I really want to like this book, and maybe if I was a different person I would, but I am who I am which means that, unfortunately, that is not going to change.

To begin: the positives. The premise was interesting; a young witch searches for a missing witch in Liberty, a police state which seceded from the USA. She is accompanied by a talking cat named Stan, who used to be a person before she turned him into a cat. The premise is fun and sounded interesting. It (along with the Stan’s character voice) was what carried the book (and what is making me waffle between giving it a 2 or a 2.5).

The character voice was also quite good. Stan, especially, was a special brand of absolutely insufferably smug yet a joy to read because he is such a terrible, awful person. Eleanor’s character voice was less strong, but fine. Her character concept was less strongly developed right out the gate overall.

Now onto the issues I had. The pacing was… odd. I was around 50% through the book when I stopped and thought: why are we only getting this information now?

About halfway through the book is when we get the flashback to why Eleanor and Stan were sent to Liberty. This is where we get a lot of vital characterization of Eleanor as well as general world-building about witches, how they work, and Eleanor‘s abilities specifically. We also got information about Eleanor‘s coven, her relationship with them, and Eleanor‘s general outlook on life and personality.

Had we had any of this information earlier in the book, it would have allowed for things to… actually happen. Before then, there really isn’t much that happens. Stuff is set up, sure; the disappearances, the water shortage, the systems of control Liberty has put in place. But it all took much longer than it needed to and was all very… hm.

On one hand, there were some interesting ideas. The state of Liberty and the control it exercised over its populace, the propaganda, and ways that witches work were all elements I thought were well done. I especially enjoyed the conversations in the coven about their powers, the nature of the world, and the rituals. On the other hand, though, much of the plot either did not make much sense, felt a bit empty, or felt like it just did not quite gel with the rest of the story.

My issue is, I think, that the plot felt like oil and water. The plot threads were just not woven together. For example, most (if not all) of the interesting, cool witch-y stuff came at the end of the novel, meaning that Eleanor did very little at the beginning. Not just when it came to actually using her powers—I honestly forgot she was a witch at all a couple times because so much of that important characterization comes so late. Magic’s prevalence in the world wasn’t established until then so I genuinely thought this was a world where magic was at least known, if not commonplace, only to learn that was not the case until much later.

Stan and Eleanor essentially had two entirely separate storylines, which occasionally crossed over but barely felt impactful because any effect one might have had on the other either turned out to not be all that dire or just didn’t happen at all. Their relationship was underdeveloped; they do not like one another all that much, and I really would have liked to see them actually work together on something instead of them kind of just doing their own things. The treasure hunt storyline was… well. I liked Stan as a character (liked to hate him, anyway) but the whole plot line of the treasure hunt was so shallow and not very interesting. The in-world explanation of it, too, felt unconvincing and shallow (and not in a way that seemed intentional—it just felt shallow and I really wish that the author had take a different route to exploring the themes with his character, one that was more interesting and integrated with Eleanor). Eleanor’s plot line was marginally more interesting but ultimately again held back by the by the late development of a lot of really important elements of the lore and her character.

Additionally, some minor complaints about Eleanor‘s character. The book describes her as someone who is hotheaded, impulsive, etc., but we never really see that. We are just told that. Part of the issue is that most of the interaction we see at the beginning is her and Stan, in which case her irritation is warranted, considering how obnoxious he is. I really wanted to like Eleanor but she just felt so boring up until the last third of the book, at which point she felt like an entirely different character altogether.

Finally, the political commentary. There was a lot of interesting political commentary on America here, especially when it comes to American government and propaganda. There are, however, two points where I just stopped reading and was like “huh???”, because even though the overall slant of the novel is feminist/liberal, these two points took me entirely off guard.

The first thing is the language use. There are exactly two points in the narrative that made me stop reading because I was so surprised by the fact that the author chose to use the terminology that she did, and not in a good way. Near the beginning of the book, Stan is eavesdropping on a couple having an argument. The beginning of the conversation isn’t shared, but the man argues that the archetypal American that the country was built for is a white man. She replies by saying—and excuse my language, but I shit you not—”When it was stolen from the Red Man, yes. Not the Red Woman, either, which is very interesting.”

Huh? What? Scuzi?? There is so much to unpack. Why on earth would that character say that and not Native Americans? Why on earth would the author think that was a good choice for dialogue? Even if we take the most generous interpretation and assume that this was done to critique non-intersectional feminism, this use is never addressed, Native Americans are never meaningfully brought up again in the narrative, and the intersectionality of feminism is only paid lip service later in the narrative once or twice (and only racial intersectionality). Later in the novel, another side character calls Stan a “Libtard” in a moment which I think is supposed to be funny, as Stan gets offended because he is not a liberal. But that joke would have worked fine with a variety of other insults that aren’t based on an ableist slur. In fact, the joke would have been funny had any other insult been used!

It isn’t that I necessarily have an issue with what the novel is trying to get at politically. The overall gist is, I think, aiming to be a feminist one. It is that the method in which it does so seems to be a little shallow and, at times, contradictory (and not in a way which provokes thought or conversation, in a way that comes out of nowhere, does nothing, and continues on to never be addressed again). There are times when having a character say harmful things in a feminist novel are important and can be built off of, but these two times were not used in any meaningful manner. They were both just really unnecessary.

The Splendid City really tries to do a lot. It wants to have magic, technology, political commentary, feminism, sarcasm, and humor driven by quirky off-the-wall characters, plot lines, and scenes. While it succeeded in some areas, the real lack of substance it had will ultimately mean that all I can give is 2/5 and really hope we see more substantial work from this author in the future.

DEVOURED this book in a day. As soon as I read about Stan, a cat, pulling out a gun on someone and shooting them for disagreeing with him I was sold. The story is complex and winding and I loved every minute. Eleanor and Stan's dynamic was hilarious and the concept so unique. One of my favourite reads this year. I will be preordering this book as a birthday gift so I can annotate it in person. Anyway 5/5 stars, I want more.

The Splendid City is the story of Eleanor, a young witch who, along with an unfortunate man she'd recently turned into a cat, is exiled to Liberty. Liberty encompasses the territory that was once Texas. The government of Liberty is vaguely reminiscent of recent administrations - that is, doing whatever they can to make a spectacle of things to distract from the fact that water has gone missing. During her exile, Eleanor is tasked with searching for Daria, a missing witch with the ability to locate water.

I enjoyed reading The Splendid City. Eleanor's banter with Stan was funny. Stan's exploits were cringeworthy in the best way possible. Additionally, I think Heuler did an excellent job of showing how incompetent people can be taken advantage of by bad actors. Eleanor was incredibly relatable. I'm sure every woman who reads this will commiserate with Eleanor's experience with her boss at the gift shop and her infuriating struggles with Stan.

I didn't like the narrative structure of this book. I was incredibly confused during the first third. I spent more time trying to parse out what was going on than actually getting to know the characters. In fact, I almost DNF'd this book several times during the first third because I was so confused, but I made myself push further. I really didn't care about Eleanor until the end of the book, after we had her backstory. I found myself rooting for Stan's demise after I got his backstory. I would've given this book 4-stars if the story was chronological - otherwise, this creative choice is just jarring for the reader.

All in all, I think this was an interesting book, and certainly a fun reaction to recent political times. It's giving vague notes of Kafka and Orwell, and I will certainly recommend this to fans of dystopian novels and political satire.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for this complimentary copy of The Splendid City in exchange for an honest review***

This particular book was not quite for me unfortunately, although that's not to say I won't be recommending it to people I think will enjoy it. It just isn't to my current tastes.

Eleanor is an exiled witch, and Stan the Cat is her grumpy, gunslinging fellow in exile. What happened? Why have they been sent to Liberty, the strange city with talking heads in the street and flying nougat?!

I enjoyed the contemporary witchcraft spin. Big tick from me there. This book plays with the 'witch/black cat' setup, switching it into a more surrealist, fun dynamic. Stan the Cat and Eleanor the Witch are very cool, and I'm a fan of how drastically different people (cats) they are. The opening scene is excellent - a bit jarring, but really plunges you into the world: you meet a talking cat, he shoots somebody, goes home and complains they were annoying him. Consider me hooked.

What I wasn't such a fan of was the dystopia. Again, this is my taste, but the weirdness of the city felt a little bit too...plastic? Is that the word I want? There are talking heads and weird sweets and a van with a big chicken on that takes people away, and it felt a little bit too randomly selected for me. I couldn't see how the different facets of the dystopia worked to make a bigger picture or aesthetic. Perhaps they aren't supposed to?

However! I will be seeking more Angry Robot books in future, and will definitely recommend this one to anybody who likes dystopia, witches and who is after a fun, light read.

THE SPLENDID CITY by Karen Heuler is a standalone novel about modern practices of witchcraft, Texas becoming its own country and a talking cat who came to drink beer, eat fish tacos, shoot people and chew bubblegum.

Except he's all out of bubblegum.

I must be honest with you, my friends. I saw that one line about the cat in the blurb for this book and it is 100% the reason I requested the ARC. I felt that while it explored some tricky societal topics, I just knew the cat would deliver on the comedic relief. I WAS NOT WRONG! I wasn't even a full page in and the cat (Stan) had already shot someone. I laughed and laughed and laughed reading this novel. Between Stan the Cat, Eleanor the White-Witch-In-Training and the zany way Texas, now known as Liberty, was conducting government practices, I had a great time.

So what IS this book about? Eleanor, a young witch...well half-witch, has been sent to Liberty to investigate the disappearance of another witch, Daria. Stan the Cat accompanies Eleanor, not because he wants to, you understand, because he HAS to. Stan is a man whom Eleanor transformed into a cat and they are both to remain together until they've learned their lessons about why what they did to each other was wrong that led to the transformation. Basically, they're 5 year olds being made to hug it out. (I am laughing as I write this - it is too funny!!)
Liberty is full of paranoia. The president has taken to rationing water by charging high prices, that keep rising with almost each passing day. There's no such thing as free speech with all the animatronic heads stationed throughout, either. With this paranoia, people would rather judge you than help you, so the landscape is a tricky one for our Eleanor.

I am a huge fan of this story, as well as a new fan of Heuler. I was happy to see she has several other pieces available to read, so I look forward to reading more of her work and her easy flowing writing style. I love the way she developed and shaped her characters and crafted their personalities!

I really wanted to like this, but I found myself having a hard time getting into it.

I think I have similar issues to some of the other readers, where the structure of the book is part of the issue. I mean the premise is amazing. But to start with a cat shoot people,,, with zero explanation until much later... and without the synopsis, it's like being dropped off in a city you don't know with a $20.00 bill and someone saying "Good luck, baby duck!"

But besides the structure of the book, where all of the worldbuilding, and flashbacks happen near the end of the novel, it's the point of view of the cat that made me want to stop reading. No offense to Stan, but he's hard to read from at the beginning and so it's really hard to care why he's a cat. Especially if he's being such a twat most of the time. Not that I don't believe that these asshats exist, I just choose to protect my peace by not reading of them.

Anyways, I would definitely read something else that Karen Heuler puts out, but this one was unfortunately not for me.

Fascinating, and really quite odd. It weaves together magic and a kind of silly dystopia, and an objectionable man turned into a cat...

First off, this book cover is really pretty and eye-catching. (I am still trying to find the artist so will update this once I find them.)
A bit of a spoiler but this book is separated into 3 parts - in which it made the progression of the story, as well as the timeline, a lot easier to understand.
We have our two main characters: Eleanor, our novice witch; and Stan, Eleanor’s coworker who is now a cat. At first, I wasn’t too keen on Eleanor. That is until I get to the part where it was made clear why. In which case, I really commend the author because for one, I find that surprising and two, actually good storytelling.
This story was written in a whimsical, light hearted, unassuming way yet it makes one think of a potential future where everything might seem great but completely rotten underneath. This book gives a Studio Ghibli version of Handmaid's Tale and with that imagery, I highly recommend it.

Book out on 14 June 2022.

A genre-blending story of modern witchcraft, a police state and unique characters The perfect book to wrap yourself around on a dark night! This book needs to be on your radar! I enjoyed it.

Eleanor as a character was engaging and intriguing to follow along. This feels like it could go to The big screen as an indie film, that’s the way it read to me. Very quick and to the point.

Beautifully strange and reminiscent of the classic The Master and Margherita (see the opening epigraph!) this book was an excellent escape. While there is no shortage of dystopia American novels, I’ve never read one quite like this. Eleanor and Stan the cat are the kind of zany duo that I love headlining my sci-fi mysteries. The story was inventive and once I understood the world building and gave into the sarcastic voice of the characters, I flew through this novel.

This book had the potential to be something great with its well written characters and a great idea of a plot but lacks something that I can't well point out.
I completed the book though and found some parts engaging.

If you love genre-blending stories that are thought-provoking, hilarious, and filled with unique characters then check out The Splendid City. In the fictional police state of Liberty, there is no free-speech or affordable water. However, you’ll find there witchcraft and talking cats. We follow Eleanor who is learning about her new magical gifts with the support of her coven. Even though Eleanor is a white witch her life is not easy. She gets placed under house arrest and she has to share the space with a previous coworker who now exists in the form of a cat. Eleanor’s resources are limited she wants to help her coven find a missing witch whose disappearance could be linked to the water shortages in Liberty. The Splendid City will be one of the weirdest and most hilarious new funny fantasy books you’ll read in 2022.

*Thank you for the ARC.

Very random and attempting to be surrealist and satirical but I just didn't really get it and didn't gel with it in the slightest! Fans of hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy may like the randomness though! Just a little bit too random for me and I didn't quite get how it wrapped up at the end. Think this kind of genre just isn't for me but I can see how others will love it

This has potential but sadly falter at every hurdle. The concept was intriguing and the characters interesting but the consistency was off and revelations were resolved too easily. This was unsatisfying.

This book was not what I expected but in a fun and interesting way.
A very strange but enjoyable read.

4.5 stars

Working in a museum gift shop, Eleanor is well aware that her boss and her lecherous co-worker, Stan, see her as a meek and pliable target for their advances. What they don’t know is that she has a gift: she can often think things into being, whether it be injuring others who have wronged her or stopping rain from falling. With her talents, Eleanor finds community through a local coven who offer to help her hone her skills, so long as she adheres to their most sacred rule: do no harm. New to the craft, she is eager to prove herself and make new friends, all of which seems promised until she impulsively and inadvertently transforms Stan into a cat.

As a result, the two are sent out to Liberty, a “country” seceded from the greater United States. Liberty is lauded as a paradise, at least by its residents and benevolent-presenting leader. The streets are decorated with animatronic presidential heads ensuring its citizens are living their best lives, parades are thrown every day, and a group of messengers roam the streets, either abducting citizens arbitrarily or else surprising them with gifts. The only recognized flaw is the water shortage, although they are assured the Easterners are to blame.

While a punishment of sorts, Eleanor recognizes her rehabitation to Liberty is also meant for her to keep an eye on another coven who seem to have dissolved shortly after one of their own went missing, an incident which may be linked to the water shortage…

The Splendid City was a really fun and eccentric novel to pore over for the last few days. It’s equal parts fantasy, humor, and political and social commentary all while remaining light and whimsical. Many of my favourite characters were very well established and filled with personality. As slimy as Stan’s character is portrayed (exceedingly arrogant, self-important and chauvinistic), the way he comes across both internally and in dialogue with others pulls so cleverly from real life in a way that makes it difficult to take his egotism seriously.

Counterposed to Stan’s amusingly one-dimensional character is Eleanor’s authentic interest in bettering herself and becoming part of a greater purpose, something she grows towards despite her prior impetuous and self-interested motives. I’m also always interested in how novels philosophize magic within their own narrative and thought this was a very balanced and thoughtful approach to practical magic use in a somewhat current world.

The Splendid City draws attention to the absurdity of everyday life while keeping its distance through the urban fantasy genre. This was such a fun, singular read that surprises you with moments of profound insight. I highly recommend it for fantasy readers who enjoy a comical lean (think: Drew Magary or A. Lee Martinez).

Thanks to Angry Robot and NetGalley for this quirky read!

This book could have been an instant classic, but I couldn't help getting more and more disappointed as I kept reading.

Part 1 of The Splendid City does everything a literary masterpiece should and more. It throws you straight into the grotesque world of Liberty (former Texas) and the story told from two different perspectives: a half-witch and a talking cat. As I sped through the first few chapters, I was certain I stumbled upon a brilliant social commentary exposing the faults of our society through this Orwellian anti-utopia. The satirical writing of that first part is clearly inspired by Bulgakov and very much lives up to his standards as we watch Eleanor and Stan explore Liberty and its bizarre ways.

However, Part 2 left me in utter disappointment with it's lengthy throwbacks to the main character's past and an unnecessarily detailed account of how she became a witch. I couldn't believe this was written by the same author, but as I powered through it, I got a glimpse of hope when Heuler shifted focus once again to give us insight into the relationship between the two main characters, which turned out to be full of abuse and casual workplace harassment.

Unfortunately, the further we advance into the story, the less interesting it gets. At a certain point, it becomes painfully obvious where the plot is taking us, and that direction is void of any purpose you might have been expecting from earlier chapters. It almost feels as if the author took up the task that turned out to be beyond what she could accomplish. Perhaps, she never wanted to accomplish anything of the sort at all, and it's just me looking too deep into the first part of the novel. I can only say that this could have been the next Master and Margarita, but at the end of the day it's just another witchy novel.

I'm sure it will be enjoyed by people expecting exactly that and reading it as an adventure book showing the characters' personal journeys to find themselves. Read this if you like witchy novels, feminist reads and appreciate satire.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @AngryRobotBooks for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What do you get when you mix witches, nougats, talking cats, and liberty? An awesome story! This is the story of Eleanor, a witch whose punishment was to live in Liberty with a talking cat - the coolest new country - after she makes a mistake out of anger. Liberty has messengers! Protests! Nougats! A president that loves them! A water shortage (those damn Easterners!)! Who wouldn't want to live there? The book does go into a couple of dark topics (misogyny, stalking) and I do wish one of the characters wasn't '"redeemed" but up until that moment I enjoyed the book. Highly recommend to everyone who is looking for a surreal story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for this ARC!

The Splendid City is a satirical, fantastical take on America in the future. Our main characters Stan the cat-man and Eleanor the witch are strange and mysterious, having a less-than-amicable relationship and a muddled past that is only revealed deeper into the story. Water is disappearing in the state of Liberty, and both Eleanor and Stan become wrapped up in conspiracies and politics in pursuit of truth (and possible treasure).

I loved the mix of fantasy and hyperreality. Our protagonists are interesting, but the real gem of The Splendid City was the setting. Liberty has consistent surveillance, despite the populace being rather happy. The satire plays the line between the absurdity of a technological world so fine-tuned we receive what we want before we even know it, and people's desire to be content, to live without worry. While Stan is easy-going, Eleanor is wound tight, adding to the layers of humor as they interact with this strange and somewhat familiar version of Western reality.

What did not work for me what how our protagonists backgrounds were told. A bulk of it is told late into the story. I had begun to lose interest in their histories, and by that point was more interested in where the mystery was going to end up. The utter strangeness of Liberty and its residents kept me going!

The Splendid City was a fun place to visit. If you want to read something a little wacky and a bit fantastical, give this a try. Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC.