i am in love with this book! i was captured from the minute it started. riven and ty’s relationship!!!! i am not so patiently awaiting the sequel

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. i really enjoyed this book, i love the plot, characters, and how the book turned out. because of this, i am giving it 4/5 stars.

I loved the concept of this story, the world building and most of the characters but the plot also fell a little flat and became predictable.

Asa and Riven are great foils to each other but the overall recklessness of Riven made it hard to really want to see any ending other than the one provided.

Hopefully the sequel will answer more questions and also give us more to guess

THIS!! this book!! I loved it so much. I've been wanting more sapphic fantasy, and I was really excited to start this one.
I fell in love with the characters already from the first few chapters, and I just grew to love them more and more. I loved the romance, but I also really loved that the romance wasn't the only focus –– there was plot, and there was action, and there was world building, and I loved all of it. Claire Winn balances it all in an amazing way.
Also, this better be a series, because that ending....

I just finished this and okay okay. this BETTER be a series. Like that ending. ARE YOU KIDDING ME.
Anyways, this book is everything I ever needed.
A fantasy lesbian ya novel. What more could I ask for?
BUTTTTtt this was soooooo good. I liked it so much because the romance and all didn't take away from the action and the plot and also the fantasy aspects of the novel.
Claire Winn did such a good job writing this and piecing it together in a way that makes everything really balanced.
Furthermore, the characters were all so different, yet likable.
If you know me, I really hate annoying characters and also, characters are everything to me in books. The plot could be HORRIBLE, but if I loved the characters, I would still rate the book 5 stars. Luckily for this book, I loved the characters AND the plot (and the writing, setting, etc.)
Sooooo 5/5 stars
HIGHLY recommend ---- you will not be disappointed :p

Claire Winn’s debut novel is a solid one. It is told in two perspectives - Asa Almeida, a heiress who flees her home with her sister’s brain after finding out about that her faster has been manipulating her and her sister all along to Requiem where she meets Riven Hawthorne, resident thief, smuggler, and all around badass who wants to make a name for herself.

This book is about carving your own space in the universe, and refusing to be defined by what others want you to be. It’s about finding out that you are capable of so much more than you think. Its about finding your own family who you would do anything for and finally feeling the comfort of belonging,

It was fast paced and we hit the ground running from the practically the first page. I enjoyed how the world-building was rather seamlessly integrated with the action scenes. Some authors tend to do a lot of info-dumping at the start of a book which can make it quite dry, but Winn managed to strike a lovely balance between world building, action, and character introduction and development.

While the imagery was done pretty well and kind of reminded me of Shinjuku / Tron (y’know, neon lights and all that futuristic stuff), I felt that the character building fell short. For Asa, it was refreshing to see a physically weak character with a sharp mind. Watching her find herself and learn to trust herself was beautiful. Riven wasn’t too interesting to me and I found myself being more invested in Asa’s chapters but I do think both MCs complemented each other well. The side characters - Samir, Ty and Diego - had so much untapped potential and it felt as though they simply existed as plot devices, which seems like a waste as they were such a diverse ragtag crew and it would have been fantastic to see them being more fleshed out and nuanced.

There was also a love triangle (well, more of a love corner) which was not stated on the blurb. I’m not particularly fond of love triangles. I went in with an open mind hoping that this might change my opinion but unfortunately it didn’t and resolution felt overly rushed and unsatisfying.

Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable read. Solid 3.5 stars with lots of potential and if there is indeed a sequel (I believe Winn has mentioned hoping for one), I would certainly be queueing up to read it!

Thank you to Netgalley & North Star Editions/Flux books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 ⭐
This book. This book was a phenomenon! How am I to recover after everything that happened here? Claire created a universe filled with the outburst of technology and it runs the world with a mind of its own.
I went through this book blindless and I confess there were some predictable things. However, those made me love the book even more.
The two protagonists, Riven and Asanna, really got to me and I loved to see their relationship grow. Riven reminded me a lot of Kaz Brekker, with her brilliant mind and being the head of a crew and Asanna, with her genius brain and brainstorming, mechanical skills made me fall in love with this story.
This was just breathtaking and so magnificent to read. I read this entire book so quickly and I can't wait to find out what happens next. I mean, Claire, you need to get this book to more people! Thank you both to NetGalley and Claire Winn for allowing me to read this eArc copy!

I felt like I was put into the middle of the book with no clear explanation of the world building or even the plot in reality. I'm sure this wasn't done intentionally. It was hard to get through not because it was necessarily a "bad book" but it was confusing and not in a purposeful and effective way. It was hard to grasp not because the world building and plot was complicated but simply because it just gave everything to you all at once. I had to double check that I didn't accidentally receive an arc for the sequel to a book I didn't read. There was still a lot of elements I enjoyed and the concept itself was interesting just not in the writing style I really enjoyed.

I really enjoy the basis of this novel, especially The Banshee and the teamwork of the characters involved. The romances felt kind of forced though and that took away from the enjoyment of the novel for me. I don't mind what seems to be the bi nature of the main character, but just the feelings she feels towards two of the other characters feels very forced at times and took away from the plot.

Asanna is the daughter and heiress of Luca Almeida, head of a high-tech empire. When her father goes too far and puts Asa's sister's (Kaya) life in danger, she realizes that he will stop at nothing to gain more power, even if it means hurting and killing innocent people. Asa flees her home after stealing a key piece of her father’s new top-secret project. Now she needs to escape from her father’s bounty hunter, and find a way to get to Earth to meet with the only person able to stop her father’s dark project and save Asa's sister. Things do not go as planned when Asa ends up stranded in Requiem, where a deadly computer virus follows her and threatens the safety of everyone if Asa does not give up what she stole from her father's lab.

Riven is a thief, smuggler, and badass member of a crime syndicate who needs to get a lot of money real fast after failing her last mission or she will be killed by her matriarch. Riven is willing to do almost anything to find herself at the top of Requiem's criminal society. She and her crew might find the perfect occasion to get rich and famous when they get ahold of the infamous Almeida's heir.

My only complaint about the characters is more about the secondary characters. While Asa and Riven are very interesting and dynamic, the secondary characters lack depth and development. They are a part of the story and they are distinct with their own set of skills and personality, but their development was lacking and I didn't get attached to them that much even though they are full of potential. Hopefully, we will see more of them in the next book.

The writing is good and immersing. The descriptions of the setting and the use of futuristic technology are very interesting and well presented. There is no info dump, and the information that we need to know is presented clearly as the book progresses. The description of Requiem is so vivid and colorful, I could picture it and I really loved the ruthless, chaotic, and exotic vibe of this place. The cyberpunk-influenced world-building blew me away and that says a lot because I am picky when it comes to reading sci-fi.

The plot is original and has a certain complexity. It might seem like a simple heist or revenge story at first, but it becomes more complex as the story moves forward. The pace is fast and there is a lot of action, once I got into this book, I had a hard time putting it down. City of Shattered light is full of dangerous conflicts and life or death situations and it is very engaging.

There are a few betrayals in this book, and it kept me on my toes, but I am a little disappointed because the identity of the real “villain” behind the Winterdark project was not a surprise for me. Somehow I had my doubt since the very beginning, so even though it was a nice plot twist, I was expecting it.

Overall, this is a very good and surprising sci-fi story. The writing is smooth, the pace is fast and the plot is engaging and full of twists and action. The main characters are interesting and there is even a touch of romance among all the fighting and scheming and I really enjoyed reading it!

Review shared on Goodreads on May 29

A new and interesting sci-fi with high stakes, all the feels, and found family,
This book was easy to read but the love triangle seemed a bit unnecessary, hence me only giving it 4 stars,

I really enjoyed this book. I easily connected with the main characters, and I enjoyed the plot. The writing style was beautiful and I can't wait to own a copy. I really enjoyed reading an LGBTQ+ Sci-fi book. The author is incredible. This was one of my highest rated books of the month.

"City Of Shattered Lights" follows our two main characters, a smuggler named Riven Hawthorne and a runaway heiress called Asa Almeida, as they join forces to reunite Asa with her sister, all the while trying to figure out a stop the virus that seems hell bent on making things difficult for them.

The most interesting part of this book was its world building. It felt unique and fascinating. The descriptions and action scenes, although perfectly okay, felt far too dragged out and lengthy, to the point of distracting me from the actual scene.

I guess I was really excited after reading the blurb and was expecting more from the characters but sometimes it was difficult to connect with them, especially Asa and sometimes Riven too.

The romance didn't sweep me off my feet but it wasn't that bad, love triangle and all.

Overall it was an okay read.

FUCK.
I was reading the last chapter of this book and I was like "Yeah, I think that's cool, I guess" and then I got to the epilogue and my mind was blown. So, yes, I need to praise this book.
Asanna Almeida is the daughter of Luca Almeida and the heiress to his tech empire. Asa needs to prove that she deserves to participate more in her father's works, to prove she's not just a heiress, but all of that changes when her manipulative dad put Kaya's, her sister, life in danger. Now, Asa will do anything to save her life, even if that means lying to a crew of criminals who are the only ones that can help to save Kaya.
So, Sci-fi is not my first reading choice, but sapphics are and OMG that cover is so beautful, it has to be one of my favorite covers ever. And I was really liking it... Until I realized that there was a love triangle happening. And, I'm sorry, but love triangles are definitely my least favorite trope and I guess that affected my enjoyment of this reading, although it was not a bad reading at all.
I wish the book had a better development of the secondary characters but I also think that's something that can be easily fixed if there's a second book. Sometimes, Asa would annoy me but I could get why she did what she did. I also could feel that some scenes could be smaller because after some time they started feeling kinda boring (?).
To wrap this up, my favorite character is definitely Diego and I have soooooo many questions about him. It was a great debut book and I look forward to reading more of Claire's books and also about Asa and Riven!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange of a honest review.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

One word comes to mind in association with this book: WOW.

This follows the story of Asanna, a very intelligent engineer/mechanist who is gentle and kind, and Riven, a somewhat morally grey gun-slinging outlaw. Asa becomes a runaway fugitive after stealing a very important piece of machinery from her father in order to save her sister's life. She ends up stranded on Requiem, the moon to her planet, and runs into Riven and her crew. They all begin to work together to save Asa's sister, keep Riven's crew out of jail and the hands of organ pirates, and to save Requiem from a nasty AI.

First of all, the characters in this are SO AMAZING. Asa is sweet and a little naïve and sheltered, but is strong and steadfast in her beliefs and willingness to protect those she cares about. Riven is impulsive, head-strong, a little violent, and snarky, and everything she does is to keep her crew safe and happy. The others in Riven's crew are just as complex and amazing and witty, and all of them working together is such a blast. The characters are all unique and add something different to the table, and none of them are one dimensional.

As for the writing, it is really phenomenal. The plot and events flow seamlessly and not once did a scene feel unnecessary or like some kind of filler. The action was NONSTOP and the stakes kept getting higher. It was so easy to understand and follow the story, with no instances of info-dumping or choppy writing/dialogue. The world itself, while complex, was so outstanding and easy to understand once the story got going.

The romance was a sub-plot, which I didn't mind, because amidst the chaos they were dealing with, it wouldn't have made sense for romance to be a big focus of the story. While the main romance is between Asa and Riven (did I mention enemies to lovers!?) there was a sort of little thing between Asa and Ty (one of the crew members) which I felt was unnecessary... it didn't really feel organic and I didn't understand why anything was happening between the two of them. The back and forth between Asa and Riven was delicious, both unsure of trusting the other and scared to start something but unable to deny to pull towards each other.

The ending was a bit abrupt but definitely packed a punch, especially the epilogue. There is a lot more that can happen and be expanded upon and I cannot wait for the next one.

I enjoyed pretty much everything about this book. The plot was well paced and highly engaging. The found family element was so sweet and by the end of the book i was very attached to the characters. I most definitely would recommend this book

I have received an ARC e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This will be a 2 stars read for me, unfortunately.

I’m removing a star because I almost DNFed at the beginning. It was way too quick, no subtleties in the characters and just over the top. Especially the villain.

But because it was an ARC, I decided to give it a longer read and try to finish it to be able to give a more well-rounded review. To be honest if this wasn’t the case, I would have stopped and would not have miss much, as I found the story to be quite average as a whole.

Now, this is not such a bad thing. Lots of books I read are average and still a good time. This one just wasn’t for me.

If you have not read a lot of sci-fi, like adventures in space with bounty hunters and space stories are filled with crews and crime syndicates and all the usual shenanigans...you might enjoy this one.

Personally, it was just a déjà-vu story. I found everything was going too fast. I did not care for the characters, and they had a lot of feelings, going all back and forth and yet too easy. I don’t know.
The main « good guys » were ok (mostly) but man, the villains...over the top predictable...

There is an open-ending but truly you can read this as a stand-alone as a self contained story. I will not read the next installment if there is one.

I really enjoyed City of Shattered Light, a YA sci-fi fantasy with a dash romance. Set in the Alpha Centaur System, with a wonderful cast of characters, this is a rescue mission that you HAVE to be part of. Join our main character as she rushes to save her sister from her father even resorting to working with some of the worst criminal gangs around. I really enjoyed City of Shattered Light and I can't wait to read future works from Winn!

If you're interested in fast-paced, action packed sci-fi that also happens to have a bisexual love triangle then this is the book for you! While it is fast paced, I didn't feel rushed while reading it. Each scene flows into the next effortlessly.
The story follows Asa as she is trying to escape her father, and she inadvertently joins up with an underworld crew led by Riven, who is desperate to make a name for herself in the underworld.
Asa's motivation and conflicts are believable and the entire cast seems fleshed out. Both her and the other female lead, Riven, are strong independent women in their own unique ways. I love the character development each of them has, and that it's a struggle and gradual shift.
I sat down and started this book around 9:30am and finished it the same day. If anything, I wish it had been a little longer. Hopefully with that ending (no spoilers here), there will be a sequel at the very least.
Claire Winn's an author to keep an eye on and I look forward to seeing where she goes.

Thank you to North Star Editions and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book so I could send my honest review ahead of release!

This was urban SFF done brilliantly. Both of the main characters were incredibly engaging and relatable, the world they live in is bright and colorful and complex, and the adventures they go on together are just super fun and exciting to read about.
Most of the story takes place on Reqiuem: a terraformed moon, where the nights last for ages, and the neon-drenched streets are controlled by rouge, criminal organizations. The social hierarchy is fascinating, and our protagonist Riven can't wait to climb the ladder and make a name for herself. After all, that might be all she'll ever leave behind.
Asa, on the other hand, grew up in privilege - and until her sister's life is in danger, she never really questioned the way her father's tech might not be all she made it out to be.

The tension in this book was... something. I don't want to give too much away, but the immanent sense of dread, the feeling of being followed and constantly in danger - it really got to me, and I think it was done brilliantly.
I also really liked our core crew of characters, all of them having this mutual adoration for each other and their skillsets. Definitely very wholesome found family content.

If you're a fan of Sci-Fi, urban fantasy and a good old sapphic enemies to lovers storyline, what are you waiting for? Get on this right now!