Book Review: City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett

A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett

Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of The Divine Cities

Publisher: Broadway Books (US: 1/26/16); Jo Fletcher (UK: 1/7/16)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

City of Blades is the second novel in Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Divine Cities sequence featuring my favorite character from City of Stairs…and it might surprise you to know it’s not Sigrud! I know the big Dreyling was a fan favorite from the first book, but for me personally, the most intriguing and admirable character has always been and will always be General Turyin Mulaghesh. I was already waiting on pin and needles to get my hands on City of Blades after the amazing time I had with City of Stairs, but my excitement went through the roof after the publisher description came out and I found out that the good general was going to star as the main protagonist.

Anyway, you’ve been duly warned. I promise I will try and make this review more than just a love letter to Mulaghesh. But no promises.

Taking place approximately five years after the first book, City of Blades opens in a tropical paradise where General Turyin Mulaghesh has quietly retreated to after her retirement from the Saypuri army. But thanks to a bureaucratic mishap, she finds herself pulled back into the service of Prime Minister Shara Komayd, who sends her to the ravaged city of Voortyashtan on a covert mission. Once the home of a death goddess and her legions of fearsome warriors, the city has become a stricken ruin after the downfall of its Divinity. Now it is the site of much change but also rising tensions: the construction of a new harbor has caused violence to erupt among the local tribes; the Saypuri military presence is on edge trying to keep the peace; and unknown to all but a few, a seemingly miraculous new type of metal has been discovered in Voortyashtan whose properties may potentially alter the face of the world.

Mulaghesh has been tasked to not only investigate this new ore but also to track down the last ministry agent who traveled to Voortyashtan to poke around only to end up missing. But while the general knows she’s been thrown into a veritable rat’s nest of secrets and lies, her loyalty has always been to Saypur and her fellow troops. Justifiably miffed that she’s been dragged out of her isolation and retirement, Mulaghesh is nonetheless determined to get down to the bottom of this mystery, because deep down in her heart of hearts she is still a true soldier—and a true soldier knows what it means to serve her country and her people.

However, the more she digs, the more dark secrets she unearths about Voortyashtan, and the more unpleasant memories resurface from her violent past. What I love about this book is that there are so many significant revelations about my favorite character, some of which were interesting to discover, and others which may chill your blood. In City of Blades readers get to see a whole different side to Turyin Mulaghesh, one that we never knew existed. At the end of the day, she’s a much deeper and more complex character than even I gave her credit for, but Robert Jackson Bennett also did a great job moderating her development, keeping her genuine and flawed. Mulaghesh is in Voortyashtan to do what needs to be done, but once you peel back the layers you can’t help but think there might also be a part of her seeking some kind of redemption for the atrocities she once committed.

This should come as no surprise, but I liked City of Blades even more than the first book (and I liked City of Stairs plenty, so that’s really saying something). Structurally, I felt this sequel read more like a mystery, with Mulaghesh reluctantly playing the detective/secret agent role—an idea that appealed to me immensely—but thematically I also found the story to be heavier and more profound than its predecessor. There are important moments in this book that touch upon topics like post-traumatic stress disorder, the price of victory, and what it means to be a soldier. Philosophically, it goes deeper in exploring the individual and collective beliefs related to the divine and to the afterlife, and this is also where the author greatly expands upon the world building. Bottom line, Bennett pulls no punches in this one, and City of Blades is bolder and harder hitting in almost every aspect.

Still, for me it all comes back down to General Turyin Mulaghesh. In fact, Bennett does a fantastic job with every single one of his characters, as we’ve seen we’ve seen with Shara and Sigrud from the first book, both of whom make appear in City of Blades again along with a fascinating new cast of supporting characters. But Mulaghesh? Mulaghesh is in a league of her own. She is simply—bar none—the best character I have ever encountered. It’s so rare to find a fantasy novel with a middle-aged woman as the protagonist, rarer still to find one who is also a veteran living with a disability. Not that losing her hand has slowed her down one bit, of course…and she’s liable to punch me in the face for even suggesting that might be the case. To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt such appreciation for a character in a fantasy novel, and it’s a true testament to Bennett’s talent for building such a strong, believable and engaging protagonist.

What more can I say? I know it’s only January, but I am already sure this book will end up being one of my favorites of 2016.  It was everything I hoped for and more, giving me so many reasons to be happy that I got to revisit The Divine Cities. In a word, City of Blades is perfection. This one gets full five stars and my hearty recommendation.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of City of Stairs (Book 1)