I feel like I should start with the word rollicking. As in reading this book was a rollicking good time. There is some good storytelling and one or two things I wasn't super excited to read.

If you like your Science Fiction with a hefty dose of science based or derived elements, you will find this one a bit light in that regard. The YA cast are clever and are also not the inventors of most of the tech they use, so it's not their fault. While there is much that doesn't move the story forward, you will find the bits that stray from the story line do help flesh out each character. There is action and intrigue and escapes from impossible situations (very deus ex machina, but I enjoy it). The romance elements are very simplistic, irrelevant to the main plot and not central to the story.

Thank you North Star Editions and NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I felt the writing was good for a YA, but it had a very cartoonish villain. It felt a lot like a children's movie. The science wasn't properly explained at times. The story was entertaining but I found it difficult to prioritize this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Claire Winn for an advanced reader copy in exchange of an honest review. City of Shattered Light follows our main character’s Asa and Riven. Asa just wants to get away from her overbearing and controlling father who is using her sister Kaya for experiments. Riven on the other hand just wants to make a name for herself in the crime underworld. After fate forces them to work together in hopes of completing the same common goal. City of Shattered Light was a joy to read. It was filled to the brim with different types of characters and worlds. City of Shattered Light is science fiction; however, Claire Winn did an impressive job. Towards the start the world building was heavy and at times confusing and overwhelming. Towards the middle it slowed down to a more natural pace. The characters however are what stood out the most in the book. Each character had complex backstories and personalities that we slowly learn about. The plot was unique and original although at times I was a little confused with the whole mission and keeping track of all the characters. However, towards the end it all came together. Besides that, the story was smooth with character’s having realistic reactions to problems and events. I think that’s what made the character’s feel so real and good was that they were raw and real. Although at glance City of Shattered Light seems like a pretty hefty and heavy read it really isn’t. It is fast paced and once you reach the end you will double check to see if it done. After that last chapter I definitely need a sequel. City of Shattered Light simply deserves a sequel. Overall, for a debut Claire Winn is impressive and I can’t wait to read more of her books and can tell that she will be a hit in the science fiction young adult community.

An heiress and an outlaw meeting and falling in love while trying to save the world? AND make it sapphic? Um, yes please!
This was such an excellent book and I barely have words to describe just how much I enjoyed the characters AND the setting in City of Shattered Light. I'm usually very hesitant to pick up books that look to be super sci-fi-y but this one had me hooked from the very first chapter.
Asa and Riven were such a delight to follow and I can see fans falling head over heels for them.
The only thing that did bug me was that this was YA because the characters read way older and I wish this would have fallen into the adult category because a lot of actions (and baggage both characters have) would have made more sense and maybe been better explored if they were a bit older.
Super small complaint though and definitely no reason not to pick this up immediately and fall for this amazing story!

I don't think there are enough words to describe how excellent this book was, from the sci-fi to the incredible world-building it had, and the fact that each character was complex made it all the better when it came to how I loved it every one of them. I don't read many sci-fi books, and this was an easy read to follow.

3.5 stars. A good debut book, but it had the potential to be more. I loved the worldbuilding, the plot, the tech, and action parts. But the characters and the character development didn’t work for me which took away part of my enjoyment. Considering that this is a debut book I think this author made a very good start. This appears to be the first book in a series although the story is nicely wrapped up and can be read as a standalone if you don’t want to commit to a series.

I can’t say much about the plot as it is so easy to spoil, but you follow Asa (third person narration, first POV), an heiress to a tech magnate whose experiments on his other daughter (Kaya) went too far. Asa escapes her planet to save her sister and has to learn to survive outside the safe environment she’s used to. During her mission she encounters the Boomslang crew. Their leader is Riven (the other MC and second POV), a gun slinging outlaw who wants to establish a name for herself with her loyal crew at her side.

One thing that I immediately noticed, and this has been mentioned by other reviewers as well, is the mismatch of age and behavior. The MCs and their friends are supposed to be 17-18-year-olds, but this absolutely does not make sense. They have so much baggage and experience, they should be at least in their mid-twenties. Also, the story is pretty hardcore and gory at times, which I do not directly associate with a YA book.

The next thing that I was struggling with was the characters themselves. First of all, Riven. I think the author was aiming for a dangerous and morally grey character, but I didn’t like her and her actions and thoughts were often all over the place, so I had no idea what made her tick and it was hard to find redeemable character traits.
Asa was more consistent, but even she had her moments that puzzled me. These moments were mainly related to the small romance that plays out. One minute she was crushing on one person and the other minute on the other and the whole thing ended up in some sort of a love triangle. Maybe this is youthful indecision, but it didn’t work for me, I like to be able to root for a couple. Even a love triangle can be ok, but then there should be balance and I felt that one person was being used in this scenario.
Since this is about a crew, also the other characters are of importance and while I liked Ty, he was very sweet, I thought they were all a bit flat.

So, the worldbuilding and storyline were great, but the characters prevented me from connecting to the story for a long time. However, around the last third of the book did I get invested in the story to that level that I really needed to continue reading and I felt that also the characters were improving (which is why I’m rounding my rating up). I’m looking forward to what this author will bring in the future!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the YA cyberpunk of my dreams. It's all relentless action in a neon-drenched outlaw city ruled by matriarchal gangs, with alien tech and glittering cybernetics and a gang of found family characters who will weasel their way right into your heart – every single one of them (okay and even the baddies might do that a tiny bit too.)

Riven is a cool kickass gunslinger, ambitious and damaged in more ways than one. Asa is scared but determined, seeking to carve a future for herself. Ty is basically a neutral good cinnamon roll, way too nice for this kind of dirty business, and you would kill for him. Samir is all muscles and all heart, and Diego is way too smart for his own good. Also, they have a dog and he's called Zephyr and nothing bad happens to him.

Amid the cracking pace of the main action is a love triangle, simmering sweetly. It's pure angst and 'oops that's a feeling I'm having right there'.

The worldbuilding is vivid and real and luminous, a movie for your mind, crossing several incredible locations... although you have to know my favourite is the grimy, pumping Requiem, ruled by matriarchal crime syndicates.

Highly recommended.

Objectively, this book was great. The plot was exciting and fast-paced, the characters interesting, and the writing easy to follow.
That being said, it took me ages to get through. In this case, I think it was my reading slump combined with my pickiness about science fiction, but I don't know that this book was really my thing.
Definitely worth a read if you're a fan of science fiction, just not for me.

City of Shattered Lights is a fantastic novel that kept me engaged from the very first page. I adore tough main characters and to have two who are both females was a bonus! Riven is a thief and she owns her hunger in her quest for status and recognition. She has this burning need to be known and no crime is too much on her journey to fame. Even kidnapping the daughter and heir of Almeida Industries.

Reasons why you should pick this up:
LGBTQ representation with queers and chaos bisexuals
Scifi meets futuristic tech vibe
An engaging, fast-paced, original plot
BIPOC with Asian influences
Crime syndicates
Hello, have you seen this gorgeous cover!
Fabulous host of characters (machine and real)

This is a strong cyber/punk vibe that was complimented by vividly descriptive writing and great world-building. I enjoyed that City of the Shattered Light was more than a kidnapping heist but morphed into something more complicated and intense. The betrayals were jaw-dropping and the secrets had me shuddering.

While I highly enjoyed the character development of both Riven and Asa, I couldn't necessarily connect with the secondary characters which slightly took away from the overall storyline.

In summary, I loved the essence of City of Shattered Lights and believe this is a phenomenal start to a promising series. The writing flowed and had such intensity that I was never bored. Riven and Asa have such interesting dynamics separately and together, that it made up for the lack of secondary character development.

Thank you to North Star Editions for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

City of Shattered Light was a standard sci-fi book, but I enjoyed the descriptions of the setting and the action scenes- those were where the writing was best. Unfortunately, it was hard to connect with the characters and their relationships with each other. I didn't love either of the main characters and didn't get a full grasp on their motivations. The crew was meant to be a found family, but I couldn't feel anything for their dynamic- the book could've used more character-driven scenes. I also disliked the love triangle, and how it played out didn't make sense to me. However, despite the negatives, I think the book has promise, and might read the second book.

thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book for this honest review.

this was a really well done young adult scifi novel, the characters were what I wanted from this series and the plot was so well done.

I picked this one up mostly because of the cover. Two badass ladies, what more could I want? Once I’d read the blurb I was sure I had to read it!

The pacing and writing of this novel was wonderfully done. I was invested from the first few pages. Both in the characters and their story. I really loved the dual narration from the main characters Asa and Riven, it made their dynamic a lot more interesting. I loved the snark and humour in the dialogue – both spoken, and internal from the narrators.

With this novel, Winn has created a vivid world for her characters to navigate through. I loved the atmosphere of Requiem with it’s dark and gritty atmosphere – especially with it lit up with the neon lights of that tech focused world. I especially liked seeing Requiem from Asa’s (the runaway’s) point of view, while she feels out of place, Riven thrives – and slowly, Asa starts to feel the same. Asa’s character development is something that I hope is explored further if a sequel is written.

I loved getting to know the characters in this book. They all had really interesting backstories which added to the mysteries. One thing I did find was that the two main characters seemed a lot more fleshed out than the others on the team, even though the other team members had just as much of a role to play as the two main characters Asa and Riven. I understand that as main characters, and the narrators if the story, Asa and Riven are bound to have a bit more too them, but not at the expense of other characters. Especially when they are all so wonderful. This is in no way a hard criticism of the characters and the way they were written, this just made it a little difficult for me to connect with them, though it in no way lessened my ability to get emotionally invested in the whole rag tag team. I am really looking forward to seeing more of the characters in future novels in this series.

One of my favourite parts within this novel is the sibling dynamics of various kinds that are displayed with different characters. The caring or protective aspects were really sweet to read which I loved. What I think I liked most though was the more chaotic energy that Asa and her sister emulated with their interactions. This was similar with Riven and her crew, which made this such a fun novel to read. The sort of “this idea is crazy but it’s your idea so I’ll do it anyway” energy that only siblings or really close friends can truly have. This really added to the whole found family feel of this novel.

I recommend this to lovers of the sci-fi genre who don’t want something too intense but still want it to be cleverly plotted and fast paced. If you’re looking for something with great characters, a well crafted plot, and plenty of found family/sibling dynamics then this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for sending me this free eARC (eAdvanced Reader Copy), I am leaving this review voluntarily. This title was published 19th October 2021

I usually don't like 'cyberpunk' stories. But this one caught my eye and everyone has hyping it up. I'm not sure if it's me or the book, as I'm going through a rough reading slump. But I haven't been able to get into the story. I'm temporarily dnfing for now. I do plan to pick this one back up in the near future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flux for giving me the review opportunity.

Riven Hawthorne is leading a band of armed smugglers robbing scavengers to order under the atmo-dome in Requiem city, when her prize is stolen by the bounty hunter Morpheus Slade.
On a world of luxury and ease, sisters Asa and Kaya Almeida are the heirs to the biggest tech company in the universe. Asa is the scientist, Kaya the creative artist.
The worlds of Riven and Asa come crashing together in this stunningly realised science fiction novel, where the reader is instantly drawn into the contrasting worlds of these teenage characters and their struggles for family, connection, friendship, safety and security.

City of Shattered Light is a Queer Sci-Fi book, so obviously I was desperate to get my hands on it. It has an amazing concept and there are some really great aspects in this story and some really wonderful and exciting scenes. However, as a whole, it just didn't live up to my expectations and I struggled to finish it.

The characters are vibrant and diverse (although some of the secondary characters felt a little hollow) and the world-building is great. However, there is a lot going on in terms of the world in which it's set and at times it can be a little confusing or overwhelming. The same goes for the plot. There is a lot happening constantly and it can be hard to keep track of. There was a lot of action which I always appreciate in a book as it keeps things moving and most of the action scenes were pretty easy to follow.

The middle of this felt a little slow and as if it dragged however and I feel like some of it definitely could have been cut to make the book more succinct. But overall it was a fun YA sci-fi novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this debut novel and I went into this one without much expectations since I haven’t been reading much sci-fi. It’s got a good premise and characters that are pretty cool, as well as a world that was setup really good. There were times that I got turned around and lost myself a bit, but the author managed to bring me back and I got to appreciate the story overall once I got to the end.

I need to be up front with my bias here: I freaking LOVE cyberpunk stories, and City of Shattered Light hits on so many of my favourite cyberpunk tropes that I cannot reasonably be expected to maintain any sort of objectivity.

Between a gunslinging prodigy determined to be a queenpin of the gritty underworld (and she’s bi), an amazingly intelligent heiress desperate to save the one person who matters to her (who’s ALSO bi), a found family of ragtag queer misfits, bubblegum carrying cyborg assassins, evil intergalactic corporations and malevolent viruses and isolated planets of the ultra rich… my cyberpunk bingo card gets a full blackout. Are these beats perhaps a touch predictable? Yes. Were they executed in a highly entertaining way that kept me turning the pages because they are really good freaking beats? Also yes.

From the stunning Big Bi Energy of the cover to the action packed plot, City of Shattered Light is a great reminder that sci-fi in YA isn’t dead, thank you very much. Riven’s bristly, arrogant, overprotective energy was refreshing to see in a lady lead, and Asa struggling to find her footing after leaving her sheltered world felt well described. The developing relationship between Riven, Riven’s crew, and Asa as newcomer rings authentic as trust issues and secrets abound. Add in an ending that alludes to a very interesting follow up novel in the series and this was a great read for me.

Truly, only a few things kept this from being a resounding five stars for me. The first was that this novel suffers from an issue I run into frequently in YA these days, where characters who are supposed to be 16-18 are running around with the life experience of someone in their mid-20s. If you told me these characters were 25, I would believe you; in fact, I sort of ended up picturing that in my head anyway. I realize teen prodigies and lack of adult supervision are staples in YA so I’m not knocking it TOO hard, but this one is a bit on the nose for it. There’s also a love triangle setup in this, and while it’s at least novel to have a bi love triangle, I’m still not really a fan of them no matter how well they are executed.

Teenage Heron would have been beyond stoked for a book like City of Shattered Light, and adult Heron still had a thoroughly enjoyable time. If you’re a fan of the cyberpunk subgenre and want to read an action-packed romp with two bi leads set in such a verse, City of Shattered Light will certainly deliver.

Thank you to Flux and NetGalley for an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Cinematic and compelling, with vibrant characters in a neon-colored scifi world! A great new YA debut to add to the genre

Queer sci-fi? I LOVE IT!
This book captivated me from the first page right through to the last.
It was intense, with high action that kept my attention. Something I sometimes struggle with when reading a sci-fi book (also, would love this on audio!)
The cover alone is absolutely stunning, and shows just how phenomenal the book is inside.
I am going to recommend this one to everyone I know!

Really enjoyed this sci-fi queer YA novel by Clair Winn!

City of Shattered Light does rich girl meets hardened criminal with a heart of gold so well! I adored Asa and Riven, and their growing connection was a joy to read. The plot was well set up, and I especially felt intruiged by Requiem, the lawless city that Asa runs away to, and the world building for this was top notch.

There was some pacing issues, and it felt slow in the middle.

Overall really liked this sci-fi action YA novel!