain old Earth. The VARIETY of setting in this book is phenomenal. There are scenes that take place in hangars, run-down streets, spherical arenas, bass-booming nightclubs, palaces, spaceships, shiny cold labs...I could go on & on. The creativity from the locations alone blows my mind.

I loved how 3D & distinct the characters were. Riven was an angry whirlwind, a turbulence. Her intensity jumped out at me through the pages. I loved how her background gave her much depth & complexity because it helped readers understand why she was the way she was. Asa had a quiet kind of determination, which made her a little more relatable to me. She wasn't anything like Riven & yet she was her mirror in terms of her determination & her unrelenting love for her sister..

This book is the definition of 'the plot thickens'. A truly creative & riveting plot-line built upon the most unique premise. It was an absolute page-turner. The action just never stopped. There was no drag at all, no unnecessary section. It was mission after mission. Action-packed has never been more of an understatement.

This book would be a A+ blockbuster Marvel movie.

This book was one of the best I've read this year, so I'm not going to stop talking about it, and I'm going to make it my personality for the next month.

City of Shattered Light took the Sci-To genre to a whole new level. The characters were so well written, they came alive off the pages. The novel was full of witty banter and unexpected plot twists. The story was so addictive I could've read it in one sitting.

Asa is the heir to her fathers tech company, a title she holds proudly. When her sister Kaya is caught in the middle of an experiment, Asa will do whatever it takes to get her back. Even become a fugitive.

Riven is a smuggler. A gunslinging one, to be exact. With her crew, and her ship, she has all she needs. But when her path crosses Asa, and the two realize they might need to work together, the rest of the universe needs to watch out.

Claire Winn has an amazingly unique way of writing, and each of her characters have a distinct voice. The diversity in the pages is something that not many YA Sci-Fi novels have. The subtle queer relationships are amazingly written, and I wish more people wrote them. Asa is a new bisexual character that I can look up to.

Winn is definitely an author to look out for, and I cannot wait until I can hold this book in my hands. This book will always hold a special place in my heart, knowing I was able to read this in advance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flux for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A bit underwhelmed by this sci-fi story which I'd read good things about (and seen the amazing ratings). I guess it just wasn't my thing, but I couldn't get into the story, mainly because I just didn't click with the two main characters, Asa and Riven. One is supposed to be a genius but always walks head first into traps, and the other is toeing the line between confident and too arrogant...and often crossing it. These characters felt very two-dimensional, and I didn't feel any chemistry between them, which I was disappointed about because I really thought this was going to be an addictive enemies-to-lovers type thing. Instead they just kept going back and forth between "I like her" and "oh no actually I hate her" with barely any material for these changes. Moreover, it might just be me, but I found too many inconsistencies and plot holes in the story. The "plot-twists" were all pretty easily predictable as well for me (which is saying a lot, as I often miss all the clues and hints).

I did however enjoy the secondary characters (like Ty, Samir, Diego, or even Kaya) and I wish they had been more developped. As it was, it felt like they were mostly added for plot convenience, even though each of their stories and personalities had great potential.

I did read it all the way through though, because I liked the ambiance and setting and it read pretty easily overall.