City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett.

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Divine Cities #3

Publisher: Broadway Books (May 2, 2017)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 451 pages

My Rating: 3 stars

With City of Miracles, Robert Bennett Jackson completes one of the most unique fantasy trilogies I years. This final installment continuing the genre blender in style, mixing elements of fantasy, mystery, action adventure with more than a little thriller mixed in for good measure. Sigrud je Harkvaldsson taking his turn at the helm; this fan favorite guiding the saga to its very fitting conclusion.

It all begins when the unthinkable occurs: Shara Komand, former prime minister of Saypur, assassinated! The news leaving the world in shock, none more so Sigrud, Shara’s former ministry partner and friend. For years, he has been living in exile after the events in the city of Voortyashtan, waiting patiently for the day Shara would contact him, tell him he was no longer a wanted man, and allow him to return home (though Sigrud didn’t believe he had a home or family anymore). But, now, with his only friend killed in a premeditated manner, Sigrud goes into cold blooded vengeance mode, returning to civilization to hunt down and slowly kill Shara’s murderers.

Quickly, things become more complicated than Sigrud had expected. His old friend involved in a secret project, which even her closest friends and family were unaware of. The frantic investigation uncovering a list of more potential targets and a murderous mastermind behind it all. Each piece of the puzzle taking Sigrud deeper and deeper into a deadly plot involving disappearing children where Shara’s own adopted child might be the next one to vanish. And behind it all lurks the specter of the Divine returned again to haunt the world!

As always, Robert Bennett Jackson concocts an engrossing narrative filled with pulse-pounding plots, seat-of-your-pants action, emotional moments, divine magic, and thrilling revelations. Sigrud able to effortlessly take the lead; his penchant for brute violence supplemented by surprising cunning and unexpected emotional turmoil. This mysterious associate of Shara Komand finally coming into his own, developing into much more than a quiet berserker; his shadowy past and mysterious secrets unveiled, leaving him with important decisions to be made about his future. The conclusion of his journey a real tearjerker.

Despite all of this, I have to admit that City of Miracles is my least favorite book in the series. This is because (unlike City of Stairs, which is my favorite of the trio) Miracles is more an action adventure thriller with a contemporary setting including such things as phones and skyscrapers; its plot driven forward by the mystery and littered with suspenseful fight scene after fight scene. And, yes, I readily concede that is the exact same formula Robert Bennett Jackson has used in all these books, but here the ingredients are in a different mixture. And the slight increase in some elements (action thriller) at the expense of others (epic fantasy) changed the flavor of this one, made it less savory for a fantasy fan like myself, who was drawn into this series by its mesmerizing magic and divine beings.

City of Miracles is a good book, exciting and entertaining from beginning to end. I’m sure most fans of the series will find it a fitting send off for the series, but, unfortunately, I was wishing for something a bit more fantastical and moody like City of Stairs. Alas, I did not get what I wanted, but I definitely do not regret seeing how the Divine Cities series ended, because it was a fun ride from beginning to end.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

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