The premise of this story is that a group of scholars are given an impossible task by their king. They must accurately recreate an old city in order to justify the king trying to take over more land. The narrator of the story is the linguist among the group of scholars.

This one is a bit hard to review since it is a fairly short novella. Overall, the story was enjoyable and I would recommend that if someone is curious, that they give it a try.

A group of scholars must construct a fake anxiety city for a tyranical king and if they fail to do so... they'll face death. This was definitely an interesting story, especially with how it ended. It's a short and fast read and definitely covers a unique storyline. I do think it's an easy one to get into and that if you like a bit of fantasy read then I'd give it a go.

Release Date: Sep 2, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tordotcom for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*