The City's Son (The Skyscraper Throne, #1)

Sep 04, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) by: Ewa

Shelves: arc, netgalley-arc, young-adult-fiction, supernatural-fiction, best-of-2012, 2012-reviews, 2012-reads, excessive-fangirl-alert, reviewed, what-up-anthropomorphization, i-love-you-for-your-words, five-stars-for-you-glen-coco, actiontastic, pure-entertainment

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Welcome to a London come alive with voice-eating spiders, mirror-dwelling aristocrats, and talking lights that literally dance upon the streets. A London where Gods and Goddesses walk the roads unnoticed by the normal human population, and fight one another for preeminence and control over their decaying world. Welcome to Tom Pollock's The City's Son, a novel that redefines both the 'urban' and 'fantasy' in the urban fantasy genre; a novel that brin...more Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

Welcome to a London come alive with voice-eating spiders, mirror-dwelling aristocrats, and talking lights that literally dance upon the streets. A London where Gods and Goddesses walk the roads unnoticed by the normal human population, and fight one another for preeminence and control over their decaying world. Welcome to Tom Pollock's The City's Son, a novel that redefines both the 'urban' and 'fantasy' in the urban fantasy genre; a novel that brings a whole new meaning to the idea of place-as-character. Though the beginning can be hard to understand and uneven, the reward is outstanding. A fast-paced and action-packed novel packed to the brim with unique, strange, and thoroughly charismatic characters, the first novel in the Skyscraper Throne series is a whole lot of win.

Beautifully written and extensively detailed, there is no area of London that Pollock has not re-envisioned and changed -- for the stranger. Through the eyes of the two main characters - human Beth and Son of the Streets Filius Viae, Pollock takes the reader on a thoroughly original and weird (the kind of weird I tend to expect from China Mieville) journey to self-realization, personal power, and more. Though I am not usually a fan of POV shifts from third-person limited to first person during narrator changes, it works here for Beth and the Urchin Prince. Beth is outside the city; Fil is literally part of it and how they spin their inner monologues help to illustrate that point. Both characters have their individual strengths and weaknesses, but it is the feisty, charismatic, damaged, and fully concrete character of Beth that is the strength of this novel.

The characters here are on par with the talent and time spent setting the scene and creating the original plot. Beth is a wholly rounded and concrete girl. She's realistically flawed, even in a book that suspends disbelief so well. She is feisty, and smart, and loyal, if not always right in her judgements. I have a lot of respect for Beth and the character evolution she goes through during this long but easily read novel. Filius is likeable if unknowable - he's as unique a character as this version of London. Part street rat, part teenage boy, and all heart - the relationship between the two matures organically and best of all, slowly. If I have one issue, I had hoped that Parva's storyline with the teacher would've had a more firm resolution, but she stands strong as a secondary character with motivations and aspirations all her own.

There is just so much creativity and imagination at work in The City's Son, and it can be a lot to take in, especially initially. The author drops the reader into his darkly, dirtily magical world without exposition or infodump.The sheer scope of the world that Pollock has created for his characters to operate in is expansive and all encompassing, from the made-of-trash Gutterglass who operates as a seneschal for the missing Lady of the Streets, to the war between the Sodiumite glass girls and the Blankleit clans, to the train battles between Bahngeists. Like I said, this is an author that brings the city of London to life - literally - it's place as character on a whole new level.

I loved this novel. Though it is one of the longer books I've read lately, it holds up admirably under the weight of all those pages, and plots, and schemes. With an imagination as big as London itself, Tom Pollock renders a finely-tuned and thoroughly evocative novel aimed for readers of all ages. Fans of urban fantasy should take note and give this weirdly awesome and awesomely weird novel a chance. You won't regret giving The City's Son a chance. I eagerly await he second novel, The Glass Republic -- it definitely can't come out soon enough.(less)

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Mar 23, 2013 Keertana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You need to know one thing before you delve into this review: I am making a conscious effort to not continue books I don't feel much for. Ever since I joined GoodReads last year, I've felt incredible guilty about DNFing novels, but on every account, I've either finished a bad book and given it a bad rating or finished a good book that just didn't work for me and given it an indifferent rating. Either way, by reading just over half the novel, I am able to discern whether the book is worth my time...more You need to know one thing before you delve into this review: I am making a conscious effort to not continue books I don't feel much for. Ever since I joined GoodReads last year, I've felt incredible guilty about DNFing novels, but on every account, I've either finished a bad book and given it a bad rating or finished a good book that just didn't work for me and given it an indifferent rating. Either way, by reading just over half the novel, I am able to discern whether the book is worth my time or not and usually, it isn't. Thus, I told myself this year that it really is okay to put down books unfinished and use that time to read another book, one that I will preferably love. Well, with The City's Son, this is the situation. Pollock's debut is a good novel, certainly, but it just isn't one for me and the flaws I found within it were too egregious for me to ignore and enjoy this story.

The City's Son, being a YA Urban Fantasy read, seems like something right up my alley - and it is. Where this novel falls flat, though, is in a lot of small aspects that, when combined, totally lost my attention. First and foremost, the story is told from the dual perspectives of Fil and Beth. Beth is a graffiti artist, a normal girl like any of us, only tougher for the death of her mother and subsequent grief of her father has made her fend for herself. Fil, on the other hand, is the son of the goddess of the London streets where this story takes place. From the very beginning itself, Pollock thoroughly immerses the reader in the world he has created - only, without much of a rope to hold on to, leaving them flailing about in the dark, drowning waters.

You see, Fil's perspective is littered full of strange names and weird remarks which begin to make a little more sense as the story wears on, but is initially extremely confusing. Furthermore, the manner in which his story arc crosses with that of Beth's is rather unbelievable. Beth, who has been betrayed by her best friend who ratted her out and now suspended from her school, has her life saved by Fil and then proceeds to join him on his quest to defeat the Crane King, the powerful lord trying to kill him. What I found strange about this was the fact that Beth never stopped to question or wonder why a Wraith, a mystical creature, was attacking her and she accepted the reality of Fil's magical life with ease. In addition, beyond a few initial doubts about Beth, Fil quickly takes her on as a partner, despite the fact that she is a liability to him.

Thus, the set-up of this story itself is very strange and was difficult for me to grasp. Over and above that, though, I found the dialogue to be awkward and the writing wasn't all that remarkable either. I will give Pollock credit for a rich and imaginative world, but with such little foundation of world-building - or simply world-building that emerges too late - I was unable to enjoy his unique take on London. Nevertheless, there are redeeming characteristics. For one, I just adored Beth's best friend, Pen. Pen is a Muslim and is constantly picked on by her maths teacher (not because of her nationality though - the true reason is far worse), which is why Beth is constantly sticking up for her. We are witness to a few scenes from Pen's PoV and these I simply loved! Pen is a strong, resilient character who has been through a lot in life. She looks up to Beth and tries her best to be just as powerful as Beth is, although she lacks the exterior aura. Unlike Beth, whose method of coping is to ignore them and shove them to the back of her mind where they fail to interfere with her adventures, Pen is much more damaged and nuanced.

Although I do really like Beth, I didn't find that she brought anything wholly new to the realm of kick-ass heroines. Fil, in my eyes, was forgettable as well. In addition to Pen, though, we see a few scenes told from Beth's father and his guilt, remorse, and worry for his daughter was very moving. After the death of his wife, Beth's father became a mere shell of himself and although he tried to be there for Beth, he simply couldn't. It is clear, though, that he cares very much for his daughter and is extremely proud of her artistic accomplishments. I loved how his story arc, Pen's story arc, Fil's story arc, and Beth's all came together, making for a very intriguing plot.

So, really, The City's Son has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, I didn't feel much for its two main characters and the world-building was truly lost on me, making this the type of book I kept feeling as if I needed to go back and re-read, just because I was so confused. Nevertheless, Pollock's debut has a lot to offer for fans of UF, so I'd urge readers to check it out - despite my low rating.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Book Flame rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, young-adult, 2-5-stars

2.5 Stars

I've waited writing my review for this one because I've been trying to figure out what exactly it was that made me not really care for it and even now I'm still not sure, which is nerve wrecking because I always have a list of reasons why I did or did not enjoy a book.

The book itself is a YA Urban Fantasy and the synopsis sounded like something I would enjoy, it's about Fil and Beth. Beth is a sixteen year old girl who paints all of London with her street art. She has a tough life at...more 2.5 Stars

I've waited writing my review for this one because I've been trying to figure out what exactly it was that made me not really care for it and even now I'm still not sure, which is nerve wrecking because I always have a list of reasons why I did or did not enjoy a book.

The book itself is a YA Urban Fantasy and the synopsis sounded like something I would enjoy, it's about Fil and Beth. Beth is a sixteen year old girl who paints all of London with her street art. She has a tough life at home and the only one she can rely on to keep her going is Pen her best friend but when she betrays her as well Beth leaves home and due to some seriously strange circumstances bumps into Filius the son of a goddess and from there is introduced to an alternate London in which she easily actually too easily accepts and throws herself into.

I am not going to lie Tom Pollocks ability to create a world where the city is alive literally is pretty damn brilliant. I mean you had railwraiths, girls who were made of electricity, then there was Gutterglass a creature that somehow is able recreate him/her self out of any and everything from maggots to eggshells and the list goes on. And those creatures aren't even half of what you will find in The City's Son.

What sucked was the fact that I didn't grasp and understand these creatures until about halfway into the novel. I was literally confused for the first half of the book if not more, there was no background on this alternate London we are just thrown into it. I did like Beth's character but she lost me somewhere in the middle, I was also a little annoyed with how easily she accepted this alternate London. The characters overall were okay no one that made me go WOW! I didn't dislike them nor did I love them. I also didn't really feel the connection between Fil or Beth and then the ending...I was not a fan of it.For the most part I felt like I was just going through the motions of reading. I really wanted to love this book but in the end it just wasn't for me.(less)

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Sep 07, 2012 Kimba (Caffeinated Book Reviewer) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love urban fantasy and was excited by the synopsis for The City's Son. When I requested it, I had no idea of the treasure I found. This urban fantasy is bloody brilliant. Pollock took me on one heck of a ride through the streets of London along the Thames River and I am still in awe about how truly magnificent this tale was. Pollock is pure genius! He weaved a breathtaking fantasy, with spectacular characters and a plot that kept me riveted.

Beth Bradley runs away after her friend betrays her...more I love urban fantasy and was excited by the synopsis for The City's Son. When I requested it, I had no idea of the treasure I found. This urban fantasy is bloody brilliant. Pollock took me on one heck of a ride through the streets of London along the Thames River and I am still in awe about how truly magnificent this tale was. Pollock is pure genius! He weaved a breathtaking fantasy, with spectacular characters and a plot that kept me riveted.

Beth Bradley runs away after her friend betrays her and her absentee Dad fails her. She takes to the modern day streets of London, where she encounters a street urchin named Filius and learns of a world living side by side with hers. She learns he is the crown prince of this mystical world and in danger. The god of urban decay known as Reach is returning to destroy them all. Beth decides to join forces with Filius and help him raise an army to reclaim his throne. The tale that unfolds is dark, gritty, brilliant, and breathtakingly beautiful. It is one of the best urban fantasies I have had the pleasure to read.

The characters Pollock has created are friggin amazing, unique and well fleshed-out. Beth has had a tough life, but she expresses herself through graffiti. Not tagging, but drawings; some angry, some beautiful and some filled with despair. She wants a place to belong, and the world Filius shows her draws her in. I loved Beth; she is strong, fearless, brave and compassionate. Filius is the abandoned son of a goddess who deserted him and her kingdom after banishing Reach. He is lonely and knows he needs to stop Reach. Beth draws out Filius and makes him a better leader. Filius was raised on the streets by Gutterglass his nanny. Gutterglass is made entirely of garbage and is constantly being reassembled by an army of ants, beetles and maggots. He has been taught morals and rules by the Pavement Priests who reside in the cemetery. These creatures live inside the statues. They have been cursed by the goddess and forced to dwell beneath the stone for eternity. I absolutely loved them; they reminded me of the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who. In battle they move with lightening speed. We meet Blankeits who dwell inside street lamps and dance in the streets. The Sodiumites live inside modern buildings and consider themselves to be noble. The Chemical Synod, are hooded creatures with blacken teeth and faces, who will help in return for a steep price. They are clever and must only be sought with caution. Victor a street bum adds depth to the tale. I loved this little dude, he was funny and aided Beth. Pen, is Beth’s best friend and the one who betrayed her. I liked Pen and understood where she was coming from. When Beth disappears she helps Beth’s Dad search for her and ends up being caught up in the battle. There are many other creatures living in London that we meet and I was blown away by Pollock's imagination.

Hands down one of the most amazing urban fantasy worlds I have ever visited. Pollock brought this town and its creatures to life with his pen. I became invested and so caught up in the saga that I consumed this with total disregard for the outside world. While the basic story-line is not original: Abandoned throne, prince who needs to step up, soldiers and countryman unsure if they trust this would-be-king and an enemy who will unite them all. The dark gritty story line made this tale brilliant. The creatures Pollack created are fabulous and his descriptions brought them to life. My emotions were on a roller-coaster ride as the author made me experience; loss, fear, betrayal, anger, laughter and hope. Lives are lost and the tale is at times dark and ugly. It is a time of war and the author brings it to us in all of its devastating glory. It is also bright and has a little romance, a reunion and gives hope. This combined with well fleshed out characters made this tale come to life. The author beautifully weaved details and back-history with twists and turns that had my jaw dropping, emotions running hot and kept me completely enthralled.

I highly recommend The City's Son to fans of urban fantasy and kick-ass world building. While dark and gritty it is also beautiful and engaging. I am foaming at the mouth for The Glass Republic book two in The Skyscrape Throne series. Pollock is an author whose books I would read without a recommendation based solely on his work in this novel.

I want to thank Flux for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer (less)

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Jun 10, 2013 Tina Rath rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really loved this book. It is a Young Adult fantasy that makes no concessions to youth. In a magical battle for London the combatants – some of them human, some, the ‘stoneskin’ ‘Pavement Priests’ - statues with suffering beings inside them, beings who were once human and long for death, some the dancing, flashing inhabitants of the white or sodium lamps which light the city after dark, some even stranger – the Scaffwolves and the creatures of the Wire Mistress, suffer and die. The City’s Son,...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Samantha Riviere rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hmmm...so, i just finished this book about an hour ago, and I have to say that my problem with it, oddly enough, was the main characters. I feel like the author wrote about these creatures and this fantasy city that he really cared about, and after putting all of that time and detail into cramming all of this stuff about this alternate London in the pages, he remembered that the story needed someone to tell it, and he scratched in a protagonist in the spare space.

Beth and Fil weren't bad charac...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Sham rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you've read Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, this book will seem a bit familiar: A normal person discovers the hidden, magical side of London. But rather than an underground world of magic, the city itself is alive in Pollock's novel. I enjoyed the idea of bringing every street lamp and scaffolding to life, given people's habit of personifying inanimate objects. I'll give a quick plot summary without spoiling too much. Beth, a graffiti artist, tags any bare spot of London she can find. But her best...more If you've read Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, this book will seem a bit familiar: A normal person discovers the hidden, magical side of London. But rather than an underground world of magic, the city itself is alive in Pollock's novel. I enjoyed the idea of bringing every street lamp and scaffolding to life, given people's habit of personifying inanimate objects. I'll give a quick plot summary without spoiling too much. Beth, a graffiti artist, tags any bare spot of London she can find. But her best friend snitches on her when they draw a nasty picture of one of their teachers on the school wall. She wanders the streets, trying to deal with the pain of betrayal, and meets Filius Viae, the son of London's Goddess. With skin as gray as the city's asphalt and motor-oil blood, he's a part of London and London is a part of him. But his mother's arch enemy, the Crane King, wants him dead. Realizing that there's nothing left for her in her old life, Beth follows him into war. She encounters murderous trains, sentient piles of trash, and spider's that steal voices. Despite being an outsider, she helps Filius find the courage he needs to defend his mother's throne.

The writing in The City's Son is solid, and the ending is surprising (though it should be noted this is the first book in a series so it's only a temporary ending). I think it's weakest points are, unfortunately, characterization and point of view.

First, the point of view (POV) switches from first person to third person, but I'm not sure why. I don't feel it adds anything to the story, especially since only one character, Filius, had first person POV.

Second, The City's Son is a novel where the secondary characters are (at times) more interesting than the main ones. The Chemical Synod and the Pavement Priests were both groups I wish had been fleshed out more, and by the end of the novel Gutterglass, Filius' adviser and nanny, is a much more interesting character than I had first thought, and I hope that these people appear and are explored more in the rest of the series.

My main criticism is with the relationship between Beth and Filius. I felt her devotion and attachment to him were not set-up well enough. I had a hard time believing that Beth, a street-wise cynic, would throw her lot in with a boy she's only just met. She knows him for perhaps an hour or so before deciding that she's going to follow him all around London and help him fight an evil god. They were partners for the sake of the plot, which left it feeling forced.

Since this is only Book One, my criticism's of it may be resolved in the following books. Pollock's writing is very smooth and evocative, the setting and plot were imaginative rather than the same-old same-old fantasy stuff. If you like urban fantasy, I'd say give this one a try.(less)

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Jan 23, 2013 Charty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A book that I wanted to like more than I actually did. The author's world is super inventive with all sorts of great monsters that lurk in the city of London - Scaffwolf is a ravening beast of metal and pipes. Pavement Priests are sinners trapped inside stone or metal statuary. Leading them all is Filius Viae, a Goddesses son - or is he? A troubled young women named Beth whose personal life is falling apart around her, encounters Filius and her entire life changes. The two lead a war on Reach, a...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-emmy

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This novel puts the URBAN in fantasy, with the magic found in the oil and asphalt and metal that make London, pulling the reader in with developing characters and high stakes, even if the plot runs thin in places.

Opening Sentence: I’m hunting.

The Review:

Beth Bradley is a talented tagger. Her work stains the walls of London in everything from paint to chalk—her most recent work the portrait of a certain teacher at her school. It isn’t a flatt...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Sharon Tyler rated it 5 of 5 stars

The City's Son by Tom Pollock is an urban fantasy novel which marks the debut of the author. Beth Bradley is a rebel, and a girl great with a can of spray paint. She spend her fee time tagging the city, while her friend Pen scrawls poetry to accompany it. Beth's father is lost in grief over his late wife, and Pen is trapped by the expectations and demands of others. After a daring evening an apparent betrayal separates the friends and sends them both out into a world born of the very essence of...more The City's Son by Tom Pollock is an urban fantasy novel which marks the debut of the author. Beth Bradley is a rebel, and a girl great with a can of spray paint. She spend her fee time tagging the city, while her friend Pen scrawls poetry to accompany it. Beth's father is lost in grief over his late wife, and Pen is trapped by the expectations and demands of others. After a daring evening an apparent betrayal separates the friends and sends them both out into a world born of the very essence of London. They have very different paths, and different dreams. Beth meets Urchin, the prince of the streets who opens her eyes to the layers of the world around her. The city and all of its components are alive, and there is a major battle brewing. Reach, a source of death and destruction, is trying to rise, and the city's creature are abuzz with rumors that Urchin's Goddess and mother might be returning to fight the final battle. But when the battle is over, who will have won and what will the final price be?

The City's Son is a original and engaging read. Beth is a risk taker, and is so used to making her own decisions that she does no bow to the voices of those who expect her to. A prince, his people, and their expectations can not withstand her will. She is a strong girl, but still carries a vulnerability that makes her feel real. The collection of the city's creatures were imaginative an believable. I could easily see some of those statues coming to life, of reflections in skyscrapers taking on a life of their own. The mix of imagination and absolute reality come together perfectly. I will admit to looking at light bulbs, telephone wires, and bricks in a different way since finishing the book.

I highly recommend The City's Son to teens and adults that like urban fantasy novels that carry with it a fresh perspective of the world, and yourself. There is just as much exploration into what Beth, Pen, and others want as there is the physical world around them. The story is unique, with a skill in building a world that exists along side our own that reminds me of Neil Gaiman and Holly Black's skill at doing the same. The introduction to a society that very well could be real, but since we are so good at ignoring what we do not want to see I doubt we would ever notice it. If you are looking for something fun, adventurous, and different then this is a must read!(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Ori rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed

The summary reads like a fairly typical YA novel, but that is only the packaging. The City's Son has its fair share of mature themes and plot events that you would never have found spelled out in anything written for kids on the verge of adulthood. In fact this unexpected shift of perception made this a richer read.

I don't want to give anything away, but the ending was unexpected in the best of ways. There's a certain necessary choice made towards the end of the book that cinched the story for m...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Neil Gaimon, Ben Aaronovitch and Patrick Ness

Recommended to Tim by: The publisher

4.5 out of 5

Firstly, I'd like to do a little backpedaling. To the people who have only given this book a 1 Star or a 'Didn't Finish' because it was either "too difficult" or "there was too much going on" - you are morons and I can only surmise that the writing was at a level of intelligence beyond your comprehension.

This is an intelligent YA book, oozing with charisma, beautifully detailed and not totally fixated on a vapid, predictable love triangle. You only have to watch the author interview ...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, ehh

This review is also featured on my blog : http://cheerfulreviews.blogspot.com/2...

Thank you Flux Books for letting me read this book for free on NetGalley!

Uhhh.. Okay so- hm. I DON'T KNOW. Okay I started this book super excited because the synopsis sounded fabulous and Filius was described as "ragged and cocky" which is my type of guy but... I just don't... *le sigh* Okay so this book is about a girl named Beth who is a graffiti artist with her best friend Pen, well one night they almost get c...more This review is also featured on my blog : http://cheerfulreviews.blogspot.com/2...

Thank you Flux Books for letting me read this book for free on NetGalley!

Uhhh.. Okay so- hm. I DON'T KNOW. Okay I started this book super excited because the synopsis sounded fabulous and Filius was described as "ragged and cocky" which is my type of guy but... I just don't... *le sigh* Okay so this book is about a girl named Beth who is a graffiti artist with her best friend Pen, well one night they almost get caught and everything turns out fine, whatever. But Pen then betrays Beth by telling on her, so Beth is like depressed and whatever and pissed off because she just lost her only friend and since her dad doesn't even take care of her and is pretty much a robot she runs away. When I got to the part where she meets the train or whatever I was so freaking confused. I think I read most of this book over twice because I didn't know what the heck was happening.

So she meets this train/monster thing which I didn't know how to picture but I kind of imagined something like.. a train.. with sharp teeth? I don't know. ): (I'm saying I don't know a lot.) Anyways, so Beth is saved by this guy named Filius and then she saves them and you know- I really thought I was going to like Filius. I thought he was gonna be all hot cocky bad boy type.. kinda like Carlos from Rules of Attraction.. >_>... <_<.... But he wasn't. Beth kept describing him as super skinny and stuff and I honestly imagined him as a little boy which was a turn off. Also, the romance between the two was.. I found it quite random? I wasn't feeling it, it was rushed and weird and I just thought it was awkward.

This book had a really interesting plot and I went into this thinking it was going to be amazing which might be why I didn't like it that much ? It just took me forever to finally sit down and finish it, I was confused throughout most of the book and the only character I semi-liked was Beth. The other characters just annoyed me, honestly. I know I'm bashing this book something awful but I did give it 2 stars! I thought the storyline had a ton of potential and did think this book could have been better if the descriptions were better and there wasn't so much going on at once. I think if maybe you got this on NetGalley or from the library it is definitely worth a try! I have heard very good reviews about this so there are people that enjoyed it much more than I did! It just wasn't for me, I guess. (:
(less)

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Jul 14, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Are you into adventure stories ? One's that have a bit of this and a bit of that ? Enjoy Supernatural creatures ? What about Dystopian societies ?
The City's Son starts off like a supernatural series with the main character hunting a creature of the dead , one that has killed and will continue to kill many citizens. Then the story flashes to two friends Beth and Pencil , it seems that Beth is a bit of a risk taker and an artist and has a knack for graffiting. Whereas her friend Pen -for short, is...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Ellie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

London City is alive. When Beth and her best friend Pen are caught spraying graffiti at their school, Pen turns Beth in. Reeling from the betrayal, Beth stumbles into another London, one where railwraiths transport memories of passengers, where the lights are living glass people who dance at night, where the statues are imprisoned men, repaying their debts to their absent goddess, and where a danger threatens the very essence of the city that no one sees. And that city has a son.

Wow, I’m not sur...more London City is alive. When Beth and her best friend Pen are caught spraying graffiti at their school, Pen turns Beth in. Reeling from the betrayal, Beth stumbles into another London, one where railwraiths transport memories of passengers, where the lights are living glass people who dance at night, where the statues are imprisoned men, repaying their debts to their absent goddess, and where a danger threatens the very essence of the city that no one sees. And that city has a son.

Wow, I’m not sure how much I can express my love of Tom Pollock’s hidden London without spoiling the discovery for others. It reminds me of how children’s imaginations create worlds out of the incredibly mundane environment that surrounds them, street lights can be beautiful and exotic women that dance and flirt and real dangers such as trains and barbed wire can be turned into monsters.

After Beth’s ride on the railwraith she meets Filius, son of Mater Viae, the goddess who the creatures of London worship. At first, she takes him for a dirty street urchin but she saves his life and he hers and she finds herself following him further into his world, where Reach threatens the existence of those who have called the streets home for centuries. Reach is the god of cranes; they appear on the horizon wherever he is erecting his mirrored skyscrapers, something residents of London will know well. Reach represents progress destroying the character and essence of London.

Meanwhile, Pen has her reasons for her betrayal to Beth and her story is a sad one. She sees Beth’s paintings on the walls and follows her, with no inclination of the danger she could be in. Amongst the story of the city there are some very real themes threaded throughout and I think Pen’s parting words sums things up perfectly. Beth’s father is also suffering from deep depression after the loss of his wife and Beth’s mother and now he must face the idea that his daughter is lost too. There are some incredibly touching moments amongst the fantastical.

There is also a spattering of humour, mostly from the wonderful character of Victor, a homeless Russian who offers his translation services and whose friendly manner evolves into a sort of surrogate father figure for Beth. This lightens what is otherwise a dark, yet utterly brilliant tale.

There’s no denying that The City’s Son put’s the urban into urban fantasy, the setting being crucial. Scenes may be a little disturbing for younger readers although I’m not sure it’s being marketed towards young adults despite the teenage characters.(less)

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Jun 18, 2012 Kate (VerbVixen) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Friendship is man’s greatest good. It’s a sentiment from time immemorial or at least back to Socrates. And most wondrous strange, The City’s Son feels like an old friend already. Though it is completely new and wholly unique, it sings the song of old human truths—of friendship and love, sacrifice and bravery, of fear and loss. It is the type of book that has you holding your breath to the very last page, and upon coming to that end your exhalation brings painful, blissful relief. The plot remind...more Friendship is man’s greatest good. It’s a sentiment from time immemorial or at least back to Socrates. And most wondrous strange, The City’s Son feels like an old friend already. Though it is completely new and wholly unique, it sings the song of old human truths—of friendship and love, sacrifice and bravery, of fear and loss. It is the type of book that has you holding your breath to the very last page, and upon coming to that end your exhalation brings painful, blissful relief. The plot reminds me of an epic saga though I suppose stories of war and friendship when done right should remind one of the rage of Achilles, the friendships of The Shire, the love of Odysseus, the bravery of the kings and queens of Narnia, and the dangers of Mordor. It is impossible not to love and cheer for Fil, Beth and Pen. It is impossible not to fight with them, cheer them in their triumphs and cradle them in their fragility. Even the parental element was well done, which is so rare in YA these days.

Pollock writes as though he were the boy with the city in his skin. He gets it—the allure of iron and concrete and towers that reach to kiss the heavens. He sees the magic they hold. For a long time I’ve held that each city has it’s own pulse-a heartbeat you can hear if you’re listening for it. New York’s is the fluttering beat of hummingbird wings more of a constant buzz then a drumbeat. New Orleans sounds more like the slow, lazy upward tilt of a jazz song (I always think of Datri Bean’s “Slow Down Summertime” when I’m there). I’m convinced Pollock can hear the city’s pulse too, and what is more he can help others hear it.

The prose is practically poetry all at once both searing and subtle. It resonates to the core of universal truths and expresses what before had been ineffable with such stunning grace it honestly stole my breath. On nearly every page was a phrase that needed underlining; a glimpse into brilliance itself. I can’t quote everything because it would ruin the loveliness for you when you experience it the first time but I will say these pages I’ve dog-eared and underlined in my book: 53, 124, 129, 182, 188, 193, 261, 276, 334, 380, 398. And those are just the dog-eared pages, forget about the ones where I annotated the margins.

At the end what matters is this: the story, the characters, the writing are exceptional and far exceeded any expectations I had. To say The City’s Son is a must read doesn’t even do justice to the book; it is a read that conveys what it is to be human and more so what it is to be human in this awe-full world of cities. Can you say PRE-ORDER?

Overall: A++ (Yes two pluses are necessary)

P.S. Thank God there are two more books coming.

P.P.S. I actually edited out whole paragraphs of this review so you can thank me for that but honestly there is so much I want to talk about with this book. So please read it and ask me so we can talk about it, dammit.
(less)

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Jun 11, 2013 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars, ya, urban-fantasy

3.75 stars

This really puts the urban in urban fantasy. I struggled with this book. I picked it up and put it down for almost 3 weeks. I almost decided that I wasn't going to finish it.

Filius Viae is the son of Mater Viae, Goddess of the city of London. She disappeared right after Filius was born. But now Reach, Master of the Cranes has come again and Mater Viae is not around to stop him. Instead its up to Filius.

Beth is in trouble at school and after the betrayal of her best friend Pen, she mee...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this young adult urban fantasy, war is coming to London. The destructive Reach is killing the city and his opponent the Lady of the Streets is missing. Only her son, sixteen-year-old Filius Viae is left to recruit her supporters and defeat Reach. But he is young, and frightened, and not a general. This battle is going on concurrently with our contemporary London but completely overlooked by almost all of the normal human inhabitants of the city.

Beth Bradley is one of the exceptions. She is a...more In this young adult urban fantasy, war is coming to London. The destructive Reach is killing the city and his opponent the Lady of the Streets is missing. Only her son, sixteen-year-old Filius Viae is left to recruit her supporters and defeat Reach. But he is young, and frightened, and not a general. This battle is going on concurrently with our contemporary London but completely overlooked by almost all of the normal human inhabitants of the city.

Beth Bradley is one of the exceptions. She is a sixteen-year-old artist who uses London as her palette. She and her friend Pen spend many nights with Beth tagging the city and Pen leaving bits of poetry by the art. Beth is escaping a home filled with grief and a severely depressed father. After her mother's sudden death, her father gave up on life and on Beth and spends all his time sitting a chair and reading the last book his wife was reading over and over again. Beth works our her grief by being angry and by leaving her paintings all over town. Pen is her only friend but, when Pen seems to betray her, she is cut adrift and decides to run away.

She meets Filius and is soon swept up in the up-coming war and in a world she couldn't have imagined. Tom Pollock's imagination has filled London with a wide variety of unique creatures from girls made of electricity to ghost trains to a guardian who reconstructs itself each day from the garbage and worms, roaches, and maggots in the trash. And that doesn't even include the Pavement Priests or the Mirrorstocracy or the Chemical Synod whose equations always balance. All of those characters are loosely aligned on the side of the Lady of the Streets, the Goddess Mother Viae. Reach's side include the Cranes and the scaffwolves and the Wire Mistress who is Reach's right hand who steels humans to use as hosts.

When Beth goes missing, it is up to Pen and Beth's father to try to find her. Along the way Pen is captured by the Wire Mistress and Beth's father joins in with the Pavement Priests. There are many battles and characters we have come to know don't always survive. But those who do survive are stronger and better people.

This is a gritty and sometimes frightening story that will touch the heart and the imagination of the reader. I recommend it to older fantasy lovers. It was a dense read with a lot of time spent introducing the many characters and the conflict but will repay the reader who stays with the story with many memorable characters and much to think about. (less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Ferdy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Spoilers

Ever since her mum died, the only person Beth can rely on is her best friend, Pen. When Pen betrays her, Beth runs away from home and onto the streets of London. There she meets the Son of the Streets, Filius who shows her a side of London she never knew about - filled with Railwraiths, Pavement Priests, walking lights and pylon spiders. Beth soon finds herself in the middle of a war between Filius and his enemy, the Crane King.

-I wasn't impressed with the storyline - the concept didn't...more Spoilers

Ever since her mum died, the only person Beth can rely on is her best friend, Pen. When Pen betrays her, Beth runs away from home and onto the streets of London. There she meets the Son of the Streets, Filius who shows her a side of London she never knew about - filled with Railwraiths, Pavement Priests, walking lights and pylon spiders. Beth soon finds herself in the middle of a war between Filius and his enemy, the Crane King.

-I wasn't impressed with the storyline - the concept didn't interest me at all. I carried on reading in the hope that I'd get used to the unique plot and world building but it just wasn't for me. The monster trains, evil cranes, talking lamps and lights were just too weird to fully embrace.

-Filius's 1st person POV was hard to get through - all the confusing lingo and talk about rallying soldiers for the upcoming war with the Crane King just bored me. His character wasn't very engaging.
Beth and Pen's POV were far easier to read. I did think that Beth felt a bit too sorry for herself. She only had herself to blame for the situation she got herself into but she kept bitching about Pen being an awful friend when it was actually her that let Pen down. I would have preferred if more chapters were from Pen's POV - she was relatable and her arc was the most engrossing.

-I did find it odd that so many strange creatures lived and fought on the busy streets of London yet somehow they managed to go about their war and everyday life largely undetected.
I would have enjoyed the book more had there only been a couple of creatures that were focused on rather than the dozen or so that crowded and bogged the down the flow of the story. The Pavement Priests and Chemical Synods were pretty fascinating, if the focus had been mainly on them, I would have found it a little easier to get into.

-There were a few unexpected twists towards the end. Even though I didn't like Filius much, I felt quite sorry for him and it was pretty sad that his family, childhood and life was stolen from him.
Glas and Pen were definitely the best characters, even though Glas was a manipulative douche, he/she was still an entertaining character.

There were quite a few passages that didn't make much sense and I had to re-read things over and over just to get some clarity. It took well over half the book to get attached to most of the characters and to actually take an interest in the storyline.
I think that this will appeal to a certain audience, it's definitely not a typical YA book. I have to give points for originality, imagination and the cool descriptions of London. Sadly, I don't think I'll be reading the next book - it's just not my cup of tea.(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Jessica (Step Into Fiction) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars

Review originally posted at Step Into Fiction

Thank you to netgalley & Flux for allowing me the opportunity to review this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I will say I am surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I will tell you why. For about the first quarter of the book, I had no idea what Fil was. That bothered me just because I like to have a sense of what I'm dealing with, if you will. It made me nervous, thinking it was going to be like this for the entire book, which, in a way, it...more Review originally posted at Step Into Fiction

Thank you to netgalley & Flux for allowing me the opportunity to review this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I will say I am surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I will tell you why. For about the first quarter of the book, I had no idea what Fil was. That bothered me just because I like to have a sense of what I'm dealing with, if you will. It made me nervous, thinking it was going to be like this for the entire book, which, in a way, it was. However, it started getting to the point where it didn't really matter much what he was; what mattered was what he could do and how he was going to get it done.

The imagination of the author is just unbelievable. To create this entire world, enemies the way they are, allies the way they are. I mean, there are light people! Light people...as in light bulbs. It's ridiculously awesome!

Beth is pretty screwed up. She lost her mother suddenly, it messed with her father pretty bad. He hardly does anything but sit there reading her favorite book. It's kind of heartbreaking, actually. She gets in trouble at school, gets suspended and has no idea what to do especially since her father hardly even cares. Her best friend, Pen, is the one who turned her in but she's got a horrible secret she's keeping that is just gut wrenching.

She meets Fil when he saves her life during a fight between two trains (yes, trains) then she, in return, saves his life immediately afterward. He's different. He's got a grey-ish tint to his skin and walks around with a spear. Not exactly something you see every day in London. He ends up telling her where she can find him and the next day, she goes looking. It's the beginning of her new life.

Beth is incredibly stubborn yet insanely brave. Even if my life were pretty rotten, I don't think I'd have the courage she had to do the things she did, especially change the way she was, physically.

The writing was just amazing, the story was intense and it was overall a fantastic read. I recommend this to anyone looking for something really creative and pretty far out there. You need patience to read this book, I think. Like I said, the first quarter or so of the book was slightly chaotic for the reader but if you can hold out after that, you're in for a treat!(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Steffy rated it 1 of 5 stars

I didn’t manage to get into that book sadly, once I reached 19% in and realized it took me 3 days to manage that. I decided to give up.
I can’t say it’s a poorly written book or anything because it’s not the case. There is nothing work per say with the book.
I liked the first few chapters from Beth POV but once I got to Filius point of view that’s when it all went downhill. I find the setting very confusing; the characters get mixed up in my head and well the more I read from Filius POV the more...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Blackinky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh goodness, this book, in my opinion, is fantastic. I'm so happy that I decided to give it another try. I'll be honest; the beginning was so confusing and odd that I was iffy about reading this book. I judged it way too soon. I read this book in two days (woulda been only one if I didn't have school to worry about.)

The characters are great. They depend on each other to be brave even when they are scared out of their wits. There are so many fantastic, true-to-life quotes in here that the charact...more

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May 07, 2013 Kendra Healy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bonds-of-people-is-the-true-power, gorgeous-prose, ladies-being-awesome, non-romantic-relationships, teen-literature, well-crafted-teen-books

Well-crafted and at times transcendent, The City's Son is a stunning debut novel with a few narrative flaws, most of which are overcome by the brilliance of both character and setting.

Beth is brash and reckless and angry. When her best friend, Pen, betrays her, she doesn't handle it well - she runs away, rides a demon train, and falls in love with the London she always knew was there, but never truly saw. Beth's relationship with Pen is a complicated one, and Pen's betrayal is obviously not as d...more Well-crafted and at times transcendent, The City's Son is a stunning debut novel with a few narrative flaws, most of which are overcome by the brilliance of both character and setting.

Beth is brash and reckless and angry. When her best friend, Pen, betrays her, she doesn't handle it well - she runs away, rides a demon train, and falls in love with the London she always knew was there, but never truly saw. Beth's relationship with Pen is a complicated one, and Pen's betrayal is obviously not as dire as Beth's reaction would imply. But she's a flawed, angry teenager, and her reaction makes sense. Beth grows over the course of the novel, channeling her energy and honesty into a more productive force, but she remains the flawed and realistic as well. The City's Son is in part Beth's journey self-realization.

That said, Pen was easily my favorite character. I loved her quiet strength, her small victories, and how she, too, grew more towards the person she wanted to be, rather than who she ought to be. From the outset, it's obvious that Pen is often overshadowed by Beth, and rather going the standard secretly-bitter-and-resentful-evil-best-friend, Pen and Beth have a complicated, but deeply meaningful, relationship. They grow both away from and into each other over the course of the novel, and their relationship is one of the best parts of this book, at least to me.

But the characters don't just make the story; the setting, both the mundane and the fantastical aspects of Pollock's richly-imagined London, make The City's Son stand out amongst a slew of rather derivative urban fantasy. The author clearly loves the city in all its trashy, shining glory, and there's a passion to the descriptions of London that brings the city alive. The creatures the inhabit the fantastical London underworld and unique and well-crafted; they are not wholly benevolent creatures, but neither is every supernatural encounter suffering. The book is well-paced and while the plot sometimes stumbles, The City's Son is a difficult title to put down.

That said, the book has its flaws. The mundane characters react rather underwhelmingly to their first encounters with the supernatural denizens of the city. There's very little in the way of surprise for any of the characters; I might buy that Beth is nonplussed by a railwraith, but that other characters are similarly unsurprised challenges my willing suspension of disbelief. The book also lacks clarity at times.

The book does resolve nicely, open-ended enough for a sequel (which there will be) but not sequel-bait. The thing I think I most appreciated about the book, aside from the importance of Beth and Pen's friendship, is that actions have consequences. There are deaths and sacrifices and they stick; the ending, whether or not you want to call it happy, is hard-earned. The heroes walk away with scars, emotional and physical and it makes the book more realistic, certainly, but also more beautiful.(less)

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Jul 27, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hidden under the surface of everyday London is a city of monsters and miracles, where wild train spirits stampede over the tracks and glass-skinned dancers with glowing veins light the streets.

When a devastating betrayal drives her from her home, graffiti artist Beth Bradley stumbles into the secret city, where she finds Filius Viae, London’s ragged crown prince, just when he needs someone most. An ancient enemy has returned to the darkness under St Paul’s Cathedral, bent on reigniting a centuri...more Hidden under the surface of everyday London is a city of monsters and miracles, where wild train spirits stampede over the tracks and glass-skinned dancers with glowing veins light the streets.

When a devastating betrayal drives her from her home, graffiti artist Beth Bradley stumbles into the secret city, where she finds Filius Viae, London’s ragged crown prince, just when he needs someone most. An ancient enemy has returned to the darkness under St Paul’s Cathedral, bent on reigniting a centuries-old war, and Beth and Fil find themselves in a desperate race through a bizarre urban wonderland, searching for a way to save the city they both love.

The City’s Son is the first book of The Skyscraper Throne trilogy: a story about family, friends and monsters, and how you can’t always tell which is which.

I remember reading somewhere, years ago, that a city has many faces. I couldn’t tell now where I read the phrase, but I liked the idea and it has always stayed with me. I’ve since come to the conclusion that when I’m reading well written urban fantasy the author is sharing tantalizing glimpses of these faces. The City’s Son, the debut novel by Tom Pollock, is a great example of this phenomenon. As the plot unfolds the reader gets to discover what lies behind the façade of the London we are all so familiar with.

When Beth is first introduced she is already a creature of the streets in her own way. Unruly and unforgiving due to problems at home, she escapes via the sights and sounds of the city. A chance encounter reveals a hidden side of London and Beth finds herself in the midst of a turf war between two opposing forces. Beth’s guide on this journey is the enigmatic Fil, part human and part something else. The relationship that develops between the two forms the core of the novel. Both are looking for answers to the mysteries in their lives and they very quickly form a strong bond.

Fil’s mother, Mater Viae, is the goddess of London’s streets. She is the embodiment of history and tradition, bricks and mortar. Mater Viae has existed since time immemorial. Meanwhile her opponent is known simply as Reach, the Crane King. Reach is driven by demolition and renovation; he draws his power from towers of glass and steel. These two characters opposing viewpoints work perfectly to illustrate the clash of cultures that has developed in this escalating cold war.

It’s almost Inevitable that there are going to be comparisons to other existing London based urban fantasy novels, Neverwhere, The Devil You Know and Sixty One Nails all immediately spring to mind, but I genuinely don’t think that these comparisons are necessary. Pollock has crafted a tale that is unique and deserves to be treated as such. If anything, the alternate reality that exists in The City’s Son reminded me more of the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli than another novel. This ‘other London’ is a shadowy world of sentient tube trains, pylon spiders and reincarnated criminals trapped in stone, can you imagine what Studio Ghibli could do with that? It’s certainly on my list of things I’d be willing to sell my soul to see.

There are a host of memorable characters and factions whose names and descriptions conjure up some wonderfully evocative imagery. From the sleazy powerbroker Johnny Naptha and the members of the Chemical Synod, the evangelical Pavement Priests, or Fil’s faithful servant, Gutterglass. Everyone you meet is going to stay with you. I loved the idea that this alternative society of fantastical beings exists just on the periphery of our own, hidden in plain sight.

Wait, I haven’t even got around to mentioning the fact that there are cats have I? Not just any old cats mind you. Oh no, these are very special cats. Obviously I’m going to be entirely evil and not tell you why, that would be far to spoilery. Lets just stick with – they are extremely important and based on this shocking revelation it’s highly likely that I’ll never be able to look at my two cats the same way ever again.

Pollock’s debut is a modern day fairy-tale wrapped up in the very cleverest of urban fantasy disguises. I was caught up in this roller-coaster adventure from the off and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series. In fact, while I have your attention Internet – do me a favour will you? Pass on the following message to the powers that be – I demand someone stand over Tom Pollock and not let him move from his keyboard until book two is finished.

Last year, one of my favourite novels was Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. It looks suspiciously like this year my favourite novel is again to come from a debut Young Adult author. Actually, thinking about it, categorizing this novel as Young Adult seems a trifle unfair. Like the anime of Studio Ghibli, this is a story that works on a number of levels and will appeal to young and old alike. The City’s Son isn’t just a good example of a Young Adult novel, it’s a good example of a novel full stop.

The City’s Son is published by Jo Fletcher Books and is available from 2nd August. Its sequel, The Glass Republic, is set to follow next year.(less)

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Sep 07, 2012 Stephanie Saulter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Tom Pollock’s The City’s Son is a delight. Nominally aimed at the young adult market, I think all you have to be is young at heart to appreciate this beautifully written, cleverly constructed tale of a city whose very fabric is alive and vital – a city of sodium-light dancers and tower-crane demons and the ghosts of trains, a city where the Pavement Priests are made of stone and bronze and the Mirrorstocracy are, quite literally, no more than reflections of former glory. Into it stumbles graffit...more
Tom Pollock’s The City’s Son is a delight. Nominally aimed at the young adult market, I think all you have to be is young at heart to appreciate this beautifully written, cleverly constructed tale of a city whose very fabric is alive and vital – a city of sodium-light dancers and tower-crane demons and the ghosts of trains, a city where the Pavement Priests are made of stone and bronze and the Mirrorstocracy are, quite literally, no more than reflections of former glory. Into it stumbles graffiti artist Beth Bradley, fleeing tragedy at home and trouble at school, only to find herself in the company of Filius Viae, abandoned son of the city’s absent Goddess. Together Fil and Beth must find a way to save their city from his mother’s ancient enemy, Reach, the King of the Cranes. And that’s as much of the story as you’re getting from me. All I’ll say is that the outcome isn’t obvious; Pollock, like Mieville, has a fondness for turning tropes on their head. That’s not all he’s got going for him; his characters jump off the page at you, fully realised and recognisable in the space of a few words (not unlike Gaiman, and believe me when I tell you, coming from me that’s very high praise). And like Aaronovitch, the story is full of snarky humour and a palpable love of London.

Are there flaws? Of course there are, but they are few and forgivable. The speed with which Beth’s dad and best friend accept the altered reality in which they find themselves seems a bit unlikely under the circumstances. The friend, Pen, is subjected to horrific ordeals in both Londons but the one in the ‘real’ world, although an inciting event for much that happens later, is pretty much glossed over. And I found myself wondering how the cataclysmic events in the ‘other’ London were perceived and explained in ours, and why the police didn’t seem to be involved in the hunt for two missing teenage girls. In a lesser book these would have been real problems; here they are quibbles. Pollock’s prose flows so beautifully it would disguise far greater sins.

See the rest of this review at: http://stephaniesaulter.com/2012/09/0...(less)

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Sep 04, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: notable-reads-of-2012, totally-awesome-book, urban-fantasy, young-adult

Urban Fantasy is a genre defined by setting and the very excellent The City’s Son is a prime example of it: in it, London comes to life and is a character as much as its protagonists. The City has its own arc and its tale interconnects with those of the other characters in both obvious and subtle ways.

The great City of London is at the brink of destruction as an old threat surfaces from the ashes and is building itself up. Reach, the King of Cranes is a God of demolition: be gone old masonry bu...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Jill Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Verging on a 5, but not quite there. Still, excellent, and featuring the creepiest and most horrifying villain I can remember.

It does take a bit of time to pull together a few strands, and the beginning of the book is weak on account of this, but once Beth -- a 16 year old semi-delinquent -- has fallen into this book's version of London Below (except not actually below), it's very compelling. The secondary characters are (as is common) much more interesting than the two main characters, and I a...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Raven rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry...

I tried, I really did try to enjoy this book. I don't think I've ever wanted to enjoy a book this badly before. Each time I read more of this book, I'd get bored and wonder why I'm even bothering, but kept going in hopes that it got better.

My main issue with this book is that we're thrown into this wonderful new version of London, but we aren't told any background. We're just expected to accept this new world and everything in it. I'm sorry, but our first real exper...more

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May 15, 2012 Cheryl Clark rated it 1 of 5 stars

I reviewed this book for a library magazine. Otherwise, wouldn't have wasted my time.

Hated it!

I know it will somehow find an audience, but it was just too full of flaws for me. The plot and characters are completely unbelievable, not because they are imaginative. Yes, I get it. It's a fantasy novel. When I say they are unbelievable, I mean they don't make sense within the universe they are created. They are supposed to represent London somehow; after all, they are the goddess' (i.e. London's) ar...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Bane of Kings rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: notable-2012-releases, urban-fantasy, young-adult, 2012-releases-read, 25-best-2012-releases

“One of my favourite novels of 2012 so far, The City’s Son is an absolute delight to read.” ~The Founding Fields

I was going to start off this review by writing that this was the best 2012-released young adult novel that I’ve read so far. Then, I recalled that Pantomime was a 2013 release, and the only other 2012 YA novel that I’ve read was the very disappointing conclusion to James Patterson’s eight-book Maximum Ride series, Nevermore. I hope to try and read some more YA novels in this month, pa...more “One of my favourite novels of 2012 so far, The City’s Son is an absolute delight to read.” ~The Founding Fields

I was going to start off this review by writing that this was the best 2012-released young adult novel that I’ve read so far. Then, I recalled that Pantomime was a 2013 release, and the only other 2012 YA novel that I’ve read was the very disappointing conclusion to James Patterson’s eight-book Maximum Ride series, Nevermore. I hope to try and read some more YA novels in this month, particularly some of Strange Chemistry’s new releases, so we’ll see how it goes. But for me, The City’s Son was absolutely fantastic. It’s even better than some of the other, non-YA 2012 novels that I’ve read this year as well, which is saying something, considering that I’ve read over 200 books this year alone.

"Expelled from school, betrayed by her best friend and virtually ignored by her dad, who’s never recovered from the death of her mum, Beth Bradley retreats to the sanctuary of the streets, looking for a new home. What she finds is Filius Viae, the ragged and cocky crown prince of London, who opens her eyes to the place she’s never truly seen.

But the hidden London is on the brink of destruction. Reach, the King of the Cranes, is a malign god of demolition, and he wants Filius dead. In the absence of the Lady of the Streets, Filius’ goddess mother, Beth rouses Filius to raise an alleyway army, to reclaim London’s skyscraper throne for the mother he’s never known. Beth has almost forgotten her old life – until her best friend and her father come searching for her, and she must choose between the streets and the life she left behind."

This is a book that took me completely by surprise. Given the fact that this sounds all-too familiar to a Paranormal Romance novel, I wasn’t expecting anything like what I got. The prose is perhaps the most beautifully written that I’ve ever seen in a YA book since Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. It’s got everything that you could want, and more, from a novel that’s brilliantly written, but also has brilliant cover art. Or the UK version at least. The US version… isn’t so awesome.

Read the Rest of the Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/12/...(less)

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