Diamond City

Diamond City Series, Book 1

De: Astrid Cole

Narrado por: Venus Star

Pizza-loving Sage will do anything for a ticket to Prince Louis’ birthday party, whether that’s shooting bad guys at bars, chasing them in hover cars, or dropping 100 stories from the highest skyscraper in Diamond City. She doesn’t mind attracting a little bit of positive attention from the royal family, so long as no one learns her true secret—she hails from an ancient warrior race, and kicking ass in war is her specialty.

Only those days are long over. At least, she thinks they are, until her nephew sells her out to the royal family, and they’re nowhere near as air-headed as Prince Louis. Tiaras and dinner parties are far from their minds when they blackmail her into confronting a vicious (and flamboyant) warlord whose forces are invading the city. Choosing sides might have been a no-brainer, but Sage learns the royal family is using their citizens as test subjects in experiments to attain immortality, and the warlord is actually fighting to stop them. If Sage thought kneading dough was difficult, now she must choose between a tyrannical (and charming) warlord, or a bubbly prince to take the throne.

If Sage wants any semblance of a normal life again, let alone run a pizza shop, she must pray that her longing for love doesn’t cloud her judgment. Then again, what girl would say no to promises of colorful weddings and spectacular fireworks, even if the guy who’s offering them has a not-so-righteous agenda of his own?

©2023 Astrid Cole (P)2023 Astrid Cole

So good you will not want to stop listening!!

Diamond City by Astrid Cole is book one in the Diamond City series and I’m so ready for book two. If you like sci-fi, dystopian, dysfunctions family, fantasy, enemies to lovers, strong FMC, political intrigue, multiple POV’s, supernatural, battles, and pizza then you will love this book.

Astrid did a fantastic job with this book. The storyline, plot, and world building were done very well. The characters whether you liked them or hated them were so well written. Sage is my spirit animal! Sage is a badass warrior who is over 100 yrs old. All Sage really wants to do is live her life and open a pizzeria but life has other plans for her. She’s fallen for Damien who is obsessed with her. Sage is a trying to negotiate peace deal between the rebels and the leaders of Diamond city. I love the banter between all of these characters. I don’t think there is a dull moment in the book there’s so much chaos, political intrigue, loyalties that are ever changing, twists and turns you will not want to put this book down. My only complaint is that I was not a fan of the narrator IMO her voice just did not do this book justice!! Other than that I enjoyed this Audible and can’t wait for book 2.

Experience Story

excellent scifi story with lots of political wars and intriguing characters. longer review coming soon.

Story is better than the narrator!

That voice actor was TERRIBLE!

Astrid Cole holy cow girl!!! This book…why aren’t more people talking about this?!

✨TROPES:✨
❤️‍🔥 Slow Burn
🗡️Strong AF female
🗝️ “Soft” Enemies to lovers
🍕 Pizza’s made with bananas (no that’s not a secret message for something…it’s really that)
⚔️ Alien, robots, and human war
🦾Found family
😻 fated mates (maybe called something else)
🗣️ fun modernized banter
🩸 revenge
👾 Sci-Fi book with MAJOR twist at end!

Sage, the ultimate weapon settles down in her pizza ‘hole-in-the-wall’ dive bar that others seek out! A 100+ year old aging slower due to joining the enhanced as a teen.
The citizens of Diamond City dream of a better life, better living conditions, and for the war to never come. Royal intrigues, threats on the outskirts, and another rebellion talk to rule. She fought hard to unite the world just to see it crumble to dust and fear.
The ‘lucky ones’ are enhanced, enhanced to higher beings, and have luxury with longer lifespans. On the outer limits and exiled group fights and torments any unlucky person to pass the line… Enemies emerge from all side and now innocent lives are at stake.
Sage with her military background has the decipher facts from lies and once again, the fate of Diamond City is forcibly placed in her hands.

Good story but had narrator issues

The story is a great dystopian story, but the narration really tanked it.
I found the narrator to be rather flat and noticed quite a few issues with the actual engineering aspect of the final version. The narrator did not come through crisp and at times sentences were being repeated and poorly layered. I also noticed there was background noise at times that made the narrator feel very distant from the microphone. I would suggest reading it instead of listening to it.

Strong FMC and a great sci-fi read!

This is a great sci-fi novel (first in a trilogy) with a very strong female main character! Sage is such a great character and I loved listening to her arc in this book. She runs a pizza shop and is roped in by the royals to spy on the War Lord. Will Sage compete her mission, or will she fall for the War Lord?