The City of Last Chances is Ilmar and it's currently under Palleseen occupation, which the majority of the city's inhabitants are unimpressed with. To assist with keeping the city in order the Palleseen use many organisations such as The School of Correct Speech and The School of Correct Conduct. Individuals and groups that have opposing attitudes or who act in a manner that doesn't align with the guidance presented by the occupiers are dealt with promptly. Equally unnerving is the Anchorwood on the city's outskirts, which contains magics, indwellers, monstrous beings, and portals to distant places.

We witness happenings that relate to the criminal underworld, academia, workers and demons, refugees and outsiders, forgotten gods, and magical artefacts from a wide range of perspectives. Ilmar is the novel's main character though, and this includes distinct and atmospheric areas such as The Reproach, The Hammer Districts, and The Anchorage. I found The Reproach to be a haunting and intensely interesting part of the city and I adored my time reading about that area and its inhabitants most of all.

Approximately every 8-10 chapters, there is a Mosaic chapter, which I would describe as a city-eyed view of happenings: summarising what is taking place throughout many areas of the city at the given time. As City of Last Chances progresses, we're updated regarding the potential revolution that is stirring underneath the surface: who will light the fuse, will the Palleseen military be prepared, what will the consequences be and what part will the supernatural elements of the city play?

The characters presented, their dialogues, interactions, and motives are close to perfection for a grimdark audience. Personally, my favourite characters here were Blackmane, a pawnbroker who deals in magical items, Lemya, a wide-eyed student, Ruslav, a thug who becomes surprisingly infatuated with a painting, Ivarn Ostravar, a senior lecturer, and Yasnic, a priest and the only believer of an old god. Although the above stood out to me, many great moments belonged to other, fine creations. Tchaikovsky presents some fine and memorable set pieces that are peppered throughout the book. The finest involves a group hanging and when I witnessed it, my initial thoughts were "That that's an excellent future Netflix cliffhanger right there!"

As alluded to above, I found City of Last Chances to be an ambitious epic fantasy read that contains many quality elements and memorable characters. Unfortunately, certain sections of the novel didn't quite work for me and at times I had to force myself to plod through the 500 pages. Tchaikovsky's presentation of the city throughout is admirable and detailed, yet after about the halfway point, even as events were heating up, I found that I didn't care about certain chapters or characters at all. It's possible that I was drifting away from certain events or members of the dramatis personae because the city itself was more important than them in the grand scheme of things. I purchased (and enjoyed) the audiobook during these harder chapters when I found myself disinterested, to help keep me focused and push forwards to the excellent scenes and exchanges that I knew would come. Having completed the novel, I'm content as the highs outweigh the lows, the ending is satisfying and this standalone epic fantasy all wraps up in a rewarding manner.

I'm rating City of Last Chances 6/10 as it features moments of Tchaikovsky's brilliance but was hard work in places too. That being said, it was a unique reading experience that I would recommend mostly because I'd be interested to see what other people think of this intriguing book. I’d especially recommend City of Last Chances to readers who enjoyed the sweeping scale, industry, revolution and political turmoil of Joe Abercrombie’s Age of Madness.

I received a review copy of City of Last Chances in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Adrian Tchaikovsky and Head of Zeus.

This book reads like a collection of interconnected short stories. Each chapter, we are jumping POV to a different denizen of the city with fingers in different pies. As the book continues, the stories become more interconnected and we get repeats of the same characters.

My youtube review: https://youtube.com/watch?v=g4sV2O7Iw7M&feature=shares&t=41

(Yes, I know that what I'm describing is just a multi-POV novel. However, it really does feel like each chapter is a short story, and I think that's the correct expectation to have. If you're expecting a novel, you're probably going to be disappointed. If you're expecting a collecting of highly interconnected short stories, you might just have a great time.)
I would expect fans of Malazan to have a blast with this book.

City of Last Chances is a portrait of a magical and political city. It's a melting pot of cultures, including freshly-arrived invaders. There are districts under different curses, and bars that have portals to other realms in the back. It's a story about impossible quests, cultural identity, duty, and faith.

This book made me laugh several times. It's delightfully witty.

In the beginning, I really struggled with this book. The disconnect between each chapter/short story made it impossible for me to engage with the plot. However, I then made a decision that changed it all around. I chose a character, and searched the ebook for chapters featuring that character. I read those chapters, following a somewhat cohesive plotline that circled that character. And then I chose another character, until I had crossed all of the chapters off the list. If you're not loving the book, I would recommend trying out this reading order.

Here's some of my suggested characters to follow. Just start with whomever you're most intrigued by.
HELLGRAM (Jem's Reasons for Leaving, The Hospitality of the Varatsins, Ruslav in the Teeth, Breaking Things, Hellgram's War, Unity and Division, Resurrections).
YASNIC (Yasnic's Relationship With God, Nihilostes Loses A Convert, Conservations About God, Price of Rope, Drinking Alone, The Apostate, Port to Nowhere, Another Round).
RUSLAV (Ruslav in Love Again, Ruslav's Master's Voice, Jem's Reasons for Leaving, Hospitality of the Varatsins, Ruslav in the Teeth, Nihilostes Loses A Convert, Chains, Price of Rope, Wings, The Bitter Sisters, The Dousing, Resurrections, Another Round).

Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoy this, although not quite as much as his Sci Fi. This book followed different characters at what felt like important yet seperate times. I found the individual stories and the overall story enjoyable, however I would be curious to go and read through by character instead of by chapter.

Fantasy fans and fans of dystopians such as 1984 will enjoy this for sure!

Unique, fantastical and complex story! My only critique was the book did get a little too intricate at times and hard to keep up with all the characters. I wish the story was broken into two novels. This epic fantasy is incredible though - and I would highly recommend for all high fantasy fans.

Slow start couldn’t grab ,y attention. World felt clunky and hard to understand. Writing style just wasn’t for me.

Intricate and beautifully written insight into a dark and complex city:
City of Last Chances is chewy, grown up fantasy writing at its best. There is little background or scene setting, a large cast, and a fully textured and complex world. The city of Ilmar is populated with a range of flawed and compelling characters, including: the last priest of a jaded god; a love struck bravo; a guardian of a gateway between worlds; and a pompous academic. Each chapter explores the petty aspirations of individuals, but also shines a light on the storied history of Ilmar, and the dangers and blood that soaks its streets. The book explores the growing tension in the city following the loss of a powerful artefact. Different factions decide what part they will play, and the book highlights the chance nature of pivotal historic moments, and how seismic shifts can emerge from personal decisions.

Overall I loved the city of Ilmar, though found the book dense to begin with and the cast of characters slightly daunting. However the writing was imaginative and the momentum of the story built with each chapter - recommended.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

3.5 stars

I love this author. This book is incredibly dense and intricate, a lot of things to learn and remember and digest. I will always read what Tchaikovsky puts forth bc even when it's difficult, I enjoy the ride (even I have to confess to not always knowing what is going on).

After a promising start, I bounced off of this and had to DNF. I think others will enjoy this, but it just didn't connect with me.

9 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/01/07/city-of-last-chances-by-adrian-tchaikovsky-review/

<i>” You’re a learned man. Please tell me where the word ‘negotiate’ can be found within ‘unconditional surrender’. “</i>

Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of the more frustrating authors I can think of, as I’m constantly thinking “I need to read more of his stuff”, only to go and acquire some and then give up halfway through. You see, he has an issue of letting his politics and personal beliefs bleed too heavily into his fiction. From there the book just becomes one gigantic rant—which is not something I need more of in my life. It’s not that I disagree with his opinion; it’s that I don’t need to hear it constantly justified in a supposed escapist fantasy.

Enter City of Last Chances, a dark fantasy set in a city of the brink of revolution.

Ilmar, some say, is the worst place in the world. A city swollen with refugees, the once-great metropolis has fallen on hard times, even before it fell to the Palleseen Empire. With the heavy-handed occupation now in its third year, the populace

Ilmar,
City of Long Shadows;
City of Bad Decisions;
City of Last Chances.

An industrial city swollen with refugees, Ilmar is truly a melting pot. Or, it was—before the war. Three years prior, Ilmar fell to the Palleseen Sway. Since then, their heavy-handed occupation has begun to chafe. Religion of any kind is forbidden in the Sway, and all priests and clerics are rounded up and summarily executed. Only after their faith is decanted and used to eliminate their deities.

Language is censored as well, with Palleseen officially replacing all other tongues as the staple in businesses, schools, and streets. The Pals seek perfection in all things, and under their rule all the messy differences of the world shall become one.

There are two exceptions, however, problems that the Pals are desperate to snuff out. The first, is the Anchorwood: a once great forest now reduced to but a single grove. This copse holds the secret of another place, for when the moon is full and the shadow of the trees stretches to its greatest point the boscage becomes a portal to another place—an escape for those desperate, or an opportunity for those ambitious enough to take it. Somewhere, on the other side of this portal, lies a city. A realm set at the edge of the world. Or maybe, set on an entirely different world entirely. This place is the home of the Indwellers—and it’s a place the Sway will do anything to reach. Except the path is not an easy one, and is inhabited by monsters—which can only be held at bay through the use of highly specialized wards, which are both rare and expensive.

When a Palleseen higher-up dies in the Anchorwood, there’s more than enough blame to go around. Specifically the whereabouts of his stolen ward and the thief that took it. Also, there is the issue of his assistant—who fled the Wood, followed by a certain kind of monster only found in nightmares. The two were last seen headed towards the Reproach: the second of Ilmar’s dirty secrets.

Where the Anchorwood is a portal to another place full of monsters, the Reproach is a homegrown monstrosity. A borough of Ilmar corrupted and cursed, a place even the Pals fear enough to avoid so much as mentioning it. But now an expedition is assembled to rescue the assistant and (hopefully) retrieve the wards. Only these two acts can hope to right the ship before the city boils over. But only a fool, a wretch, or a madman would venture willingly into the Reproach. Luckily, If it’s one thing that Ilmar has a surplus of, it’s the desperate.

—

<i>There has always been a darkness in Ilmar. You cannot live with those neighbors without taking something of the dark between the trees into you.</i>

—

At some point in the middle of this, I had to stop and try to remember what the heck the plot was. In general, this isn’t a good thing, but in this case it was. Or rather… it wasn’t bad. Especially because I couldn’t recall and just had to go back to reading. City of Last Chances is a thoroughly immersive and enjoyable fantasy escape—no matter what’s going on. And there’s a lot.

Between the impending revolution and the dead bigwig there’s actually a lot. The missing wards and the resulting search plays a large role, but there’s tension in Ilmar that has nothing to do with either. Distrust and resentment abound between the factions of the city; the factory workers, the students, the various faithful, those that have given in to the Sway, the gangs and underworld, the refugees, and more. Then there’s the Anchorwood—a nice little twist, that. That on its own makes this a great story, but when you add the Reproach—that’s a wrinkle that helps turn this from a good story to a great one. There’s just so much chaos, so much going on, so many desperate and so much desperation to go around that you never know what’s going to happen next. Indeed, it’s like that with the characters too; for a while I assumed we’d never have the same POV twice, but it’s not like that. It’s just Tchaikovsky establishing that anyone can die at anytime, so don’t get too attached to anyone.

This book is so well written, and there are so many good quotes—so many!

While City of Last Chances is a standalone at the moment, there’s so much here that Tchaikovsky could very easily churn out a couple of sequels—either direct or set in the same world—based on the Reproach or the Anchorwood, or even the Sway and its efforts. That said, if you’re new to the author maybe don’t expect it to come to this. I mean, it might, but he writes so much standalone stuff that I wouldn’t expect it. So try to take this novel as it is: a tremendous tale set in an illustrious and darkly imagined world, full of interesting and relatable characters—…who might all perish at a moment’s notice.

It’s true, there’s very little that feels certain in this novel. The characters, the setting, the events; with everything liable to change at a moment’s notice, it lends a real sense of impermanence to everything, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While it certainly distracts from the getting invested in any one particular character’s story, what it does is provides a feeling of desperation to every action, every move. As if it were really the character’s last chance. Maybe not ideal for a fun adventure, but just the kind of thing for a dark fantasy set in a desperate city.

TL;DR

From its characters to its setting, its plot to its setup, its events to its darkness, to all its amazing quotes—City of Last Chances is Adrian Tchaikovsky at his best. A tense, immersive, and often political fantasy that doesn’t get too political, nor too fantastical—though it certainly has its moments, such as the copse of trees that becomes a portal when the moon is full, or the section of the city possessed by an unknown entity from the city’s past. It’s a dark, industrial fantasy done right; the right amount of fantasy, the right amount of realism, and certainly enough escapism to get truly lost in—even if you lose track of what exactly is going on. I can’t recommend this one enough, and can only hope that this signals a turn for the coming future Tchaikovsky novels.

City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Thank you Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC ebook for an unbiased review.

I have previously loved much of Adrian Tchaikovsky's writing, so was excited to delve into this book. While much of what he writes is sci-fi, this is much more epic fantasy, also a genre I love.

To begin with, I loved the whole thing. Sadly though I began to sag under the weight of all that was going on. While there are glossaries for factions plus a list of characters involved, I landed up having to refer to them much too often to make what was good about the book enjoyable enough, to mark 2 stars for me. A difficult decision for me to decide on this rating. So perhaps I can explain a little more as to what I loved and what I found disappointing.

One of Adrian's great strengths is the way the prose brings landscapes and characters alive. That is evident here. Sadly though the way they have the book laid out makes it a confusing mass of characters. I feel that it needed either less characters so you don't lose sight of who is who, or the stories of each are more bunched together, so aspects of their story don't get lost in the midst of the others.

If I felt the story flowed more, that was less convoluted on characters, then it would easily be a full star rating. The lore and overall world building were as good as I've come to expect from Adrian Tchaikovsky. There was plenty of intrigue, and I was able to keep reading because I wanted to know more about Ilmar and Anchorwood etc.

So conflicting emotions for me here. It undoubtedly had aspects of Adrian Tchaikovsky that I love, and as much as I wanted to love this book, characters were too convoluted for me to truly enjoy it all.
Others of course may be able to enjoy more from this. I sincerely hope that is the case, but sadly I wasn't able to be one of those people.

2/5 stars 🌟

More accurately 4.5 stars as there were flaws. An occupied city where people from many backgrounds have come together, with a mysterious wood/portal and a ghostly off-limits area, a story of the potential of rebellion, revolution. Told from multiple viewpoints from all sides makes for an excellent novel.

At first this can be confusing (particularly if you leave a few days gap in reading) in remembering who is who, though as well as the story the background, interconnections, and overview of place and events unravels and develops as things progress. Well worth early perseverance to overcome any concerns. What emerges is a detailed, multi-facted picture of the place and events and what feels like a more 'real' portrayal of potential revolt rather than the 'good vs evil' that puts me off most trad. fantasy, complete with messy and incomplete strands or ends. Even the most unsympathetic characters engender understanding at least, if not 'support'.

There are gaps - if there isn't going to be a sequel it would be better to know more about those from the woods and other worlds - but very much worth your time if you like something different from fantasy.

Cities are fertile ground for writers of fantasy. Readers of this genre don’t have to think hard to come up with places like Terry Pratchett’s Ankh-Morpork or George RR Martin’s King’s Landing. While these cities come alive through their characters, some recent books have been deliberately c casting the city itself as a character – books such as Sam Hawke’s City of Lies or Daniel Abraham’s Age of Ash. So much so that the term “urban fantasy” has gained traction as a subgenre of speculative fiction (although it is used more widely tha. Prolific British speculative fiction writer Adrian Tchakovsky returns to the fantasy genre with one of these. City of Last Chances is as much, if not more, about the city of Ilmar and its peculiar history and character as it is about the numerous denizens who he follows through the plot.
When the book opens, Ilmar is chafing under a years long occupation by the Palleseen. The Palleseen claim to bring order and correct thinking to the places they conquer but it is not long before the cracks become apparent in the Palleseen philosophy – none moreso than the early death of one of its high ranking officials after he loses a particular valuable protective item in a brothel. This death is the match that sparks a slow build up towards an uprising which seeks to free the city from its oppressors. Tchaikovsky charts this build up through the various factions of the city – the underworld, the nobility, the student body, the refugees, the workers and the last priest– but also from the point of view of various Palleseen movers and shakers.
City of Last Chances is a mosaic of a novel – constantly shifting perspective but keeping the action ticking along. But this is in the service of some ferocious and detailed world building in which each of the factions has sub-factions and all are only working partly in support of or against each other and partly for their own ends. This is a fantasy novel so there are also lots of interestingly deployed magical elements – the role of gods, the mysterious Anchorwood and its even more mysterious protectors, the spirits of old Ilmar that haunt an area of the city called the Reproach, curses and creatures.
While Tchaikovsky has been publishing more in science fiction more recently, he has plenty of fantasy in his extensive bibliography. Tchaikovsky returns to the genre with a bang. City og Last Chances if a kind of eldritch mix of epic and urban fantasy with some political undertones and full of fascinatingly grey characters in a city that lives and breaths off the page. And while it takes a little while to establish all of the players it builds to an expansive, chaotic, surprising and satisfying conclusion.

This book, which is standalone, is set in a city that’s been under foreign occupation for several years. The occupiers have the goal of “perfecting” the world, so naturally anything not already “perfect” according to their rigid standards must be … perfected. Naturally this is hard on the populace.

The city seethes with discontent. You have students talking about glorious revolutions in lecture halls and taverns. You have the old aristocracy, who is all about supporting a rebellion so long as they end up back on top. You have the workers, for whom the new boss is pretty much the same as the old boss and needs to be reminded of where their wealth comes from. And you have the city’s criminal element, who are against whoever is in charge.

And you have a mysterious Wood on the edge of the city. Sometimes it’s just a stand of trees you can cross in a few strides. But other times it becomes a vast and mysterious forest, and a path to … elsewhere. If you have the right protections that will let you past the monstrous guardians. Our story begins when the #2 of the occupiers sets out to cross the Wood (because whatever is on the other side could undoubtedly do with some good old fashioned perfecting), yet the magical totem that will let him pass has been mysteriously stolen, with unfortunate consequences for him.

The story unfolds from a variety of different POVs. A student girl brimming with patriotic enthusiasm. The academic she idolizes, who talks about patriotism but mainly does a good job of self-promotion. A street tough. The last priest of a nearly-forgotten god. A dealer in blackmarket magical goods. The keeper of the Anchorage, an inn by the Wood that serves as a waypoint. More and more get added as the story goes on, providing a mosaic view of events.

(Pro tip: pay attention during the first two chapters - dinner at the priest’s cheap boarding house and a game of chance at the Anchorage, respectively. You meet a lot of the chief characters very quickly in those two scenes. I got about 10% into the book, was having trouble keeping track of everyone, and went back and restarted and paid better attention.)

Overall, this was enjoyable, but not Tchaikovsky’s best. I want to compare it to the Mel Brooks film *History of the World, Part I*, for two reasons. First is that this book is far from Tchaikovsky’s best, but “Tchaikovsky’s best” is a high enough standard that this book is still much better than average. Second, this book didn’t really mesh into a coherent whole for me. I feel like Tchaikovsky had a variety of cool ideas that he’d come up with over the years and never gotten to use, and threw them together here to try to make them work. It’s still a good book, just a little discordant.

A city on the verge of revolution. A sprawling fantasy with a host of characters, well written if at the start a bit confusing but worth persevering with
I received this book from Head of Zeus and Netgalley for a review.

This was a struggle for me. Disjointed storytelling failed to keep my interest - a DNF ultimately. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Imaginative, twisty, intriguing - everything you’d expect from Tchaikovsky, in this fantastic novel! So pleased to have been among the first readers, and I’ll be recommending this to everyone!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

*thanks to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: ✦✦✦✧✧ (I was initially planning to give 2 or 2.5 but I decided to give proper credit to a couple of things in the book)

Let's start by being honest: initially I wasn't planning to finish this book. The first two-three chapters had left me so confused that I thought I should just give up and look for something else.
But people on Reddit told me to just toughen up and go on because things would get better eventually.
And they did.
After reading almost the whole first half of the book.
Still better late than never though, right?

✓ PROS
Since I don't want to seem like someone who only knows how to complain (although I do that a lot), let's start from the things I appreciated in this book.

• Everything concerning the Reproach. Now, I can't really say much about it because it would be a spoiler and I absolutely don't wan't to ruin your reading experience. But I can say that as long as the Reproach was involved I was sure I would deeply enjoy that chapter. It added that spooky, creepy element to a sci-fi fantasy book that would have otherwise been a bit more plain.
• Same thing goes for the Woods and its inhabitants (and/or guardians?). I was actually kinda sad and disappointed when I realised that many of my doubts regarding both the Reproach and the Woods weren't going to be solved. But maybe it's exactly the unsaid that made them more attractive and involving.
• There are several types of creatures and people cohexisting (again, I won't say anything more to let you find out on your own). There could have been the risk of making the whole story seem kind of unlikely, like putting a dragon and an alien in the same story, but from that point of few everything runs smoothly and feels "right".

✗ CONS
What was the main reason that almost led me to DNF the book?
• The highly fragmented narrative style. The narrator is external (not omniscient, though), but in each chapter it follows closely one of the several main characters. The main issue is that, at the beginning, the interactions between the main characters are close to none, and very short. Because of that I had the impression of reading separate stories that had nothing to do with each other, and I initially was overwhelmed by all the characters. Things get obviously better the more the story goes on, but the problem of using several POVs is the risk of having some of them more frequent than others, and therefore kinda forgetting about the "minor" ones.
• Maybe because of the fragmented narrative style and the particular nature (in some cases left unexplained) of some characters, I couldn't empathise with any of them. I might have had a kind of liking for a couple of them just because of their attitude or their wittiness, but not the affection that I feel towards characters of other series.
• In terms of plot, I think I would have probably enjoyed it more if it had been a bit more balanced. The idea of building up tension until the revolution sets off is not completely wrong, but it exhausted all my energies to the point that I thought "ok, please make this end soon, make anyone win as long as I can finish this". Which is obviously a pity since the second half of the book is the one that has more action and plot twists.

All in all, I suggest you to try reading this book if you like:
• stories about revolutions
• momentarily creepy vibes
• magic
• conspiracies

Really could not get into this book and struggled to work my way through it. It might be the slow start or the lack of connection to the story but I DNF'd with about 100 pages left. The story has lots of interesting characters but the story itself was a bit too overwhelming for me, as I struggled to keep on top of what was important.

Welcome to Ilmar, a vast and complicated, city at the border of other worlds. Home to an occupying force, refugees of many nations, factions of resistance, guilds and plenty of criminal elements. It’s a pressure cooker of a city and it doesn’t take much for it to explode.

I was really impressed by this complex and brilliantly realised world Tchaikovsky throws us into. It took me a little while to get my bearings but it is worth it. There are many hidden agendas, layers upon layers to discover and the rug pulled under your feet a few times. I did find the middle part a bit baggy but when it gets going it really gets going.
It's a fun, sprawling fantasy novel with a contemporary feel to it.