Blog Tour Review: City of Light by Keri Arthur

City of Light by Keri Arthur

Outcast #1

The first in an all-new futuristic fantasy series from Keri Arthur—the New York Times bestselling author of the Souls of Fire novels.

When the bombs that stopped the species war tore holes in the veil between this world and the next, they allowed entry to the Others—demons, wraiths, and death spirits who turned the shadows into their hunting grounds. Now, a hundred years later, humans and shifters alike live in artificially lit cities designed to keep the darkness at bay....

As a déchet—a breed of humanoid super-soldiers almost eradicated by the war—Tiger has spent her life in hiding. But when she risks her life to save a little girl on the outskirts of Central City, she discovers that the child is one of many abducted in broad daylight by a wraith-like being—an impossibility with dangerous implications for everyone on earth.

Because if the light is no longer enough to protect them, nowhere is safe...

In the Urban Fantasy genre, starting a new series is always somewhat of a challenge. There's always so much world building needed to set the stage for the story, which can really bog things down. Or sometimes the reverse can be true where not near enough is explained, which worse in my book. However, every so often a series opener comes along that just perfectly nails that balance. One where you can immerse yourself into the story with enough backstory and information to blend along with the action at the forefront to keep you fully hooked from the start. CITY OF LIGHT nails this balance in every way. The world behind this story is incredible, from the post apocalyptic feel after the war, to the variety of species and the prejudices that go with them. That and all the various dangers brought an interesting mix that kept me hooked.

Speaking of hooked, the characters were stellar in this one, particularly Tig. While she may be slightly reminiscent of Arthur's other heroines from other series, Tig is fully her own character. The similarities lie more in writing style than repetition, and that doesn't detract one bit, in fact it makes her shine a bit more as I found myself understanding her more quickly, and sinking in faster due to the same flow of Arthur's writing style. But getting back to Tig, she's incredibly strong, but despite or rather perhaps in spite of, some staggeringly horrific past events she's not hard. Far from it. She risks life and limb over and over in this book for those who would just as soon as see her dead. She truly is admirable. 

All in all, CITY OF LIGHT proves Keri Arthur is truly a master at her craft. Plain and simple this series should be on every urban fantasy lover's list. I'll be counting down the days until the next book is released. Bravo!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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