City of the Snakes (The City Trilogy, #3)

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City of the Snakes (The City Trilogy #3)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 369 ratings · 26 reviews

For ten years Capac Raimi has ruled the City. Created by the first Cardinal to continue his legacy, Capac cannot be killed.

Then Capac disappears. His trusted lieutenant, Ford Tasso, suspects the mysterious villacs, ancient and powerful Incan priests. To Ford, only one man has the cunning to outwit such adversaries-Al Jeery, who has taken the guise of his father, the terrif...more

Hardcover, 307 pages

Published June 2nd 2011 by Grand Central Publishing (first published March 1st 2010)

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Feb 01, 2013 Kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Annnnnnnnnd done.

Again, another story that kind of dragged and nagged my brain. More of the gangster and mystery type solving that isn't my cup of tea, at all. Though, I can still appreciate the fine and sometimes strange details that were put into it. Darren Shan is a fantastic story teller, and I most definitely won't let this deter me from any future books.

Ten years after Capac Raimi took over as Cardinal of the City, things don't appear to be running so smoothly. Things get even worse when...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Ryan rated it 2 of 5 stars

My favorite moment in Batman comics is when he descends from above, out of the darkness into the panel, crushing some criminal beneath him. Dangerous, right?

In fact, Batman is the most dangerous person in Gotham City, even though he never kills.

In City of the Snakes, Shan has a character, Al Jeery AKA Paucar Wami, who is supposed to be the most dangerous assassin in "The City," and of course in the world as well.

There's a trick to associating danger with your character. Some authors go for the p...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'City of the Snakes' is the third and final book in Darren Shan's urban-fantasy thriller series. Taking place ten years after the first and second books, it sees Al Jeery (book two's narrator) investigate what the mysterious Incan priests are up to, and what has happened to Capac Raimi, the city's Cardinal, who has suddenly disappeared without a trace.

The book opens first of all with a few chapters from the viewpoint of Capac, which I hugely enjoyed; it was great to be back inside Capac Raimi's...more 'City of the Snakes' is the third and final book in Darren Shan's urban-fantasy thriller series. Taking place ten years after the first and second books, it sees Al Jeery (book two's narrator) investigate what the mysterious Incan priests are up to, and what has happened to Capac Raimi, the city's Cardinal, who has suddenly disappeared without a trace.

The book opens first of all with a few chapters from the viewpoint of Capac, which I hugely enjoyed; it was great to be back inside Capac Raimi's arrogant, cocky head again. In fact, it almost made returning to the much more mellow, almost robotic Al Jeery a shame. I was longing for Capac's voice; I'm not saying I don't like Al, but he is a little... dry.

One fear I had before starting this book was that it would all be abou the Incan priests and that would spoil it (in the previous books, they only played a small role, and I glossed over most of their bits). As predicted, the story does revolve around them, but luckily there are lots of more interesting things going on to gain my attention, such as gang warfare which was exciting to read.

One thing I do like about Al's perpsective is that it is much more gritty and down-to-earth. With Capac's story in 'Procession of the Dead', you never really get the sense that the City is all that bad, as Capac spends his time in the biggest, best hotels and resteraunts around, with the power of the Cardinal his to utilise whenever he desires. But with Al, we see the much seedier, darker side of the City, and there are some truly horrific moments that made this reader shudder.

It's a shame the Cardinal's gone, I enjoyed his character, but I'm also relived Shan didn't exhaust his role and spoil the fun of him.

There were some things I didn't like about this book: the Incan priests bore me, and they play a crucial role in this book, and I missed Capac's character. On the whole though, this was a well written, well thought out novel, perhaps not as stunning as books one and two, but still just as enjoyable.

4/5.(less)

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Jun 23, 2011 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, fantasy, library

I like this trilogy because it's trying for something different than the usual genre fare, but I don't think this conclusion lived up to its potential.

It's ten years after the events of the first two books, and Capac Raimi is barely holding the City together when the ghosts of his past start distracting him from the problems of his present. Al Jeery haunts the streets in the guise of his legendary father, searching for the man who ruined his life. Then Capac disappears. Al agrees to find him in...more I like this trilogy because it's trying for something different than the usual genre fare, but I don't think this conclusion lived up to its potential.

It's ten years after the events of the first two books, and Capac Raimi is barely holding the City together when the ghosts of his past start distracting him from the problems of his present. Al Jeery haunts the streets in the guise of his legendary father, searching for the man who ruined his life. Then Capac disappears. Al agrees to find him in exchange for his shot at revenge, even though the case threatens to lead Al right into the hands of the scheming villacs, the blind priests who have spent centuries trying to claim control of the City.

The first book reads more like a thriller in a unique setting, the fantasy elements start light and at first the reader wonders if they may mostly be delusions. The second book takes place during the first one, so even though Al's mystery was satisfying, the big-picture aspects of the City were old news.

This third book mostly continues Al's journey, leaving Capac as the nearly untouchable Cardinal he became rather than the original series protagonist that we cared about. I guess I was expecting the two main characters of each previous book really work together (or at least share time), so watching Al try to rein in Paucar Wami while getting led around by the villacs felt like more of the same.

The mythology that proved the only drag on the first two books was even heavier here. The characters spent too much time getting lectured on it, especially during what should have been the most exciting part of the novel.

I was interested in the City and its inhabitants and the people ruthless enough to succeed in it. But secretive priests who we mostly saw when they'd mysteriously appear and act cryptic never hooked me as a concept. There's a point near the end where one character tells them it was a mistake to think he'd give a damn about them. That line made me smile, because that's kind of how I felt about them too.
(less)

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May 01, 2013 Dwayne Shugert rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sick, dark, evil, twisted, ugly yet brilliant. The City Trilogy takes you on a journey that is full of magic and adventure into a city full of darkness and evil. This book is not for the faint of heart, yet the characters are stunning in their own way. Brilliantly conceived and brilliantly told, this story moves at such a pace that leaves you simply tired and spent. The death, and darkness and evil and the manipulation seems to have no bounds. Yet, there is a choice that needs to be made, a choi...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Mihir rated it 4 of 5 stars

Original review over at Fantasy Book Critic

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: I was awaiting “City of the Snakes” since the moment I finished “Hell’s Horizon”. I knew that the third book would be taking a time leap and would be featuring characters from both the previous books. After liking the weird but excellent start to the series, I was curious how the author planned to end the series and how would Capac and Jeery interact with each other and what would this mean for the City.

The story opens up ten years a...more
Original review over at Fantasy Book Critic

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: I was awaiting “City of the Snakes” since the moment I finished “Hell’s Horizon”. I knew that the third book would be taking a time leap and would be featuring characters from both the previous books. After liking the weird but excellent start to the series, I was curious how the author planned to end the series and how would Capac and Jeery interact with each other and what would this mean for the City.

The story opens up ten years after the events of Procession of the Dead and we find that Capac has indeed risen to the top however he’s not been completely able to control his environment. He wonders whether he did the right thing in the climax of Procession of the Dead as things haven’t gone smoothly as per the Cardinal’s predictions. His henchmen have been constantly betraying him and somehow he has started seeing ghosts of past personae. Convinced he’s slowly losing his mind, he turns to Ford Tasso to help him however before he can be of any service, Capac is reunited with a particular person from his past. His besotted entanglement however leads him down a path from where return is nigh impossible. Al Jeery is then contacted by Ford Tasso to locate and retrieve Capac, that however is easier said than done as the usual suspects are the city’s worst kept secret, its Incan priests. As Al slowly makes his way through the twisted lanes of the City, he starts realizing that perhaps Capac was seeing something concrete after all. And the worst nightmare the City has ever faced, the deadly psychopathic assassin Paucar Wami, has returned and perhaps he will want to find out what Al has been up to for the past ten years.

This book is the last book in the trilogy and therefore it does bring into play all the characters which have been introduced so far. This is a good move on the author’s part as it further raises the scales. There is a theme of redemption which plays out between the pages and all characters have to face it. The plot of the book is coalesced a bit from the first two as in the first we had a crusade of one person to rise to the top and in the second there is the search for the missing person. This book manages to combine both these elements and gives the reader something new and familiar at the same time. The plot manages to recreate the intensity of the previous books while giving the characters a push in a newer direction. Both the POV characters are charismatic ones and while Capac does get a smaller role of sorts, he does manage to convey his growth as a character and a crime lord. The real scene stealer is Al Jeery who has spent the last ten years trying to live up a legend so he can find the man who has led him to become the very thing he despises. Al’s growth is very vividly described and the events of this book further test his mettle.

The prose does not disappoint in this one after the excellent turns in the previous books as the author vividly shows the city, its Incan priests and the strange world wherein they inhabit. The book has a strong climax and manages to tie up all the threads which have been introduced so far. I felt this was rather excellent because as a reader I got complete closure from the story. The author also has been brutal with all of his characters as many meet their ends and those who are left alive are worse for wear. Lastly I think the way the author ends the story is rather a mystical one, one can draw inferences from it about what might have happened and all possibilities stand true. The bittersweet nature of the ending does justice to this dark tale and this ending is one which cannot be predicted as well.

Drawbacks were few but present, namely that Capac gets a reduced role. While from a plot point-of-view it is justified, the reader would have definitely benefitted from seeing more of his grey nature. The ending to the story while action-packed ends with a literal bang and perhaps some readers might have liked to read a few more details about it. The book does do its best to keep the tension and intrigue throughout its pages however the weirdness sometimes does overwhelm it.

CONCLUSION: A powerful ending to a dark saga, the characters of the City are not ones which the reader will easily forget. City of the Snakes is a good book to end out a trilogy and it remains to be seen what readers down the line will make of it when they read all the three books together. I for one, enjoyed this gritty, weird urban fantasy story about power, corruption and the redemption of one’s soul. A must read for all readers of the previous books and for those who like their stories dark & with a slice of Noir.(less)

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Oct 04, 2010 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who've read the rest of the City trilogy

Shelves: fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, thriller, fiction

How I Came To Read This Book: I first read Darren Shan's 'Procession of the Dead' several years ago when I got an Advance Reader Copy from a publisher. I've since promoted the book and read the series, which ends here.

The Plot: It's ten years since the converging storylines of Capac Raimi and Al Jeery met at the end of the second book in the series, Hell's Horizon. Raimi is still instated as an uncertain head of affairs in the city, while Jeery is still in disguise as Paucar Wami, continually on...more How I Came To Read This Book: I first read Darren Shan's 'Procession of the Dead' several years ago when I got an Advance Reader Copy from a publisher. I've since promoted the book and read the series, which ends here.

The Plot: It's ten years since the converging storylines of Capac Raimi and Al Jeery met at the end of the second book in the series, Hell's Horizon. Raimi is still instated as an uncertain head of affairs in the city, while Jeery is still in disguise as Paucar Wami, continually on the hunt for the man who ruined his life, Bill Casey. When Raimi goes AWOL, Jeery/Wami is hired to seek him out in exchange for the goods on Casey, who indeed is still alive as Jeery suspected. Before he can get too far into the investigation however, a murder that takes him back a decade ago embroils Jeery once again in the plans of the Incan priests that have a secret hold on the city. As the story progresses, Jeery must choose between his no mercy alterna persona and that of his humanity as he comes to grips with the final battle that may destroy the city once and for all.

The Good & The Bad: I've lent and recommended Procession of the Dead to scads of people, despite the fact the general consensus is the ending is a little disappointing compared to the thrilling pace of the rest of the book. I've been hesitant to recommend the first sequel because while in POTD, it was easy to suspend your disbelief and look for a rational explanation to the plot, by the end, all bets are off as you debate whether what's happening is reality or a product of the mythology that plays heavily into the series. The third book makes me continually hesitant to recommend it as it's the most laden with mythology, much of which overtakes the bouts of page-turning action, character development, and overall flow. At times it feels like Shan is breaking the 'show not tell' rule as pages are bogged down with exposition, particularly towards what should have been a climactic end. Also the books being released so far apart made it hard to remember the relevance of some characters in this widespread cast, although Shan does an admirable job of continually reminding you of what each character did in the past.

That being said, there still were lots of interesting page-turning bits and mysteries, and I was grateful to be brought fully in the fold of understanding just what was going on. Shan is a unique writer with a gritty, gruesome style unlike anything else I've read, and this book is certainly the most disturbing of them all. It was nice to go back to the city although I could have done with less Jeery and more Raimi, and the action was certainly pulse-pounding throughout. Still, I can't shake the feeling that the final entry in The City series felt kind of like Season 6 of Lost - you get the explanations you've been looking for, but at the expense of seeing the man behind the curtain and being a bit underwhelmed.

The Bottom Line: The City trilogy is possibly best enjoyed as a single series rather than spread out, but the gritty noir feel of the first book is unmatched by what transpires in the latter two.

Anything Memorable?: Nope

50-Book Challenge?: Book #43 in 2010(less)

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Sep 04, 2010 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reason for Reading: Next and last in the series.

Starting ten years after the events of the first two books we meet up with Capac Raimi again whom we last really saw in Book One, though he was referred to in Book Two. We see that his rule as Cardinal has not gone as smoothly as he had hoped but this is in fact his own doing as he wants to put his plans into action and slowly watch them unfold since he has eternity to fill. But what he hadn't counted on was the power the rival gangs were gaining a...more Reason for Reading: Next and last in the series.

Starting ten years after the events of the first two books we meet up with Capac Raimi again whom we last really saw in Book One, though he was referred to in Book Two. We see that his rule as Cardinal has not gone as smoothly as he had hoped but this is in fact his own doing as he wants to put his plans into action and slowly watch them unfold since he has eternity to fill. But what he hadn't counted on was the power the rival gangs were gaining and that has him worried. Also though he has started to see and have encounters with people from his past who are dead and that can only mean the mysterious blind Incan priests are up to something. When Capac disappears, his second in charge hires professional killer Al Jeery to find him and this leads to the realization that the Ancient priests have been secretly plotting to take back the City for themselves for years.

Darren Shan has brought all the aspects from books 1 & 2 together in this conclusion to the series in an explosive showdown between the gangs, the Cardinal's mafioso and the powerful Incan priests. The plot is fast-paced and keeps its energy throughout. Just as expected from the previous books this is a dark, gritty, violent urban fantasy. All threads are pulled together and story arcs run to conclusion many in unexpected endings. I was a bit disappointed that Capac's part was limited to the opening and closing sections, with Al Jeery being the protagonist throughout the main portion of the novel. But that's just because I was fascinated with his character in book one; this story needed to be told the way it was. There is a huge revelation for Jeery which is a big shocker and a very disturbing one as we thought we knew all there was to know about serial killer Paucar Wami.

I'm not usually a big fan of urban fantasy or the level of violence that comes with type of story but Darren Shan is a favourite author and he truly has come out with a tour de force for his first series written to an adult audience. I was so looking forward to reading this last book and my expectations were more than met. I definitely plan on re-reading the series someday in the future where I can read the books altogether in a row as I think it will be an even more intense experience when I don't have to wait a year between books. If you can handle mafioso style violence, I definitely recommend this urban fantasy trilogy. The Incan mythology gives it a unique flavour especially when combined with a mafia-type organization and mysterious powers that control certain peoples lives, I should say deaths.

As a P.S., in Shan's dedications he says good-bye to his previous pen names "Darren O'Shaughnessy" his real name I believe, which he wrote under in his early days and "D.B. Shan" the name he wrote under for his two famous YA series. At this point we can expect all Shan's future books to be written under "Darren Shan" which also includes this adult series and two new YA novels published this year. (less)

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Jul 14, 2012 Sandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 20, 2011 Trae rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

While I enjoyed the first novel in this series, this was a let down. I felt that Shan was rewriting some of the mythology that he set out in the first novel just to squeeze in specific storylines and scenes. The characters were uninteresting and I didn't have compassion for (m)any of them. The political machinations were sophomoric and, again, unengaging. By the end of the novel, I just didn't care what happened to any of the characters or the city.

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Apr 22, 2013 Lottie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Again, I read these a while ago now but they still make me incredibly excited when I think back. I am a Shan worshipper (the newer books, eh, we'll come to that) Demonata and the Darren Shan Saga taking over my life for a good few years while they were being finished. This is a reprint (or rewrite, not sure) and thank god he released it because I'm in love.

You'll find the theme of weird books here, I find myself writing in every review that you can't pick apart the stories too much because it ju...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Gregory Gay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural, crime, mystery, modern-fantasy, read-in-2011

Darren Shan's writing is still a bit clumsy, but damnit - I enjoyed this trilogy!

City of the Snakes combines the frantic, action-y style of the first book with the noir-tinged detective style of the second, and the result is pretty good. Overall, this was probably my least favorite of the three, but just by a smidgen.

Not a ton to say here, but check this series out if you're looking for a good dark crime thriller with just a touch of the supernatural (a really neat touch, based on Incan mythol...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Dinah rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was not as good as the first one, Procession of the Dead. It was an interesting story, but did not have the intrigue and mystery I had hoped for.

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Apr 13, 2012 Oliver rated it 5 of 5 stars

A thrilling conclusion to the trilogy...Reminds me a bit of Anne Rice's vampire series, in its attention to details and completeness of the lore.

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Feb 12, 2012 Matt Hott rated it 3 of 5 stars

The weakest book in the City Trilogy. I was excited to read this after reading the first two books, but this book disappointed. The characters seemed tired and worn, and the story seemed to be recycled (even if it wasnt). The interest in the main characters has grown weak and this book finishes the trilogy with a limp versus a sprint.

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May 09, 2012 Valencia rated it 5 of 5 stars

The most hitting book in the trilogy, fast and sad, in's and out's. What did Darren Shan leave behind? Nothing :)

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Mar 30, 2013 Nick Duijnstee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Pure Epic!

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Dec 06, 2012 Claire rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-13

too much magical nonsense

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Sep 18, 2011 Paulina rated it 2 of 5 stars

check out blog for review: http://readwatchandrelax.blogspot.com...!!

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Aug 02, 2012 Sonja English rated it 5 of 5 stars

Though not quite as dramatic as Hell's Horizon, this book ties up all the loose ends nicely. The book kind of has a bottle neck affect where the story continues at a gradual pace, but then everything major happens within the last 50 pages making it highly engaging. This trilogy is the one of the best I've read, if not THE best. I highly recommend it.

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Feb 13, 2013 Jack Shearrer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Oh Mr. Shan, what are we going to do with you? The City trilogy had promise, but his over the top language and eye roll worthy dialogue drowned it. He tries too hard to be an adult author, but never realized that an adult author needs subtlety. Also, exclamation points have no place in prose outside of dialogue.

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Dec 28, 2011 Rebecca eley rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who liked first two

Shelves: my-cult-fiction

Capac rami and al jeery come together in the last of the trilogy. Heaps more twists and turns you don't really know for sure what is happening to the end. Gets a bit random too which I like. A good end to the trilogy

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Jun 14, 2013 Nadia Andarini rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The plot could go better, but it was a fair ending to all of the characters

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Nov 12, 2012 Imma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Darren Shan writes brilliantly for both adults and young adults. I love the way he can tell a story without having to resort to swearing or unnecessary violence.

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Apr 17, 2010 Kaoru Suzuki rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this story very much because I can find hope in this book.

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Apr 19, 2013 Evelyn Chong rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sad that this trilogy has ended. Great read!

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Mar 14, 2012 Aszalea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not my favorite book of his writting

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Jun 19, 2013 Jae marked it as to-read

Jun 18, 2013 Paddy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jun 17, 2013 Mahsa marked it as to-read

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About Darren Shan

Librarian's note: Also writes under the name D.B. Shan.

Darren Shan (born July 2, 1972 in London, England) is the pen name of the Irish author Darren O'Shaughnessy, as well as the name of the protagonist of his book series The Saga of Darren Shan, also known as The Cirque Du Freak Series in the United States. He is the author of The Demonata series, as well as some stand-alone books, and a series o...more

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Books by Darren Shan

A Living Nightmare (Cirque Du Freak, #1)

The Vampire's Assistant (Cirque Du Freak, #2)

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City of the Snakes (The City Trilogy #3)

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