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London Fae #2
City of Shadows
Alina knows she is not real – the fae queen spun an evil web to create her – but she wants more than to spend her days feeding off humans' energy to survive. She isn't content to lose herself in the dangerously attractive Reign. She wants a life of her own making.
People are going missing from London's streets. Convinced that the general of the Fae Authority is playing a part in their disappearance, Alina vows to help find them. She infiltrates the organisation and gets close to their strongest fighter. But while Samuel's tormented soul and masterful touch stirs in Alina a feeling of being human again, her loyalty to Reign makes her Samuel's enemy. Who should she trust?
This New Adult urban fantasy is packed with action and suspense and will have you yearning for more forbidden fae romance.
People are going missing from London's streets. Convinced that the general of the Fae Authority is playing a part in their disappearance, Alina vows to help find them. She infiltrates the organisation and gets close to their strongest fighter. But while Samuel's tormented soul and masterful touch stirs in Alina a feeling of being human again, her loyalty to Reign makes her Samuel's enemy. Who should she trust?
This New Adult urban fantasy is packed with action and suspense and will have you yearning for more forbidden fae romance.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2016
24 people are currently reading
547 people want to read
About the author
Pippa DaCosta
79 books1,557 followersTwo-time DragonCon Finalist & Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semi-finalist--- "Wait a second. Let's cut to the chase. I write kick-ass urban fantasy & sci-fi novels with conflicted characters, breathless action, and no-holds-barred dialogue. My books may not leave you feeling all fluffy and warm inside, but they will excite you. There will be plot-twists, angst, probably a few dead bodies, and very likely your favorite character will turn out to be the bad guy. Don't say I didn't warn you..."
www.pippadacosta.com
(I review on Goodreads as a reader, not a writer. Reviews here are my personal opinion, not a professional one).
www.pippadacosta.com
(I review on Goodreads as a reader, not a writer. Reviews here are my personal opinion, not a professional one).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
January 3, 2018
❣ A Marital Buddy Read (MBR™) with my delicious bloodshed-loving wife Maria ❣
» And the moral of this reread is:
Also (potentially defeaning screaming ahead, you might want to stand back for a minute): WHERE THE BLOODY SHRIMPING FISH IS THE THIRD INSTALMENT IN THIS SERIES??!!
[Original review]
Actual rating: 8 stars. Hell yeah.
We have an unspoken agreement, Pippa DaCosta and I: she writes it. I read it. Islightly fangirl about it kinda like it. Even when the "it" in question is a book in the pathetic, exasperating, suicide-inducing, stupid, ridiculous genre called New Adult. Even when the "it" in question is a book about the silly, laughable, annoying as hell things beings called Ze Fae.
Okay, we don't have much time here, since my giving this ↑↑ type of rating to this type of book usually entails doom, death, destruction and instant annihilation of all life on this planet. Time to cut the crap and get down to it before it's too late!
➽ Almost but not quite all you need to know about City of Shadows before you suffer an untimely, horrible, painful death:
① Do not trust the Oh Look it's so Beautiful it Must Be NA Cover (OLisBiMBNAC™). This cover is nothing but a devious, cunning trick. It is a deadly weapon designed to repulse those of us with a superior mind and spectacular book taste. Aka the thinking people who don't usually read this kind ofcrap delightful literature.
② Do not trust the blurb. This ain't no silly, pathetic, ridiculous, OTT NA romance, my Little Barnacles. This is pure Pippa DaCosta Awesomeness (PDA™) , complete with Gloriously Fast-Paced, Kick Ass Action (GFPKAA™), SlightlyFucked up Conflicted Characters (SFuCC™), Liars and Assholes Everywhere (LaAE™), Please Turn Me into an Emotional Wreck Moments (PTMiaEWM™) and This is Bloody Brilliant Everything (TiBBE™).
③ The characters may be dreadfully and disgustingly young but they DO NOT behave like adolescent, harebrained nitwits. They actually have more than two grey cells each. I kid you not. And they use them, too. Astounding, I know. Please try and refrain from fainting.
④ Pippa DaCosta wrote it. QED.
» And the moral of this Crappy-Pathetic Non Review (CPNR™) is: ridiculously excessive, totally ludicrous, thoroughly immature New Adult this ain't, my Little Barnacles! This series to your TBR shelf you must add! Aren't you super excited and stuff?!
PS: this isn't even an ARC, people! You can't even accuse Pippa DaCosta of brainwashing my young, pure, innocent self into fangirling about this one! I'm doing it all of my own free (if slightly biased) will! Ha!
✎ Book 1: City of Fae ★★★★
» And the moral of this reread is:
Also (potentially defeaning screaming ahead, you might want to stand back for a minute): WHERE THE BLOODY SHRIMPING FISH IS THE THIRD INSTALMENT IN THIS SERIES??!!
[Original review]
Actual rating: 8 stars. Hell yeah.
We have an unspoken agreement, Pippa DaCosta and I: she writes it. I read it. I
Okay, we don't have much time here, since my giving this ↑↑ type of rating to this type of book usually entails doom, death, destruction and instant annihilation of all life on this planet. Time to cut the crap and get down to it before it's too late!
➽ Almost but not quite all you need to know about City of Shadows before you suffer an untimely, horrible, painful death:
① Do not trust the Oh Look it's so Beautiful it Must Be NA Cover (OLisBiMBNAC™). This cover is nothing but a devious, cunning trick. It is a deadly weapon designed to repulse those of us with a superior mind and spectacular book taste. Aka the thinking people who don't usually read this kind of
② Do not trust the blurb. This ain't no silly, pathetic, ridiculous, OTT NA romance, my Little Barnacles. This is pure Pippa DaCosta Awesomeness (PDA™) , complete with Gloriously Fast-Paced, Kick Ass Action (GFPKAA™), Slightly
③ The characters may be dreadfully and disgustingly young but they DO NOT behave like adolescent, harebrained nitwits. They actually have more than two grey cells each. I kid you not. And they use them, too. Astounding, I know. Please try and refrain from fainting.
④ Pippa DaCosta wrote it. QED.
» And the moral of this Crappy-Pathetic Non Review (CPNR™) is: ridiculously excessive, totally ludicrous, thoroughly immature New Adult this ain't, my Little Barnacles! This series to your TBR shelf you must add! Aren't you super excited and stuff?!
PS: this isn't even an ARC, people! You can't even accuse Pippa DaCosta of brainwashing my young, pure, innocent self into fangirling about this one! I'm doing it all of my own free (if slightly biased) will! Ha!
✎ Book 1: City of Fae ★★★★
Read
August 4, 2016Out Now!
Add it to your ever growing TBR list!
It's coming... Here's a hint of what you've got to look forward to:
~ Our favorite out-of-work fae rockstar, who's equal parts infuriating & alluring, is back.
~ Ancient life-sucking monsters infesting the London Underground.
~ Murder, missing people, mayhem, & magic - Oh my!
~ London's landmarks blown to smithereens.
~ Betrayal, angst, & dark desires.
~ Oh, and ogres.
Add it to your ever growing TBR list!
It's coming... Here's a hint of what you've got to look forward to:
~ Our favorite out-of-work fae rockstar, who's equal parts infuriating & alluring, is back.
~ Ancient life-sucking monsters infesting the London Underground.
~ Murder, missing people, mayhem, & magic - Oh my!
~ London's landmarks blown to smithereens.
~ Betrayal, angst, & dark desires.
~ Oh, and ogres.
June 28, 2016
I have a confession to make: I'm an addict...
...
A Pippa daCosta book addict.
Luckily, I've got the most awesome "Dealer" ever and she got me just the fix I needed!
So thank you, Pippa, for being my little, British happy pill!
No seriously, I've not yet read a Pippa daCosta book I haven't loved, and as soon as I'm done, I'm already craving the next installment. I've got to admit, this wait was longer than I'm used to. But good things do come to those who wait:
Alina's (finally) back, and Construct or no, she's not willing to fade quietly into the night.
Even though Reign is acting distant and she might only have a few days or weeks left in her; she's gonna make them count. Killing draiocht stealing fae seems like a reasonable way to spend her time. She's witnessed the destructive effects firsthand in her, perhaps only, true friend; detective Danny Andrews - who has in turn lost his sister to a fae male for the very same reason.
Vowing to do right by him, Alina soon finds herself immersed in the dangerous world of general Kael and his seasoned band of warriors, and that’s not EXACTLY the safest place to be for the Construct who killed their queen. They’re also the only group of fae standing in the way of a renegade group hellbent on returning to the old world - by any means possible. The Fae have long memories. Some have high aspirations, and none of these aspirations bode well for the citizens of London...
Truthfully, I didn’t expect to fall in love with another fae male. Reign aside, they’re not *always* a likeable bunch. But I did allow myself to fall for Samuel’s allure. I loved his background story and his dedication to the cause. Even Nyx grew on me, she's a kick-ass gal pal. Their stories are also also intertwined with the reason why these fae ended up in the mortal realm to begin with, and the background story holds the key to why Alina didn’t unravel once the queen died.
I enjoyed the expanded universe and am awaiting – with some trepidation – the arrival of one character from that world in particular. She sounds… well… terrifying. And exciting.
As is the case with most of Pippa’s books, you should expect angst. And betrayal. And twists and turns you won’t see coming. I must admit I shed some tears for one character in this book in particular... No; two characters. Come to think of it; there were three…
All in all I was really satisfied with this book. I give City of Shadows 4.5 stars, mainly because I wanted more Reign in this book. It may not be completely fair, because less Reign time was a necessary in order to move the plot forward. But hey, mrs. (Akil) Greed wants what mrs Greed wants ;-)
And speaking of demon princes; I'm happy to report that I will not suffer from Pippa withdrawal anytime soon because I'm diving straight into the first book in her new Veil spin-off series; Chaos Rises. (Which happens to be my favorite Pippaverse.)
I don’t know about you, buy I'M READY TO PLAY WITH PIPPA'S DEMONS!
Rumor has it, they've got an impressive wangspan... Ahem... WINGspan <3
(Happy squee!)
...
A Pippa daCosta book addict.
Luckily, I've got the most awesome "Dealer" ever and she got me just the fix I needed!
So thank you, Pippa, for being my little, British happy pill!
No seriously, I've not yet read a Pippa daCosta book I haven't loved, and as soon as I'm done, I'm already craving the next installment. I've got to admit, this wait was longer than I'm used to. But good things do come to those who wait:
Alina's (finally) back, and Construct or no, she's not willing to fade quietly into the night.
Even though Reign is acting distant and she might only have a few days or weeks left in her; she's gonna make them count. Killing draiocht stealing fae seems like a reasonable way to spend her time. She's witnessed the destructive effects firsthand in her, perhaps only, true friend; detective Danny Andrews - who has in turn lost his sister to a fae male for the very same reason.
Vowing to do right by him, Alina soon finds herself immersed in the dangerous world of general Kael and his seasoned band of warriors, and that’s not EXACTLY the safest place to be for the Construct who killed their queen. They’re also the only group of fae standing in the way of a renegade group hellbent on returning to the old world - by any means possible. The Fae have long memories. Some have high aspirations, and none of these aspirations bode well for the citizens of London...
Truthfully, I didn’t expect to fall in love with another fae male. Reign aside, they’re not *always* a likeable bunch. But I did allow myself to fall for Samuel’s allure. I loved his background story and his dedication to the cause. Even Nyx grew on me, she's a kick-ass gal pal. Their stories are also also intertwined with the reason why these fae ended up in the mortal realm to begin with, and the background story holds the key to why Alina didn’t unravel once the queen died.
I enjoyed the expanded universe and am awaiting – with some trepidation – the arrival of one character from that world in particular. She sounds… well… terrifying. And exciting.
As is the case with most of Pippa’s books, you should expect angst. And betrayal. And twists and turns you won’t see coming. I must admit I shed some tears for one character in this book in particular... No; two characters. Come to think of it; there were three…
All in all I was really satisfied with this book. I give City of Shadows 4.5 stars, mainly because I wanted more Reign in this book. It may not be completely fair, because less Reign time was a necessary in order to move the plot forward. But hey, mrs. (Akil) Greed wants what mrs Greed wants ;-)
And speaking of demon princes; I'm happy to report that I will not suffer from Pippa withdrawal anytime soon because I'm diving straight into the first book in her new Veil spin-off series; Chaos Rises. (Which happens to be my favorite Pippaverse.)
I don’t know about you, buy I'M READY TO PLAY WITH PIPPA'S DEMONS!
Rumor has it, they've got an impressive wangspan... Ahem... WINGspan <3
(Happy squee!)
October 25, 2019
I got this book off netgalley for an honest review but I didnt know it was a sequel so I decided to pick up the first book City of Fae before moving on to this one. I saw a lot of potentiel in the first book. Even though I had some issues with it I was confident they could be resolved in the second book and most of it did, although I felt like the beginning was a little rough.
The fae are tired of starving and hiding in the shadows. They want to come out and feed. With the fae roaming free and people going missing Alina wants to do what she can to help. Feeling guilty for bespelling detective Andrews, one of her only friends, Alina goes on the hunt for his missing sister. Can she overcome her inner demons and come to terms with who she is in time to save London?
The beginning of this book had me all kinds of frustrated. First with Reign for being so distant and with Alina for not talking to him about it. Reign did little to endear himself to me. Then there was the whole incident with the general where she pretty much just gave herself up but I liked that she used that situation to go undercover.
Despite the characters being frustrating I thought the writting was well done. The story flowed nicely but I felt like some parts just didnt really interest me. The story and the characters didnt grip me as much as much as I wanted. I think this might be because I was in the mood to read something else. Thankfully the second half of the book was better and made up for my lack of interest in the beginning.
I did enjoy the threat of fae creatures escaping and learning more about the history of the fae and the fae spirits. I also love a good plot twist and some betrayal. Turning heros into villains and villains into heros. I liked Samuel more then Reign for most of the book and had alot of feels where Detective Andrews was concerned.
I also loved Nyx, a kick ass woman who also happened to be into women. I enjoy when a character has a different sexual orientation then what I usually see in books. Nyx alone probably made me give this book an extra star. Yay for diversity in fantasy.
Im not sure if Ill continue with this series. It isnt really high on my TBR but I still want to give this authors other books a try. I dont know maybe I just wasnt in the right mood for this book when I read it.
The fae are tired of starving and hiding in the shadows. They want to come out and feed. With the fae roaming free and people going missing Alina wants to do what she can to help. Feeling guilty for bespelling detective Andrews, one of her only friends, Alina goes on the hunt for his missing sister. Can she overcome her inner demons and come to terms with who she is in time to save London?
The beginning of this book had me all kinds of frustrated. First with Reign for being so distant and with Alina for not talking to him about it. Reign did little to endear himself to me. Then there was the whole incident with the general where she pretty much just gave herself up but I liked that she used that situation to go undercover.
Despite the characters being frustrating I thought the writting was well done. The story flowed nicely but I felt like some parts just didnt really interest me. The story and the characters didnt grip me as much as much as I wanted. I think this might be because I was in the mood to read something else. Thankfully the second half of the book was better and made up for my lack of interest in the beginning.
I did enjoy the threat of fae creatures escaping and learning more about the history of the fae and the fae spirits. I also love a good plot twist and some betrayal. Turning heros into villains and villains into heros. I liked Samuel more then Reign for most of the book and had alot of feels where Detective Andrews was concerned.
I also loved Nyx, a kick ass woman who also happened to be into women. I enjoy when a character has a different sexual orientation then what I usually see in books. Nyx alone probably made me give this book an extra star. Yay for diversity in fantasy.
Im not sure if Ill continue with this series. It isnt really high on my TBR but I still want to give this authors other books a try. I dont know maybe I just wasnt in the right mood for this book when I read it.
January 6, 2018
Buddy read with my amazing husband.
I hate publishers. Especially ones that cancel a great series midway. And then don't let the author self-publish the rest of it. Like this one. Because things just got super crazy exciting and I'll probably never get to see how things end. Because of publishers *sulks in the corner muttering like a crazy person*
I can't even properly fangirl and try to convince you all to read this amazingly brilliant PNR series because I'm not that cruel. Do you know what I'm going through right now? All those possibilities and no concretes! This is torture. So no I will not advocate the strong points (and there are a lot of them as with all Pippa DaCosta's books) because to be left hanging the way I am is a punshment I will not wish upon my greatest enemies.
I hate publishers. Especially ones that cancel a great series midway. And then don't let the author self-publish the rest of it. Like this one. Because things just got super crazy exciting and I'll probably never get to see how things end. Because of publishers *sulks in the corner muttering like a crazy person*
I can't even properly fangirl and try to convince you all to read this amazingly brilliant PNR series because I'm not that cruel. Do you know what I'm going through right now? All those possibilities and no concretes! This is torture. So no I will not advocate the strong points (and there are a lot of them as with all Pippa DaCosta's books) because to be left hanging the way I am is a punshment I will not wish upon my greatest enemies.
July 10, 2016
*** Please note that this review will contain spoilers for the first book in the series, City of Fae, so if you're not up to date with the series then I'd advise you not to read any further ***
Alina's life has been turned completely upside down since she discovered the truth about her creation. Knowing she's a construct, a being created by the powerful fae queen, and that the time she has left is limited has left Alina floundering. She may have destroyed her creator rather than carry out the task that she was actually made for but she wants to do something positive with the rest of her life before it's over. She owes her friend, Detective Danny Andrews, a debt for saving her life so she plans to track down his missing fae addicted sister as repayment. She is sure that the General of the Fae Authority was involved in Becky's disappearance so she decides to go undercover with the group to investigate. As she gets pulled deeper into the Fae Authority she finds it harder and harder to figure out who she can trust and when a rogue group of fae help to kick off a dangerous chain of events Alina's loyalty is torn between old friends and new ones.
Alina and Reign have both been through so much and their relationship is understandably strained thanks to the link the queen created between them. Reign is keeping Alina at a distance and she's feeling more alone and desperate than ever. She is struggling to accept the revelations from the end of the last book and it's left her wondering about who she really is and why she even still exists. Alina tries so hard to be a good person but thanks to her heritage she has done some things that can't be undone and it's quite heartbreaking watching her deal with the aftermath of Andrews' addiction to her. I love that she always tries to do the right thing though and I enjoyed seeing her work so hard to try and find a place for herself within the Fae Authority. She makes some fun new friends who I hope we're going to see a lot more of and I wasn't even upset by the introduction of a love triangle (see some authors CAN still pull those off even though they normally make me want to throw my kindle across the room at even a hint of one!).
I was slightly disappointed that we don't see as much of Reign in this book but that was completely understandable considering the way the plot unfolded and the introduction of Samuel, Nyx and Scaw made up for it. It was great to see Alina's confidence grow as she spent time training alongside the rest of the Fae Authority and she's certainly not someone you'd want to go up against now she's come into her own. It isn't easy for her to fit in amongst the other warriors, especially since so many of their members died when they fought her to protect their queen, but she slowly carves out a place for herself and starts to earn their respect.
This series just gets better and better, it's fast paced, full of action and so completely full of twists that you'll have trouble remembering which way is up. Magical creatures are causing mayhem all over London and it is up to Alina and the rest of the Fae Authority to try and stop them. Throw in a group of rogue fae who are up to no good and things are about to go downhill fast. We get to find out a lot more about where the fae came from and how they ended up on earth which was really interesting and it's opened up to take this series in a completely unexpected direction. I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment and find out where it takes Alina next.
Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Alina's life has been turned completely upside down since she discovered the truth about her creation. Knowing she's a construct, a being created by the powerful fae queen, and that the time she has left is limited has left Alina floundering. She may have destroyed her creator rather than carry out the task that she was actually made for but she wants to do something positive with the rest of her life before it's over. She owes her friend, Detective Danny Andrews, a debt for saving her life so she plans to track down his missing fae addicted sister as repayment. She is sure that the General of the Fae Authority was involved in Becky's disappearance so she decides to go undercover with the group to investigate. As she gets pulled deeper into the Fae Authority she finds it harder and harder to figure out who she can trust and when a rogue group of fae help to kick off a dangerous chain of events Alina's loyalty is torn between old friends and new ones.
Alina and Reign have both been through so much and their relationship is understandably strained thanks to the link the queen created between them. Reign is keeping Alina at a distance and she's feeling more alone and desperate than ever. She is struggling to accept the revelations from the end of the last book and it's left her wondering about who she really is and why she even still exists. Alina tries so hard to be a good person but thanks to her heritage she has done some things that can't be undone and it's quite heartbreaking watching her deal with the aftermath of Andrews' addiction to her. I love that she always tries to do the right thing though and I enjoyed seeing her work so hard to try and find a place for herself within the Fae Authority. She makes some fun new friends who I hope we're going to see a lot more of and I wasn't even upset by the introduction of a love triangle (see some authors CAN still pull those off even though they normally make me want to throw my kindle across the room at even a hint of one!).
I was slightly disappointed that we don't see as much of Reign in this book but that was completely understandable considering the way the plot unfolded and the introduction of Samuel, Nyx and Scaw made up for it. It was great to see Alina's confidence grow as she spent time training alongside the rest of the Fae Authority and she's certainly not someone you'd want to go up against now she's come into her own. It isn't easy for her to fit in amongst the other warriors, especially since so many of their members died when they fought her to protect their queen, but she slowly carves out a place for herself and starts to earn their respect.
This series just gets better and better, it's fast paced, full of action and so completely full of twists that you'll have trouble remembering which way is up. Magical creatures are causing mayhem all over London and it is up to Alina and the rest of the Fae Authority to try and stop them. Throw in a group of rogue fae who are up to no good and things are about to go downhill fast. We get to find out a lot more about where the fae came from and how they ended up on earth which was really interesting and it's opened up to take this series in a completely unexpected direction. I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment and find out where it takes Alina next.
Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
June 5, 2016
* i received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Find my review of Book 1 (City Of Fae here)
Also can we take a minute to admire these GORGEOUS COVERS for book 1 and 2!!!????
Ever since i read City of Fae, which is the first book in the series, i've been addicted to Pippa Dacosta's writing and her awesome stories! I could not wait to get my hands on the sequel and i'd like to give a million thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC (this does not affect my review in any way!)
Pippa Dacosta has done it again!!!! She's written an amazing, action-packed story with unexpected twists that just leave you gasping!!! Every single time, and in almost all of Pippa's books, she literally toys with your mind!! Everything you think is gonna happen? Forget it!! It's wrong! You think this guy is good? He might be bad-but oh no wait he's good and vice versa! That's not to say i didn't enjoy the book, I LOVED being proven wrong, because man those twists...they already earned a five star from me!
In this book we find out more about the fae and why they're in London. Basically, they've been sent to Earth as punishment by their world who thinks they're dead, since then they've been cohabiting with the humans-not really a punishment is it?
We get introduced to quite a a few characters like Samuel, Nyx and Kael, whom i really enjoyed getting to know. Like all her other characters, these newbies were fresh, unique and kickass! The world of Faerie was brought up quite a lot and we get snippets of information and details, enough to forge an idea of the world there but still the intrigue remains! Hopefully Alina will go there someday!
And then unfortunately, Shay is back :3 All perfect and graceful and draping herself on Reign :3
I was like
Because Reign and Alina are...
We finally get to know more about what Alina is and what's happening to her, why she's what she is..but still..the author leaves us with quite a few questions and we're still not sure about Alina's existence..way to make us pine for the next book!
Alina really grew up. She's still trying to figure out who she is and make her own identity by herself without anyone else trying to dictate her life. Her stubbornness does get her in trouble some
times but you don't really condemn her in her situation. She's so much more than this reporter we net in book 1 an yet she hasn't reached her true self yet. She also got a whole lot more brave and deadly! Whenever she kicked a bad guy's ass i was like:
REIGN. OMG HE'S BACK!!! I really missed his superstar arrogance and i was so happy to see him again! I wish we could have had a little more of him but i understand that this wasn't the novel's main plot. The ending really leaves way for major expectations! I hope for more of Alina and Reign...and the stakes are so much higher because the biggest battle of all hasn't happened yet..i am 100% sure the author will deliver an amazing sequel!!! I CANNOT WAIT!
This sequel definitely surpassed my expectations and you guys should all give it a go! Pippa Dacosta is one heck of a story teller!
Find my review of Book 1 (City Of Fae here)
Also can we take a minute to admire these GORGEOUS COVERS for book 1 and 2!!!????
Ever since i read City of Fae, which is the first book in the series, i've been addicted to Pippa Dacosta's writing and her awesome stories! I could not wait to get my hands on the sequel and i'd like to give a million thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC (this does not affect my review in any way!)
Pippa Dacosta has done it again!!!! She's written an amazing, action-packed story with unexpected twists that just leave you gasping!!! Every single time, and in almost all of Pippa's books, she literally toys with your mind!! Everything you think is gonna happen? Forget it!! It's wrong! You think this guy is good? He might be bad-but oh no wait he's good and vice versa! That's not to say i didn't enjoy the book, I LOVED being proven wrong, because man those twists...they already earned a five star from me!
In this book we find out more about the fae and why they're in London. Basically, they've been sent to Earth as punishment by their world who thinks they're dead, since then they've been cohabiting with the humans-not really a punishment is it?
We get introduced to quite a a few characters like Samuel, Nyx and Kael, whom i really enjoyed getting to know. Like all her other characters, these newbies were fresh, unique and kickass! The world of Faerie was brought up quite a lot and we get snippets of information and details, enough to forge an idea of the world there but still the intrigue remains! Hopefully Alina will go there someday!
And then unfortunately, Shay is back :3 All perfect and graceful and draping herself on Reign :3
I was like
Because Reign and Alina are...
We finally get to know more about what Alina is and what's happening to her, why she's what she is..but still..the author leaves us with quite a few questions and we're still not sure about Alina's existence..way to make us pine for the next book!
Alina really grew up. She's still trying to figure out who she is and make her own identity by herself without anyone else trying to dictate her life. Her stubbornness does get her in trouble some
times but you don't really condemn her in her situation. She's so much more than this reporter we net in book 1 an yet she hasn't reached her true self yet. She also got a whole lot more brave and deadly! Whenever she kicked a bad guy's ass i was like:
REIGN. OMG HE'S BACK!!! I really missed his superstar arrogance and i was so happy to see him again! I wish we could have had a little more of him but i understand that this wasn't the novel's main plot. The ending really leaves way for major expectations! I hope for more of Alina and Reign...and the stakes are so much higher because the biggest battle of all hasn't happened yet..i am 100% sure the author will deliver an amazing sequel!!! I CANNOT WAIT!
This sequel definitely surpassed my expectations and you guys should all give it a go! Pippa Dacosta is one heck of a story teller!
July 22, 2016
Disclaimer: We received a digital copy of this book thanks to NetGalley courtesy of the publisher Bloomsbury Spark (a division of Bloomsbury publishing). Possible spoilers ahead.
Why we chose it: The cover was gorgeous. The description sounded great and of course Bloomsbury published it so we could resist.
Review: We’ve written two reviews for this book and not one of them could successful capture our thoughts on it Third time’s the charm right? It’s led to us feeling frustrated and fearful that we’d never manage to actually write a decent review. The subsequent consequence of that would be people thing “Oh look there’s another book blog dying off because the writer behind it couldn’t manage to simply comment on something as simple as a book”
Let us tell you – writing a book review is not simple. It involves time and the right mindset to accurately put into words a multitude of emotions and thoughts that changed many times over a few hundred pages.
City of Shadows has brought us to this stage of frustration, fear and elation. It’s not at all what we expected. Initially as we read our way through our digital copy (thanks again Bloomsbury) we imagined it as a summer read. Easy – something that we could breeze through between the better books on our TBR. We did indeed breeze through it. One and a half sittings to be precise.
(We feel asleep a quarter of the way through because we hadn’t slept properly the night before, but anyway….)
We can no longer class this book as simply a summer read about a girl named Aline who isn’t really a girl, but a construct made by a mad Fae Queen. It’s no longer an easy ready to us that has some minor romantic elements sprinkled in among the magic and London, but a story about a being finding herself as a woman.
While we realised quite early on that we were actually reading the second book of the series, Pippa DaCosta managed to do a good enough job that we weren’t left partially confused about what the hell had happened in the first book.City of Shadows is strong enough to stand on it’s own although we would have liked to have read about the events that preceded this novel (Any chance of you helping us out there Bloomsbury? *wink*)
Throughout the novel Alina and the cast of characters that basically revolved around her go through much. There’s pain, death, magic and bloodshed, but more importantly there’s development. Alina experiences fear in many forms. The two main being whether or not she’d fade away. Vanish from existence because she’s only made from fairy dust right? And whether or not the being inside her would take over and leave a trail of bodies. It’s obvious that Alina regrets the events that have occurred before. It was interesting for us to see a character who was really quite young go through emotions most of don’t experience for years.
(On a side note: The perception of oneself as something that can easily fade away is also explored in This Savage Song by V. E Schwab)
Like all good characters Alina manages to eventually control the power inside her….or at least realise that it was up to the possessor of that power to direct it. Be a good fit for it. What’s important to say here though is that City of Shadows by Pippa DaCosta is a novel that surprises you and subsequently grows on you. It’s not exactly what you expect. As we’ve already stated, it’s not something we expected. but it happened none the less.
To conclude what we hope is a good review. City of Shadows is a quick read. We can’t deny that. It’s unlikely it will take you multiple sittings, but it’s not two dimensional or superficial. There’s enough complexity to keep you reading. We’re going to happily recommend it to all our friends (only with less decorum).
Thank you all so much for reading!
arkonandannie.wordpress.com
Why we chose it: The cover was gorgeous. The description sounded great and of course Bloomsbury published it so we could resist.
Review: We’ve written two reviews for this book and not one of them could successful capture our thoughts on it Third time’s the charm right? It’s led to us feeling frustrated and fearful that we’d never manage to actually write a decent review. The subsequent consequence of that would be people thing “Oh look there’s another book blog dying off because the writer behind it couldn’t manage to simply comment on something as simple as a book”
Let us tell you – writing a book review is not simple. It involves time and the right mindset to accurately put into words a multitude of emotions and thoughts that changed many times over a few hundred pages.
City of Shadows has brought us to this stage of frustration, fear and elation. It’s not at all what we expected. Initially as we read our way through our digital copy (thanks again Bloomsbury) we imagined it as a summer read. Easy – something that we could breeze through between the better books on our TBR. We did indeed breeze through it. One and a half sittings to be precise.
(We feel asleep a quarter of the way through because we hadn’t slept properly the night before, but anyway….)
We can no longer class this book as simply a summer read about a girl named Aline who isn’t really a girl, but a construct made by a mad Fae Queen. It’s no longer an easy ready to us that has some minor romantic elements sprinkled in among the magic and London, but a story about a being finding herself as a woman.
While we realised quite early on that we were actually reading the second book of the series, Pippa DaCosta managed to do a good enough job that we weren’t left partially confused about what the hell had happened in the first book.City of Shadows is strong enough to stand on it’s own although we would have liked to have read about the events that preceded this novel (Any chance of you helping us out there Bloomsbury? *wink*)
Throughout the novel Alina and the cast of characters that basically revolved around her go through much. There’s pain, death, magic and bloodshed, but more importantly there’s development. Alina experiences fear in many forms. The two main being whether or not she’d fade away. Vanish from existence because she’s only made from fairy dust right? And whether or not the being inside her would take over and leave a trail of bodies. It’s obvious that Alina regrets the events that have occurred before. It was interesting for us to see a character who was really quite young go through emotions most of don’t experience for years.
(On a side note: The perception of oneself as something that can easily fade away is also explored in This Savage Song by V. E Schwab)
Like all good characters Alina manages to eventually control the power inside her….or at least realise that it was up to the possessor of that power to direct it. Be a good fit for it. What’s important to say here though is that City of Shadows by Pippa DaCosta is a novel that surprises you and subsequently grows on you. It’s not exactly what you expect. As we’ve already stated, it’s not something we expected. but it happened none the less.
To conclude what we hope is a good review. City of Shadows is a quick read. We can’t deny that. It’s unlikely it will take you multiple sittings, but it’s not two dimensional or superficial. There’s enough complexity to keep you reading. We’re going to happily recommend it to all our friends (only with less decorum).
Thank you all so much for reading!
arkonandannie.wordpress.com
February 13, 2017
I received a copy of City of Shadows on a honest review basis from Bloomsbury Spark (many thanks!) and, being the nincompoop that I am I didn’t realise it was the second book in a series! So, I read City of Fae and City of Shadows in very rapid succession and had a great couple of days immersing myself in the dark undercity of London with the iridescent eyed Fae.
The overall premise of the series (I’m wary of giving too many details about CoS’s plot specifically because of spoilers) is that we have a London where the gorgeous enchanting Fae live alongside humans. But the Fae are as dangerous as they are beautiful and a wary peace exists between them and the humans, always afraid they may fall under a bespellment. Enter Alina, a young reporter, unemployed and deeply confused when she finds herself falling for the Fae superstar Sovereign after saving his life from the Fae Authority. The first book deals mostly with what lies under London, the second deals with the question of Faerie and Alina herself.
I really enjoyed the first book but the second was something else. I loved learning more about Fae Society, Faerie itself and the three ruling spirits. It never dragged, it flowed smoothly to a big satisfying crescendo ofan ending. I love Alina, she’s a stubborn, bolshy, curious character that I found it easy to empathise with.
Most of all this book is vibrant and fun. I’m in the middle of exams and I needed something that didn’t make me work to enjoy it. It’s fast, action packed, but you never feel that Alina’s character or internal voice is quashed by too much movement. Likewise, any soul searching never grows too maudlin or drawn out, it’s always just right, just the right amount to build character without boring you.
Maybe one criticism is that a lot of the descriptions of place rely on a good knowledge of London. I live in London so I can just bring up an image on a map in my head, but there were a couple of really amazing locations that I just wish were described in a bit more detail. Without giving anything away, there is a scene in Trafalgar Square where the location could have been used as more than a background. I mean, there are giant stone lions, can’t get a grander location than that.
I think, all in all, I’d give City of Shadows a solid 4.5/5. It’s a heady dash through a dark bespelled London undercity on the heels of a gloriously stubborn female protagonist. It ends on a drum roll with the promise of travel and turmoil. I’m excited to see where the next book takes us.
Review originally posted at: http://lordbelatiel.tumblr.com/post/1...
The overall premise of the series (I’m wary of giving too many details about CoS’s plot specifically because of spoilers) is that we have a London where the gorgeous enchanting Fae live alongside humans. But the Fae are as dangerous as they are beautiful and a wary peace exists between them and the humans, always afraid they may fall under a bespellment. Enter Alina, a young reporter, unemployed and deeply confused when she finds herself falling for the Fae superstar Sovereign after saving his life from the Fae Authority. The first book deals mostly with what lies under London, the second deals with the question of Faerie and Alina herself.
I really enjoyed the first book but the second was something else. I loved learning more about Fae Society, Faerie itself and the three ruling spirits. It never dragged, it flowed smoothly to a big satisfying crescendo ofan ending. I love Alina, she’s a stubborn, bolshy, curious character that I found it easy to empathise with.
Most of all this book is vibrant and fun. I’m in the middle of exams and I needed something that didn’t make me work to enjoy it. It’s fast, action packed, but you never feel that Alina’s character or internal voice is quashed by too much movement. Likewise, any soul searching never grows too maudlin or drawn out, it’s always just right, just the right amount to build character without boring you.
Maybe one criticism is that a lot of the descriptions of place rely on a good knowledge of London. I live in London so I can just bring up an image on a map in my head, but there were a couple of really amazing locations that I just wish were described in a bit more detail. Without giving anything away, there is a scene in Trafalgar Square where the location could have been used as more than a background. I mean, there are giant stone lions, can’t get a grander location than that.
I think, all in all, I’d give City of Shadows a solid 4.5/5. It’s a heady dash through a dark bespelled London undercity on the heels of a gloriously stubborn female protagonist. It ends on a drum roll with the promise of travel and turmoil. I’m excited to see where the next book takes us.
Review originally posted at: http://lordbelatiel.tumblr.com/post/1...
November 22, 2016
Originally posted at:
Eventually came a lot sooner than I expected it to because I ended up adoring this book, but it didn't start out as smooth sailing. In the beginning I felt like Alina was grasping at straws to force a story. I eventually got over that and ended up listening to the audio book in small intervals. I got addicted by the seven hour mark and emotions just went haywire from there.
As I mentioned above, Alina seemed to force a storyline because I never understood her obsession with Becky. I understand she wanted to help Andrews, but why go so far to save someone she didn't even know? Other than that I enjoyed her as a character. I also loved the Samuel twist the author threw in for good measure. It was fantastic how she had me and Alina fooled, and I had my heart in my hands by the end of the novel.
Reign was a complicated subject this time around. As much as I'd love to see him and Alina together, I know it isn't possible because of extenuating circumstances. He came off as the villain half of the time and the other half he was just nowhere to be seen. I found myself rooting against him most times and with that ending my guilt has exceeded regular levels.
I still can't believe the author built Samuel up to what he was and tore out my heart in that manner. I remember now why I read books by this author. When I think I'm standing on a concrete floor, she slides the invisible rug I didn't know I was standing on right out from under me.
This book left a big open and directionless ending and I really want to know what happens next. I need a plot twist to make it so Reign and Alina can be together. I hope that's next in Mrs. DaCosta's list of plot twists and possible outcomes.
The Audio Book:
The overall audio book was awesome, but to me, Nyx's british accent sounded irish and reminded me of Crowley's mother in the Supernatural tv show. I don't know why I made that connection, but it did take away from the story. Though I eventually did get over it, I would have liked her to have been portrayed differently.
Eventually came a lot sooner than I expected it to because I ended up adoring this book, but it didn't start out as smooth sailing. In the beginning I felt like Alina was grasping at straws to force a story. I eventually got over that and ended up listening to the audio book in small intervals. I got addicted by the seven hour mark and emotions just went haywire from there.
As I mentioned above, Alina seemed to force a storyline because I never understood her obsession with Becky. I understand she wanted to help Andrews, but why go so far to save someone she didn't even know? Other than that I enjoyed her as a character. I also loved the Samuel twist the author threw in for good measure. It was fantastic how she had me and Alina fooled, and I had my heart in my hands by the end of the novel.
Reign was a complicated subject this time around. As much as I'd love to see him and Alina together, I know it isn't possible because of extenuating circumstances. He came off as the villain half of the time and the other half he was just nowhere to be seen. I found myself rooting against him most times and with that ending my guilt has exceeded regular levels.
I still can't believe the author built Samuel up to what he was and tore out my heart in that manner. I remember now why I read books by this author. When I think I'm standing on a concrete floor, she slides the invisible rug I didn't know I was standing on right out from under me.
This book left a big open and directionless ending and I really want to know what happens next. I need a plot twist to make it so Reign and Alina can be together. I hope that's next in Mrs. DaCosta's list of plot twists and possible outcomes.
The Audio Book:
The overall audio book was awesome, but to me, Nyx's british accent sounded irish and reminded me of Crowley's mother in the Supernatural tv show. I don't know why I made that connection, but it did take away from the story. Though I eventually did get over it, I would have liked her to have been portrayed differently.
April 2, 2017
Alina finally knows more about her own identity, but that doesn't give her any useful information at all. She does know, however, that she needs to feed. She doesn't want to take essence from humans and is trying to fight against her hunger and increasing weakness. She has a mission, she wants to find out what happens to people who disappear after falling under the spell of the fae. She's looking for one woman in particular, her human friend inspector Andrews's sister. Will she be able to find her?
Alina's best chance at finding out more about the missing is joining the Fae Authority. She's a skilled fighter and being trained by the people she suspects will give her an entry. This means she has to work closely with fae her friend Reign thinks of as enemies. Has he been completely honest with Alina and is she unsafe among the fae he doesn't trust? Who is telling the truth and will Alina's mission be successful or will she only get into more trouble?
City of Shadows is a gripping story about complicated conspiracies and mysterious crimes. Alina knows who she is now and she's even more bold and brave than she used to be. She can stand her ground and she has an iron will. I loved her discipline and her perseverance. She keeps crossing boundaries and she's willing to go far to reach her goals, which is something I greatly admired about her. Inspector Andrews is a kind man who deserves a lot more than life is giving him and my heart ached for him sometimes. I couldn't wait to find out if Alina's mission would succeed and read the story in one sitting. I was anxious to know what happened to his sister and found the ending of the story both shocking and astonishing.
Pippa DaCosta's second London Fae book is filled with surprises. I loved the direction she's chosen. Alina is unique and it was fun to find out more about her. The world building is fantastic and I enjoyed reading more about the history of Pippa DaCosta's fae. I love her refreshing approach of her topic. City of Shadows is bursting with ferocious battles, complex relationships and fabulous adrenaline rushes. I liked the London Fae stories a lot, they're creepy, formidable and spellbinding.
Alina's best chance at finding out more about the missing is joining the Fae Authority. She's a skilled fighter and being trained by the people she suspects will give her an entry. This means she has to work closely with fae her friend Reign thinks of as enemies. Has he been completely honest with Alina and is she unsafe among the fae he doesn't trust? Who is telling the truth and will Alina's mission be successful or will she only get into more trouble?
City of Shadows is a gripping story about complicated conspiracies and mysterious crimes. Alina knows who she is now and she's even more bold and brave than she used to be. She can stand her ground and she has an iron will. I loved her discipline and her perseverance. She keeps crossing boundaries and she's willing to go far to reach her goals, which is something I greatly admired about her. Inspector Andrews is a kind man who deserves a lot more than life is giving him and my heart ached for him sometimes. I couldn't wait to find out if Alina's mission would succeed and read the story in one sitting. I was anxious to know what happened to his sister and found the ending of the story both shocking and astonishing.
Pippa DaCosta's second London Fae book is filled with surprises. I loved the direction she's chosen. Alina is unique and it was fun to find out more about her. The world building is fantastic and I enjoyed reading more about the history of Pippa DaCosta's fae. I love her refreshing approach of her topic. City of Shadows is bursting with ferocious battles, complex relationships and fabulous adrenaline rushes. I liked the London Fae stories a lot, they're creepy, formidable and spellbinding.
July 18, 2016
Okay, first off, I didn't enjoy this quite as much as City of Fae, but that was mostly because I hated the tension and upset between Alina and Reign and I suspected the HECK out of Samuel. Good call, past!me.
I turns out I quite like Kael, the general? I'm not sure when that happened, but this series is so wild and throws so many twists at me that I'm not surprised.
The Reign/Alina hurt me so much in this book - and the ending made it a thousand times worse. I just want them to be happy and besties for life - that's not too much to ask, right? In other news, there's a new character called Nyx and I want to be her best friend.
Aside from hurt and characters, the story from City of Fae builds epically in this book. You can really tell the series is heading towards something catastrophic. The Hunt actually scare me. But my favourite thing was how the world expanded and we got to see more of the fae in London. The world building is EXCEPTIONAL - part of me wants to live in it, which is saying something when it used to have a giant spider lady in the tube tunnels!
I'm dying to get my hands on the next book!
I turns out I quite like Kael, the general? I'm not sure when that happened, but this series is so wild and throws so many twists at me that I'm not surprised.
The Reign/Alina hurt me so much in this book - and the ending made it a thousand times worse. I just want them to be happy and besties for life - that's not too much to ask, right? In other news, there's a new character called Nyx and I want to be her best friend.
Aside from hurt and characters, the story from City of Fae builds epically in this book. You can really tell the series is heading towards something catastrophic. The Hunt actually scare me. But my favourite thing was how the world expanded and we got to see more of the fae in London. The world building is EXCEPTIONAL - part of me wants to live in it, which is saying something when it used to have a giant spider lady in the tube tunnels!
I'm dying to get my hands on the next book!
September 3, 2016
Good story but as I said in one of my updated this really isn't NA I need more steam. None of the fade to black stuff. Also I hope there's a 3rd book because this doesn't feel like the end.
June 19, 2018
French & English reviews
Bon, un deuxième livre d'une série très originale qui m'avait enchanté =D
J'avais lu le premier livre il y a très longtemps et j'en avais gardé un bon souvenir même si flou (j'ai d'ailleurs du relire le premier tome avant celui-là ce qui ne m'arrive que très rarement)
Ce qui m'avait conquis et ce qui a continué de m'enchanter dans ce livre, c'est l'héroïne Alina qui est unique en son genre : pas vraiment humaine, pas vraiment réelle, pas vraiment fragile, pas vraiment cruelle ... Comme le dirait Kael, un mélange d'idées et de rêves >< J'ai adoré la voir dans ce deuxième livre tenter de lutter contre l'inéluctable mais aussi découvrir les dessous du monde des Fae (je veuuuux tout savoir sur Faery et le reste !!)
L'univers est très complexe avec ses règles, ses monstres, ses secrets, son histoire ... (j'ai eu un coup de cœur pour l'histoire des trois esprits plus ou moins maléfiques ><)
Les personnages secondaires sont GÉNIAUX !!! Je dois avouer que Kael est mon chouchou parce que c'est un personnage très complexe et assez mystérieux qui m'a immédiatement fasciné mais j'aime bien Reign aussi (même si sa tendance à l'auto-apitoiement me soule parfois ><) (je voyais bien Kael avec Alina quand j'ai lu le tome 1 ... Et maintenant, je verrais plus Reign xD)
Certains personnages m'ont moins convaincu mais ça va =D
La fin laisse présager un troisième livre haut en rebondissement ><
En bref, j'ai beaucoup aimé mais j'aurais souhaité un livre plus long ... Ou alors avoir le troisième tome direct ><
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, a second book of a very original series that had delighted me =D
I had read the first book a long time ago and I had love it even if it was vague (I also had to reread the first book before that one which happens to me very rarely)
What had enchanted me and what has continued to enchant me in this book is the heroine Alina who is unique in her own kind : not really human, not really real, not really fragile, not really cruel .. As Kael would say, a mixture of thoughts and dreams >< I loved seeing her in this second book trying to fight against the inevitable but also discover the hidden world of the Fae (I want to know everything about Faery and the rest !!)
The universe is very complex with its rules, its monsters, its secrets, its history ... (I had a crush on the story of the three spirits more or less evil ><)
The secondary characters are AWESOME !!! I must admit that Kael is my darling because he's a very complex and mysterious character that immediately fascinated me but I like Reign too (even if his tendency to self-pity sometimes made me want to slap him x)) (I could see Kael with Alina when I read the book 1 ... And now, I'll see her more with Reign xD)
Some characters have less convinced me but that's ok =D
The end suggests a third high book in twists ><
In short, I liked it a lot but I would have liked a longer book ... Or maybe have the third book right now ><
Bon, un deuxième livre d'une série très originale qui m'avait enchanté =D
J'avais lu le premier livre il y a très longtemps et j'en avais gardé un bon souvenir même si flou (j'ai d'ailleurs du relire le premier tome avant celui-là ce qui ne m'arrive que très rarement)
Ce qui m'avait conquis et ce qui a continué de m'enchanter dans ce livre, c'est l'héroïne Alina qui est unique en son genre : pas vraiment humaine, pas vraiment réelle, pas vraiment fragile, pas vraiment cruelle ... Comme le dirait Kael, un mélange d'idées et de rêves >< J'ai adoré la voir dans ce deuxième livre tenter de lutter contre l'inéluctable mais aussi découvrir les dessous du monde des Fae (je veuuuux tout savoir sur Faery et le reste !!)
L'univers est très complexe avec ses règles, ses monstres, ses secrets, son histoire ... (j'ai eu un coup de cœur pour l'histoire des trois esprits plus ou moins maléfiques ><)
Les personnages secondaires sont GÉNIAUX !!! Je dois avouer que Kael est mon chouchou parce que c'est un personnage très complexe et assez mystérieux qui m'a immédiatement fasciné mais j'aime bien Reign aussi (même si sa tendance à l'auto-apitoiement me soule parfois ><) (je voyais bien Kael avec Alina quand j'ai lu le tome 1 ... Et maintenant, je verrais plus Reign xD)
Certains personnages m'ont moins convaincu mais ça va =D
La fin laisse présager un troisième livre haut en rebondissement ><
En bref, j'ai beaucoup aimé mais j'aurais souhaité un livre plus long ... Ou alors avoir le troisième tome direct ><
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, a second book of a very original series that had delighted me =D
I had read the first book a long time ago and I had love it even if it was vague (I also had to reread the first book before that one which happens to me very rarely)
What had enchanted me and what has continued to enchant me in this book is the heroine Alina who is unique in her own kind : not really human, not really real, not really fragile, not really cruel .. As Kael would say, a mixture of thoughts and dreams >< I loved seeing her in this second book trying to fight against the inevitable but also discover the hidden world of the Fae (I want to know everything about Faery and the rest !!)
The universe is very complex with its rules, its monsters, its secrets, its history ... (I had a crush on the story of the three spirits more or less evil ><)
The secondary characters are AWESOME !!! I must admit that Kael is my darling because he's a very complex and mysterious character that immediately fascinated me but I like Reign too (even if his tendency to self-pity sometimes made me want to slap him x)) (I could see Kael with Alina when I read the book 1 ... And now, I'll see her more with Reign xD)
Some characters have less convinced me but that's ok =D
The end suggests a third high book in twists ><
In short, I liked it a lot but I would have liked a longer book ... Or maybe have the third book right now ><
July 1, 2016
3 Stars.
I have to start this review by saying - I didn't realize this was a sequel until I started reading, and because I had already started, I resolved to press on to the end without going back to the first book. That being said, I really enjoyed City of Shadows and certainly have to give the author a round of applause for the fact that I wasn't actually too confused by the mythology or what had happened in the story before - everything was set out to remind the reader (or let them know, in my case, haha)
There are some parts of City of Shadows that I adored and other parts that annoyed me, so I'm splitting this review into one of my what I liked/what I didn't like reviews.
What did I like?
The Fae Mythology: Solid. I loved the idea of fae and humans trying to live together in London - how awesome is that? The mythology, fae abilities, entire system is well established, makes sense and was just plain interesting to read about. So a huge thumbs up from me!
The plot: Really enjoyable - I had a few issues with the MC's decisions, and thereby certain plot points, but the story flowed really well and I enjoyed reading it. The ending was great and I completely didn't see the villain coming, so that was a great shock. Also, I really loved the flow of the writing in this book - I found it fun to read, with nothing dragging and I raced through the pages, which is always the sign of a great book.
Some of the characters: I can't say that I liked the MC much (which I'll discuss in the what I didn't like part next), but I did like Nyx and Scaw - those too seriously needed more page time. Kael, Samuel and Reign went through some fantastic growth, that was great to read.
So, what didn't I like:
The MC: Alina was so annoying. I understand her struggles, but what I didn't like was that, whenever she was suppose to 'lose control' to the ancient being within her (trying not to spoil this), it felt very... lame. For most of the book, the reader is told how dangerous and powerful she is (and I'm sure she was rocking awesome in book 1), but I felt it took too long for Alina to embrace who she was - she should have done it for epic final battle 1, not epic final battle 2 (again, I'm being vague so as not to spoil). I understand that this complain may just be because I haven't read book 1, but I can't deny that it did annoy me. Alina made some really random and silly decisions in my opinion - yeah those people don't like you, duh? Why would you practically move in with them?
The romance: I get that Reign and Alina are supposed to have unresolved feelings, but I didn't feel any chemistry AT ALL. Then a weird kind of love triangle formed (or love T, as they say) with Alina hooking up with Samuel, and Reign, I'm not really sure how he felt, but left out? Though I got the vibe he was with Shay, so maybe it was a love square?? I don't know and it felt rushed and super messed up and I didn't like it at all.
The character descriptions: I usually don't mind, but Reign was always described, each and every time her appeared as 'His dark coat streaming behind him in the breeze as he stalked towards me. He was rumpled and always looked like he had rolled out of bed.' (that is not a quote, just the gist of what was said) and this happened each and every time he appeared. The same with Samuel - I get it, his eyes are violent, you don't have to describe it every time. I be honest, my complaint is more that the character descriptions were the same each time - Reign was always rumpled and Samuel was always violet eyes and so on. Repetition is good in some circumstances, but I just felt it was repeated too many times in the same manner - that is my opinion and others may completely disagree.
All in all, though, I really enjoyed reading City and Shadows, and I'm keen to check out the first book City of Fae. I'm putting my rating at a solid 3 stars, because I liked this book, but I had some issues with it too. After reading book 1, my opinion may shift, but it's going to be 3 stars for now.
So, if you are a reader looking for a well established fae world full of dangerous creatures and epic fight scenes, then I would certainly recommend City of Shadows (though, start with book 1, unlike me, haha)
*Thank-you to Bloomsbury Publishing and Net Galley for this ARC. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review*
I have to start this review by saying - I didn't realize this was a sequel until I started reading, and because I had already started, I resolved to press on to the end without going back to the first book. That being said, I really enjoyed City of Shadows and certainly have to give the author a round of applause for the fact that I wasn't actually too confused by the mythology or what had happened in the story before - everything was set out to remind the reader (or let them know, in my case, haha)
There are some parts of City of Shadows that I adored and other parts that annoyed me, so I'm splitting this review into one of my what I liked/what I didn't like reviews.
What did I like?
The Fae Mythology: Solid. I loved the idea of fae and humans trying to live together in London - how awesome is that? The mythology, fae abilities, entire system is well established, makes sense and was just plain interesting to read about. So a huge thumbs up from me!
The plot: Really enjoyable - I had a few issues with the MC's decisions, and thereby certain plot points, but the story flowed really well and I enjoyed reading it. The ending was great and I completely didn't see the villain coming, so that was a great shock. Also, I really loved the flow of the writing in this book - I found it fun to read, with nothing dragging and I raced through the pages, which is always the sign of a great book.
Some of the characters: I can't say that I liked the MC much (which I'll discuss in the what I didn't like part next), but I did like Nyx and Scaw - those too seriously needed more page time. Kael, Samuel and Reign went through some fantastic growth, that was great to read.
So, what didn't I like:
The MC: Alina was so annoying. I understand her struggles, but what I didn't like was that, whenever she was suppose to 'lose control' to the ancient being within her (trying not to spoil this), it felt very... lame. For most of the book, the reader is told how dangerous and powerful she is (and I'm sure she was rocking awesome in book 1), but I felt it took too long for Alina to embrace who she was - she should have done it for epic final battle 1, not epic final battle 2 (again, I'm being vague so as not to spoil). I understand that this complain may just be because I haven't read book 1, but I can't deny that it did annoy me. Alina made some really random and silly decisions in my opinion - yeah those people don't like you, duh? Why would you practically move in with them?
The romance: I get that Reign and Alina are supposed to have unresolved feelings, but I didn't feel any chemistry AT ALL. Then a weird kind of love triangle formed (or love T, as they say) with Alina hooking up with Samuel, and Reign, I'm not really sure how he felt, but left out? Though I got the vibe he was with Shay, so maybe it was a love square?? I don't know and it felt rushed and super messed up and I didn't like it at all.
The character descriptions: I usually don't mind, but Reign was always described, each and every time her appeared as 'His dark coat streaming behind him in the breeze as he stalked towards me. He was rumpled and always looked like he had rolled out of bed.' (that is not a quote, just the gist of what was said) and this happened each and every time he appeared. The same with Samuel - I get it, his eyes are violent, you don't have to describe it every time. I be honest, my complaint is more that the character descriptions were the same each time - Reign was always rumpled and Samuel was always violet eyes and so on. Repetition is good in some circumstances, but I just felt it was repeated too many times in the same manner - that is my opinion and others may completely disagree.
All in all, though, I really enjoyed reading City and Shadows, and I'm keen to check out the first book City of Fae. I'm putting my rating at a solid 3 stars, because I liked this book, but I had some issues with it too. After reading book 1, my opinion may shift, but it's going to be 3 stars for now.
So, if you are a reader looking for a well established fae world full of dangerous creatures and epic fight scenes, then I would certainly recommend City of Shadows (though, start with book 1, unlike me, haha)
*Thank-you to Bloomsbury Publishing and Net Galley for this ARC. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review*
July 2, 2016
Review:
*** I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. ***
Alina’s back! After defeating the spider queen and being sucked further into the world of the fae, she’s really coming to her own. In the last book, she dealt with a loss of identity and the realization that her life was a lie, but in this book, it seems she’s finally standing on her own two feet and able to begin making decisions for herself. She’s become a fighter. That being said, I still struggle to connect with her. She’s often annoying and rash in her decision making, and I still don’t feel very sympathetic for her. Despite how annoying she is, I do think she’s beginning to get a personality, and I can appreciate that.
The tangled love web got even more confusing in this book. Reign is still acting aloof and disinterested (while also VERY much interested). He drove me crazy in the last book, but I did find that I missed him in this one. We also have Samuel, who, as Alina decides to begin her work with the FA, becomes a love (lust) interest (I have to be honest, I didn’t understand this one AT ALL). There’s a balance between love and lust, but Alina is like a switch and I’m always surprised when she starts going after people because I can never tell where her head is at. We also have the Detective, whose life Alina has basically destroyed by bespelling him but who she is trying to help by finding his sister. The bespellment is another whole twisted, uncomfortable situation to read about, but I understand how important it is to the plot.
I feel like I’m focusing a lot on negativity, so here are the positives: this series got so much better! I don’t know what exactly happened, but when Alina began exploring her options and we got to meet more fae characters and dive a little deeper into their world, I began changing my mind about the whole thing. The pacing is great, too. The action is nonstop, so it’s difficult to put the book down.
There were some twists and turns in this one that really surprised me, and I enjoyed that about this book. The characters were not always who I thought they were, and though that can be stressful and maddening sometimes, I actually appreciated it in this one.
As always, Pippa DaCosta’s writing is lovely. Her world building is growing with this one, and it’s beginning to really suck me into the story.
I always mention the covers last, but this one is really gorgeous. I would pull it off of the shelf, even if I had no idea what it was about.
Overall, DaCosta has sucked me in, and I’m excited to continue reading this series!
*** I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. ***
Alina’s back! After defeating the spider queen and being sucked further into the world of the fae, she’s really coming to her own. In the last book, she dealt with a loss of identity and the realization that her life was a lie, but in this book, it seems she’s finally standing on her own two feet and able to begin making decisions for herself. She’s become a fighter. That being said, I still struggle to connect with her. She’s often annoying and rash in her decision making, and I still don’t feel very sympathetic for her. Despite how annoying she is, I do think she’s beginning to get a personality, and I can appreciate that.
The tangled love web got even more confusing in this book. Reign is still acting aloof and disinterested (while also VERY much interested). He drove me crazy in the last book, but I did find that I missed him in this one. We also have Samuel, who, as Alina decides to begin her work with the FA, becomes a love (lust) interest (I have to be honest, I didn’t understand this one AT ALL). There’s a balance between love and lust, but Alina is like a switch and I’m always surprised when she starts going after people because I can never tell where her head is at. We also have the Detective, whose life Alina has basically destroyed by bespelling him but who she is trying to help by finding his sister. The bespellment is another whole twisted, uncomfortable situation to read about, but I understand how important it is to the plot.
I feel like I’m focusing a lot on negativity, so here are the positives: this series got so much better! I don’t know what exactly happened, but when Alina began exploring her options and we got to meet more fae characters and dive a little deeper into their world, I began changing my mind about the whole thing. The pacing is great, too. The action is nonstop, so it’s difficult to put the book down.
There were some twists and turns in this one that really surprised me, and I enjoyed that about this book. The characters were not always who I thought they were, and though that can be stressful and maddening sometimes, I actually appreciated it in this one.
As always, Pippa DaCosta’s writing is lovely. Her world building is growing with this one, and it’s beginning to really suck me into the story.
I always mention the covers last, but this one is really gorgeous. I would pull it off of the shelf, even if I had no idea what it was about.
Overall, DaCosta has sucked me in, and I’m excited to continue reading this series!
July 17, 2016
I requested this on NetGalley without knowing that this is book two in a series - the synopsis read like a stand-alone - and I had some bad luck with starting at the second book. So I was prepared for the worst, for not understanding anything, for being annoyed because I was too stupid to check first. Now imagine my surprise: I understood everything perfectly well. I had no problems with catching up because Pippa DaCosta recaps the previous things quite well and this did indeed read like a stand-alone.
Another thing I was quite surprised about: I actually liked the stupid fae in this book. And normally I hate everything fae-related. I still try fae books again and again and again, to find one I like.
And while I liked the fae theme, I did not like the characters. Maybe "not like" is too strong of an expression, it's more like I couldn't connect with any of them and I did not feel and see any chemistry between Alina and Samuel or heck even between Alina and Reign. There was no chemistry whatsoever.
I made it to 60% before I decided to quit. Not being able to connect to the characters made me not want to read this book. Also if I'm quite honest, I wasn't really hooked to the story either, but that's probably because I couldn't relate to anyone.
Still, for me being able to understand it, though it's book two, and it making it tolerable to read a fae themed book I will still give it:
Rating: 2 stars (but DNF)
Another thing I was quite surprised about: I actually liked the stupid fae in this book. And normally I hate everything fae-related. I still try fae books again and again and again, to find one I like.
And while I liked the fae theme, I did not like the characters. Maybe "not like" is too strong of an expression, it's more like I couldn't connect with any of them and I did not feel and see any chemistry between Alina and Samuel or heck even between Alina and Reign. There was no chemistry whatsoever.
I made it to 60% before I decided to quit. Not being able to connect to the characters made me not want to read this book. Also if I'm quite honest, I wasn't really hooked to the story either, but that's probably because I couldn't relate to anyone.
Still, for me being able to understand it, though it's book two, and it making it tolerable to read a fae themed book I will still give it:
Rating: 2 stars (but DNF)
June 1, 2016
I received ARC of City of Shadows from NetGalley and Bloomsbury publisher in exchange for an honest review. City of Shadows is a very good second book in London Fae series. In the first book, City of Fae, Pippa Dacosta created exciting alternative London where humans and Fae coexist and introduced us to human girl Alina and attention seeking Fae rock star Reign. I loved unique and original Fae mythology Pippa created and could not wait for the next installment. In City of Shadows Alina's and Reign's crazy adventures continue and new battles are fought against new enemies. Pippa is master manipulator, lulling her readers into thinking they know how the story will unfold and then shocking them with twists and turns. In City of Shadows nothing and no one what they seem. Friends become enemies, enemies become friends and nobody can be trusted…or can they? I also loved seeing Alina's growth, her trying to carve a place in the world she does not belong and finding her strengths.
City of Shadows did not disappoint and I am looking forward to the next book in London of Fae series. If you want to be captivated, surprised and transported into exciting fantasy word don't miss London of Fae series by Pippa Dacosta
City of Shadows did not disappoint and I am looking forward to the next book in London of Fae series. If you want to be captivated, surprised and transported into exciting fantasy word don't miss London of Fae series by Pippa Dacosta
July 22, 2016
I received a free copy through NetGalley for an unbiased review. I have read the first book in the series and I was not disappointed in this one at all. I really liked the struggles Alina is going through and the goals she is trying to achieve while getting to know or I should say find who she really is. Reign wasn't much of a focus on this book but I hope to see some development in the romance department in the next next. Those two characters have had my fingers crossed from the beginning but who doesn't like a cocky fae. The one thing I have to praise Pippa DaCosta on is her way of lulling you into believing one thing and then shocking you with unexpected twists that some how manage to feel completely right. I enjoyed how you feel connected to the characters separate personalities and how the dialogue gives you glimpses of their insecurities that previously isn't so straight forward. I love the awkwardness between Alina and Reign as she tries to find her inner strengths. I do like Samuel and found it completely shocking that Alina gravitates towards him. I also like that the detective is still in the mix and it helped cleared some loose ends up as we move along in this series. Overall I would recommend to my fae lovers out there.
July 2, 2016
*I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review, Thank-you to Bloomsbury Publishing and Pippa Dacosta for this ARC *
This is the first series I’ve read from Pippa Dacosta and I was very impressed! Pippa’s writing style was wonderful, the story was steady paced and packed full of stunning twists and turns. I was captivated by this exciting world that Pippa has created. The fae mythology was unique! I was very interested in the way fae and humans coincided together in London! I loved the growth of the main character Alina, it was encouraging to see her find her strengths and develop into this kick ass character! The chemistry between Alina and Reign is undeniable I was routing for them throughout the whole book. Pippa Dacosta has produced a delightfully original book that I would defiantly recommend!
This is the first series I’ve read from Pippa Dacosta and I was very impressed! Pippa’s writing style was wonderful, the story was steady paced and packed full of stunning twists and turns. I was captivated by this exciting world that Pippa has created. The fae mythology was unique! I was very interested in the way fae and humans coincided together in London! I loved the growth of the main character Alina, it was encouraging to see her find her strengths and develop into this kick ass character! The chemistry between Alina and Reign is undeniable I was routing for them throughout the whole book. Pippa Dacosta has produced a delightfully original book that I would defiantly recommend!
Read
June 29, 2016This is the second of Pippa DaCosta's London Fae series from ebook only imprint Bloomsbury Spark. The fae are as charismatic and attractive as ever but they are dangerous too - touching them causes you to be under their spell and promotes such a desire to be with them that you can think of nothing else. Alina knows she isn't real - she was created by the evil spider queen to be her killing machine - but she still feels things and has as many love problems in this book as any normal girl. The forces of darkness are beginning to break through however and she is needed to help fight them again. DaCosta's storytelling is excellent and I enjoyed meeting characters from the first book once more, especially the shining but seemingly heartless Reign. I always enjoy stories set in London and this series is shaping up to be a favourite. City of Shadows would be enjoyed by teen (and older) girls.
June 19, 2017
we are back with Alina and she struggling to find her place I any world as she's made of "fairy dust," and not a "real girl." The character development for Alina was amazing. I loved her growth. General Kael was quote the surprise as he takes Alina under his "tutelage" in her attempt to learn more about herself, Andrew's sister and separate from Reign (sad face). I loved the plot, the tiny taste of Faeire, and the Harpy, who'll be sure to win hearts. I couldn't put the book down more only wish was "MORE REIGN!"
August 28, 2016
In the first Fae novel, Alina found out what she was. In this story, Alina discovers who she is and almost loses herself in the process. She finds love, betrayal and friendship in unexpected quarters. What's not to love?
Read
December 25, 2015So much time between books = giving this series a miss. Sorry Pippa, love your work, but this is a no can do.
August 23, 2016
There was so much BAMF in this book, I don't know how to handle it. So much better than the first! I might bump this up to a 4.5 when I write my full review!!!
February 27, 2021
Alina ha sobrevivido a la reina de los fae y sus oscuros designios para ella. Pero ahora debe descubrir una motivación para continuar, sabiendo que no es una humana ni un fae. Y el único que podría ayudarla, está aún más perdido que ella.
***
Me gustó el primer libro. y la premisa de este segundo prometía mucho. Desafortunadamente, Alina tuvo cambio de cerebro después del final de City of Fae y parece que se deja llevar por la corriente en lugar de tomar sus propias decisiones y luchar como hizo antes. Ahora se quiebra muy fácil cuando Sovereign no le baja la luna y las estrellas (también le pedía mucho al pobre fae, que él también tiene sus traumas que superar) y se lanza de cabeza a los brazos de una organización que la quería muerta antes. No me agradó mucho tanto drama existencial y que Alina se fijara en otro fae a primeras de cambio.
La trama queda un poco al aire, porque introduce elementos que en el primer libro ni se mencionaron, pero aquí se descubren y luego se resuelven rapídisimo. Y hay unas cosas ilógicas que ni vale la pena mencionar.
Los personajes secundarios son de cartón. Tienen un diálogo para hacer avanzar la trama y a lo que sigue. Y el único amigo de Alina, que era tan fuerte, ahora se vuelve todo patético y horrible y tiene un final que ni viene al caso.
Después de la lentitud del principio, el clímax aparece de repente y termina igual. Por ese final, debería haber una continuación, pero no sé cómo podrían abordarse todos los hilos sueltos que quedaron colgando.
El nivel de inglés para disfrutar este libro es intermedio.
Lo Mejor
¡Hay unas escenas de pelea super emocionantes!
Lo Peor
La trama está poco cohesionada.
***
Me gustó el primer libro. y la premisa de este segundo prometía mucho. Desafortunadamente, Alina tuvo cambio de cerebro después del final de City of Fae y parece que se deja llevar por la corriente en lugar de tomar sus propias decisiones y luchar como hizo antes. Ahora se quiebra muy fácil cuando Sovereign no le baja la luna y las estrellas (también le pedía mucho al pobre fae, que él también tiene sus traumas que superar) y se lanza de cabeza a los brazos de una organización que la quería muerta antes. No me agradó mucho tanto drama existencial y que Alina se fijara en otro fae a primeras de cambio.
La trama queda un poco al aire, porque introduce elementos que en el primer libro ni se mencionaron, pero aquí se descubren y luego se resuelven rapídisimo. Y hay unas cosas ilógicas que ni vale la pena mencionar.
Los personajes secundarios son de cartón. Tienen un diálogo para hacer avanzar la trama y a lo que sigue. Y el único amigo de Alina, que era tan fuerte, ahora se vuelve todo patético y horrible y tiene un final que ni viene al caso.
Después de la lentitud del principio, el clímax aparece de repente y termina igual. Por ese final, debería haber una continuación, pero no sé cómo podrían abordarse todos los hilos sueltos que quedaron colgando.
El nivel de inglés para disfrutar este libro es intermedio.
Lo Mejor
¡Hay unas escenas de pelea super emocionantes!
Lo Peor
La trama está poco cohesionada.
August 21, 2017
O.K. a little better than the first book of the two. I'm still having some issues with the dialogue though. It seems to fluctuate between Anglicized & Americanized English. The main one is the use of "Subway" vs "Underground or Tube" although these seem to be equally split throughout the book. There is, however, one glaringly misused word which only appears a couple of times but it's one that any British author should know by heart: we would never call a frozen treat a popsicle! In the U.K. it would be "ice lolly," "lollipop" or just plain "ice." I'll say it again: if you're going to set a story in London please use the proper vernacular. BTW: I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but I am an English ex-pat who was born and raised just a (very) few miles from the locations in the book.
As you can tell by my reading dates, it took me a while to get around to finishing this. I'll keep watching Pippa's newsletters and releases though.
As you can tell by my reading dates, it took me a while to get around to finishing this. I'll keep watching Pippa's newsletters and releases though.
July 5, 2017
I didn't like this one as much as the first book. Everything I loved about the first book *cough* Reign *cough* get changed or is barely even there. It was still an exciting read, but sadly I didn't care as much about this book as I cared about the first
October 2, 2017
I felt that the plot twist was a bit obvious. It's an interesting premise, the protagonist's conception. There's potential here for a whole lot of philosophical depth, but of course it's all romantic nonsense instead... And it's that why we love these books!
March 26, 2020
It is a pity Bloomsbury didn’t continue this series. It is beautifully written with intriguing characters. A finely defined story of a world within a world. I really want to know what becomes of Alina and Reign and their associates but it’s so worth a read even without the final conclusion.
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