Review: Citadel by C.M. Alongi

Citadel is a gripping science fiction novel that immerses readers in a dystopian world filled with complex characters, moral dilemmas, and a city on the verge of collapse. The story primarily follows Olivia, a nonverbal autistic teenager navigating a rigid society built on fear, prejudice, and religious zealotry. The city of Citadel is the last refuge of humanity, surrounded by a demon-infested forest, and its people believe they are on a divine mission to destroy these creatures in order to secure their salvation.

Olivia’s journey is both emotional and thought-provoking, offering a unique perspective as she confronts ableism and societal expectations in a city where value is determined by health, status, and conformity. Despite facing immense prejudice, Olivia’s inner strength and moral compass shine throughout the novel. Her connection with Riley, a childhood friend who also faces societal rejection due to his chronic illness, adds depth to the narrative. Together, they form a bond based on mutual understanding and respect, challenging the norms of their world.

The novel’s world-building is detailed and rich, drawing readers into the Citadel’s oppressive environment. The themes of religious dogma, the weaponization of faith, and the stark divide between the city's wealthy elite and the impoverished lower class are woven seamlessly into the plot, making the setting feel alive and relevant. Alongi’s portrayal of a dystopian society on the brink of collapse is both chilling and fascinating, especially as Olivia begins to question the long-held beliefs about the demons.

One of the book’s standout features is the representation of neurodiversity. Olivia’s character is fully realized, and her autism is not portrayed as a flaw but as a fundamental part of who she is. Her nonverbal communication and the way she navigates her environment are handled with care, adding authenticity and depth to her character. The author avoids the common trope of depicting disability as something to overcome or cure, instead focusing on the importance of community, understanding, and accommodation.

The plot is engaging, with several twists and revelations that keep the story moving at a steady pace. Olivia’s internal struggle—balancing her desire for justice with the need for compassion—is compelling, and the book raises important questions about vengeance, morality, and what it means to be truly human. The demons, too, are more than mere monsters, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.

While the novel touches on heavy themes such as ableism, misogyny, and societal corruption, it does so without feeling preachy or forced. The characters' personal stories are intertwined with these larger issues in a way that feels organic and meaningful. By the end, Citadel leaves readers with a sense of hope and anticipation, as the world Olivia inhabits is far from finished with its struggles.

Overall, Citadel is an impressive, thought-provoking read that delves into challenging topics with sensitivity and nuance. Olivia’s journey will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, and the world Alongi has created is one that stays with you long after the final page.

A city that the monsters roam outside of. A rule system that sounds very conservative. And the masterful main character that just melts your heart and inspire you to be greater. I loved this book and the author is very talentful.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Citadel is definitely one of my biggest surprises of this year and deserves so much more attention. Citadel is mainly from the point of view of Olivia, a nonverbal autistic teen who has dealt with her fair share of trauma living in this SciFi city with a holy mission to rid their planet of the demons. There is so much to touch on because C.M. Alongi has packed this book full of tough conversations, but doesn’t make it feel preachy. This book focuses on abelsim, gender expectations, religious prosecutions, weaponization of religion and propaganda, and prejudices that plague the city of Citadel. With a very ableist society, Olivia faces prejudice from not only the community, but also within her family. The people around her struggle to understand her disability and many see her as a defect with little to contribute, especially in a society that prioritizes health, status, and genetic quality when determining people’s value. This is also very evident with Riley, Olivia’s childhood friend and son of the governor, whose chronic illness has damaged his “value” in his father’s eyes. But through these shared experiences of being seen as ‘damaged,” Olivia and Riley have built a strong friendship full of understanding. They each see the other as a person first. Alongi makes a disclaimer in the beginning of the book that she is nuerotypical, but tried to the best of her abilities to make this book inclusive, accurate, and sensitive to those in the community that she is writing about by heavily researching and using sensitivity readers. As someone who is Neurodivergent, I think this was done quite successfully. Olivia did not feel like a caricature of an autistic/ AuDHD person, but a multidimensional, fleshed-out character with individuality and opinions. Alongi never wrote the characteristics or symptoms of being Neurodivergent as a flaw or fault that needed to be corrected. They were written more as quirks of their personality. An example of this was how Olivia’s meltdowns were handled. The meltdowns were not written as a flaw, but more of an aspect of Olivia’s disability that affected her day to day functioning and other people’s struggle to understand her disability. There is also not a magical cure at the end, because disabled people do not need to be cured. They need a community that tries to learn to understand them and their disability and accommodations.
Communication is a very large focal point, especially since out main character is nonverbal. The ways that Olivia communicates with different people in her life grows and changes. Communication and information also bleed into the prejudices and politics of the city’s relationship with the demons in the flooded forest and subsequently, the never-ending war.
One of the big things that I liked about Citadel was that even though Olivia is atheist and Riley is religious, they both seem to try their best to respect the other’s faith or lack of faith. They both challenge their community’s views on gender expectations, each wanting to follow a path that doesn’t strongly align with what is expected of them. Even Evelyn, Olivia’s sister, challenges their father’s goals for her life.
I was surprised how much I ended up enjoying Olivia’s father’s POV, especially since he is not viewed in a positive light for many of the other characters. His internal struggle of his loyalty to the government and political pressures and his love for his daughters was interesting to see and I am happy that we are able to see his thought process. I don’t think it would have been as effective if we had not been able to be in his head. A big part of this book is characters having to choose between what they believe is right and following a path they choose or accepting their fate chosen by their family and going along with the law even if it feels morally wrong. Alongi also makes the reader aware of the corruption within the city government, abusing its power to execute any who challenge their strict beliefs and by creating a large divide between the wealthy, high class, and the impoverished low class. The city of Citadel is on the brink of collapse, citizens starving and sick, and the powerful ignore the issues as much as they can.
The Demons are one of the most compelling parts of the story. Olivia, even though she is not religious and doesn’t believe in the holy mission to eradicate all the demons, has been raised in a society that does and has her own personal reasons to hate the demons. Her curiosity allowed her to challenge even her deeply held beliefs and her strong moral compass helps her look at situations objectively, even when her emotions may sway her.
Olivia’s journey forces her face her own desire for revenge and grapple with what true justice really is. I appreciate the care the author took to not paint Olivia’s autism as a flaw or as a superpower, not a positive or negative, but as a part of her that makes her uniquely herself. Alongi has confirmed that she is writing a sequel and I could not be more excited. I think that the ending, while it felt wrapped up enough to leave the reader with enough of a conclusion that it could be left as a stand alone, sets up the next book to explore these topics with even more nuance and a way to expand the plot and world.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This story has great representation! Citadel follows Olivia, a nineteen year old nonverbal, autistic girl, who lives in a walled city which is surrounded by a forest full of demons. When she ventures into the forest, she learns to communicate with them telepathically and finds out that the demons are not as evil as is told in her society. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding!

This was a DNF for me. I just couldn't get into the story, and I struggled to connect with the characters. As an autistic reader, I generally frown upon autistic characters written by neurotypical authors, and this was no different. It doesn't matter how many autistic people you know or have worked with; you just can't write an autistic author without knowing what it feels like to actually be autistic.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC here is my honest opinion.

I was drawn to this book because I love sci-fi and dystopia. This book started great! I love how dark and ruthless it was. However in the middle this changed to a YA kind of writing and felt like it belonged to another book completely. Which was little bit disappointing.

I loved Olivia. Her flaws which made her stronger was great part of the story. She herself didn't have much of a character development which was little bit disappointing as she was just 'perfect' from the start. Her friend Riley however had great development and changed from bullied weak little boy to a strongminded and determined young man. I loved that change. I loved his story. I also enjoyed the change Ormus went thought. "Looks like could kill you, is a cinnamon roll." haha IYKYK

I think the plot was predictable and nothing unique. However the book was fast paced and kept me engaged. The characters were relatable and lovable. The book was giving me all my favorite plot cliches which kept entertained.

The book was trying to make a point about the society and views on racism, misogyny and ableism. I think the basis was there but it could be pushed further. I would love to see this developed more in the story with bigger event, horrible exaggerations...

The most annoying part however was that the author mentioned a lot of times how the food was running low, how they didn't have any resources and how things were hard to come by, just to mention all kind of things we currently have around us that were also present in the Citadel. There were photo frames, pens, notebooks and all kind of medial supplies that I doubt would be present in the world the author was describing. Also applicable to food in the book. It felt like at some points the author forgot this was dystopia... and pulled me out of the story completely.

My favorite part (despite my previous point) was the worldbuilding. The backstory of the humans their journey before Citadel. The description and nature of the planet they currently lived especially the Flooded Forest were just well done. I truly want to see more of the planet. I want to understand where is the water coming from. What is in the ocean? What will Olivia find in the shadowlands (which I guess are poles of the planet with the long night)?

I didn't realize that this was a series so the cliffhanger at the end was a total shock to me. Now I need the second book.

I really enjoyed this sci-fi fantasy! I absolutely loved the representation of Olivia, a main character who is nonverbal and has autism. It provided such an interesting perspective of this fantasy world. I also liked the multiple POVs throughout the book; I became invested in the important people in Olivia’s life, like Riley and Peterson. All of Olivia’s interactions with the “demons” were so interesting, and the reveals throughout the book kept things exciting. And the cliffhanger at the end made me want to read more!

I had the chance to participate in an Arc tour on Instagram of this book and I received a copy of the book. Honestly, it was a little hard for me to get into the action at first, but the more I read, the more I started to like it. The story was captivating and you can see that the characters have their own personality. As I like to say, the author does not control what happens, but the characters create their own destiny.

I've been wanting to read Alongi's books since I first heard about them and was so excited to finally get to read this.

It totally lived up to the hype I'd given it and then some. Olivia was such an incredible character and the story unfolded in a way that kept me glued to the pages.

Citadel is the only human city, and they send soldiers to go destroy the demons in the surrounding forest. When all the demons are vanquished, they will be allowed into heaven. Olivia isn't a believer and searches for answers after her boyfriend is killed.

The answers she finds are more than anyone could have imagined, and the people of Citadel won't be able to continue surviving in the same way as before.

I really hope that the author plans on creating a sequel for this, because I am not ready to leave these characters.

It's been a while since I've read a science fiction/fantasy and I'm glad I picked this one up. Ms. Alongi has created a captivating sci-fi/dystopia with compelling characters and a gripping storyline about a brave young mute autistic woman named Olivia who is fighting for truth and justice in a city of repression and unnecessary executions.

Citadel is a patriarchal, righteous city run by a selfish, entitled governor determined to kill the deadly winged demons who live around the periphery of the city. However, on a research run to find a miracle plant in the Flooded Forest, Olivia has a chance encounter with a demon that proves to be a sentient being. More determined than ever to find out why her mate and soldier were killed earlier that year, she goes off to the forest to connect with the demons and find out the truth. What Olivia finds is a species fighting for their lives like her and willing to find peace and harmony to survive.

Olivia steals the show in this story as she overcomes bullying and losing her mother to become the one person capable to save her family and friends from dying at the hands of a maniacal man hiding the secret of their existence.

Olivia's good friend Riley is her number one supporter and the disowned son of the governor of Citadel. Ormus is Olivia's father and the Captain of Citadel's forces. He struggles with loving his daughter and adhering to his duties as a soldier to keep everyone safe in Citadel is important.

I love the characters, the setting, and the plot of this engrossing and incredible story that I couldn't put down. Read it; you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to Ms. Alongi for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

There are tons of intricate reveals. I liked the world, and I can see that her speech patterns are a lot like her mom’s. If you look at the timing and dialogue, you can see an echo of how scenes play out in the Queen Betsy series. I received a review copy from NetGalley and have left my opinion.

Citadel by C.M. Alongi surpassed all my expectations and left me thoroughly delighted. From the moment I delved into the story on the planet Edalide, I was captivated by the city of Citadel, the last refuge of humanity, and the intriguing concept of battling demons. However, what truly set this book apart was the exceptional representation of a non-verbal autistic protagonist, Olivia, who added a unique and refreshing perspective to the narrative.

The world-building on Edalide was intricate and immersive, though it did require a bit of patience at the beginning to absorb the extensive exposition. However, once the groundwork was laid, the story picked up significantly, and Alongi's richly imagined world came to life with vibrant details and a vivid atmosphere.

Olivia, the 19-year-old non-verbal autistic protagonist, was a revelation. As a scientist at heart, her insatiable curiosity and unwavering determination to uncover the truth behind the demons' existence kept the story moving forward at a steady pace. Her compassionate and independent nature was truly admirable, especially when she chose to challenge societal norms, bravely embracing her uniqueness despite being regarded as a "freak" by her fellow humans.

Among the supporting characters, Riley and Ormus stood out as well-crafted foils to each other. Riley's aspirations to become a medic despite the societal expectations of his gender added depth to his character, while Ormus, Olivia's father and the captain of the city guard, embodied traditional values and a protective instinct for his family. Although I cherished these characters, I wished I had the opportunity to delve deeper into their complexities and backgrounds.

One of the book's major strengths was the skillful portrayal of human dialogue despite Olivia's inability to communicate verbally. Alongi masterfully handled this aspect, allowing Olivia's interactions with others to be heartwarming and engaging, making her communication style a charming and integral part of the narrative.

Throughout the book, I was continuously impressed by the well-roundedness of the characters; they were realistically flawed and not confined to simplistic notions of good or evil. This added a layer of authenticity and made them even more relatable.

The only aspect that left me wanting was the conclusion, which arrived somewhat abruptly. It was evident that more story lay ahead, and I fervently hope that this book is part of a series, as it would be disappointing not to explore the many questions that remain unanswered.

In summary, Citadel is an extraordinary novel with a captivating plot, well-developed characters, and a remarkable portrayal of neurodivergent representation. C.M. Alongi has crafted a compelling story that weaves intrigue, empathy, and a touch of cuteness through the interactions of its protagonist, Olivia. This book is a gem, and I eagerly anticipate the possibility of more adventures in the intriguing world of Citadel.

The cover art to this book is what really drew me in. I will say however that the author's writing style is what kept me! The main character was written beautifully and I loved that we could really feel as readers her emotions and her thoughts. In my opinion, she is a very relatable character. The world-building in this book was amazing as well. I wished that I could be walking through this book myself. I would really love to see a sequel to this book!

First of all, the cover of this novel is gorgeous. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but in this case, it's perfectly safe to do so. There is so much to say about this book. Our main character is Olivia, a beautiful silver-haired young woman called a "freak" by her peers. In fact, when she was young, some adults suggested she be thrown in the rising water because she would be a "burden" for her family and for the Citadel in general.
The Citadel is a city encircled by a wall to protect it from the demons that lurk in the woods beyond.
It is a fascinating place, primarily medieval in its beliefs, be it religion, politics, or societal norms, especially when viewing someone who doesn't fit in with what is deemed "normal", which Oliva is not. Olivia is non-verbal autistic but also brilliant, artistic and intuitive. When she comes face to face with a demon on an expedition outside the walls of the Citadel (while she is foraging for medicinal plants), she realizes that demons are just as misunderstood as she is.
The world-building in this novel is impressive. Immersive and intriguing. I also loved the secondary story that weaves along with Olivia, the story of Riley, Olivia's best friend, trying to forge his own path in a society that is suffocating his individuality.
Citadel is a story about identity, acceptance, friendship, family, and, most of all, having the strength to pursue the truth.

It took me a hot minute to finish this book, not because it was bad or poorly written, but it was a lot of set up. ALOT of world building with so many different elements being melded together to make this very elaborate world, only for everything to be torn down and recreated as we get the bigger picture. I am hoping that this is the first book in a series since, well we left on a cliffhanger. Not a terrible one , but one that definitely hints at more to come.

Looking at Alongi's other work, this one appears to be her first full length novel, and it's a big one. I really enjoyed the overall scope of this story. You can feel the magnitude of the over arching power of the governor and military and the backwards thinking of the populace where only women could work as medics or be nuns. Everything else was men's work, and men wanting to do women's work was out of line. We also saw and felt that the population of the community was too much for the food that was produced. The religion of the hundred faced god (I'm not going to lie my brain kept picturing the "Many-Faced God" from Game of Thrones) is both familiar and different, you can tell that this world was borrowed from the past or their original . . . origin. Then we have the demons, the creatures in the woods that kill the humans on sight as they go out on hunts to try and kill these creatures. I mean if you came out to kill me I'd probably try and do the same. I feel like the planet as a whole was almost a character, you have the native creatures and plants, the rings of the planets, the rising and waning tides. The planet was definitely a big part of the story.

Then we have our characters, in fact we have many POVs, the first being one that we would only hear about in the rest of the story. The primary focus was Olivia. Olivia was a young woman who is non-verbal and has white or silvery hair, like her mother. As a child her mother is executed by the government for being a "Dove" or believing in something that was not sanctioned by the government. So this poor girl is uprooted and moved to her estranged father's home, who is the head of the guard, right hand to the governor, and is sent to school to be made fun of and 'tortured' for her peculiarities. These childish antics of her peers did not improve as they became adults. Then we have Riley who is Olivia's best friend and son of the governor, he has some interesting things going on in his life and a jerk dad. The other main POV we see is Ormus, Olivia's father, we see the struggles to survive and do what they feel is best for the world and family, and they don't always align.

I mean the world built here is just massive, and once Olivia does her thing it really picks up in intensity and that was the point that I could not put this book down. That was the time when all the world building really clicked for me. It was amazing! I love the interactions in the forest all the personalities that came out, how the communication occurred, it was brilliant and perfect for Olivia. There were things that happened that I think were supposed to be surprising, but I knew were coming because they were perfect to move the plot forward.

I don't know how I would classify this story, but I would say it is a sci-fi/fantasy, with a touch of dystopia. 100% worth the read.

This book was my introduction to C.M. Alongi’s work. I came across the author through short videos on social media. The concept of having a nonverbal autistic FMC intrigued me, and so I applied for the e-arc. I was definitely not disappointed.

Let me just say, the world building was impeccable. I appreciate how engrossed in the story I was able to be within the first few pages. I could tell Alongi spent a great deal of time and effort in making sure the characters were well fleshed out. Even though the FMC was nonverbal, the story in no way suffered because of it, in my opinion it made it more unique. I feel the story flowed well, and would recommend this book to any fans of the fantasy genre.

The ending felt a bit abrupt to me. However, I can look passed that, because I now know there has to be a book 2. I look forward to reading it…hopefully sooner than later.

I received this as an ARC, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

The premise of this book was fantastic. A non-verbal austic girl in a dystopian society reeling from the loss of her love. She soon finds that the creatures that killed her beloved are sentient and capable of communication through telepathy. The action sequences were good, and I liked the forgiveness that was shown from both the chimera and Olivia.

I really loved the story, but the pacing felt a little off. I really struggled to stay focused until about 2/3 through. I think also this book would benefit from a good editor as I noticed several grammatical issues/typos that were distracting. The dialogue between characters often felt juvenile or forced and characters fell a bit flat in my opinion.

If there is a sequel, I will read it. Augustus needs some consequences.

Citadel is the lone human civilization on the planet Edalide. The people there worship the Hundred-Faced God and carry out the mission that a prophet set before them generations ago: wipe out the demons of the forest, in order to regain access to Heaven. Olivia’s never been one for religion, though – she's more science-minded, and one day on a scientific excursion to the forest, she makes an incredible discovery: the “demons” are sentient beings, not the bloodthirsty monsters that Scripture and the city's authorities have led everyone to fear and loathe. But Olivia, who is nonverbal and a known atheist, is already on the margins of society. How can she broker peace between the two societies?

I really loved this book! It’s a fast paced, highly enjoyable story, set in a dystopian future on another planet in which humanity has regressed to a low-tech society where a fascist theocracy has a stranglehold. The worldbuilding is vivid, as is the characterization. I loved Olivia as our protagonist, and the accompanying occasional chapters from Riley and Ormus created a well-rounded narrative from two characters with very different points of view. I don’t know if this is meant to be the first in a series or not (I hope it is!) but I’ll definitely be on the lookout for anything new by this author, whether it takes place in this world or not.

Representation: Nonverbal autistic main character, POC characters, asexual character?

CW: alcoholism, mention of suicide, mention of homophobia, intolerant theocracy and all the abuses that go along with it

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sci-fi and fantasy mixed together worked perfectly in this book. I liked all the main characters but Olivia the most. Worldbuilding is done perfectly, everything looks so vivid.
One star down for some a bit predictable plot twists, however I recommend the book to everyone wo loves darker scifi and fantasy reads.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*

I absolutely loved this story! The world building was there, but what really sold me is the FMC. She's in a society in that's very strict, sexist, ableist, homophobe and she is a young, non-verbal autistic woman. As person with AuDHD, it was so amazing to see the representation, to see her passion, and feel like the world has truly misjudged so many people. Both there's and ours.


The authors note at the beginning really pulled me in before i even started the story. I appreciated the note of being NT, the work put into making this an authentic representation, and their willingness and desire to hear feedback on the accuracy.