3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

Ugh.

When I first started this I thought I was in for a four or five star read. Unfortunately things unraveled at times. Then come come together. Un-ravel. Come together. Etc etc etc.

I quite like books with multiple POVs, but they usually book best in series where you get to know the characters and their stories, they don’t work so well in stand-alones and this is a good example of that.

When the sorry did come together I really enjoyed it, maybe it’s a book to come back to and re-read at a later time.

DNF @ around 50 pages

As excited as I was about starting this book. that quickly dwindled as I started reading it. The first few chapters are each focused on another character. While I found the characterisation of God somewhat amusing, there was nothing else in these pages that really grabbed my attention. Likely this is a story where things will fall together at the end. And while I usually like those kind of stories, with multiple characters, I do need to be interested in those characters. I was not one bit in any of these and so I decided to stop reading.

Ilmar has been known by many names, but most know it now as the City of Last Chances – and Adrian Tchaikovsky has woven it a tale of that and so much more.

Since its occupation by the Pellanese – a force determined to fit the world into their vision of perfection – Ilmar has found itself holding an uneasy peace. Already a city on edge, with entire neighborhoods lost to curses, given over to refugees or allocated to demon-assisted industry, the addition of an occupying force has done nothing to make that peace easier to keep. When a murder happens in the mysterious forest that serves as a portal to better places, tensions threaten to boil over – and the reader will have a ringside seat to every moment.

Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of those staples on the science-fiction and fantasy scene, having won almost as many awards as he’s written books. And he’s putting all that skill to excellent work with City of Last Chances – building a world that felt so immersive that it’s genuinely taking me some time to pull myself back out of it, now that I’ve finished. The storytelling is the most immediate thing you’ll notice – each chapter follows a different character, with some breaks labelled Mosaics that give the reader a moment to see the overall state of the different stories being followed. It may feel daunting at first, falling straight into this huge world and needing to track different characters, but trust in the process – you end up with such a comprehensive view of a complicated story, and it never felt like work to follow it.

What you do get though, is to know a city and a set of characters that all feel – despite the fantastic setting – entirely human, and very real. The author describes in one chapter a set of paintings – small canvases, but epic scenes, with a knight dwarfed by darkness and yet resolute in his determination to face it down. His own words captured the feeling of this book best for me. I really loved it, thought it was executed so cleverly, and will be thinking about it for a long time yet.

I really struggled to read this book and tried going back to it several times. Sadly it just didn't work for me. It is such a dense novel with so many different characters that I struggled to keep track of who was who and what was going on.

I was delighted to read City of Last Chances having loved a lot of Adrian Tchaikovsky's science fiction in the past but never having picked up any of his fantasy.
I thought that the world of City of Last Chances had a huge number of fascinating details, you could tell a lot of thought had gone on in the setup, I particularly enjoyed some of the more...gallows humour elements (a joke that will only make sense to people who have already read at least the first section - I apologise). I also liked some of the demonic elements of the story which was probably my favourite plot point.
Overall I think I would have had a better reading experience had I picked up this book via audio as opposed to a physical copy. This is, I think, due to the fact that this book does have Tchaikovsky's tendency of overwriting slightly which can make it hard to follow various plot points and to stay engaged in larger periods of quite intense writing. I found myself drifting off at times and finding it quite difficult to figure out what was an aside and what was an important plot moment. This is something I've since found in other Tchaikovsky fantasy books so that might be a 'it's not you it's me' problem but I thought it worth mentioning.
If you're looking forward to this book and you've read and enjoyed this author's works in the past I think you'll likely enjoy this but if you do have the opportunity to read via audio that would be this reviewer's recommendation.
I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing the ARC.

This was a really dense fantasy book and I struggled to get through it. Not the writer's fault - I actually found the story engaging - but just the sheer amount of detail and exposition makes it hard for me to wrap my brain around.

Overall, I thought the book was good, just maybe a bit too much for me.

A great read, the world building is phenomenal. A city with racial divides is conquered and under occupation, there's a magical way out of town but its literally insane. A man struggles with his homosexuality and discovers his love of art, and a priest sexes a demon to get away from God.

this is crazy and weird and unlike books ive read so far but it was so interested such an unexpected read theres lots characters and can be hard to keep track but i wsnt put off by that not every character is likable but thats part of the fun i think its a good book to try if your a fan of epic fantasy and dont mind so confusing elements at first i have a few books by him one my bookshelves that i handt got to reading yet but i would be interested to get to them now after reading this one

Dice Adrian Tchaikovsky que tiene mucho más éxito con la ciencia ficción que con la fantasía, así que debemos regocijarnos de que al menos encuentre hueco para publicar algo de fantasía de vez en cuando. Y City of Last Chances tiene muchos elementos que la hacen atractiva, aunque me temo que no es una obra fácilmente accesible.


Lo primero que nos encontramos al abrir el libro es un dramatis personae que echa un poco para atrás, pero para más inri conforme vamos leyendo los primeros capítulos la confusión va en aumento, porque el elenco de personajes es muy extenso y el autor no tiene piedad al lanzarlos la historia de la ciudad y los hechos y milagros de las muchas facciones que pueblan sus páginas. El estilo es en ocasiones farragoso, de tener que tirar de diccionario con relativa frecuencia.

Parece que solo expongo cosas negativas de la obra y no es así, es un libro que me ha gustado, pero es cierto que hay que tener en cuenta todas estas peculiaridades para poder disfrutarlo, si no, nos vamos a encontrar con un muro que escalar.

Una vez que nos hemos acostumbrado a la forma de narrar la historia, con continuos cambios en los puntos de vista del que cuenta la historia enlazados como si de un travelling cinematográfico se tratase, seremos testigos del derroche de imaginación del que hace gala el autor, así como del mensaje político subyacente que tiene. Un amigo lo ha descrito como “la última trilogía de Abercrombie pero resumida en un solo libro”, y sin querer quitarle la razón, veo City of Last Chances como una extensión de lo que el autor ya trató en Ogres o en Cage of Souls, por ejemplo. Las revueltas obreras contra el poder establecido, pero claro, todo esto embellecido con un bosque mágico que te lleva a otros lugares si tienes la protección necesaria, unos invasores que pretenden estandarizar con su cultura “superior” a todos los colonizados, un pequeño Dios con una congregación reducida a una sola persona, y los muchísimos más personajes que me dejo en el tintero.

City of Last Chances es una novela mosaico, donde cada capítulo es una pequeña tesela que se va anexando a las ya existentes para ir agrandando el resultado. Hay que entrar en su juego porque hasta que no ves bastantes de estas partes no empiezas a comprender la magnitud de la obra, pero con implicación y paciencia, nos encontramos ante una obra de fantasía que da pie también a la reflexión.

Review copy (eARC) provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to read this book based on what I've heard about the author and this being the Goldsboro Dec 2022 GSFF pick.

Looking back, I enjoyed the novel, but I was surprised at how dense it was. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I think a second read is required before I can fully appreciate the beauty of this story. I would nonetheless recommend this one. 3.5/5 rounded up because I can't wait to read it again.

An epic tale. It draws you in to other worlds and their totally strange way of life. It’s complex and needs concentration but is a totally captivating read. There appear to be different races of people, demons and immortals, living in a world with a portal to other worlds. Very ‘Twilight Zone’. Loved it. I’m sure you will too. Recommended read.

City of Last Chances is a dense 'hard' fantasy that requires a bit of work, but is worth persevering with.

It begins with a city under occupation, on the brink of a rebellion...

As a reader, you're dropped in the middle of the story, and from chapter to chapter are passed from character to character. The characters are all interesting, but none scream 'main character with emotional story where you are rooting for them to win' at first glance. It means it's a little harder to connect with the book.

But Tchaikovsky has created a very solid fantasy world. You can sense it living and breathing - you get a real sense of its history, as well as its present. You know that each character you meet believes their story is the main agenda. They have a life that goes on beyond the pages.

This did take me a while to read as the plot slowly gained momentum, but I'm glad I took the journey. Tchaikovsky is, as always, an excellent writer, who can take risks and offer challenging reads.

City of Last Chances is the kind of fantasy I currently like best: compact in scope yet telling a large story. Ilmar is a city occupied by Palleseen invaders, a people obsessed with perfection, be it language, thoughts, or behaviour. Religion or magic aren’t allowed—gods don’t exist in their world view—and dissidents are submitted to correction, i.e. hangings.

Unfortunately for them, Ilmar is a messy city, with a forest that is a portal to unknown worlds filled with monsters and protected by mysterious people; a district full of ghosts that take over the living; many magical systems, and demons powering the factories. There are several resistance factions waffling about, crime lords and aristocrats that have their own ideas of how to get rid of the occupiers, and seditious ideas spreading among the university students.

Seemingly random events spark a revolution—or try to. People are swept into events they have no control over, with no one knowing what’s really happening or if these actions are wise. When the dust settles, nothing has changed.

The story is told through a large cast of characters. Some play a greater role in the events—or rather, are impacted more by them—some appear briefly, only to instantly die. Many of them have their own agendas and all are powerless to influence the world around them. Some rise above their selfishness, but no one emerges as the hero of the day.

With such a large cast, no one becomes the main character, which for me was the weakness of the book. When a new character after another was introduced, with most of them not driving the narrative in any way, it was difficult to take interest in them. The few that reappeared several times were great, complex characters, and the story would’ve been sharper and more impactful if the story had concentrated only on them.

My favourite was Yasnic, a priest and only follower of an exacting god. He starts as a downtrodden and weak, but manages to carve out a slightly better life for him and his god in the end—the only character with some sort of growth arc. I could’ve read a whole book from his point of view. Other characters were either tragic, or cunning enough to be able to return to their earlier lives after the upheavals.

The pace was slow. Descriptions of even minor characters are detailed, and the narrator directs the story rather bluntly at times. Everything is duplicated. There are two mysterious districts, two McGuffins—the revolution and a protective amulet—every character has their parallel or counterpart, and even some events, like hangings, are repeated.

Small, random events don’t so much cause the revolution as they give the characters a reason to take part in it, even if it’s not in their interest. A tighter narrative concentrating on the few main characters would’ve made a better reading experience. But the ending was satisfying, which made up for the slowness of the book. If you like character-driven fantasy, this is for you.

DNF @ 26%

Three days in, I've only made it to 26%, and I realised I don’t actually care to find out what happens next.

The way this story is told keeps you frozen as a remote observer. I felt like I was floating above the city, checking in and out with these characters at the whim of the narrator. This narrator seems to make himself more present as the story evolves, and I felt myself being removed more from the story itself.

I am disappointed. I feel like I’ve held Tchaikovsky in such esteem despite never having read any of his work. He’s such a giant in the fantasy realm, and I’ve always looked forward to reading his books. I was so excited to get this eARC and just wish it had been a better fit.

Ahoy there mateys! I enjoyed this novel even if I have no idea what the point of it was.  The story takes place in a city called Ilmar otherwise known as The City of Last Chances.  It is a city in turmoil.  Foreign occupiers with the goal of "Perfection" are in control everywhere except the Anchorwood.  This wood has a door that opens up to other dimensions? I am not sure how or why it works.  There are resistance factions in Ilmar but none work together.

Frankly, in trying to explain this, it really seems impossible to.  The characters and city itself are bizarre and unlikeable.  The reader is kinda tossed in over their head and trying to stay afloat.  There doesn't seem to be a single character who isn't flawed or self-absorbed.  The magic is a minor aspect in all the politicking.  Yet I couldn't stop reading and wanted to know what happened next.  Turns out the ending does not really explain anything.  I was flummoxed but rather ended up being overall content with me reading journey.  Yasnic was me favourite character followed by Hellsgram.

I would read more set in this world.  Even if it confuses me, it is not boring.  Arrr!

"City of Last Chances" is an absolutely brilliant story (and is brilliantly written, as you'd expect). I found it very complicated at first though (what feels like a huge character list and totally new ideas that took some adjusting to), and that made it difficult to become absorbed in the "City", but it didn't take too long for me to lose myself. A gentler introduction to the world and characters would have made this a 5 star read.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

A magical reality, a city that not always was a city. Worlds within worlds. A revolution. This book doesn’t warm itself to you. It’s a top down view of a revolution. Main characters bedamned. No one has plot armour. This book isnt about anyone but the city itself, which I suppose I should have understood given the title.

The city of Illmare has had a reputation long before the Palleseens invaded. Before the city itself even grew to this gross height and mass. This city has had a reputation from when it was a forest and a town around to. To now this sprawling mass of alleyways, districts, ruins and palaces. Whose to way what happens on the other side of those trees. When the moon is bright and travellers are abroad. To some this is an escape from life under Palleseen occupation. For the Palleseens it is an affront to their view of the world. Something out of order waiting to be put right. This book is about a city full of fate, magic, and ghosts beginning to shake off the controlling hands of the occupiers. It’s about different factions working with and against each other. Both good and awful people. It’s about worlds and even universes beyond the city itself. Because at it’s core this city is only a waypoint. But for some it’s their last chance.

Huge thanks to @headofzeus for including me in this blog tour !

I've not read any of Tchaikovsky's fantasy work, though I imagine it's as solid as his other genre work, and the early funny stuff is probably riddled with the enjoyment of, and the slow dismantling of tropes. City Of Last Chances feels a little like his Shards Of Earth Trilogy, taking a well-worn theme (here a city under occupation), and teasing at some of the ideas in genre fiction. In particular here is the idea of pantheism, and multiple religions, which cannot help but bring to mind Pratchett's Small Gods, not least with a protagonist who is a non-violent and reflective priest saddled with seeing his God all the time (a very Pratchett concept). There is also the idea of a brutally ideological monotheistic occupation, stamping out other belief systems - despite there being truth in all of them - ossified in red tape and competing ministries of misery.

All that said, I found City Of Last Chances pretty rough going for the first third. Tchaikovsky passes a narrative baton between his chapters, introducing characters we may not see again. It takes quite some time to circle around to revisiting the one we started with. It's not an unusual technique, but there is so much info dumped it starts to become a bit of a swamp particularly when he is fleshing out each chapter's protagonist. Perhaps his biggest problem stems from a strength, his initial character, the priest Yasric with no followers stuck with his god, is a terrific character and it takes quite some time to warm to any others. Yasnic is the closest thing the book has to a protagonist, so I wonder if Tchaikovsky holds him at arm's length precisely because he does not want the book to be about him, but rather about an uprising.

Once everything comes together in the middle of the book the rest unravels compellingly. There is an issue around the politics and future of this city once the shackles of occupation are thrown off. There are aspects of the storytelling that reminded me of Perdido Street Station, and throw a revolution in and perhaps I wanted to see the politics of the kind of revolution that occurs (the book does stab at this with what are basically Union organisers). Its certainly not starry-eyed about it, but probably sits in the revolt first, work it out later camp (historically an unreliable strategy). But a good slab of fantasy that engages with its ideas, and has a few killer ideas in the process. I did read it in something resembling one sitting so....

City of Last Chances

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Full disclosure: I only got through half of this book before posting because this is a dense, layered fantasy novel. What I’ve read is enough to let you know that you should pick up a copy, even if, like me, you’ve never read Adrian Tchaikovsky before, because it’s a beautifully immersive standalone novel.

Why it’s great:
- It’s an epic fantasy novel where (so far) there is not a hero’s journey. All of the action is centered around the occupation of a city, Ilmar, by an outside power, Pallesand, and the simmering need to revolt amongst various factions in the city.
- The novel has a huge cast of characters and each chapter switches to a different point of view. Some people may find the multiple POVs confusing, but it allows the reader to learn everyone’s backstory and role in the city’s conflict while also advancing the plot.
- Themes of colonization, revolution, corruption, and power are central to the novel. The occupying force has criminalized many forms of religious and artistic expression and enforced rigid language standards to raise Ilmar to their scientific standards of perfection. This has marginalized multiple factions in Ilmar, who all agree that the Pallesand regime needs to be toppled, but can’t agree how and when this needs to happen and who should have power instead. There are similarities to real-world instances of imperialism and revolution, but every nation, culture, and religion feels distinctly original.
- There are some really gnarly monsters and magical objects and areas that make this easy to visualize as a very, very expensive miniseries.

This book is out today, 12/8, as an ebook. I believe it’s already available in hardback in the UK and will be out as a physical book in the US in May 2023. You may need to Google to figure out when it’s available for your location because it’s from a small publisher. I recommend this for people who like the themes and setting of Babel and the politics-first, magic-second emphasis of Game of Thrones.

Many thanks to @headofzeus and @netgalley for letting me read and review an eARC of this book. This review is not sponsored, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Having read many Tchaikovsky's book before, so I knew to expect amazing things, but this book simply blew me away.

The City of last chances follows a wide range of characters all living together in a city under occupation. Some characters want a revolution, to kick the invaders out, some are the occupying force who simply want to bring the Perfection of their rule to one and all, and some are simply out for themselves. The book starts with quite the event to light the spark of what will come, though if you think you can guess what will actually happen, you will be shocked.

I loved this book, and I mean LOVED. The characters are so realistic, they make foolish mistakes (but not the kind that simply fills a plot hole.) They love, lust, feud, want vengeance, and scheme and plot. All the good things that you want your characters to do to string us along by our noses. Once again, another great book.