ARC Received from NetGalley: 4.3/5

“Your path has changed since the last time I saw you”

Gods and Fate, trust and loyalty, duty and love, Fallen City is a gripping and fast paced Roman inspired fantasy.

Maris and Luca are such fascinating and multi-dimensional characters, capable of growth and understanding that can be hard to come by. It was so refreshing to read about characters who are not only motivated by their love and relationship to each other, but also by their duty and relationships to others. This made their romance so compelling and realistic.

The setting and world building is detailed, spinning a story of complex politics and religion. Both have major impacts on the plot, adding more and more complexity and emotions.

The pacing of this story is fantastic, split between the Now and Before. The reader gets to experience the foundation of Luca and Maris’s relationship, and understand how they both came to where they are in the present. The present chapters take place over a week, and it is non stop action and political maneuvers.

I couldn’t put this book down and I cannot wait for the sequel.

📜 ARC Review: A Forbidden Alliance, A City on the Brink ⚔️🔥

In this sweeping tale of power, prophecy, and rebellion, Luca Matius and Maris Casperia are two pawns caught in a divine game that could reshape their world. 🏛️✨

Luca—bound by duty to a ruthless family legacy—collides with Maris, a cunning novice with stolen magic and a dangerous vision for change. 🔮🤝 Together they plot an alliance to outwit a corrupt city, but fate has other plans. When rebellion erupts and betrayal cuts deep, these star-crossed conspirators find themselves on opposite sides of a holy war they helped ignite. 🕊️💥

Ancient secrets, forbidden magic, and the heavy hand of the gods make this story a thrilling epic for anyone who craves political intrigue and tragic romance. 🗡️👑💔 The cost of hope? Everything. The question is—will they survive the gods’ final chapter? 📖✨🔥

I loved this book! Adrienne young is one of my favorite authors and I was so excited to read this book. And it did not disappoint! I loved the world building and plot!

I don't usually like to "wax poetic" in a book review. But this time...

Have you ever started a fire on a damp night and watched the embers grow slowly until finally it was a roaring flame? That's what this book was like.

It may have started a little slow, but after a few chapters, I was totally invested in the lives of these people.

Luca Matius, a young legionnaire, and novice to the philosopher. Maris Casoeria, daughter of a magistrate and novice to the last priestess. Both have a dream of changing the city. Once they come together, their fates are sealed - together - by the gods. When a secret is exposed and the city erupts, they find themselves on opposite sides of a war neither one wants to be in. What will it take for them to find each other again, and will there ever be peace?

I absolutely loved this book, the world building, the characters, the system of the gods. I eagerly await the next book in the duology!

Wow. I LOVED this book. The yearning, the crumbling politics, the right side/wrong side of town trope, it has it all.
Adrienne Young is an author I’m very familiar with and always happy to read, but this book was exactly what I needed in the romantasy world. High stakes, betrayal, lovable side characters, a VERY interesting and approachable world. I could go on and on.
The dual POV of Maria and Luca was the icing on the top. I loved getting both perspectives as they juggled love, political interests, and personal beliefs. The only thing I don’t like is that now I have to wait for the next one! Haha.
Pick this book up if you want a great romantasy, you’re a fan of Greek/roman gods, you love an epic and yearning love story, and love a touch of magic.

I took quite a while to read this one and i just couldn't get into it, I will say it is very well written and i think if you are a fan of her work you will thoroughly enjoy it. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me

Fallen City is the first novel in Adrienne Young’s Roman inspired fantasy duology.

Adrienne Young is one of my favorite authors. I’ve recently read The Unmaking of June Farrow and Spells for Forgetting, and I absolutely loved them. When I heard she had an upcoming fantasy, I immediately preordered it!

What to expect

-Forbidden love
-Dual timeline
-Political intrigue
-Rebellion
-Betrayal
-Gods
-Secrets
-Dual point of view

In the city of Isara a secret comes to light causing a great rebellion that takes place between the lower city (poor) and the Citadel (government and the rich).

Luca is a legionnaire and Maris is a magistrate’s daughter, their love will threaten the fate of Isara.

This book was everything I wanted and more. Adrienne Young’s writing style is so unique and beautiful. She uses such depth and emotion that will leave you breathless.

The past and present timeline was done perfectly. It revealed the development of Maris and Luca’s relationship and the events leading up to the rebellion.

Fallen City explores loyalty, sacrifice, political intrigue, and a forbidden love that will have you desperate for more.

A heartfelt thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Adrienne Young for the eARC of Fallen City. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this beautiful story.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me, and I ended up DNFing.
I loved The Unmaking of June Farrow, so I was extremely excited to find this title on "Read Now" for early access! However, I felt like it was difficult to connect to any of the characters since we're dropped into the middle of a conflict where the character's relationship has already been established, and it focused too heavily on the politics and not enough on characters/world building to keep my interest as a "Fantasy" novel.

I will not be providing any additional feedback or reviews on social media.

First off just want to say thank you to NetGalley for sending out the email about this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, This reminded me of a greek style Romeo and Juliet. I loved Luca's yearning right away. I have been missing it from books. I liked watching Maris come into herself and not who her mother wanted her to be.

There is dual timelines that did take me a minute to pick up on how far it was apart. I wish it was done by year or something. Still I really enjoyed it and I can't wait for the next one.

I really enjoyed this. While I liked Maris and Luca (the yearning!!), I loved that it leaned more towards fantasy/world building/politics. I love how Adrienne Young builds her worlds and how descriptive she is. My biggest complaint is the dual timeline. I didn’t think it was necessary or that it worked well. Otherwise, I can’t wait for the next book!

3.5⭐️

This book has a beautiful concept with intrigue and a creative plot. Both the characters and storyline were easy to follow, and the world that this was written in was right up my alley!!

Luca is everything you want in a book boyfriend - devoted, loyal, has "burn the world for her" mentality - I can tell the book girlies will eat this up!

Maris is someone that people can relate to! She is a genuine, loving, tenacious character and I feel as though a lot of people will resonate with her history!

My only feedback was that I wish that there was more time taken with some scenes to draw out the intensity and give more overall context.

Overall, I can't wait for BOOK 2!! Thank you for this opportunity!

This book is a mix of Divine Rivals and Romeo & Juliet in a Greco-Roman setting. Star crossed lovers Luca Matius and Maris Casperia are children of rival politicians.

The non-linear timeline jumps between before Luca and the other Legionaries begin a revolution against the corrupt magistrates and the current time, like a year and a half into the siege of Aspera. The gods are omniscient but can gift their favor to the people who can do their bidding.

Slow paced and very low on the spice, the story does a lot of plot building. The author doesn't overload you with too much information and leaves you wanting to know what happens next when the timeline shifts back and forth. Definitely makes you want to pick up the second book.

This story has me googling some terms (a stola is a female version of a toga, like on the Statue of Liberty) and I think the author did a lot of research to really immerse the reader in the setting.

The only negative that I got from this entire book (tiny spoiler) I really hate it when books use magic as a means of birth control.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A couple of star-crossed lovers intertwine their unlikely fates in Adrienne Young’s Fallen City (historical romantasy).

The city of Isara is experiencing political turmoil–the magistrates’ scheming has reached an all time high, the Consul is barely keeping the forum together, while others are taking the fate of the city into their own hands–the city is on the brink of ruin.

The low-born Luca is pulled from the bowels of the city to inherit his Uncle Matius’s seat as the faction leader of the Forum. Maris Casperia has watched her mother’s artful manipulations in the Forum her whole life, yet despises the corruption that has festered in Isara. The connection between Luca and Maris appears to be fated, but their naivete is quickly turned upside down, putting them at odds with one another. This is a classic men-who-bulldoze-the-well-laid-plans-of-the-women kind of story and it’s brilliant!

Young doesn't waste any time getting into the meat of the story–which I love! I was instantly hooked with the dual timeline and dual POVs. The crux of the plot is revealed in snippets of juicy detail–you will binge read this book! The beautiful development of the plot, characters, and Isara, is expertly woven throughout. You can’t help but fall in love (or in love to hate) with all the characters and the City of Isara.

I love Adrienne Young’s magical realism novels (shout out to The Unmaking of June Farrow!). I was pumped to receive an ARC from NetGalley and St Martin’s Press–THANK YOU!

I was so excited to read more of Adrienne Young's work this year...
But this one just wasn't for me. Not kidding I tired and tried to get into it for 2 months, but something about the worldbuilding made my head physically hurt? Obviously, this may be completely on me.

I'll testing my luck with trying Adrienne's book, 'cause "The Unmaking of June Farrow" blew my mind in January.

I really enjoyed this atmosphereic story of two lovers on "opposing" sides of a political landscape. I was fully emersed in this story of Luca and Maris and how they had gotten to the point where the story begins. However, I felt the world could have been fleashed out a bit more. I will pick up book two to see how the story of this city and these characters conclude.

This book wrecked me, in the most satisfying, soul-deep kind of way. I went in thinking I’d get a good romantasy with some political drama and pretty writing. What I got? A slow-burning, heart-twisting story that completely knocked the wind out of me. Luca and Maris? Their connection is quiet but intense, and watching their story unravel across two timelines was honestly painful (but like…deliciously painful??). It’s not insta-love or over-the-top drama, it’s subtle, emotional, and packed with tension you can feel in your chest. The world is stunning. Isara has this gritty, ancient vibe that feels so real, like you’re walking through ruins filled with ghosts and stories. And the divine/magical undercurrent? SO good. It never overshadows the characters, it just enhances everything. Adrienne Young’s writing is chef’s kiss. Beautiful but never too much. Just the right amount of poetic to absolutely ruin you. By the end, I was speed-reading while also trying not to cry. That finale?? RUDE. I’ll be recovering for a while. If you love stories with longing, messy choices, emotional stakes, and absolutely no easy answers, this book is for you! I need the next one yesterday.

Interesting setting and liked the POVs at the beginning even though I don’t like multiple POV. I just didn’t feel it was thorough enough in the world building and left me wanting more as the book progressed. There are a lot of good pieces here I just don’t feel it was quite utilized as it could’ve been. Looking forward to how book 2 builds on this and creates a good series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Pub date: November 4, 2025

This is a Greco-Roman inspired fantasy that reads like a star-crossed lovers tragedy. I really enjoyed reading something different from the popular romantasy outline that’s going around right now. (Not that I don’t like those, too!)

This is book one of two and I would’ve loved to realize that going in. I thought it was a standalone. 🙈 The pacing and timeline of this story are unique and require you to be fully tuned in to each page. I keep going back and forth if I really liked the unique pacing and timing or if I didn’t, but in the end I enjoyed the book overall!

Perfect for you if you like:
Star crossed lovers
Before/Now timeline
Tragedy + War
Overthrowing the corrupt government
Unique pacing

Alright…. I have mixed feelings, but in general I don’t think this authors writing is for me because I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed any of her stories. I’m finding myself a bit bored with this one too for a couple reasons:
-you are thrown right into a conflict at the beginning of the story with no background info. I feel like I missed a whole book prior to this where I would have slowly learned that. This causes the author to info dump in the worst way all in the first couple of chapters.
-I like dual pov, and I like dual timeline, but I don’t like them together. It was a bit jarring and I couldn’t keep up.

I think this book might be enjoyable for someone with a bit more patience than me but I have to be hooked in the first few chapters to get that 5 star feeling and this didn’t do it for me. I do know she is a beloved and talented author and I just think I don’t mesh with her writing but I hope other people love this story!

I have loved so much of this author’s work and this does not disappoint! The world building and progress of the story was really well done and solid.