#cityofstairs

[now-serving]

City of Stairs - a book review

The world created by Robert Jackson Bennett in City of Stairs is simply put: expansive, intricate, cohesive, and absolutely fascinating. How this story (and its two sequels) has not spawned a roaring cult fandom is beyond me. The mature source material is endlessly entertaining with still so much to explore; aided by Bennet’s masterful spinning of a world overflowing with complex social commentary, political upheaval, and divine magic that fits in so naturally. I could go on, there is so much to love in Bennet’s world: the waring, conquering, rebelling, and reconquering people of the Continent and Saypur, the ravaged, husked Continental capital Bulikov—the city of stairs, and the once very real and tangible Gods of limitless power, now murdered. 

The characters inhabiting Bennet’s gritty, divine magic laden world are for the most part complex, driven, unique, and brimming with personality. Ashara (Shara) Komayd is a head-strong and ruthless detective who’s unwavering devotion to the discovery of truth and encyclopedic knowledge of the Divine fold together to form a near unstoppable brilliant force. Shara’s ability to simply outsmart enemies is balanced by her towering, door-filling hulk of a “secretary” Sigrud je Harkvaldsson. The stoic brawn to her brains, Sigrud will readily murder, eviscerate, or at the very least incapacitate anyone or anything in Shara’s way and in the next moment will provide a calm and reaffirming ear for Shara and her musings. Bennet builds his characters so carefully and consistently that I have to assume they are direct representations of real people in his life. Characters’ actions are so well justified by their personalities that I repeatedly noticed myself thinking “wow, that’s SO Sigrud”, or “that’s SO Shara”. 

Some side characters leave something to yearn for, but this is likely more a symptom of me being entirely sucked into this amazing world of the Divine Cities trilogy and wanting to know everything about everything down to every characters’ inner thoughts, the history of each city, the geography of the continent. Are there insects in this world? What kinds of animals roam the countryside? What are the oceans like? Are there other landmasses? Other people and other Gods yet to be discovered? Any fantasy detective novel that leaves the reader wondering about the resident flora and fauna a year after reading deserves some special commendations. 

The City of Stairs is brilliantly atmospheric (in part aided by fascinating excerpts of ancient texts, newspapers, and scientific journals presented at the beginning of each chapter), expertly written, with stunningly depictions of a fantastical world through the eyes of lovable and dynamic characters. I wish I could have my memory wiped just to relive the experience of exploring Bennett’s world with fresh eyes. But rereading City of Stairs several times will have to do for now.

--   An Excerpt  -- And Olvos said to them: “Why have you done this, my children? Why is the sky wreathed with smoke? Why have you made war in far places, and shed blood in strange lands?”

And they said to Her: “You blessed us as Your people, and we rejoiced, and were happy. But we found those who are not Your people, and they would not become Your people, and they were willful and ignorant of You. They would not open their ears to Your songs, or lay Your words upon their tongues. So we dashed them upon the rocks and threw down their houses and shed their blood and scattered them to the winds, and we were right to do so. For we are Your people. We carry Your blessing. We are Yours, and so we are right. Is this not what You said?”

And Olvos was silent

--BOOK OF THE RED LOTUS, PART IV, 13.51–13.59

[wordsfornoone-blog1]

“I’m sorry,” she says. “But I cannot help you.”

“No, you aren’t sorry. You’re a representative of your country. And countries don’t feel sorrow.” He turns and limps away.

-Robert Jackson Bennett, City of Stairs

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvC5cKBAJRW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ansggol4enua

[takabo77]

Onomichi, the city of stairs! There are many houses in the middle of the stairs, and the stairs are longer than Yokosuka. 階段坂の街���尾道！ 横須賀以上に坂の途中に家が多い。 #cityofstairs #onomichi #hiroshima #yokosuka #階段の街 #尾道 #横須賀 (Onomichi, Hiroshima) https://www.instagram.com/p/CT0-AwOJKL6/?utm_medium=tumblr

[shetellsastory]

“They value punishment because they think it means their actions are important — that they are important.” 🍂 __ I’m about to finish the last book in #TheDivineCities series and the dread of what to read next is creeping up on me. I’m not super enjoying the last installment as much as i was madly in love with the first two books but that’s okay, i’m not mad! But, it’s time to help me choose what to pick up next; no to the #readingslump. • Skyward by Brandon Sanderson • The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson • Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (binge re-read to pick up the last installment.) Very exciting list! Haha __ #cityofstairs #readersofegypt #bookstagram #shetellsastory #fantasybooks #mybookfeatures #tbrlist https://www.instagram.com/p/B3CC43aH9DP/?igshid=neygagb83yfc

[fasteddiegloor]

Next! #CityOfStairs #RobertJacksonBennett https://www.instagram.com/p/BuXRVMElxb9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=l4963p9oxksc

[fenris02]

#robertjacksonbennett #cityofstairs #thedivinecities #mestoschodu #fantasy #Host #2015 #bookstagram #bookworm #booklover #insanebookholics

[countryheart3]

What a beautiful city and an amazing afternoon to explore it ✨🇫🇷✨ minus the never ending staircase but it was worth it 🤗 #Paris #cityofstairs #views (at Sacré-Cœur, Paris)

[adventuresbookishgirl]

#Bookmail! It's my first time ordering from Bookdepository.com and I'm so happy with these books 💙 When I finish #CarvetheMark I will have ample to choose from again. I'm especially curious about #Scythe, because I've seen it all over Instagram ❄ . Now that I'm at my mom's, I have a fast internet connection and have been able to put up some new things on my blog. I'm going to quickly finish Carve the Mark, then put that up as well ❄ . #bookstagram #instabook #bibliophile #book #reading #booksofinstagram #bookphotography #boek #lezen #ya #youngadult #fantasy #scifi #nealshusterman #cityofstairs #therook

[kammartinez]

#nowreading #CityofMiracles #DivineCities by #RobertJacksonBennett 

LAST BOOK IN THE SERIES OMG. And boy, what a series it is! I'm still so glad that a close friend of mine insisted I read the first book #CityofStairs, saying I'd love it - but then I'm not surprised this friend of mine would know EXACTLY what kind of books I'd fall in love with ;D. I'm currently in a reading slump at the moment (which isn't helped by the fact that I recently got a PS4 and am now playing Horizon: Zero Dawn), but I do try to get my reading in as much as I can, even if it's just a few pages. Will City of Miracles get me to stick around despite the charms of Aloy and the fact that I get to kill massive mechanical creatures? Knowing the quality of Bennett's writing, that's entirely possible ;D.

[thebestber]

2016 12 30 City of Stairs

Friday’s Best Ber is up!  http://thebestber.com/comic/2016-12-30-city-of-stairs/

[befuddledpanda]

Mini book haul! 😄 which to get to first?! #toughdecision -------------------------------------- #bookstagram #books #reading #booklr #seveneves #nealstephenson #traitorsblade #sebastiendecastell #thesistersbrothers #patrickdewitt #cityofstairs #robertjacksonbennett #robinblack #ifilovedyouiwouldtellyouthis #weekendreading

[wordsfornoone-blog1]

... If Olvos was ever here, then the greatest thing she ever gave us was the knowledge that we didn't need her to do good things. -Robert Jackson Bennett, City of Stairs #books #fantasy #quotes #fantasybooks #fantasyquotes #cityofstairs #robertjacksonbennett #divinecities https://www.instagram.com/p/BwYE3aunLe7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15pgmjwf5rduu

[shetellsastory]

Solid five stars! No questions about that! #CityofBlades by Robert Jackson Bennett was even more epic than #CityofStairs ✨ __ “Do you not enslave people now?” asks the man. “Chains are forged of many strange metals. Poverty is one. Fear, another. Ritual and custom are yet more. All actions are forms of slavery, methods of forcing people to do what they deeply wish not to do.” — 📓 __ Told from the POV of Mulaghesh, the General in the military; we get to go on a unique adventure alongside her. An adventure of memories, war, battle PTSD, and the last bit of humanity. I enjoyed every second of it and now i’m thrilled to pick up the third and final book in the series #CityofMiracles; told from my favorite character’s POV “Sigrud je Harkvaldsson”. Oh boy it’s gonna be good! __ #readersofegypt #shetellsastoryreviews #amazingreads #bookstagram #bookreview https://www.instagram.com/p/B2yLl1OnGYq/?igshid=104s2onvb2hsm

[stormfallennovel]

Current read. Excellent pacing and full of mystery. Loving it so far! #cityofstairs #robertjacksonbennett #fantasy #thriller #novel #goodreads

[fenris02]

#robertjacksonbennett #cityofstairs #cityofblades #mestoschodu #mestomecu #Host #czechrepublic #nerdgirl #bookworm #bookphoto #bookcover #bookholic #bookstagram #bookblogger #insanebookholics #bookphoto

[wowzersbrina]

AMEN. I will now tag a bunch of my favorite books as tags so you people can go read them. #HarryPotter #themortalinstruments #TheNightCircus #TheCuckoosCalling #CityofStairs #JustListen #bluebloodsseries #endersgame