By S. Qiouyi Lu
In the Watchful City (ARC Book Review)
Part novella and part anthology, “In the Watchful City” is a series of glimpses into the world of the City of Ora and its history through the eyes of one of its guardians, Anima, who lives interconnected to the magical/technological web in order to watch over the other citizens.
It takes some time to settle into the City of Ora, to let go of the feeling of needing to fully understand Anima and the ins and outs of this strange science fiction city and just go with the flow. Ora and its abilities are really just a plot device for the other stories to take place and for its characters to find their way. Much of the world is left unexplained and can sometimes be confusing in a way that is unnecessarily distracting from the true focus of the story, which are the stories within the larger context and the characters’ relationships. But once the anthology aspect of the book kicks in during the second half, the story begins to find its flow and follows a more familiar structure that is easier to follow and sink into.
However, by exploring so many different pieces in such a short period of time, this book felt too much like a longer piece that was condensed too much. There wasn’t enough time to really get to know the main characters, and by the time the book seemed to have found its ebb and flow, it was over. If this novella were to be expanded into a fully-fledged anthology, with more stories and room for the narrative that surrounds them, it would be much stronger and more engaging.
I rated “In the Watchful City” 3.5 out of 4.
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!
Suicide, violence, blood/gore, abuse
More Posts Like this
Sorrowland Book Review
Rivers Solomon’s sophomore novel, “Sorrowland,” is a gorgeously evocative writing style wrapped around a clash of genres—a heartwood of dark fantasy and science fiction that would make Stephen King proud with the added surprise of horror elements standing starkly against a romantic plotline diving momentarily into erotica, and a few other dashes of this and that.
Sorrowland explores motherhood, trauma, the unbreakable connections between people and cultures, and ideas of bodily ownership through the story of Vern, a young woman who escapes from the cult of Cainland she grew up in to give birth to twin boys in the woods and raise them on her own. But as time goes by, Vern realizes that Cainland might not have been as easy to escape from as she realized and that in truth it may never have left her…
The Between (ARC Book Review)
Reminiscent of “House of Leaves” mixed with the 1980’s movie “Labyrinth” but in a way that is shameful to both, “The Between” follows Paul Prentice after he discovers a trap door in his backyard leading to a series of impossible rooms that change and remake themselves and a host of dangerous roles waiting to be filled. With the help of his friends, Paul begins to understand that the place is a world between worlds, not knowing if it will be enough to truly escape…
Bubblegum ARC Review
There are two types of people in this world: the kind that likes books like Bubblegum, and those who do not…
