the hanging city – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 344 pages
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Publisher: 47North
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

For a young woman who wields the power of fear, humanity’s greatest enemy is her only hope in a new fairy-tale adventure by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Seven years on the run from her abusive father, and with no hope of sanctuary among the dwindling pockets of human civilization, Lark is out of options. Her only leverage is a cursed power: she can thrust fear onto others, leaving all threats fleeing in terror. It’s a means of survival as she searches for a place to call home. If the campfire myths of her childhood are true, Lark’s sole chance for refuge could lie in Cagmar, the city of trolls—a brutal species and the sworn enemies of humanity.

Valuing combat prowess, the troll high council is intrigued. Lark could be much more useful than the low-caste humans who merely labor in Cagmar. Her gift makes her invaluable as a monster slayer to fight off the unspeakable creatures that torment the trolls’ hanging city, suspended from a bridge over an endless dark canyon.

Lark will do anything to make Cagmar her home, but her new role comes with a caveat: use her power against a troll, and she’ll be killed. Her loyalty is quickly put to the test when she draws the hatred of a powerful troll who loathes humankind. Still, she finds unexpected friendship in the city and, even more surprisingly, love. But if everything else doesn’t undo her, being caught in the arms of a troll surely will. Now in the fight of her life, Lark has a lot to learn—about her past, about trust and hope when all seems lost, and above all, about the extraordinary power of fear itself.

WELL THIS WAS DIFFERENT.

I have been meaning to read more books by this author and finally was able to listen to this audiobook (which was great).

I think where I got off on the wrong foot was thinking the romance was going in a different way than it was so I admit to being caught off guard when I saw what was happening. At that point I had missed some of the emotional intimacy that had been building and it took a bit for me to catch up.

The standalone quality of this was good though. I liked how things came together and wrapped up and this felt like a fully put together story. I enjoyed the side characters and action. There’s some good political dynamics and the world building was cool too.

Overall audience notes: