The City of Dusk (Orbit, March 22, 2022)

Here’s another book that just jumped into my hands while I was minding my own business at Barnes & Noble this weekend: The City of Dusk, the adult debut by Tara Sim, the author of the popular Scavenge the Stars YA series and the Timekeeper trilogy. It’s the tale of four divine heirs of the great Houses — Life, Death, Light, and Darkness — in a once-great city faced with slow extinction now that the gods have abandoned them, and how they come together with a bold plan to save their city. Caitlin G. has a fine review at Fantasy Book Critic; here’s a snippet.

The City of Dusk is a book of dazzling magic that rewards readers who embrace the lengthy exploration of the city’s mysteries. The books shines brightest during its big set pieces, when the author paints vivid pictures of the magic on display. The four heirs are essentially demigods, each the descendent of a bloodline created with a mortal and divine parent. The result is some breathtaking action sequences: wings of light, elements as weapons, the undead rising from their graves. The City of Dusk is full of the kind of imagery that makes you wish for an animated adaptation to see these fights and powers on a screen… Combine these powers with some deep mysteries about the nature of the Sealing and the other interested parties who are trying to tear down the magical barriers, and you have an engrossing tale.

The City of Dusk was published by Orbit Books on March 22, 2022. It is 548 pages, priced at $17.99 in trade paperback and $9.99 in digital formats. The cover art is by Ben Zweifel. Read the first ten pages here.

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