I absolutely adored the characters in this book. My only criticism was the world building, but otherwise an amazing book!

4.5
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was an amazing Sci-Fi heist. The vast amount of worldbuilding, plot and character development came through cleanly without any of it being dumped on you all at once which was super refreshing to read.
The book follows two lead girls Riven and Asa, who are from very different walks of life. Asa being a rich girl who we see as a big asset due to her mechanic skills. As well as Riven who is an amazing sharpshooter. The side characters are all extremely loveable and really emphasise different dynamics.
The relationships throughout this were beautifully written, with an amazing sister bond which was a major motivator. There was also a massive found family element to this book which I thoroughly enjoyed. This book explored a number of my favourite tropes throughout and they were so well done (which i'll keep to myself because of spoilers). The action scenes were full of tension and i was so intrigued to see how each of them would play out.

This was so good!

First off, the LGBTQIA rep in this was really something else. I am coming to learn I really, REALLY love a sci-fi/fantasy story if at least half the characters are queer. And this literally checked all the boxes for me.

Action, adventure, banter, and characters that are to die for. All in a sci-fi world where technology is the death of us. Something not too far off of our current reality.

As heiress to a powerful tech empire, seventeen-year-old Asa Almeida strives to prove she’s more than her manipulative father’s shadow. But when he uploads her rebellious sister’s mind to an experimental brain, Asa will do anything to save her sister from reprogramming—including fleeing her predetermined future with her sister’s digitized mind in tow. With a bounty on her head and a rogue A.I. hunting her, Asa’s getaway ship crash-lands in the worst possible place: the neon-drenched outlaw paradise, Requiem.

DNF at 25%. Unfortunately, I found that the writing style of this book did not agree with me at all. The prose was very simple, and the conversation read very immature to me. While I found the characters very interesting, and the premise extremely exciting, the book sadly did not grip me enough to continue.

A dystopian novel dealing with sibling love, loyalty and gangs, featuring a romance that resembles June and Day from "Legend". This book was really easy to get into, with loveable characters and witty dialogue. I usually don't like love triangles, but I actually didn't mind this one. It wasn't overly angsty and everyone involved had love for each other. The plot was predictable if you've read enough YA, but not enough for me to get bored. Overall, a really fun read that I'd recommend if you want to see a sapphic 'princess and criminal' trope!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn is a fantastic sci-fi heist story with robots and space pirates. The story revolves around two female protagonists: Riven, the leader of a space smuggling crew, and Asa, who is an heir to her evil scientist father's tech company and who is trying to save her sister Kaya from his grasp.

Here is a quote from an exciting chapter from Riven's point of view:

"One by one, her bullets exploded through the metal shells. The mechs burst into showers of sparks and shattered metal. Steel spider legs fell from ceilings. Her silver-blonde braid whipped over her shoulder as she ducked beneath a salvo of bullets from a turret." - Chapter One

And here is a quote from a chapter from Asa's point of view:

Luca strode back into the spotlight. "Well done, Asanna," his voice washed over the crowd. "As you can see, her brilliance makes her a worthy successor, and I'm proud to have her as the heir to Almeida Industries, and to Project Winterdark." - Chapter Two

I was so excited to continue reading and see how they resolve their respective plots and how their two stories intersect. To be invested in a story, I have to be connected to the characters, to the plot, or to the world-building. Although City of Shattered Light had all of these things, I took off a star because I found myself really having to push myself to get through and finish reading the book. I felt like the book was missing something to maintain my interest, and I'm not sure what it was.

Lastly, this book has a lot of LGBT representation, which is great. Both of main characters, Asa and Riven, are bi/pansexual. However, if you're looking for an LGBT romance, you might be disappointed. There are just as many romance scenes between Asa and Riven and male characters as there are between the two of them. I counted two of each. .I believe this book could be classified as an extremely slow, slow-burn romance, and the sci-fi action takes precedence in the plot. Overall, if the quotes above or the description seems intriguing to you, you should check out this book when it comes in October. I recommend it for all readers of the YA science-fiction genre, especially if you're looking to read books with LGBT representation,

I was lucky enough to read an early version, and I can honestly say as an avid SFF reader, you are in for a treat with this book.

If there is one way to describe City of Shattered Light, it is with two simple words: tension rocket. The pace of this story is so breakneck, you're barely allowed to breathe, when you get said breath, you're aching for more. None of the world-building and plot arcs fall under this intense rush to the climax, in fact, you're almost wishing for more by the time you get there. It's just so jam packed with fun scenes, it's a wonder how they all fit in.

This neon-soaked space colony is oozing with underground bravado and spectacle, that it almost feels straight from the mind of Phillip K. Dick but with a modern bass-thumping vibe. Then throw in some very relatable characters with competing motivations (including a sharpshooting wannabe cowboy), a heist that has the potential to go seriously wrong, some weird-ass alien tech, and one of the baddest bubblegum snapping cyborgs ever seen on page, and you'd still not be able to describe everything this book has, well without spoiling everything.

It also helps when the author has a flair for the written word. Such as knowing how to weave a scene that you feel smack dab in the middle, feeling everything happen around, the bullets flying by, the pulse of synthesizers. Riven and Asa (the two main points of view) feel and read like genuine people, with flaws and goals. The way the pair are written makes you, as the reader, root for them all the more to get through this crazy speed racer story, while also grumbling in anticipation for them to finally buck up and kiss already. Added to that are some intense, action-packed scenes that make you wanna throw the book across the room, only to pick it straight back up and figure out how the heck the crew are gonna get out of those situations...

All I can say is that I cannot wait for this crew of misfits' adventure be read by everyone. It's a thrill ride and then some!

This book promised sapphic sci fi, and it delivered in the best way possible. There was a reasonable love triangle, awesome cybernetics, and a super cool urban setting. The plot was fun to read and I didn't have a hard time with anything, really. The ending resolved most things, but was open enough that a second book is definitely necessary. I can't wait and I totally recommend this book to sci-fi lovers. Check it out!

This is the book 16 year old me wishes was around ! 25 year old me loved it too but I’m so excited the tech heist WLW YA book of dreams is available for all the teens who need it.

The story suffered a bit in the start for me because the build up was a bit hard to get into. A personal pet peeve of mine is continuously referencing things that have happened pre-chapter one in vague terms. I also had a hard time settling into the world because the tech was hard to visualize.

After you get through that - the story is well done. The characters are rich and well written, the story is fun and gripping and I was rooting for everyone involved. A definite perfect read for someone and I’m thrilled it’s going to be available soon!

This is a great YA sci-fi read for anyone looking for something that feels different/more grounded than space opera. The tech is cool, but accessible, the world vibrant and gritty. The characters nail that found family feel.

For me, personally, the mark of a great sci fi is the mix of: how the hell did the world end up like this but also I'll take one of each of those mods, please. And this book nailed this balance.

A great read for someone crying out for more sci fi!

#CityofShatteredLight #NetGalley
Thank you to North Star Editions/Flux via Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Can I just say that everyone has to move this book to the top of all of their list? This book had hit all the necessary points for me and it was absolutely amazing. I applaud Claire for allowing us to connect with her characters and giving us enough detail to understand the plot of her story.

I would absolutely recommend this book 🤗