Synopsis:
Keselgraad. A city of iron and stone, rising from the mist-shrouded wasteland to pierce the pallid clouds. A colossal man-made mountain stretching a mile high, from the blood-stained alleyways of the Slums to the crystal-studded spire of the Church of the Mother, whose amethyst shards shine brighter than any star.
Keselgraad. Both a haven and a prison. There is no way in. No way out. For the city is under constant assault from an enemy that is as relentless as it is indomitable; a raging sea of churning white that encircles the crumbling walls in its cold embrace. Only the radiance of the Mother can stem the ravenous tide. Only the shield of her faith can keep her citizens safe.
But there is a secret hidden deep within the ancient, decrepit heart of Keselgraad. It is whispered in the darkness of the underground galleries. Scratched into the mud. Etched into the stone.
The crystals are failing.
Their light is dying.
And without their protection, the Mists will be free to enter Keselgraad. To gorge themselves on the flesh of a thousand helpless souls. To drain the life from every last living being; man, woman, and child.
Until the city becomes a tomb.
Review:
The City of Mist and Tears is a world-adjacent new series set in The War of the Twelve universe. Readers of TWotT will certainly be pleased by the revelations and time placement that unfold here, but rest assured, this story fully stands on its own and can be a great entry point into Robins’ world. TCoMaT is a mystery story first, fantasy second, one with lots of twists and very awesome reveals.
In a city that is basically a giant beehive rising to the sky, it is surrounded by a very deadly mist, keeping its people imprisoned behind the walls. There are the haves at the top and the havenots at the bottom, and there is clearly more than meets the eye in between. The magic that keeps the mist at bay is slowly dying and it is up to a select few to figure out why, or in the case of 2 of the 3 POVs, it’s to survive said reason…
Speaking of POVs, there are three, which I think is a good number for such a short tale (it’s only about 300 pages). We start with Roe, or Roach as he is called, and he is an orphan stuck in the lower levels, trying to just survive. He’s a questioning little lad, and he, along with a bunch of other orphans, became orphans after an event happened a decade prior to the story. For spoiler reasons, I won’t go into that history, but Roe plays a super important role in determining why the city’s magic is dying. He’s resourceful and just fun to follow. And to top it off, which I saw coming and squealed in delight when revealed, he has a clear tie to the War of the Twelve series. So that was very fun. Next is Pine, a captain in the city watch who is probably the main character I’d say. He’s also associated with the event that orphaned lots of kids, but his arc is solving the mystery of the fading magic. I liked Pine because he is so jaded, so defeated, it was hard not to feel for the man. His growth was great to follow. Finally we have Thane, the Keeper of the Peace, aka the leader and partial a**hole of the city. Schemes galore with Thane and also some great worldbuilding surrounding him. A great cast of POVs, that’s for sure.
The single city trope is a beloved of mine so I really dug this story because Keselgraad was essentially another character. There is so much oozing beneath the surface, some literal. It’s a fun setting and one I can’t wait to dig more into with how this book ended. The mist of death was also a highlight for me. Then throw in the Wardens, yeah, that sealed the deal for me. The Wardens are essentially altered people with some awesome skills. They wear plague masks and big flat bill hats and are basically indestructible to a point. They are just a really cool concept. Loved seeing them in action, plus we had one off-shoot POV scene where someone becomes a Warden, and that was gnarly as all get out. Loved it!
As with all of Robins’ stories, this one is expertly written, no fluffy prose. The pace is steady and flows through these 300 pages with ease. The worldbuilding comes at the right times, no info dumps, no exposition monologues. There is plenty of action, a bunch of twists, and some great reveals. As mentioned earlier, this is a standalone story in The War of the Twelve world, but you can clearly see the leveling up of writing skill by Robins here. I loved TWotT books, but this one is definitely a step above in terms of prose and storytelling, and it’s excellent to see an author continuing to grow stronger and stronger with each story.
For fans of The War of the Twelve series, you’ll fully gorge yourself on this one, but if you’ve not read those four books, fear not, The City of Mist and Tears is an excellent fantasy mystery. The story sets up a greater series and I, for one, cannot wait until the next book drops. The City of Mist and Tears releases on December 5th, so go grab it now!
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