Review: City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn
Author: Claire Winn
Edition: eARC/audiobook
Publisher: Flux (October 19, 2021)
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi
Synopsis
As heiress to a powerful tech empire, seventeen-year-old Asa Almeida strives to prove she’s more than her manipulative father’s shadow. But when he uploads her rebellious sister’s mind to an experimental brain, Asa will do anything to save her sister from reprogramming—including fleeing her predetermined future with her sister’s digitized mind in tow. With a bounty on her head and a rogue A.I. hunting her, Asa’s getaway ship crash-lands in the worst possible place: the neon-drenched outlaw paradise, Requiem.
Gun-slinging smuggler Riven Hawthorne is determined to claw her way up Requiem’s underworld hierarchy. A runaway rich girl is exactly the bounty Riven needs—until a nasty computer virus spreads in Asa’s wake, causing a citywide blackout and tech quarantine. To get the payout for Asa and save Requiem from the monster in its circuits, Riven must team up with her captive.
Riven breaks skulls the way Asa breaks circuits, but their opponent is unlike anything they’ve ever seen. The A.I. exploits the girls’ darkest memories and deepest secrets, threatening to shatter the fragile alliance they’re both depending on. As one of Requiem’s 154-hour nights grows darker, the girls must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other before Riven’s city and Asa’s sister are snuffed out forever
My review of City of Shattered Light
City of Shattered Light is an action-packed YA sci-fi book that delivers a fun time, literally guns blazing.
Trigger Warnings: Gun violence, death, blood, mild gore, abuse (emotional/manipulation, and implied past physical abuse), human experimentation, mild sexual harassment, references to suicide, terminal illness, drug and alcohol references, mild body horror.
I received a free digital eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
Action-Packed Sci-Fi
City of Shattered Light starts with action and never lets up. Claire Winn creates a world that’s drenched in neon lights, and characters who are just as adept at fighting as they are at hacking tech. Overall, I really loved the world-building and atmosphere, Requiem was a wonderful setting to explore! I could feel the heartbeat of a city that never sleeps and it was awesome.
Additionally, I had a lot of fun reading the fight scenes in particular. I’m really impressed with how Claire Winn managed to convey weight and movement while also preserving a sense of orientation for the reader. I could vividly see Riven being a badass with her guns!
However, some aspects of the story felt underdeveloped and unfortunately, a lot of the emotional beats didn’t quite work for me. But overall, the world-building and the plot (though predictable) were my favourite parts despite those flaws.
An Actual Love Triangle
There is an actual love triangle in this book! I know, I was surprised too. Technically, the main romance is between the two female main characters but I think that’s an overstatement. There’s some back and forth pining but really not much romantic development. So if you were hoping for the disaster sapphic romance, you’ll probably be disappointed.
However, I did greatly enjoy the number of queer characters we get! Riven’s crew truly is just a bunch of space gays and I am here for it.
Speaking of characters, unfortunately, some of the characterizations felt a little inconsistent. After a while I found myself getting kind of bored. The characters are introduced and then it felt like there wasn’t much development afterwards. Yes, Riven and Asa have to learn how to work together, but that’s about it.
Especially Riven felt like an uncrackable and static rock, even in the moments where we get a glimpse into her thoughts and feelings. I would’ve loved to see a little more development on her part in particular.
Overall…
City of Shattered Light is a very solid debut and I had fun with it! The book ends with a cliffhanger and I’m curious to see where the story goes.
This book is for you if…
…you like YA Sci-Fi with action, heists and lots of cool cyber tech.
…you are looking for a book that features disaster sapphics fucking shit up.
A post you might also enjoy: My Review of Bluebird
4 Comments
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Kimberly Pope
You have explained it very precisely. Another book which I have read by Claire Winn City of Vicious Night is also a good story definitely going to read it as well.
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