Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced copy of this audiobook.

This was fun, but extremely run-of-the-mill and formulaic. You probably won't have a bad time, but it's also not particularly captivating.

I was intrigued by the concept of Savage City and excited to dive into the story. However, as I made my way through the audio book, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Despite the promising premise, I struggled to connect with the characters and stay engaged with the plot.

One of the major issues I had with the book was the lack of emotional connection I felt with the characters. I found it difficult to care about their journeys or become invested in their struggles. Without that crucial connection, the story fell flat for me.

Additionally, while the concept was interesting, the execution left something to be desired. The pacing was slow, and the writing style didn't particularly resonate with me. As a result, I found myself struggling to stay focused and ultimately lost interest in the story.

Overall, while I appreciate the effort that went into creating Savage City, and I'd like to note that everyone's reading experience is unique. Just because I didn't enjoy the book doesn't mean that others won't find it to be a compelling and entertaining read.

2.5 stars. An interesting premise. A good start to a new world. The main character suffered emotional abuse and neglect as a child so she was timid throughout the book, which made it hard to want her to win. It's not that I didn't like her it was just that she was kind of bland. She had been raised to fade into the background and because that there was nothing interesting about her to me. The male lead falling for her didn't really make sense. Yes unlike her counterpart she was nice, but that wasn't enough for a guy to risk a fate worse than death for. Especially when there were plenty of other nice girls around. The two most interesting characters to me were the King and Shad. It seems like the next book will be Shad's story so I would be interested in continuing with this series.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator who read as Talia was good. But the narrator who read as Ryan was not the best. He stumbled a bit at times, and not because of any fantasy elements, which took me out of the story. Hopefully they either choose another male narrator or he get some practice in before he records again.

2.5 This book was an average ya fantasy romance it was fine and entertaining but nothing that really made me want to continue. This book follows Thalia who was recently in a car accident instead of going to heaven or hell she is whisked off to a different dimension with fae and shape shifters. When she arrives she is mistaken for the missing princess Cecilia. She is returned to the palace where she is begged by the prince to play along. She is told that she is missing her memory stone so that’s why she can’t remember anything. We continue to follow Thalia as she navigates this new reality and discovering why and how she arrived in this different dimension.

I will say this book had some interesting ideas I really liked the parallel universe idea throughout and how it relates to the story. I just felt that the characters were really underdeveloped. I honestly did not care about one of the characters the only reason I kept reading was because I was really interested in the world and how these parallel universes fit together. I did listen to the audiobook and didn’t really care for the narrator I could just not stay interested. I do feel this book might be more enjoyable as a physical read. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an early review.

I was really intrigued by this story, and I feel like it ended up being quite different than I expected. I was really intrigued by the multiverse aspect, and wished there was more explored of her previous experiences before coming to this dystopian-like San Francisco.

I wish I was more invested in this world's characters, but I found myself having to go back and re-listen to sections to see if I missed something. While the narrators did a pretty good job, the fantasy elements left something to be desired from me.

I'll be honest, the sex scene was not necessary, and detracted from the story for me.

I'm still intrigued by the story moving forward, but I'm not left with a burning ache for the next book like I hope to be when starting a series. Not sure if I would have picked this up if not for the audiobook availability on Netgalley.

4.25 stars

I really liked this story! Even more than some of the very popular books I read lately, so it irks me that it doesn't get more recognition. Publishers, do something about it! Please and thank you. :)

Quick, easy to follow world building, great characters, fast paced, dual POV, magical powers... all in all, a good read.

I listened to the audiobook so it took me a while to finish it, as I kept getting distracted by life and had to hit pause or rewind often lol, but the narrators (especially on the heroine's side) did a great job at bringing the story to life - actually I think I liked it more on audio than I would have liked it if I read it.

So maybe not the most outstanding plot and world out there, the characters and their relationships could have been developed more, but definitely worth a shot! I hope there is a follow up story, it just got better at the end and I need more. I want to see more of the dragons in action, Talia's growth and Riyan's badassery! :')

Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for giving me an audio arc of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, while the premise is promising, Savage City felt limp, as though it were missing something to make it stand out amongst a plethora of fantasy worlds. The ending felt flat and the characters seemed under-developed which led to a less enjoyable listening experience.

While narration was adequate, I think I would have preferred to have read this book rather than listened to it.

This is a story about another reality.

I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys fast paced altered reality fantasy & original world building! The pacing is we excellent, but there was also a solid amount of world building- which is always a huge deal for me when I’m exploring new fantasy worlds.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Orangesky Audio for the provided copy!

DNF 21%

The narration was hard to listen too, which makes it hard to enjoy the story. I also found this not interesting and lacking any depth with characters. Had to DNF.

The narration for this book was spot on. It kept me engaged. The story was different but I liked it. This is the first book I’ve read from this author. I love the twist in the story. She the relationships that built during this tale

Incredible absolutely. A blast enjoyable probably going to give us as a gift this year. The audiobook and the narration is incredible.

Savage City by L. Penelope, 281 pages. OrangeSky Audio, 2022. $20.
Language: PG (12 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Talia (23yo) is surprised to find herself in a world that looks like hers – besides the magical creatures and powers, of course – because the last thing she remembers is dying. In this world, those around her keep insisting that she is the missing princess, and Talia hopes to help the kingdom and those who are enslaved by going along with the charade. The longer she pretends, though, the more disheartened Talia becomes; she is nothing like the princess and maybe she doesn’t want to be.
Overall, Talia’s story is well written. The world building of a fantastical futuristic San Francisco is interesting, especially with the separation of races by how they use the magic system involved. However, Talia is Mary Sue-ish and there is an explicit sex scene that was unnecessary. If you stop reading at the end of the last chapter, the story wraps up very nicely; reading the epilogue leads to a cliffhanger. Also, I listened to the audiobook version, and the two narrators did a very good job.
Talia is portrayed on the cover as Black and is described as having brown skin. Ryin is described as having freckled, cinnamon skin. Shad is described as African-Korean in appearance. Penelope also includes descriptions of various skin colors and races of side characters. The mature content rating is for intense makeout sessions, nudity, foreplay, and sex. The violence rating is for mentions of child abuse, blood, battle gore, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I really struggled with this one and I thought it was just ok. I felt the characters undeveloped.

I listened to the audiobook and I did find the 2 narrators did a good job.

I am giving this 3 out of 5.

This gorgeous gorgeous book features so many fantasy elements I love, like forbidden relationships, dragons, and mistaken identity. I really enjoyed the characters, they felt well developed. The world was really well built and interesting, I had so much fun spending time in it! This is my favourite type of fantasy and L. Penelope did it so well.

The narration was really well done, I'm happy to have read this one!

Savage City had promise, but it ended up just not being satisfying for me. The premise was very interesting, but I found the characters were flat and the plot wasn't well enough developed. The first few chapters were especially confusing and took a long time to figure out where the story was going. Then, the rest of the novel and relationships, especially the romantic ones felt very forced.

I'm not sure I found the novel interesting enough to read the sequel that has been announced. I'd hope there was some tighter story editing and then maybe I'll check it out.

First off…

A dystopian, paranormal, urban fantasy was not at all what I was expecting from this book, but that is exactly what I got. If you have read any of my reviews, at this point you know that I don’t believe in reading book descriptions. I either read books based off of another person’s recommendation, because I think the cover looks cool, or because the Queen Bee tells me to (and I would trust her with my life at this point). I will occasionally read small portions of the back of the book, but only in moments of pure desperation. I like to go in completely blind and confused, and this book is a fantastic example of why I do this. I immediately knew I’d like it based off of the cover, but I can honestly say that if I had read the description first, I may not have read it at all.

I really enjoyed Hunger Games and Divergent back in the day, but I’m not sure it would be something I would pick up currently. I could see myself rereading them, but I don’t think I would read either of them for the first time now. So, this booking seeming to be kind of like those would have thrown me off a little, so I am glad I didn’t let that happen.

Let’s get into it…

This is how I pictured the city
Talia dies and finds herself in a world that looks like hers, surrounded by a few familiar faces, but everything else is wrong. The city is destroyed, people are turning into animals, and everyone thinks she is a princess. It seems like no matter where she turns or what she does, she is messing something up. But eventually things start to come together, and she gets her bearings in this world. I loved watching her try to find the answers to her questions and watch her and Ryin find a way to work together. I liked the romance aspect, and I feel like it added a layer to the story that helped it move forward, but I wish there had been more of a slow development to it, considering Ryin didn’t even know who Talia really was for most of the book.

I really liked the magic system in this book, but I wish Talia had been a slightly stronger character. She did a good job of confronting her trauma, but I wish she had been more of a fighter once she realized what was really going on. She was put in a really tough place, having to pretend to be someone she wasn’t in order to survive, but she let a lot of people do her fighting for a little too long.

In the end…
I loved the concept behind this book, though it did feel very similar to several things I have come across before. I felt like it still held its own and did have some unique parts. It kept me guessing at every turn, and I found myself not wanting to put it down. My one issue with books like this is the amount of world building that has to happen in such little time. I find myself having trouble keeping the facts and terminology straight. Nevertheless, it was still wildly interesting.


This was the first book in a series, and the second book has already been announced. I am not sure if it will just be a duology, or if there will be more, but I am honestly not sure I would continue reading this series or not at this moment. The book didn’t end on a huge cliffhanger, and I don’t know if I am invested enough to continue… I guess I will have to wait and see!

Narration
I really enjoyed both Caroline Sorunke and Nathan Lang as the narrators for this book! I thought they both did a great job and really helped Talia and Ryin come to life. I do wish there had been a little more emotion form Caroline during moments of intensity for Talia, but overall, she did a great job.

It started out with an interesting premise but it never quite reached a compelling climax. We never learned enough about Serena or Talia, we never understand the true plan or purpose of the coup…among many other examples of missed opportunities. The narration was underwhelming and lacked emotion.

The Savage City
The Bliss Wars #1
L. Penelope
Talia’s life was not easy. Her father was neglectful and uncaring. When she was in an accident, she thought her father would come but he didn’t. She didn’t survive. Heaven or hell was not her fate; she was transferred to a different realm; it is still San Francisco but different, it is filled with shifter clans called the Nimali and the Fai. They are at war. The Nimali believe Talia is their missing princess. The dragon king looks just like her father except in this world he loves her, covers her with warmth and pampers her. In this world she is important to someone, her father. He has little tolerance for others. Talia feigns amnesia in an effort to survive in this strange world. In this world the planet has drastically changed due to some event. There are three types of people, humans, Nimali and the Fai. The Nimali are capable of shifting into their animal form and the Fai can control the fundamental nature of animals but do not shift. The two factions are warring over a mineral called Bliss.
Ryin is a Fai warrior held captive and treated as a slave. He sees changes in the princess since her return. He is forced to be her constant companion and healer. Ryin plots the downfall of his enemy and realizes the princess may be the tool to bring down the Nimali. The slave and princess are strongly attracted to each other and fall in love.
I have mixed feelings about this tale.
Things I liked:
The connection between Talia and Ryin.
The connection between Talia and the King’s adopted son.
The magic.
The messages buried deep within the story. (Respect and Equality.)
What I didn’t like:
Talia and Ryin’s romance was rushed and forced.
Talia and Ryin were intimate much too early in the story.
This tale seems too immature for young adults in their 20s and yet too much sex for middle schoolers.
The first chapter was difficult to follow.
The characters were flat and needed farther development.
Talia and Ryin were one dimensional.
The plot is underdeveloped.
Too many background characters that lend little value.
Some of the language was inappropriate for middle schoolers and some was too immature for young adults.

This book had great potential but fell short of what it could have been. This book wasn’t terrible it just needs more development.