Book Review | City of Last Chances

Ilmar is a mysterious city overtaken by the totalitarian Palleseen. However, when their Sage-Archivist dies, an investigation launches to track down the culprit as the city teeters precariously on the brink of rebellion.

In City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky, the author crafts an intricate, complex story—so complex, in fact, that I had a difficult time getting immersed in it because I was too busy keeping track of all the information being thrown at me.

There’s a whopping twelve different factions going on in the city, and on top of that, each chapter in the first half follows a different POV. I found myself unable to get attached to most of the characters, but by far my favorite had to be Yasnic, the last priest of his religion who must cater to his dying god.

Overall, at its core, City of Last Chances is an ambitious book that explores colonialism, faith, and cultural identity, but its story unfortunately buckles under the weight of its large character cast and numerous plot threads.

Thank you, NetGalley and Head of Zeus, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : December 8, 2022

Publisher : Ad Astra

IBSN : B09NQJRYGZ ‎

Pages : 545

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