This was an epic, emotional ride and the perfect ending to the Divine Cities trilogy.
I loved the revenge, mysterious gods, the fast-paces and the theme of grief.
A perfect ending to this series!

I received a copy of this book as part of the 2018 Hugo Awards voter's packet and therefore won't be reviewing it on NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Broadway books for the ARC of this book.

I loved that this was Sigrud's book. It all felt a lot more mature with the themes in the books but was still thrilling. Robert Jacks Bennett has a way with building a world and trapping you in it til the end of the book. It was fantastic.

I quite enjoyed this book - early-20th-century-analog is a great setting for a fantasy world. I liked the “sidekick” from previous books becoming the viewpoint character, and the examination of how “villains” are often the victims of a system taking up the tools of oppression and applying them to others. We all are hurt and cause hurt in turn.

This was the start to a very, very good book series by an incredible author. It's tough to describe this fantasy series, but I've spent many hours reading them. Please give them a shot.

A fitting conclusion to a wonderful series! It was a moving tale and I was quite sad to see it come to a conclusion. I am happy that Bennett is giving us books in his new Foundryside trilogy because he is one of my favorite authors! Bennett has such a knack for getting to the heart of his characters and developing them in unexpected yet satisfying ways. I never cared much for Mulaghesh until she took the spotlight in City of Blades (the second book in the series) and I thought Sigrud was overrated until this book. And as devastated as I was at the end of City of Blades, I was much more quietly but no less powerfully so here. Despite being named after The Divine Cities, the series is really all about its three Divine (if not literally) protagonists. The worldbuilding is awesome and I am convinced that I will be reading anything that Bennet writes from here on out.

This was an excellent conclusion to the trilogy. Of course, like the other two volumes, it was very entertaining, I really cared about the characters, and enjoyed vicariously sharing their experiences. It was also very fun to learn about the background of the protagonist who played such a key and mysterious role in the other two books. Though the ending was slightly sad. My next stop after this book was Foundryside. Thank you for the wonderful books!

A very strong finish to Robert Jackson Bennett's Divine Cities Trilogy brings the series to a fitting end by telling the story of Sigrud je Harkvaldsson, Shara Komayd's loyal but flawed enforcer.

The opening reveals the seemingly successful assasination of Komayd, by a disaffected former colleague. But the assassin is not working alone. A mysterious 'other' whose very name brings danger is behind the killing. When the news reached Sigrud, hiding in the wilds after the disgrace arising from his actions in 'City of Swords', he seeks revenge on the perpetrators. Only it is not quite so simple, despite the obvious skillset he brings to the chase. His own demons are very real obstacles to success in his quest. Not to mention the very real potential for collateral damage. And just what would 'success' look like in this context.

Bennett manages to make the struggles of Sigrud and those who assist him in this battle against an enemy who wishes reset the world which has given him so much pain and suffering both important and not free of consequence. And I do like the way in which he resolved the issues of just how to control and regulate ultimate divine power. Democratic divinity anyone?

City of Miracles is the third and final book in Robert Jackson Bennett's "The Divine Cities" trilogy that began with City of Stairs. It's honestly a very different book than its two priors, although it's up there for my favorite of the trilogy. Whereas the first two books were fantastical mysteries/thrillers, with its protagonists trying to figure out what was really happening in time to prevent the oncoming crisis, while remaining largely in the same location, City of Miracles is more like what you would get if you combined Jason Bourne with NK Jemisin's The Kingdom of Gods. This is an awesome thing, although not quite as awesome as that comparison makes it sound (as I consider TKoG to be one of my favorite books ever, that's not meant to be a criticism).

City of Miracles follows a favorite character from the prior two books, Sigrud Je Harkvaldsson, the Dreyling (think Viking), as he attempts to get revenge for the assassination of the first book's protagonist, Shara Komayd. Whereas the prior two books featured characters having to solve situations with their minds, Sigrud is (while highly intelligent) much more inclined to solve problems with his fists, knives, or guns. The result is a more action packed story that ends still on a nicely poignant note to conclude this trilogy nicely.

Note: While each book in this trilogy has been stand-alone, and it might've been possible to read City of Blades without City of Stairs, it is not advisable to begin the trilogy here, as there are a lot of references to the prior books in this series (and the prior two books are very good, so why would you).

---------------------------------------------------Plot Summary-------------------------------------------------
When ex-Prime Minister Shara Komayd is assassinated, her former bodyguard/associate and now fugitive Sigrud Je Harkvaldsson decides to abandon his life in hiding and to get revenge for his former close companion. But what he finds when he does is that Shara was not totally out of the political game of this world - in fact she may have been involved in a new global conflict between forces of the Divine.

For while the six Primary Divines are gone from this world (5 dead, 1 missing), some of their children seem to have escaped the purge years ago, and one of them is not content to remain in hiding, but instead seeks the utter dominance the gods once had. What can Sigrud do against this powerful child of the Divine and can he really keep Shara's legacy safe? The answer will change the world one last time.
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If there was one major side character who was a favorite of mine (and I suspect of many readers) in the first two books of this series, it was Sigrud Je Harkvaldsson. Don't get me wrong, I love guile heroes (Shara is an absolute gem), but Sigruds design as someone who just manages to barrel through physically every obstacle with seemingly little effort has always made him amazing, and that combined with his intelligence has made him a really fun character to follow - and a bit of a tragic one after City of Blades. This book finally features him as a main character, and he's every bit as amazing - awesome at times, tragic and relateable at others, as you would imagine.

The result incidentally of switching from heroines who deal with problems more with their minds to a hero who deals with things with his own physical might is that the form of the book changes. I made a Jason Bourne reference before the jump, and I really mean that comparison - there's even a scene on what's basically an air-tram involving our hero jumping on top and on the side of the train with a knife, while his traveling companion tries to use a rifle (to shoot a moving projectile) that felt like it could come directly out of a Bourne or similar action movie. And it is as awesome as it sounds. There's still a bit of mystery solving done by our hero in this book as in the prior two books, but what exactly is going on is pretty apparently early on - aided by yet again the pre-chapter blurbs of a historian which let the reader know pretty clearly (and well before the characters) what actually is going on.

Our main antagonist of this book....eh, he's okay. This is where the Kingdom of Gods reference I made above comes in - he's pretty similar to the antagonist of that book, if not quite as interesting or good (he's similarly tragic in very similar ways, but is more clearly a child so it's hard to treat him as seriously). And the rest of the worldbuilding, now featuring more active lesser divinities, is interesting but it's been kind of done before (again, The Kingdom of Gods reference I made earlier). But the ending and end result is immensely satisfying and is an excellent way to cap off the series.

Again, I really enjoyed this whole series, and would recommend it to people wanting some interesting fantasy thrillers - it's well worth your time.

Having read the first two books in this fantasy companion trilogy (City of Stairs & City of Blades) I knew I had to get my hands on the third book. Robert Jackson Bennett has a way of truly captivating the reader and pulling them into the story. The characters are magnificent and the world building is amazing. I truly enjoyed reading this book.

This third book is centered around revenge. Sirgrud finds out that Shara has been killed and wants nothing more than to find and make the killer suffer. On his journey he encounters many people to help him and many against him.

There are epic battles fought, things revealed and lots of shocking moments to keep you on your toes.

The way the three novels came together to create this beautiful, heartwrenching, warm, fuzzy, bloodshed conclusion...just no words for the awesomeness that is Mr. Bennett. Just perfection.

Highly recommend if you're looking for a great fantasy trilogy to read.

PS. Though it can be read as a standalone -- I advise reading the first two novels to get the full richness of the trilogy.

City of Miracles is a stunning accomplishment; it is a marvelous ending to what I now consider my favorite trilogy, and a fast-paced, addictive story in its own right.

Sigrud je Harkvaldsson was one of my favorite side characters in both City of Stairs and City of Blades, and I was both incredibly excited and more than a little nervous to read his story. Sometimes when a side character becomes the focal point of the story, they seem to lose a bit of their appeal for some reason. That was definitely not the case here. Sigrud has a wealth of experiences under his belt, most of them not good ones. Those experiences have shaped him into the man he is today, for better or for worse. He feels that he really only excels at one thing: violence. Once again, he finds himself in a position calling for violent action, and he revels in it. Until he doesn’t. Sigrud grows so much throughout this book, and I loved seeing him learn from past mistakes and struggle with his past and who that past made him.

While reading the first two books in this trilogy, I kept thinking that Sigrud reminded me of someone, though I could never put my finger on it. In City of Miracles we get to see into his mind, and I finally figured out who Sigrud is reminiscent of, at least in my opinion. He reminds me of Frankenstein’s Monster, the nameless noble savage who cannot seem to separate beauty from brutality. Because there is definitely nobility within Sigrud je Harkvaldsson, but that nobility has been hardened by a lifetime of violence. Sigrud’s tortured inner monologue also reminded me of the Monster, as both struggle within themselves to break free of the savage cycle in which they reside.

Mourning has become a way of life for Sigrud. He has lost everything, both through the machinations of fate and the works of his own hands. But he suddenly finds himself in a role of leadership, and must help others deal with the same pain. How do you lose everyone you love and not let it turn you bitter? Or, if it does, how do you let go of that bitterness and move past it? How do you make that pain into a reminder to enjoy what you do have to the fullest, instead of letting it blind you to everything except what you’ve lost?

I don’t want to discuss plot here, except to say that the one within these pages was excellent. I was afraid going in that this installment would be lacking the mystery element that so drew me into the first two books, because of the spoiler in the synopsis. (If you haven’t read this series, don’t read the synopsis! Go in as blind as you can. Trust me.) And for the first third or so, it seemed that I was right. This book felt more straightforward than the others. But I needn’t have worried. There were definitely mysteries and surprises to be had. I love that these books were so unpredictable.

This book also gave me one of the most satisfying endings to a book or trilogy I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It was powerful and moving and just exactly right. I read it through tears, which I think is one of the highest compliments I can pay a book. The only ending I remember ever moving me to this extent is that in one of my favorite books, Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis.

One of the things I love most about this trilogy is how well each book can stand on its own. I would of course strongly recommend reading all three books, and reading them in order. But if someone were to stumble upon the second or third installment and read that first, not realizing that it was part of a larger story, I feel that they could still appreciate it and enjoy it for what it is outside of its counterparts.

I can’t recommend this series enough. It is a perfect blending of multiple genres. It is a vivid, potent, multifaceted story. It is comprised of rich, broken characters, who have the benefit of years instead of youth to make them more compelling. It is original and unique and moving. It’s a story that will stay with you long after you read the final page.

City of Miracles is the final book in the trilogy that starts with City of Stairs and continues with City of Blades, though it's set 13 years after the previous book in the series. As I get older, I find myself appreciating books which have grown-up characters at their heart, not just some pre-ordained teenager's quest and City of Miracles continues to give me what I want - what I've described to people as 'grumpy olds doing stuff'. Sure, there are teenagers here too but they're the supporting cast rather than the centre of things in a lot of ways.

The books are set in a world where miracles were once commonplace and the first book takes place in the direct aftermath of a war which has led to the death of the majority of the Divinities which once provided those miracles. The second and third books are about various things trying to fill the void left by those Divinities, either with a warrior class which had previously served them returning unexpectedly or with the offspring of said Divinities trying to claw their way to power.

The main character in City of Miracles is Sigrud, who also appears in the previous books, and who'd fled to self-imposed exile in the previous volume. As we meet him again, we discover he's been waiting for a sign he can return, which had never come, and now the person he'd expected to call him back has been killed. This assassination is all part of the plan of Nokov, who is attempting to gather power by killing other divine children and apparently Sigrud has to plan a significant plan in foiling his rise to power.

I really enjoyed City of Miracles, which rounded off the series very nicely, and I look forward to seeing more novel-length stuff from this author - I also plan to nominate the series for next year's Best Series Hugo.

The difficult part of reading a Robert Jackson Bennett novel is slowing yourself down to really absorb the story because what you <em>want</em> to do to is read faster and faster in order to find out what's going to happen and because the energy level of the story is on high.

I jumped into this book fresh off the previous volume in the trilogy so all the key players were still familiar to me, which definitely was a help, but not entirely necessary.

In a world much like our own (but perhaps after decades of rebuilding post apocalyptic holocaust), Sigrud je Harkvaldsson is a man on the run. He had gone mad when he learned that his daughter Signe had been killed and he on turn killed many soldiers. He's been in hiding for some time, but when he learns that an old friend turned politician has been assassinated he risks his own life to seek revenge.

But Sigrud will have to face more than mere mortal to get retribution. The Divine are on the rise and someone is taking their powers. Yet even to his own surprise, Sigrud discovers that he also has some powers and manages to stave off an attack by one of the Divinity who appears from the shadows. Someone, Sigrud realizes, is killing the children of the Divine and absorbing their powers. He feels an obligation to look out for the safety of a child ("Taty") of an old friend of his - no easy task given the state of things.

Sigrud takes on monster after Divine monster and is pushed to the limits of his ability and his life, but the existence of everything is at stake and Sigrud may be the only one who can save the world.

Bennett's power of world-building and creating characters that are 'real' - identifiable, and likable (or despicable) ... characters who are understandable - we know what drives them and it feels so honest - is simply unparalleled. When you open the pages of this book, you become quickly caught up in this world and you bond with the heroes and you can't help but believe in everything that happens.

In Sigrud Bennett has created a powerful hero - one who is tested, pushed beyond his limit and is pushed some more. He's a classic hero and through it all, we never get the sense that he is un-real or not possible. He is who we would like to believe we would be under similar circumstances.

This is a powerful and exciting trilogy and <em>City of Miracles</em> is a truly thrilling climax to the story.

Looking for a good book? City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett is a well-written, well-plotted, thrilling fantasy and you won't regret giving this a read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic ending to the series. It wraps up the story in a very satisfactory way and is exciting start to finish..

STOP right here! If you haven’t read the first two books in Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Divine Cities series yet, add them to the top of your list! You don’t know what you’re missing! City of Miracles just won’t read the same without having read the City of Stairs and City of Blades.

Shara Komayd is a legend, one who has received a vast number of death threats. As a former covert agent and then the Prime Minister, Shara battled gods and enemies, wreaking great changes in the world. Shara cleaned house at Parliament before she herself was given the boot. During her heyday, Shara had a lot of help from her friends! One of the most memorable of those is Sigrud je Harkvaldsson, a great brute of a man (think Viking). Shara rescued Sigrud from prison and he worked with her and protected her every step of the way. Then there is General Mulaghesh who shined so brightly in those battles. She is brilliant, damaged and IMHO, a great hero in her own right. I love these characters and I’m invested!

In City of Blades, hell hath no fury like Sigrud je Harkvaldsson! Still haunted by the death of a loved one and the revenge he took thereafter, Sigrud has lived in hiding now for 13 years. He’s moved from job to job, keeping a low profile. (Well…as low a profile as he can manage, you know…being Viking-like and all!) Ever-faithful to his comrade-in-arms Shara Komayd, he knows that one day she will clear his name and summon him to her side once again. Yet when he finally has news of Shara, it’s only to learn that she has been assassinated, and even though he is a wanted man, he knows it’s time to come out of hiding. He must find out who killed Shara and take revenge. He also finds himself thinking of her adopted daughter, Tatyana Komayd, wondering what will become of her. He has only seen her once in her life but she’s the one thing he has left of his closest friend.

Vengeance is the name of the game when it comes to Sigrud but he is still so likeable. His revenge always seems to be for all the right reasons and this man could star in his own action movie. He also oozes a heart of gold for those he loves. His uncanny lack of aging is a mystery to him and us. During his investigations, Sigrud discovers the fact that Shara still harbored some secrets at the end of her life leaving him with more questions than answers. Look out, he’s about to open a whole new can of worms about the Divine!

RJB chose to shift the focus to another character in each book which was a great tool and kept the series very interesting. I’m not sure which he thought would turn out to be the most popular character but I know who mine is. General Mulaghesh took the prize hands down in City of Blades. This is a very well-rounded series, full of mystery, suspense, action and just plain good storytelling!

Robert Jackson Bennett has become one of my favorite authors with his amazing The Divine Cities series. I am really curious to check out some of his earlier books and I highly recommend you read this series!

I want to thank the publisher (Crown Publishing) for providing me with the ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

With City of Miracles one, if not the best, fantasy series of the last couple of years comes to an end. I cannot start to express just how much I loved reading them. The world is so complex, as are the characters, and these series is so emancipated that I really couldn't tell if they male of female based on their position (but without making a show of it, which means it felt all the more real). Before I just keep rambling about the series, let me tell you one thing: it comes highly recommended! (But start with City of Stairs, the first one)

City of Miracles follows Sigrud, some fifteen years after the previous books, as he learns of Shara's dead. I was shocked at this at first, since she was the main character from the first book, but it really works. As Sigurd tries to protect her daughter, he learns about something that is bigger than them all.

I enjoyed it so much I don't know how to put it best into words. I recommend taking some proper time to really immerse yourself into the world because it will be worth it. It is not often that I'm so saddened by a book, but the ending was right in the feels. I also felt some pain because it meant this adventure is over. Did Robert Jackson Bennett write other books besides The Divine Cities? If so, I must get them NOW.

Thanks to Blogging for Books and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I had a very hard time getting into this book.
No star rating and no real review as this went into my DNF pile
Thank you for the chance to read this I wish it could have gone better btwn us

A truly outstanding closing act to what, in my opinion, has been a fantasy series that stands shoulder to shoulder with the greats. Is there rousing action? Yes. Complicated yet accessible plotting, and mythology, that ties the series together? For sure. Enough humor to leaven out the grimness of the subject matter? That's total yes. Will you cry at the end? PROBABLY. A must read.

So glad I was finally able to read this book. It is the final installment of The Divine Cities series. And like the rest I really did adore this book. When this all began I thought the series would center around Shara. While Shara plays an immense roll, I think the series actually mainly revolves around Sigrud. He is prominent in all 3 books. Even more so than Shara. So it wasn't a surprise that book three really centers around him.

He has been hiding in the woods since Voortyashtan and the death of his daughter. He can't cope with the things he has done. Unfortunately something happens that draws him out of hiding. He again loses someone he cares immensely for. This loss sets in motion the greatest battle between man and god. The Divine are hard to kill and unknown to everyone they still have a piece of this world. But it isn't the big baddies we are used to, it is their offspring. No worries not really a spoiler. Sigrud has to come to terms with his past to save everyone, the world...Tatyana (Shara's daughter).

I loved this story. I loved the action, the heartache, the depth of the characters. We know so much but we are learning more. Everyone we love makes an appearance along with some newbies that make this the best one yet. I hate that this series has come to a close but it was a beautiful send off. I laughed, I cringed, I cried...this time for real and not because it was ending but how everything ends. It was perfect, happy and sad. "What's good about sad? It's happy for deep people". It is a must read for anyone that enjoys fantasy, especially if you've read the first two.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books to read and give my honest review.

SPOILERS

Since the last book I keep wondering why Sigrud is still the strapping youngish man he has always been. Haven't like forty years passed between book 1 and 3? Mulaghesh has clearly aged, Shara too. What is happening?! He also can't seem to die. He has had many many life threatening injuries but somehow he lives...how? Clearly the mark on his hand has SOMETHING to do with this, right. So right! I just love him. He is broken and beaten but he is a good man in the end.

So they kill Shara in the first ten pages, what?!? Not what I was expecting but okay. But her daughter...where is Taty?!? I mean the shadow of her comes back at the end but she dies AGAIN and its pretty brutal. So brutal is changes Taty forever.

I do like how Ivanya is back. She isn't the spoiled rich girl anymore. She is a hardened woman. She is Taty's guardian and has removed herself from society. She thinks Sigrud is nuts but he grows on her. She is tough as nails. I liked the romance between them and was sad with how it had to end.

Taty is so innocent. She just wants to be a normal girl. She is in danger because the people (divinity) that killed her mother want her dead too. Sigrud will protect her at all costs. She is all he has left of Shara. Taty has talents no one understands. I knew she was a Divine Child but the revealing that her and Malwina make up the maimed child floored me. They are time incarnate. Taty the future and Malwina the past. Together too powerful and a threat so the Divinities separated them into two beings. Taty is amazing. She matures so much but stays a child.

Nokov is freaking horrifying. He is the night. He is EATING the other Divine Children to become a true divinity. He will bring about the final night because he has been wronged. He is a brat with power and its scary.

When Sigrud with his mortal wound breaks through to Time (Taty & Malwina merged) and convinces her to stop I was so excited. He will not let her/them forget who they are. Taty is Ashara Komayd's daughter and she is good! But Sigrud it dying. He accepted his fate and the mark is fading. He is no longer defying death. Taty saves him in one last burst of divine energy. She also disperses the divine spirit into the wind. Now all people everywhere, not just on the continent have the potential to be divine. Random strangers are showing signs of miracles, Taty created a whole new world.

Sigrud, although alive no longer has the mark. He has aged overnight. He is old and weak. They make it back to the Dreyling islands to protect Taty from the world. Its the only place she is safe. Once he is well enough he goes with Taty to the sea to watch her play with other kids her own age. She is frolicking and having fun. She is being a kid. He is happy. He leans against the tree and I started tearing up. When Taty came back to him I knew he was gone but I still cried. Sigrud is finally at peace.