City of Lies by Sam Hawke – Review

Published: July 3, 2018

Publisher: Tor Books

Series: Poison Wars #1

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 560 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

Synopsis:

I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me… 

Outwardly, Jovan is the lifelong friend of the Chancellor’s charming, irresponsible Heir. Quiet. Forgettable. In secret, he’s a master of poisons and chemicals, trained to protect the Chancellor’s family from treachery. When the Chancellor succumbs to an unknown poison and an army lays siege to the city, Jovan and his sister Kalina must protect the Heir and save their city-state.

But treachery lurks in every corner, and the ancient spirits of the land are rising…and angry.

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City of Lies wasn’t a book I had heard too much about, a few positive reviews here and there, nothing more. Based off one of those reviews and the rather intriguing synopsis it seemed like something I was perfectly in the mood for at the time. Also, that opening line really sealed the deal…

The main character, Jovan, has been trained since the tender age of seven to become the next proofer (basically a food taster) for the Chancellor to protect him from assassination attempts. We’re introduced to Jovan and his best friend and heir to the Chancellor’s seat, Tain, as they are travelling back to Silasta. They arrive unexpectedly early from their travels and are present at a dinner where the Chancellor (Tain’s uncle) and Jovan’s uncle (Council member and food tester) are poisoned. They cannot be saved, as it is something no one has ever seen before and no known antidote seems to work. This of course unstabilizes the city, as does the army of vengeful country folk that arrives on the doorstep of Silasta shortly after. Much of the book is spent with the city under siege, which honestly can get somewhat tedious at times. Fortunately, there’s plenty of other action and subterfuge to keep the reader occupied.

I found the book to be genuinely enjoyable and would highly recommend the audio format, as the narrators’ performances were excellent. The characters were likable from the outset of the book, which sadly isn’t always the case and can be a significant factor in how much I like a book. If it takes me 300 pages to even remotely care for the characters, the rating will suffer in my opinion. Jovan and his sister Kalina are both have different weaknesses and sometimes surprising strengths. Tain made for a diverting side character and I was surprised to find he was wise for his young age, though still a touch brash at times. The plotting, the murder, the battles…. There was much going on in the book and there was never a dull moment, though it wasn’t overly contrived either. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

Overall I was really pleased with the book and I already have my eye on the sequel, Hollow Empire, when it comes out later this year. Like I mentioned, the audio format was pretty awesome and I liked that there was both a male and female narrator to differentiate between the Jovan and Kalina chapters. I’d like to continue the series in the audio format if possible because I liked it that much!