✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans)'s Reviews > City of Stairs

Previous rating: 20 stars.
New rating : 22 stars. Because why the shrimp not.

➽ And the moral of this rereread is : this book. This Bloody Fishing Book (BFB™). It is Slightly Extremely Good (SEG™) and stuff.



➽ And the other moral of this rereread is : Colonel Turyin Mulaghesh, I want to be you when I grow up. Now let's dance and stuff.



P.S. Sigrud = YUM, just so you know.

· Book 2: City of Blades ★★★★★
· Book 3: City of Miracles ★★★★★



[March 2017]

· Aww Yeah We Are So Doing this Again Buddy Reread (AYWASDtABR™) with some People of Stupendelicious Good Taste (PoSGT™) over at BB&B ·

Previous rating: 8-10 stars. I obviously read the book VERY wrong the first time around.
New rating : 20 stars. Now that's more like it.

➽ And the moralsssssss of this reread are :

① This book is so Bloody Shrimping Scrumptious (BSS™) I might die. Or worse, I might cry *shudders*

② Bloody shrimping hell, I feel like I've been sucker punched. Which is slightly orgasmic.

③ This book features some of the bloody shrimping mostest awesomest final chapters in the history of bloody shrimping mostest awesomest final chapters. QED and stuff.

④ Anyone who hasn't yet read this bloody shrimping book should die a slow, painful, somewhat excruciating death be kicked out of Goodreads. And then fed to the crustaceans.



P.S. Shara + Mulaghesh + Sigrud = poof! Gone! Harem! = MINE MINE MINE.



[Original review: January 2016]

· Mostest Interestingest and Thought Provoking Buddy Read Ever (MIaTPBRE™) with my dear wives Choko and Maria ·

★ Actual rating: 8-10 stars. I kid you not ★

» Okay. I was going to write an ever-rambling, fangirl-unleashing review for this book. But I can't. Because it's so bloody brilliant (not the unborn review, the book, you silly! *eyeroll*) that speechlessness is me. Well, more or less. As speechless as I can get, anyway. Which is not very speechless. But hey, you never know, you might get lucky one of these days. Don't abandon hope all ye who blah blah blah! But I digress.

» So City of Stairs has been sitting on my Kindle for two years. What does that tell you about me? That I'm a complete, total, utter idiot, that's what. Then again, the blurb being what it is, it's nothing short of a miracle that I ever considered picking this book up. The thing screams "pretentious, overly descriptive contents inside." But I am not afraid and always up for a challenge, so I told my little self: "be bold! Be brave! You survived Dukes, and Mermen and babies, oh my! You can definitely survive a silly fantasy book about Gods and geopolitics! Besides, you managed to finish The Eye of the World and therefore became invincible! You can do this, Sarah! Nefarious is you!" ← self pep talk ends here.



Which loosely translates to: bring on the Murderous Crustaceans, I can totally do this!

I know, I know, I said that this book had left me speechless. Guess what? I lied. Moving on.

» Now tell me something: how often do you come across a truly original, unique world? A world that is complex but so well-crafted that even Crappy Historical Romance readers (view spoiler)[I love you too! (hide spoiler)] would understand what's going on? Anyone? No? That's what I thought. Not often, that's how often. And the more books you read, the more you feel like you're reading the same one over and over again. Not with City of Stairs, you don't. Because this book is nothing short of amazing. Flabbergasting. Astonishing. Astounding. Mind-boggling. And that's about enough of that, because if you read the book and end up thinking it's pure crap, I'm pretty sure you will (choose all that apply): 1-never let me hear the end of it 2-rehash it until the end of days 3-kick my (view spoiler)[lovely (hide spoiler)] ass 3-make me read YA Paranormal Romance until my dying day. So let's put a leash on the fangirl. Let's take the Murderous Crustaceans to a relaxing yoga class. Let's be calm and reasonable. Yes, calm and reasonable is definitely me. So, why did I like City of Stairs? Because it is a very good book. See? I've got this restrained, dispassionate, subdued thing totally under control (view spoiler)[







(hide spoiler)] I'm getting so delightfully undemonstrative in my old age. It's positively heartwarming , isn't it?

Yes, yes, I know I know I know, time for me to get back on track. Again. I'm doing my best here, okay? Sheesh, people, calm and reasonable might be me but patience is definitely not you.

☢ Warning: this is where I cut the crap and actually start talking about the book. You're welcome ☢

» The Continent, a country ruled by six Gods. Saypur, a country enslaved by The Continent. But that was before. Now the tables have turned. The slaves have become the masters. The Gods are dead. Persecution has changed sides. A deceptively unimportant historian is found dead on Continent soil. Shara Thivani, a seemingly inoffensive Saypuri diplomat, is sent to investigate the murder. And so it begins. Doesn't sound like much, does it? That's exactly what I thought when I started reading this book. Look at me now.



I promise this is the very last calm, reasonable and mature gif I will post in this review. Cross my heart, hope to die and all that crap.

» This book was a disaster waiting to happen. A world so rich and complex, with so many underlying themes, could and should have been a pompous, confusing mess. But it wasn't. Because of Bennett's masterful storytelling. This is a book about politics, religious fanaticism, history, slavery, persecution, ambition, government, patriotism, cultural hegemony, betraying virtue for the greater good, discrimination, resilience, resistance, oppression, revenge, ethnic cleansing…and more. You would think a book approaching such subjects would be overwhelming. Grandiloquent. Difficult. Depressing. Boring. Well it is everything but that. Bennett never lectures, his style is straightforward but not simplistic. He keeps the reader engaged and highly entertained from start to finish, and at the same time gives him/her a lot to think about. And when I say "a lot," I mean "A LOT." The book resonates not only with past historical events, but also with what is going on in the world today. It's captivating. It's amazing. It's pretty mind-blowing. And seriously impressive.



Yes, I wear my seriously cool yellow outfit, strike a seriously awesome pose and blow up some seriously dramatic fireworks whenever I'm seriously impressed. Low-key is me.

» Time for you to ask me a question. (view spoiler)[ What question? Why do I ALWAYS have to tell you everything?! Sigh. You really are going to be the death of me someday. Sigh again. Just ask me why the book is so impressive. Come on, do it, it's not like I'm going to unleash my vengeful wrath on you if you don't. Well not today anyway, I'm way too tired for that. I might do it tomorrow, though (hide spoiler)] Oh look, someone wants to ask a question! This is so cool! So much interaction today! I'm listening! "Why is this book so impressive," you ask? Because, despite the very thought-provoking questions Bennett raises, the book is fun to read. As in FUN to read. It's fast-paced and intriguing. It's absorbing from start to finish: murder mystery, great banter, fantastic fights, bloodshed, humour, cool creatures, miracles, friendship, deviousness and trickery, unexpected twists and revelations...this book has it all, I tell you!



Yes, I tend to play the piano on my cat whenever I get overexcited.

» The characters are an awesome bunch: Shara (aka the little battle axe), the seemingly unassuming diplomat/spymaster (I want to be her when I grow up). Sigrud, the giant bloodshed-loving secretary/pirate. Mulaghesh, the cigarillo-smoking, ever-cursing, kick-ass army vet/governor (I'm in love with that woman). And Vo. Oh, Vo. And [spoiler spoiler spoiler], you, you, you @%$*@!!! And Urav, you delightful little pet. And the Gods. Oh, the Gods...Kolkan, you twisted bastard. And [spoiler spoiler spoiler], you hot [spoiler spoiler spoiler]. Damn, the characters in this book are so cool, even the lowly bureaucrats are fun to read about! But you know what is really great about these characters? They are all flawed. They are not wholly bad or good. They screw up. Their motives are sometimes dubious. And that makes them feel real. Add to that fantastic character dynamics, and you get the aforementioned awesome bunch. Simple as that. Ha.



Yes, this is me expressing my excitement in a very subdued, mature way.

►► And the moral of this calm, cool and collected review is: this book is entertaining, thought-provoking, intelligent and captivating. With a rich, masterful, atmospheric, unique world-building. And fantastic characterization. And an exciting plot that keeps you guessing until the very last page. And I liked it a little. Mind you, it's not that I LOVED it or anything. Oh no. I just thought it was almost tolerable. Almost. Need I say more? Didn't think so. Bye now.