I cannot recall the last time yearning in a book left me so enraptured that I couldn't stand the idea of putting the book down. This is, to put it simply, a masterpiece. This is a work of art that consumes you from the first page. This my first Adrienne Young book and what it's taught me is that I just want to live in her pages, consumed in her worlds. The writing is excellent. The world building is excellent (which is high praise for me because I don't typically like contained world fantasies. Usually I think they're derivative, but that was not the feeling I got reading this). The characters are excellent. Ugh, I'm frustrated I have to wait for the 2nd book because I just can't stop thinking about these characters. Our FMC and MMC take the forbidden love trope to the next level. Between the flashbacks and current time periods we see not just how their love evolved, but also how it fractured. The yearning, both before and after, is palpable by just their gazes at each other. The ending made me furious as I expect the author intended. Since I am unfamiliar with Adrienne Young's other works, I don't know if she's a HEA author, but I might die if our FMC and MMC meet any sort of tragic end. I'm so deeply in love with them.

HUGE thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Saturday Books for this ARC. You've made a huge Adrianne Young fan out of me.

Adrienne Young! <3 A story that absolutely consumes you, you can’t stop thinking about it, you become fully immersed. This a dual time-line story, filled with forbidden love, angst, and emotional devastation. The world building is phenomenal from the first page on. An absolute fantastic read, thank you!

If you enjoy forbidden love romantasies with loads of political drama and an ancient Romanesque setting, you should read Fallen City. Adrienne Young is a master of the slow reveal, and this did not disappoint. The book begins with Isara under siege by the rebellion who are done with the rich elite ruling over the lower class. It follows Luka, one of the leaders of the rebellions, and Maris, who recently inherited her mother's seat in the government, with a flashback timeline, showing the events leading up to the rebellion and how Luka and Maris's relationship began.

I was the edge of my seat from the first chapter, completely immersed, and I am obsessed with Luka and Maris's story. The yearning and tension were perfect and matched the tone of the political intrigue flawlessly. The ending devastated me, and now I am desperately waiting for book 2!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing this arc via NetGalley.

A video review will be posted to my tiktok in August.

Wow. Wow wow WOW. I fear I read this too fast 😭 This story absolutely consumed me from page one. The yearning and LONGING in this was next level. You know I love a man who yearns and Luca did that for all 400 pages. The world was incredible. Immersive and intense and I felt like I was there every step of the way. Adrienne Young has outdone herself with this one and I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting book two!!

Thank you SO much to NetGalley for the arc!

I’ve read a few of Adrienne’s books and The Fallen City is by far the very best! It has EVERYTHING I wanted to read in a fantasy and so much more.

Adrienne has a talent of weaving together the past and the present to create a mind-blowing tale. Going back to the past to see how Maris & Luca’s forbidden love started and the choices that were made that led to a destructive outcome in the present is truly devastating!

This story will undoubtedly consume you! I will refrain myself from saying too much since this is coming out later this year but I highly recommend it. It’s a must-read!

I love every book I've read by Adrienne Young, and this one is no exception. The story she told is beautiful in it's tragic events, and I love the back and forth in time, watching them fall in love, while also seeing them unravel along with the city they love. I cannot wait for book two!!!!

This book had me hooked. The story the characters and the amazing places. Absolutely an amazing story that had me glued to my kindle.

Did I finish Fallen City, or did it finish me?

This story took me for a ride, I was absolutely consumed by the writing, the gorgeous atmosphere, dual timelines. The longing! The betrayal. Faced with impossible choices.

The tension was built beautifully, subtle but an absolute dagger to the heart.

War, political intrigue, forbidden love, fantasy, a rebellion… this immersive story has everything, and I cannot wait for book 2!

Fallen City is a high/historical fantasy book that absolutely consumed me from the first page to the final page. Adrienne Young creates immersive world building, characters you love and hate, and a powerful statement on the struggles for power and the disparity between classes in Isara.

The story is told from the POVs of Maris and Luca, with time periods broken into "before" and "after". The dual POVs and alternating timelines added suspense and interest to the story, as the slow burn political agendas, threat of war, and forbidden romance unfolded. Young brings great tension throughout the book, especially with the relationship between Maris and Luca. I also enjoyed the side characters and their interactions with the main characters. There are some very complicated characters and their different agendas and desires really bring them to life.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
* Political Agendas
* Will of the Gods
* Rebellion/War
* Forbidden Love
* Slow Burn
* Betrayals/Revenge
* Loyalty/Sacrifice

𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲?
🥶 (No)

There were moments that Young's writing and the dialogue between characters gave me goosebumps. As soon as I finished the last word in the final chapter, I was immediately craving the next book. If you enjoy political intrigue, complicated relationships and characters, and books like Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, then I would highly recommend Fallen City.

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.

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.

I knew this book was going to rip my heart out and stomp on it before I was a quarter of the way through and Adrienne did not disappoint. I am in pain in the best way.

This book has a very different setting from her other adult works, but don't worry, all the best things about those books are here - the grounded world with a hint of magic, the imperfect characters who want so badly to do what's right, the *yearning*. Ugh. What a fantastic ride.

This is part one of a duology, so sadly there is no closure for my pain yet, but I eagerly await book 2!