by Kat Ross
An Urban Fantasy in a dystopian setting with magic that manipulates psychic energy. Um, yes, please. And there’s a plot afoot!? This has to be good. Let’s find out!
Read if you like: Urban fantasy, dark fantasy, paranormal, dystopian, interesting magical systems, false utopia, government plots, mystery, multiple POV, searching for truth, slow burn, world-building, and complex characters.
Kasia is a card reader with a secret. Alexei is a priest looking for revenge. Malach is a mage trying to free his people. Nikola is nobody, and just wants to be free. Their lives are ordered by their relationship to The Church and whether or not they are worthy to carry a mark that connects them to the ley magic and that supposedly helps them control their most base desires. The war was fought, the church declared victory and the mages were cast into the wilderness. Anyone who is not psychological sound is unable to be marked and finds themselves at the bottom of society.
But what happens when emotions can not be contained by the marks and just how does this ley magic control everyone cognitive processes. No one would believe the real history of The Church. Who will win the truth?
This book was epic. The world building and magical systems were massive but familiar enough that I never felt lost, but rather awed by the way Kat Ross blended paranormal and sci-fi tropes into something unique. The characters are layered and complex. They all have questions and want answers and in a society that is built on regulating the mind… questions can only mean trouble.
It’s twisty and full of action. There is great chemistry with the characters, and I only want more. I was completely invested in this society and constantly trying to figure out if anyone truly knows what ‘good’ means anymore. There is a clear delineation of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ but everything has been severely warped by years of manipulation and control. The end left me wanting and I can’t wait to begin book 2, City of Wolves.
So why not 5 stars? There were times where I felt like I was missing something. Either because there is a lot of terminology with nicknames, roles, places, rules etc. and I would have to stop and reorient myself frequently; or, because it felt like we were left to infer a lot about the characters’ core personalities and how the systems work.
Kasia has a deep yearning, there’s a lot to unpack with her but we don’t get a lot and it leads to some big jumps with her relationships that are a bit jarring. I understand it, I can connect it, it’s tricky finding it on the page. Malach is the same way. You get a different description from the blurb than I get from reading this book. I can see that he would have to be all those things, but we don’t see that fully realized. However, he’s quite intriguing and leaves you wondering what his true motivations are.
All in all, with such a huge plot and so many people and moving parts to keep track of I was able to finish it quite quickly. It’s bingeable and you feel immersed in this peculiar world of magic, psychology, and regulations. Onward to book 2, City of Wolves!
Thank you to Book Sirens and Kat Ross for my advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.
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