Back to a World of Gods

Robert Jackson Bennett “City of Blades” (Broadway Books, 2016)

For the first time Bennett has returned to a world that he has created.  City of Blades is a sequel of sorts to 2014’s City of Stairs.  I say of sorts, because it’s not a direct continuation of that story.  Blades takes place a few years later.  Our protagonist this time is General Mulaghesh.  

Mulaghesh is sent to Voortyashtan (former home of the god of war) to find a missing spy.  But she’s a soldier, not a spy.  And once again we learn that just because something is dead doesn’t mean that it will stay in the ground, so to speak.

All the things you liked about Stairs are here:  plotting, world building, characterization, feels. If you liked that book, you will like this one.

If you haven’t yet read City of Stairs, I would advise to read it first.  It’s not that the plot will be incomprehensible, but given the very unique setting, I think that it would read better if you understand the world more fully. 

So much of this book seems to be very topical.  Here in a time of endless war, a story that concerns itself with this constant state of war, with atrocities and their aftermath is needed.  The World of City of Blades is a hard world, but one that mirrors so many hard things in our own world.

It’s early in the year, but surely this is a best of the year candidate.

Death is for the Weak

Robert Jackson Bennett “City of Stairs” (Broadway Books, 2014)

Every once in a while you come across a book that seems to touch on so many pieces of the zeitgeist that it’s actually shocking.  

I don’t want to spend time talking about the plot for City of Stairs.  It’s not that the plot is uninteresting.  To the contrary, I found myself deeply invested in the plot as it chugged rapidly along.  It’s just that there’s always a ton of plot discussion.  And quite frankly in some way that’s the least interesting part of this book.

There’s a school of thought that says that SF is always in dialogue with itself.  Books are having a lengthy meta-conversation.  Haldeman is answering Heinlein.  I’m sure that you’ve heard this view.  City of Stairs is listening and commenting on a bunch of conversations at once.  It’s a fantasy that ignores Western European settings.  Its primary characters are people of color, with a woman at the center.  It’s concerned with colonialism, religion and spirituality, with family and heritage.  There’s just so much going on.

And if you’re one of those people who aren’t interested in any of that (and there are some), know that there’s plenty of action.  There’s big bad magic and characters that are willing to go after gods themselves.  There are artifacts and spells.  There’s an elaborate history to the world.

Sold yet?  I hope so.  I thought that Bennett’s last book was one of the best of the year, and City of Stairs is even better.  With every book he’s growing more assured.  This is an exciting book.  Do yourself a favor:  stop reading reviews & go on & read this one already.