[A quick note: I really didnโt know what to expect with this story. I was given an eARC from Penguin Teen. The premise was intriguing and so I was interested. I liked it enough as I was reading that I decided I needed a physical copy! Thatโs when you know I did really enjoy it.]
โ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค. ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฌ. ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ง๐. ๐๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐๐ซ. ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฏ๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐. ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ.โโLynne Bertrand
In a quarantined city of mile-high buildings, the streets are full of monsters, and people pass their entire lives indoors. No one has ever seen this city on a map. There are no animals within the wall shielding it. And an entire year passes between supply deliveries from the outside world. In the prime of their lives, teenagers are chosen from each guild building as runners, where they dwell on the rooftops, zipping from roof to roof among the clouds, playing pranks on each other, delivering supplies between guilds. They are the only form of connection in a city that may as well consist of a hundred ships on the water. When Errol Thebes, well known hero among runners of all guilds, steals a powerful weapon, uncommon in ever way, he learns exactly what kind of darkness lurks beneath the city.
Unique. Different. Fun. I wasnโt quite prepared for how much this story grew on me. In fact, I ADORED it! I was intrigued, curious, and fully entertained. We all have tales to tell, especially Odd Thebes, and what a tale he weaves! The world building is fascinating, centered around the runners who fly from roof to roof, carrying messages, supplies, and bridging the connection between each building. These dare-devils use zip lines to get around. They pull pranks, have contests, parties, and the weirdest customs! The world building was a little confusing at first because there are no info dumps. I believe this is why it got so many low ratings. But if you stick with it, the answers do come! And they are so satisfying! I loved the way it ended.
Within every person lives a beast. Some are rats, birds, and cats. Others are stags, panthers, and even dragons. Only the people living on the streets have any idea of this. Those living in the guild skyscrapers have no idea whatsoever. They are too disconnected from the streets. When a pair of knotting spikes is stolen, it is discovered that these spikes split a person open, ripping out their soul-animal, which crawling out of their chests. Fascinating, right?
โ๐๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ...๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐. ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ค๐๐ฌ. ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ซ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ. ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค, ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐.โ
This story is told by the bard Odd Thebes, who also happens to be the jealous cousin to Errol Thebes, the cityโs hero. His jealousy comes between them a few times. But I liked this. It showed severe flaws on his part. No one likes a perfect character. His storytelling is bunt and open. He is intelligent, speaks some twenty or more languages, is familiar with all the city slang. The perfect storyteller. I really liked his character and struggles.
Thereโs something dark happening in the city. What starts as a very tight scope, broadens. Everyone who lives in the city accepts things for the way they are. They have no idea of the darkness lurking beneath. They have no idea why they are quarantined for hundreds and even thousands of years. They know nothing of the world beyond. They live in mystery. But Errol Thebes rips everything apart when he finds himself on the streets below. He becomes the hero the city needs.
I cannot believe how much I liked this book! At fist, I thought perhaps it would be a two star. I read some reviews and got a bad feeling. But it had something that kept me interested. And by the 20% mark I was so intrigued! The story got better and better, told in snippets that wove together. I wanted to give this five stars but I think the little bit of confusion I experienced in the beginning doesnโt allow it. MY RATING: 4/5โญ๏ธ
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