The Not a Book Club Club discussion
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City of Blades
The Divine Cities
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CoB: Part 1 (Chapters 1-5)
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I'm loving Mulaghesh as the main character; I really liked her in CoS and it hasn't disappointed so far. Glad we're getting glimpses of what Shara is up to even if she's not playing a huge role. The scene with the recording was great, how she knew Mula would freak out
Every time I read something from Bennett I find myself liking him more and more. There's such an ease about reading his work, everything flows really well and is very conversational. I'm sure a lot of work goes into making it that easy to read.
Continue to love this world, and now excited to see where this one goes. I'm thinking the chick who disappeared is trying some kind of ritual to bring back the Divinity. Or maybe she's been taken because she was close to catching on to who is actually behind it.
Thought it was interesting that we have a missing person here, and then there was that inventor, Thinadeshi, who also disappeared from the same region
I've been doing audio - not quite sure where I am in this section - but totally agree with what you are saying.Bennett is also hilarious on twitter. He seems like quite an interesting guy.
I was really worried that I'd be totally lost since I only remember the high level points from CoS, but I like how the second book has a new POV character and its a brand new story so far. The things we need to remember from the first book are gently woven into the story without hitting us over the head with plot rehashes.
I remember when I finished the first book and heard that Shara wouldn't be the main POV i was a little disappointed but so far I like how its playing out. Mula is a great character.
I agree as well, it's pretty exciting to have Mulagesh as the main character, she's very colourful, her comments often make me laugh. The world is just as interesting as the first time around, and the mystery of the murders, the identity of that Shrike -like character and Sumitra Choudhry's presumed madness and subsequent disappearance are all very intriguing. This new substance makes me wonder, too - is it possible that there is still a Divinity left alive? And if yes, who possibly could it be?
I had no idea Voortyashtan would be much more damaged than Bulikov was. The whole city under the sea, that's something!
I like Signe too. She seems to bear some grudge towards her father. I suppose that Sigurd might make an appearance, but under what circumstances? We'll see:)
All in all, a very promising beginning.
I got that feeling too from Signe. Seemed like she wasn't too thrilled that Mula recognized her familial resemblance right away I'm interested in how well the narrator handles all these unique names in the audio version. I've gotten to the point where I have to skip trying to sound it out in my head.
I like Mulaghesh as a main character also - and I really at this point feel like I'm reading a mystery that happens to be set in a very different place.I also like the part where the sword / hand on the cover was explained. I liked the cover but kept wondering why the guy was silly enough to hold a sword blade. So it was fun to see that history, and the history of swords possibly stealing souls.
Haha, good call on the cover! That totally slipped by me.
I enjoyed the cover explanation too, Suzanne. I didn't notice it much before, but yesterday I spent some moments looking at the picture because I liked the story behind it.
Me too - I was trying to imagine holding it as described. I would NEVER have guessed without the explanation.
Really enjoying the book so far, hopefully I can make it last until my flight to PAX South tomorrow... although I'll probably finish it on the plane, and have to go The Bands of Mourning on the flight back.Did we find out about the Voortya heaven in this section? My current theory is that, somehow, the impossible conductor is the souls of Voortya's followers come back to the world.
Also, does anyone else find it suspicious that Voortya was described as wearing a mask? Pretty sure anyone in a mask isn't who you think they are when you kill them...
The Voortya Heaven and mask are in the very beginning of the next section.I believe that Voortya is dead (was killed by the Kaj), because unlike Bulikov, the entire Voortyashtan collapsed. But who knows, maybe gods could be resurrected ...? (I don't think so, but who knows :)
I'm just wondering if the Voortya who created her heaven and the Voortya who created the sentinels and miraculously supported the city are in fact one and the same.
Ah, OK. I haven't thought about that :).EDIT: that's because it belongs to the next section.
I was thinking room temperature super-conductor, and how cool that would be in a fantasy book.But a room temperature amplifying super-conductor is way cooler.
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I like Scott's theory that the disappeared person is involved with the killings. I'm leaning towards participant rather than getting too close because of the stuff she bought from the apothacary. But then, why would she leave evidence of her plan behind?
A short woman was observed at the first killing, though maybe she's this Voortya.
And I apparently missed the cover explanation. Can someone summarize it? Or point me to it?
I'm realyy enjoying this so far. I hope that keeps up.
I just double checked: it's in chapter 4, near the end of the chapter when Mula searches the room of the operative who's missing and finds a journal of some sort about Thinadeshi. On my kindle, it's 16% inA sketch is described of a black hand holding a sword blade and becoming the hilt. Then there's a description a couple paragraphs later if the significance
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I didn't either, not until Suzanne mentioned it
Yeah I totally fixated on that because the hand holding the sword on the cover was bugging me for awhile :) That's just not safe!
You must have some different cover. Mine is from Jo Fletcher Books with mountains, bridges, stars, and a moon. I hate that it isn't bound but paperback with different format than CoS. Doesnt fit next to it on the shelf :(
I loved Mula in CoS and now we have her as main protagonist, oh joy! And Sigrud's daughter! And another (not-so-dead?) god! How could a reader's life be better?Mula's hilarious recruitment contrasts sharply with the malicious slaughtered family.
What I fear now is a parallel mystery story like CoS. I'd have loved a completely different story. But once again there is a foreign investigator looking after a lost predecessor and involving a should-be-dead-god. I know, there are a lot of people who like to stay in the same tropes, but I like different tastes!
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Please do not discuss events from later chapters/books. Referring back to events from a previous section/book is fine.