In 2014, I picked up City of Stairs with no idea what to expect but just hoping for a good story. What I ended up getting was more than a good story. It was a fantastic one that covered a multitude of topics and even multiple genres through superb writing and outstanding world-building. I was hooked on this weirdly familiar and yet totally strange world of Continentals and Saypuris, gods and politicians, haves and have-nots. The second novel, City of Blades was just as compelling for it used the passage of time on the original heroes to further that first story while the use of a new main character and location provided enough differences to make it unique. The final book in the Divine Cities series, City of Miracles, also uses time to its advantage, but it also does something the second novel did not. By occurring in Bulikov again and through following Sigrud on his revenge mission, Robert Jackson Bennett brings readers full circle, showing readers how far society has come since that first otherworldly battle while providing satisfying closure on an amazing series.

I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to get to know more about the silent weapon that is Sigrud. He has always been a formidable figure, happier in the shadows where he can do what is necessary with no fanfare and more importantly no police. While he still does his work in the shadows, this time we still get to see what he is thinking as he does these rather gruesome deeds. We see his regret and loneliness, his resignation and his devotion to his lost friend. This greatly humanizes him. Moreover, it changes your impression of him from a weapon for hire to someone with less enthusiasm for the role assigned to him than originally thought. Sigrud becomes less a menacing figure and more someone worthy of your sympathy at the unfortunate twists his life has taken. In turn, this changes your opinions of all of those who have utilized his lethal skills to great advantage in the previous novels, making them a bit more mercenary than previously thought. By the simple act of shifting the narrative to someone who was nothing more than a silent weapon, Mr. Bennett added more depth and nuance to an already complex story.

Suffice it to say, if you are reading City of Miracles, it is because you have read the previous books and are already a fan. For those readers, City of Miracles provides a welcome conclusion to this impressive story. It is not a rehashing of the previous novels but rather a continuation of them, touching on many of the same themes but allowing them to mature and evolve as naturally occurs over time. Mr. Bennett's writing remains stellar; his ability to create humor and pathos while providing a light bulb moment all in the same sentence continues to amaze and delight me. In short, it is everything we have come to love about the Divine Cities series with the added bonus of closure on key characters and story lines.

I adored this series from book one and this final installment provides a very satisfying, albeit very bittersweet end to it (I would have gladly read six more books set in this world, by the way *hint hint*)

A fine finish to a great trilogy. I was sorry to turn the last page

At last! The final novel in this amazing trilogy! What I love about this series is that each novel takes place a few years after the previous one, and it focuses on a different character each time; this means that you can manage to read it as a standalone if you are strapped for time - though I would recommend reading the entire series in order to really understand everything. In the first book, the protagonist was Shara Komayd. In the second, it was Mulagesh. And now, we hear from Sigrud, who was always one of my favorites.

It was definitely a good thing that I read the previous books in the series because the magnanimity of the truths revealed in this novel was just ... WOW. And you really can't understand how amazing these are unless you read the previous novels. So while I'm sure you can enjoy and understand what is happening in this novel without reading anything else in the series, I would strongly advise against that; take the time and read the first 2 books before getting into this one, so that you can truly fall in love with this serie like I have! 

Sigrud.... I love him. This book did him such justice. His personality is just so .... amazing and one cannot help but appreciate him for his kindness, his loyalty, and his ruthlessness. He comes off as simple but the more you read, the more you see his complexity. The author definitely did an amazing job when creating Sigrud! I also loved all of the other characters that were a part of this story; each one was unique and had so much depth that you felt like you truly knew them! 

The story and world-building in this novel are incredible but I expected nothing less from the author of this series. I wasn't expecting all of the mysteries to be revealed in the way it did, which was a really awesome surprise. I really can't complain at all about anything in terms of the story, characters, or world-building. 

This was a stunning conclusion to an epic series and I strongly urge anyone looking for an awesome fantasy series to read this series. You will not be disappointed!

City of Miracles completes Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Divine Cities trilogy (which also includes City of Stairs and City of Blades). On the surface, this book is a tale of revenge, filled with explosions, chases, escapes, and fights against the divine. And while that alone might make for an entertaining read, it would not be enough to follow the depth of the two previous books. Thankfully, Robert Jackson Bennett gives the reader so much more. This is a story of pain, hope, survival, love, sacrifice, and our ever-shifting legacies. I can already tell that this trilogy will be one I revisit regularly, and it confirms that Robert Jackson Bennett deserves your attention. He is a talent that stands out among SFF writers, and his name should be on your “must read” short list.

In City of Miracles, Sigrud je Harkvaldsson finally gets his own story. When the book begins, Sigrud is deep in the woods, separated by distance and decades from the events of the previous novels. But when he learns that his oldest friend, now former Prime Minister Shara Komayd, has been assassinated, Sigrud leaves behind his isolated, anonymous life to swear revenge. Until now, Sigrud has been seemingly unstoppable, employing both stealth and violence to achieve legendary feats. But when his quest uncovers a new divine danger, it might be too much even for him. Even worse, if he fails, he will also put Komayd’s adopted daughter and Bulikov, the eponymous city of miracles, in terrible danger.

Let me begin my breakdown of this novel by saying SIGRUD! He is a character I have enjoyed from his first appearance in City of Stairs. Perhaps fitting for a man who made a living slipping into shadows, he always seemed to be spotlight adjacent (but nevertheless stole every scene).

Until now.

By the time this book begins, I had seen him do both unforgettable and unforgivable things. But I wanted him to be dead center in the spotlight. Here, Robert Jackson Bennett shows Sigrud coming out of retirement for one last case, despite being too old for this sh*t.

I’m intentionally using clichés here to hang a lamp on the idea that it could have been so easy for Bennett to let Sigrud get his Hulk on and smash, stab, and explode his way to revenge. Instead, Bennett portrays Sigrud in all of his strength, lethality, pain, and regret. Instead of being the same old same old (like many action stars who never evolve across the course of a franchise), Sigrud is 007 as I have always wanted to see him—carrying on, despite carrying the weight of his career. Bennett has given us something that has almost never been portrayed in film.

If Sigrud is one thing, he is a survivor. He is relentless. He will not stop until the mission is complete or someone (or something) has killed him. And so far, no one has managed to kill him. But in this dirty business, anyone who has survived and persevered that long has also lost much. Sigrud perseveres despite the pain. Or perhaps because of the pain, hoping one last time to do right by his friend. It’s not about doing good to make up for past ills. It’s loyalty. Love, even. Not romantic love, but the love for Komayd—a boss, a friend, a mentor, a savior. Sigrud knows in his bones that he is a tool of death and destruction. And, over time, he has found a way to accept it—a sacrifice of himself and the life that could have been for the life he has had with Komayd, one that hopefully made the world a better place.

And speaking of the world, Bennett has created a magnificent one. City of Miracles returns to Bulikov, the same city where the trilogy began. But it is not the same city. Over the course of the trilogy, gods have fallen, and technology has advanced. From trains to cars, telegrams, phones, skyscrapers, and deep water ports, this book features a new Bulikov, moving forward despite the damage the city has experienced.

But while there are plenty of new gadgets, there is also long memory in this world. Over generations, violence begets violence. Oppression leads to coups and coups lead to rebellions. Holy warriors find new struggles when their gods are toppled. And children raised on stories of past wrongs, grow up to become a new generation of soldiers. Violence and pain and anger reflect and refract over time. Actions taken one day echo on for years, taking on new meanings over time, both good and bad.

City of Miracles (cover)That generational divide, and the inheritance of violence, lie at the heart of City of Miracles. Bennett has created a world of memory and consequence. Actions taken earlier in the series still reverberate through the story. The younger generations think they can do things differently and create a better world. The older generation felt that way once too, but now their focus has withdrawn to a smaller scope. They are lucky if they can take care of their loved ones. If they can prevent the world from becoming worse more quickly, well, that’s a bonus.

I worry that I might be making this sound like a bitter, depressed novel. But there is a heart and hope to this series. Love perseveres too, not just Sigrud. While the series might be dark, there is an ambition and daring that I love to see. This is certainly not the same old fantasy. It is not a straightforward trilogy. Instead, Bennett weaves threads along, in and out. And there is a depth. I feel that should he ever return to this world, it would still be chugging along, with new characters loving, fighting, seeking revenge, and experiencing all the conflicting ways people try to improve the world in big and small ways.

City of Miracles caps off a tremendous series that stands out from the SFF crowd. And Robert Jackson Bennett stands above the crowd. Bump him to the top of your “to be read” pile.

Who doesn't love a tortured hero? I admit, I've got a soft spot for the guys that go grimly on and do what must be done without flinching. Sigrud is one of those characters. He's spent time in prison, been tortured by magic, been the muscle for a spy, lost an eye, lost his family, lost his country... but he just keeps plodding on. Plus, he's a Viking! And he's more than muscle, he's smart and introspective. Yep, he's my type, all right.

This is Sigrud's book. He is at loose ends in the beginning, because Shara has let him go to make whatever life he could for himself. Sigrud doesn't think he deserves much of anything, so he's working as a timber cutter when word comes that Shara has been killed. This brings Sigrud's simmering anger to the surface yet again. He didn't direct that rage without purpose, but Vikings are all about vengeance. Off he goes.

This is a book about getting old. Sigrud himself has mysteriously not seemed to age, but as he renews old contacts he sees how they have changed. There's a whole new generation which has grown up in the world that he and Shara forged, and they have their own perspectives and their own agendas. Technology has moved forward- communication is easier, ships are made of steel, manufacturing is changing people's lives. It's perhaps a rough equivalent to just prior to WWI. Terrorists and anarchists are using bombs to make their displeasure with this new world known.

This is a book about passing the torch. It turns out that Shara adopted a daughter. When Sigrud discovers this, his mission changes from vengeance to rescue, because there are people after this girl. As it turns out, the old gods also left descendants behind, and one of those descendants is growing in power. This particular being also longs for revenge.

This is a book about how the sins of the fathers are visited upon children. Often, those who have been abused become obsessed with control and power, because having these things is a way to be safe. And what could be more dangerous than a supernatural being on a quest for ultimate power?

Finally, this is a book about toxic masculinity. Sigrud believes that he is suited best for causing violence and destruction. This awareness eats at him and makes him punish himself by seeking out more of the violence that he simultaneously despises and loves. As another character puts it, he has made a weapon of his pain. He can't figure out how to reach beyond these ways of coping and knows that he must be alone because of it. It kept him from getting to know his daughter when he had the chance, an eternal regret. This loneliness and pain is what he deserves, he thinks.

There's what seems to be almost a throw-away quote in the book. I can't find it right now, but it's something like: My definition of an adult (says Mulaghesh the soldier) is someone who is aware that other people exist in the world, and act accordingly. This seems like such a simple definition, but it's one that seems to elude quite a few people. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all acknowledged that other people existed who also had rights, had needs, and if we worked to make sure that those rights were given and needs were met? Dehumanization of the other is another failed strategy to avoid pain, because it leads to the vicious cycle of others protecting themselves by the same strategy. This leads to lack of empathy, willingness to either inflict pain or look in the other direction while pain is being inflicted, which ultimately will lead to some sort of violence.

Sigrud understands all of this but still can't break away from using violence. It seems to be necessary when there's so much violence against him and those he cares for.

It's this understanding that runs underneath the action scenes and keeps this book from just being your standard spy thriller. And make no mistake, there's a lot of action! A desperate rescue of a little girl from a country house, a long distance aerial tram chase (a nailbiter), a climactic scene featuring divine power, all amazing stuff. But Sigrud understands that at bottom, violence can't be a long-term strategy because it will inspire more violence. It's not every book that decides to be an action-packed adventure while still shining a light on the problematic aspects of all of this entertainment. And yet it works.

I'm sad to see the end of this series, but it was an amazing ride. I'll admit it, I cried at the end, but it was well worth it.

5 stars for all 3 entries into this trilogy. Really, this story is just so good. Complex, believable characters that the reader really cares about, great plotting, and a wonderful balance between small yet heartbreaking details and dramatic, world-shattering events - in a consistently interesting, surprising world. Everything I want from my fantasy adventure!

This story begins 20 years after the events of City of Blades. The Viking-berserker-esque Sigrud has been in hiding for all those years, staying under the radar, evading authorities, and hoping that someday the former Prime Minister Shara will use her influence to clear his name and summon him back to her side. His hopes turn out to be in vain when the news reaches him at the camp where he's working as a lumberjack that Shara has been killed in a terrorist attack.

With nothing left to lose, Sigrud heads back to the city, regardless of all its dangers, to find out who killed the person he cared most about in this world, and to seek revenge. The plot he uncovers is not as straightforward as he expected; and much has changed during his reclusive years. Unexpectedly, Sigrud discovers he might have a cause and a reason worth staying alive for - at least for now.

Highly, highly recommended. But start with "City of Stairs" to give yourself a chance to be sucked into the history of this world and to fall in love with its people.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are unaffected by the source of the book.

The final book in a trilogy, it did’t disappoint. What I found intriguing about this trilogy is each one had a different main character. The characters were a part of each one, but had very different roles in each. This one follows Sigrud as he tries to avenge the assassination of Shara, one of the few people left that he cares for. What follows is Sigrud getting pulled into one last Divine plot. The characters are fantastic, even the secondary ones. The world building pulls you right in. And of course the plot moves along and still leaves you surprised at the end. Fantastic end to an amazing trilogy.

City of Miracles is the third and final book in the Divine Cities series, following City of Stairs and City of Blades. This book follows Sigrud je Harkvaldsson, the giant Dreyling, a mountain savage who in the first book served as Shara Komayd's bodyguard and partner in investigations. Now, almost 20 years later, Sigrud hears news of Shara's death and rushes to Ahanashtan to find those responsible. While he finds traces of a bomb, he discovers a Divine barrier in the streets of the city that turned Shara's hotel into a fortress, suggesting that Shara has once again involved herself in the Divine. But Sigrud knows there is only one God left in the world because Shara has killed the other two.

Surprisingly, Sigrud finds the actual killer fairly easily, although overcoming the killer's divine protections was more difficult. Still, while searching, he learns that Shara was working a larger operation collecting mysterious children that seem to have special powers. But this work is opposed by Nokov, a child of the Gods who has powers over darkness. Nokov is able to gain strength by absorbing the powers of the other children, which he plans to use to become a full God himself and then defeat the remaining original one. He has a list of these Godlings, including Shara's adopted daughter, Tatyana.

Sigrud is aided by a girl with powers over time, the extremely rich fiancé of Shara's former boyfriend, and his own hand which has power over the Divine as a result of past torture with the Finger of Kolkan. Ultimately, Sigrud becomes not just Tatyana's protector, but also her teacher in the use of weapons.

This book provides a strong characterization of Sigrud who embodies persistence. He finds himself drawing on skills he has not used in over a decade, constantly surviving incredible damage and injuries culminating in an incredible action sequence on an aero-tram, essentially a cable car that can travel for a three-day ride. The book would make a fantastic action movie. His age comes up frequently as well, although he does note that he isn't aging as much as he was before he went into hiding. For instance, he wonders if he is "an old dog insisting he can still perform old tricks". However, at other spots, Sigrud is surprised at how well his old tricks work in the modern sophisticated world.

It is worth noting that unlike so many fantasies where technology is essentially frozen, in City of Miracles the world has made advances since City of Stairs. There are trains, cars, guns, and bombs, in addition to the aero-tram. Yet the book feels closer to traditional fantasies with its invented world than to urban fantasies in which magic functions in our own world. The book also has some interesting speculation on the nature of the divine.

Although this is the third book in the series, Bennett provides enough information that a new reader can follow along, especially since each book in the trilogy focuses on a different main character and nearly 20 years have passed since the first book. However, the books in the series are interesting enough that the reader really should start with City of Stairs.

Overall, I think City of Miracles is the best book in the trilogy. It has stronger characterization and a better sense of consequences to the characters’ actions. Sigrud is not as clever as Shara is in the first book, but succeeds through determination and stubbornness. Readers who enjoy Max Gladstone's The Craft Sequence will also enjoy this trilogy's take on the relationships between humans and the divine.

5ish stars.

An appropriately perfect (or at least near-perfect) conclusion to a spectacular trilogy, one that I'm sad to say goodbye to. This has a little bit of everything. Mystery, character building, some insanely cool set pieces (the aerotram!), and all of the emotion one could expect from the climax and eventual denouement.

Bennett has such a talent for getting to the heart of his characters. I never cared much for Mulaghesh until she took the spotlight in City of Blades 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, but it would be nothing without the Big 3.

Ironic that my initial reaction upon finishing the first two books was that another book was unnecessary and now that the series is finally finished I can't help but wish we could see where things go from here. It ends just right; things aren't perfect, but there are endless possibilities...

Posted in Mr. Philip's Library

Revenge. I didn't want to cry but holy I did. I can't explain how much I loved this world and just thank you Robert!

I think it’s going to be impossible to review City of Miracles without reference to events from Robert Jackson Bennet’s first two books in the series (City of Stairs, City of Blades). or without discussing the major precipitating event (no real pangs of guilt here; that event is also detailed in the official bookseller summary), so consider this your fair warning: There be spoilers ahead!

Bennett picks up the story years after the close of book two, with Sigrud off in lumberjack country, haunted by the past and waiting desperately to be called back to his old life as agent-assassin by his friend and partner, the former Prime Minister Shara Komayd. When news of Shara does arrive though, it’s a shocker: she’s dead, assassinated in a hotel bomb blast. Surprising nobody who has read this series, Sigrud vows to find and kill those responsible, turning his finely honed skills and often surprising ability to survive the un-survivable toward delivering vengeance/justice (the distinction doesn’t much matter to him). To that end he’ll meet up with a favorite character from the earlier books, Turyin Mulaghesh; Shara’s adopted teen daughter, Tatyana; and survivalist-slash-“world’s richest woman” Invania Restroyka. Along the way he also discovers (again to no one’s surprise) that Shara was involved in some weighty secrets involving this world’s gods, secrets that may threaten not just their nation, but the world entire.



Bill: So before we get into the detailed look at the book itself, since it is the concluding work of the series, I just wanted to start off with an observation that I think this trilogy as a whole stands as one of the best crafted series of the past several years if not decade (s). I can think of a handful of series I’d put alongside it, but I’m pretty sure (without actually trying to tabulate it), that I’d put it in my Top Ten from 2010-onward list for its combination of characterization, prose, thoughtfulness, thematic depth and seriousness, and its powerful emotionality. So I was wondering: where does THE DIVINE CITIES stand amongst its contemporaries in your own view?

Marion: I think THE DIVINE CITIES is one of the most important works of this decade. Bennett takes on deep, complex, thorny issues, but these aren’t books whose story is secondary to a message. He has created a genuine world and works out the issues through complicated, original stories with characters who are appealing, complex, flawed and who often show different facets of themselves to different people. Shara, for example, seems different in each book, yet she is a congruent character. People see different sides of her; a fact that Sigrud realizes in City of Miracles.

Kate: I agree with Marion and Bill. One of the aspects of THE DIVINE CITIES that strikes me is Bennett’s worldbuilding. Worldbuilding is a concept we talk a lot about in SFF, and often worldbuilding just elicits a “wow! Cool!” response from readers. There is a lot in THE DIVINE CITIES that is cool, certainly, but the history Bennett has invented for his world--a history of cultural violence, oppression, and war--has real-world significance and meaning. The characters in these books are dealing with the fallout of colonialism, which is something we can see the effects of worldwide. For me, that’s one aspect that raises these books from “Wow! Cool!” to truly important.

Bill: Yes, City of Blades was, as we all noted in our review of that book, a searing indictment of war and its impact, and City of Miracles continues that exploration, and resumes as you say a running commentary on the effects of colonialism--both on the colonized and the colonizer. As Marion points out though, Bennett doesn’t allow message to outweigh story or character, since beyond taking on “big issues,” Bennett examines as well the impact of sharply personal grief/sorrow, asking for instance in the case of Sigrud: what happens when that grief becomes all-encompassing?

Kate: Reading what happens to Sigrud in this book, the way he deals with the tragedy of his life, really affected me. I think it’s good that Sigrud’s was the third story told. All three major characters--Shara, Turyin, and Sigrud--are mysterious characters, people with secrets. But Sigrud seems defined by his secrets, by his drifting, rootless nature, more than the others. With two books behind me, I have more invested in him now, which made uncovering his scars (literal and metaphorical) all the more satisfying

Marion: Yes, quite apart from the complex story and the feats of daring -- like on the sky-tram! -- the things that linger are the depths of Sigrud’s grief and remorse and Bennett’s exploration of the way a society exploits its children (more on that later). Sigrud has been defined by his loss and grief, and reading this book made me think back to City of Stairs, where Sigrud confronts an entity that threatens to unleash torment upon him -- only it can’t, because it can’t beat the emotional torment he already endures. I love how the first two books did make Sigrud’s losses seem like a “strength” for we readers as well, only to upend that idea here and offer a real critique of the impact of grief. Is this nearly every comic book/pop culture male hero who loses his parents/wife/lover/wife & child and is driven to violent extremes because he “has nothing to lose?” Bennett puts that under the microscope.

Bill: Yeah, just consider that punch-in-the-gut line, “You have made a weapon of your sorrow.” That pretty much sums up, as you say Marion, nearly every pop culture male hero. But is that really an honorable response to grief and sorrow? Not to mention that the world would be full of an awful lot of murderous vengeance-seeking people if, as one character notes, we’re all “little more than walking patchworks of trauma, all stitched together.” Should we all make a weapon of that trauma? I think Bennett makes his view on that pretty clear through the acts and dialog in this novel.

Kate: “Making a weapon of trauma” is carried through in the arc of several characters over the series, and very literally in the arc of the new antagonist, a child (of sorts). It is heartbreaking to see all of the main adult characters sacrifice parts of themselves and co-opt their own pain in order to survive, and I think Bennett is saying something about the legacy of trauma when he shows that it gets passed down to children as well.

Marion: Which gets back to the other point I wanted to make about how I think the way a society treats children is central to this book and the series. In City of Miracles we see people, human and superhuman, using children to meet their own needs, causing them pain, and going so far as to weaponize them. That’s part of why one character’s choice at the end is so satisfying.

Bill: Yes, as one character asks, “How many times has one person performed an unspeakable atrocity, all in the name of making the world better?” In that regard it reminds me a bit of Steven Erikson’s MALAZAN series, which often takes the treatment of children as its theme as well. But Bennett doesn’t simply go for the easy sympathy by depicting children being horribly treated. He forces us into more discomfiting territory by showing us those same mistreated children (some of them) doing horrible things as a consequence of their own mistreatment, depicting “a loop, an endless loop of injured children, growing old but keeping their pain fresh and new, causing yet more injury and starting the whole cycle over again.” It’s certainly not a stretch to argue that perhaps the primary question facing humanity is whether or not we will ever break that cycle.

Kate: This is what I love about these books, and why I will keep coming back to them! They don’t tell a story about a simple, easy victory where the heroes walk away relatively unscathed--or even where it’s easy to separate hero from villain. Almost every “bad guy” in these books has a backstory, a reason for their actions, and most of those reasons point back to structures of power. The system--whether religious, governmental, or economic--are the real bad guys, the real seeds of chaos and violence that the characters end up acting out.

Marion: And that sense of those systems is what makes one character’s choice interesting at the end. There is a see-saw of consolidated power versus, I guess I’d say, “distributed power.” Ironically, once that choice is made, one government immediately sets up a bureaucracy to deal with the “ new reality.” I loved that. Can you really make lasting changes in centuries-old, deeply entrenched political systems? These stories seem to be saying that it is individuals who change, not regimes, if I’m reading them correctly.

Bill: That’s a good question. I wonder if the idea is that the bureaucracies and governments and regimes sort of all pull us along in a particular direction due to a kind of aggregate weight of effaced-humanity (the “mob” or the “faceless bureaucracy”) or inertia, and the on-going corrective to that is individual change, which can allow things to sputter forward in awkward, painful starts and stops.

Marion: As far as individuals go, we meet two young women in this book, Shara’s daughter Tatyana and a woman named Malwina. They represent the new generation. They are very different people, and I liked them both. Malwina is more self-confident and street-smart, but Taty is a strong person too, in a different way. Bennett also introduces a Continental woman named Ivanya, a former socialite from Bulikov who is fabulously wealthy and has become radicalized. I liked her but I thought she was the least-developed character in the book, her change in consciousness explained in one or two sentences. Admittedly, it’s not her story, but I found her a little convenient. What do you two think?

Bill: The two young women are different, and I quite liked both their portrayal and the eventual understanding we come to as to how/why they’re different from one another. Taty I thought showed the most growth; she’s strong as you say but I think we see her grow into that strength, whereas Malwina is a bit more fully sprung from the brow, so to speak. Another way of putting it perhaps is that Malwina has more the typical fight-the-villain struggle role while Taty’s struggle is more emotional and interior, dealing for instance with grief, thanks to the death of her mother, and dealing as well with revelations about the people she thought she knew (including herself). As for Ivanya, I’d agree she’s not very well developed, and often serves as a nice bit of plot engine, but I so enjoyed her voice and personality I was more than happy to overlook that aspect.

Marion: I agree that Taty shows the most growth here, and it’s believable.

Kate: Honestly, just from a fan-service-y point of view, I was happy Bennett created Ivanya because of the connection she and Sigrud share. Although no one’s arc in these books ends in a neat or pat way, it was nice to see Sigrud get to experience more positive human connection--with Ivanya and with Taty--after he’s lost almost everyone important in his life.

Marion: When we started writing this review I asked you both if a certain character’s choice, at the end, reminded you of the final episode of the TV version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. To recap (spoiler alert for the 20-year-old TV show), Buffy was a Chosen One, “One girl in each generation,” awakened to fight evil and, ultimately, die fighting it. The Slayer was merely a resource for people in power. In the series conclusion, Buffy “awakens” all the potential Slayers, giving them their own lives and own destinies. In City of Miracles, we see that Shara’s Aunt Vinya had no compunctions about treating people as resources and political tools, and, while Shara can be ruthless, this is one key difference between her and her aunt.

Bill: Without going into too much detail so as to avoid spoilers (for the new book, not the old TV series), I did think of Buffy at the near-end there, and as with Buffy it was both a bit of a surprise (though I think more in execution than even) and also had a sense of inevitability, which I always think is a mark of good writing. It’s interesting that in Buffy that power structure that uses/abuses the Slayers is clearly I’d say meant as a criticism of the patriarchy system, while here we have two women that could be charged with a similar attitude (though I agree Shara is subtly different, one reason being her willingness to accept bearing the consequences of her acts). Which perhaps both highlights that the issue is power and hierarchy and is also a mark of progress that the women can be shown in that same light once reserved for the malevolent male power bloc.

Kate: I’m glad you brought that up, because I definitely see Shara as complicit in the system. Her motives are arguably better than Vinyas, and we can see that she loves the people around her in a way we weren’t sure of with Vinya. Still, it was hard to like Shara as much as I did, knowing that she would sacrifice people she loved. Since we’re comparing SFF franchises here, sometimes I felt about Shara the way I felt about Dumbledore from the HARRY POTTER series--this well-meaning person, fighting on the side of “the good,” who nevertheless keeps secrets and uses people as pawns.

Bill: Good connection. And while we’re on the end here, I’ll just note that I thought Bennett nailed it, a perfectly bittersweet close.

Marion: I agree. It was a perfect ending.

Kate: Yeah. I had to close the book and take a moment--or three--just to process. It was beautiful.

Bill: I think the last thing I’d like to mention is that while I love this book and this series on the macro level for its superior depth of characterization, the richness of its worldbuilding, and its willingness to wrestle with big ideas/issues even as it tells compelling personal stories (“wrenching” is a word I’d often use in that regard), I don’t want to just gloss over the craft at the micro level — the sentence level. There are many beautiful lines, and lots of others that work as sharply powerful aphorisms, short on words but substantive enough for you to sink in for some time. So I wanted to point to just a few of my favorite ones:
“What puzzles the dead are. They take so much of themselves with them, you’re not even sure who you’re mourning.”
“Passionate is the love that a nation has for its prisons.”
“The awful choices we make to survive. Is it even worth it?”
“We float upon a sea of moments. And never are we truly free of them.”
“The past and future never seem to acknowledge one another, do they?”

In CITY OF MIRACLES everyone reaps what they sow. Taking place 20 years after the events of the first novel, CITY OF MIRACLES explores what happens when revolutions end, after important figures have gained and ceded power. The world continues, as it must. Characters age, characters die, but Sigrud je Harkvaldsson has been the only constant.

Sigrud has been a favourite character throughout the Divine Cities series. It’s hard not to love a sullen bruiser who willing to launch himself into battle. After years in exile, Sigurd is older, unused to constant fighting. He’s earned the right to go for the easier kill. Sigurd has always relied on the guiding hand of Shara Komayd, but when she’s gone he’s left hopeless and unsteady. Shara might have always lobbied for a better future, but Sigurd has only ever focused on standing still and following direction.

As final book in a series, CITY OF MIRACLES is immensely satisfying. It’s hopeful, nostalgic, and sad. Alliances and enemies are closely tied to the events of the first novel, CITY OF STAIRS. It’s easy to speed through the plot, as Sigurd uncovers enemy after enemy, looking for his next target. The past and the future hold equal weight in the novel, as Robert Jackson Bennett ties together loose threads that you didn’t even know were still dangling. If you’ve read the other books in the series, it can be hard to read as much-loved characters grow old or even die. But, to pass on politics and power to a new generation, history demands that kind of change. CITY OF MIRACLES asks you to consider the type of world you want to shape, and the lengths that you are willing to go to do so. It asks questions about duty, regret, and selfishness that stay with you long after you’ve closed the book.

Published by Broadway Books on May 2, 2017

Epic fantasy almost always follows a well-established path. A heroic figure embarks on a quest to overcome a force of evil. I don’t read much modern epic fantasy because so much of it is predictable and boring. But whatever genre Robert Jackson Bennett chooses (he often straddles fantasy and science fiction), I read his work with great anticipation because he is never predictable.

City of Miracles is the third novel in an excellent trilogy. It seemed to me that the first novel was so good, there was no need for a second. I enjoyed it but I felt a bit let down because the characters and setting were no longer fresh and startling. Still, as soon as I started reading City of Miracles, I was swept up in the sense of wonder that enveloped me as I read City of Stairs. Part of that stems from the novel’s focus on Sigrud, one of Robert Bennett Jackson’s most complex characters and by far my favorite in the trilogy.

Shara Komayd has not been prime minister for ten years, but she still has enemies. City of Miracles opens with her assassination — the first of many surprising elements in story — the news of which deeply disturbs Sigrud. Naturally, he vows to find the killer. That leads him back into the quest established in the first novel and advanced in the second: to overcome the divine entities that pose a threat to humanity’s future.

There shouldn’t be many divine entities left after the first two novels, but it turns out that the divinities had children, and there are any number of those, although the most powerful of them wants to wipe out the rest and absorb their power, strengthening his ability to expand his realm (nighttime itself) until nothing is left that is warm and light and, well, alive.

Along the way, Sigrud fights the requisite battles that an epic hero must face, but the interesting thing about Sigrud is how he changes over the course of the trilogy. In part, the change is physical — something happened earlier in his life that (as the reader will have noticed in the last book) gives Sigrud an improbable ability to overcome divine obstacles — but he also changes emotionally as he struggles with his past, his pain, his dark nature, the death of his daughter, the death of Shara, his sense that he has never been free to define his own identity, and his uncertainty about the identity he would want to define if given a choice. Sigrud describes himself as “a man whose moments are little more than slit throats, and sorrow, and skulking in the dark.” He is an unlikely epic hero, but he is also selfless and duty-bound, a man whose means are at war with his ends. Bennett always creates strong characters, but the conflicted Sigrud is one of his best.

City of Miracles is an excellent action/adventure novel. On another level, it can be read as an allegory about the isolation of abandoned or abused or orphaned children, about the consequences of failing to provide them with stability and guidance. And it is a novel of epic themes: the need to let go of grievances before they become all-consuming; the difference between justice and vengeance; the eternal struggle of the privileged few to control the masses; the desire to defeat time; the meaning of freedom and happiness; the remarkable ability of humans (and deities) to destroy just about anything that’s good.

By removing the story from the political quarrels that impair clarity of thought, science fiction and fantasy can use a world (or time) that is not our own to shed light on the failings and virtues of the world (or time) that is our own. Bennett uses that opportunity to say something important about our world and our lives by directing our attention to a fictional world that is very different from, but significantly similar to, the world that humans are always trying so hard to destroy.

The first book in the trilogy was so good that I was almost sorry to see it continue. Having read the third book, I’m sorry to see it end.

I love the Divine Cities series and I await every new book with great trepidation and excitement, because I know that Robert Jackson Bennett won't disappoint. I read and reviewed the two previous books as well, if you are interested to read my opinions: City of Stairs and City of Blades.

City of Miracles is the closing chapter in the stories of a lot of characters that I grew to know and love in the two previous books, so I have a bitter-sweet feeling upon finishing this book. Even if the author continues this series, it will be a different world with different characters, because the events in this book brought the end of an era and paved the road for a new one.

Don't get me wrong, I will still pick up the next book with just as much trepidation and will be excited to see the direction in which this world will evolve, but it will sure feel empty without Shara and Sigrud and all the others…

Sigrud had been hiding, moving from place to place, from one meaningless job to another, just waiting for Shara to call him back. Instead, he learns one day that the former Prime Minister Shara Komayd had been assassinated. And Sigrud sets out on a journey of revenge, doing what he does best - track and kill those who killed his friend. Only there is a lot more at stake than anyone could have imagined, because all these years Shara had been waging a secret war with a Divinity, and the outcome of this war will change the world.

When previous books were about the Divine wars and its casualties, as well as the guilt of the survivors, City of Miracles is about lost souls. It's about the war orphans, both human and Divine, whose lives had been shattered by war and who can't quite fit in this brave new world.

We know that the Radj killed all of the Divinities except one, but what happened to the multitude of Divine children that those Divinities created in the thousands of years of their existence? It was assumed that they simply vanished when their parent Divinities died or were hunted down and exterminated as well. And the most powerful ones certainly met that fate. But what of the weaker ones? The unimportant ones that didn't have their own followers and had always lived in the shadow of their powerful siblings and parents?

Turns out they survived. Kolkan hid them, made them seem human, erased all memories of their divine nature. He hoped to bring them all back once the war was over and he came out of hiding himself, but we all know how that played out in City of Stairs. So those children, those orphans, are condemned to drift from orphanage to orphanage, from family to family, never aging, never remembering their past, their memories resetting every time their families start to wonder why the child they adopted 7-8 years ago didn't seem to age. Yes, they survived, but isn't that a terrible price to pay?

But what happens when some of those Divine children remember who they are? What happens if one of them was captured by the new regime and tortured for years? Wouldn't he want revenge when he escaped?

I think this book, more than the previous two, shows that no matter what happens to the world, no matter what horrors, humans will find a way to survive, adapt and move past it. And the biggest proof of that is the city of Bulikov - we saw it in ruins in City of Stairs, its citizens beaten down and oppressed, yet in City of Miracles, merely 50 years later, it's a thriving metropolis again, where the old and the new are intertwined and found a way to coexist. Or Voortyashtan, where Signe's dream of opening the river to ship traffic again is finally a reality, even if Signe died without seeing it happen…

Legacy is another recurring theme in this book. What do we leave behind when we die? Signe left a dream of an engineering miracle and others made it a reality. Shara spent her whole life trying to change Saypur and bring peace to the continent, and she succeeded. Even Kolkan managed to leave a legacy by saving all those Divine children from certain death.

I think this is the strongest message of this book. That we need to live our lives in such a way that we leave behind a positive legacy, instead of a destructive one, even if this legacy is important only to our family and friends…

So to summarize, this book is a must read, but I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series with City of Stairs, following up with City of Blades, and finishing off with City of Miracles.

With City of Miracles, Robert Bennett Jackson completes one of the most unique fantasy trilogies I years. This final installment continuing the genre blender in style, mixing elements of fantasy, mystery, action adventure with more than a little thriller mixed in for good measure. Sigrud je Harkvaldsson taking his turn at the helm; this fan favorite guiding the saga to its very fitting conclusion.

It all begins when the unthinkable occurs: Shara Komand, former prime minister of Saypur, assassinated! The news leaving the world in shock, none more so Sigrud, Shara’s former ministry partner and friend. For years, he has been living in exile after the events in the city of Voortyashtan, waiting patiently for the day Shara would contact him, tell him he was no longer a wanted man, and allow him to return home (though Sigrud didn’t believe he had a home or family anymore). But, now, with his only friend killed in a premeditated manner, Sigrud goes into cold blooded vengeance mode, returning to civilization to hunt down and slowly kill Shara’s murderers.

Quickly, things become more complicated than Sigrud had expected. His old friend involved in a secret project, which even her closest friends and family were unaware of. The frantic investigation uncovering a list of more potential targets and a murderous mastermind behind it all. Each piece of the puzzle taking Sigrud deeper and deeper into a deadly plot involving disappearing children where Shara’s own adopted child might be the next one to vanish. And behind it all lurks the specter of the Divine returned again to haunt the world!

As always, Robert Bennett Jackson concocts an engrossing narrative filled with pulse-pounding plots, seat-of-your-pants action, emotional moments, divine magic, and thrilling revelations. Sigrud able to effortlessly take the lead; his penchant for brute violence supplemented by surprising cunning and unexpected emotional turmoil. This mysterious associate of Shara Komand finally coming into his own, developing into much more than a quiet berserker; his shadowy past and mysterious secrets unveiled, leaving him with important decisions to be made about his future. The conclusion of his journey a real tearjerker.

Despite all of this, I have to admit that City of Miracles is my least favorite book in the series. This is because (unlike City of Stairs, which is my favorite of the trio) Miracles is more an action adventure thriller with a contemporary setting including such things as phones and skyscrapers; its plot driven forward by the mystery and littered with suspenseful fight scene after fight scene. And, yes, I readily concede that is the exact same formula Robert Bennett Jackson has used in all these books, but here the ingredients are in a different mixture. And the slight increase in some elements (action thriller) at the expense of others (epic fantasy) changed the flavor of this one, made it less savory for a fantasy fan like myself, who was drawn into this series by its mesmerizing magic and divine beings.

City of Miracles is a good book, exciting and entertaining from beginning to end. I’m sure most fans of the series will find it a fitting send off for the series, but, unfortunately, I was wishing for something a bit more fantastical and moody like City of Stairs. Alas, I did not get what I wanted, but I definitely do not regret seeing how the Divine Cities series ended, because it was a fun ride from beginning to end.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

While I'm so very sorry that this series is over, Bennett brings us to its conclusion with a bang. This is absolutely epic (and tragic) storytelling.

In City of Miracles, Sigrud is out for vengeance - and gods help anyone (human or divine) who gets in his way!

We have a return to a couple of old characters, but Bennett brings us some new ones who are completely awesome. I simply couldn't stop reading!

Expect truly epic battles and expect your heart to break more than once!

Completely stellar!

I fell in love with Mr. Bennett"s incredible story telling in the first two novels of this series, and wasn't disappointed with the conclusion. no, wait. I lie. i wish there was more story to tell. It's hard to see such an interesting world come to an end, but i'm grateful to have been able to spend the time i did with the characters.

this is definitely a series i'm proud to have on my shelf, and am eager to share with others.