City of Light

By: Keri Arthur

Narrated by: Mia Barron

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

The first in an all-new futuristic fantasy series from Keri Arthur - the New York Times best-selling author of the Souls of Fire novels.

When the bombs that stopped the species war tore holes in the veil between this world and the next, they allowed entry to the Others - demons, wraiths, and death spirits who turned the shadows into their hunting grounds. Now, 100 years later, humans and shifters alike live in artificially lit cities designed to keep the darkness at bay....

As a dechet - a breed of humanoid supersoldiers almost eradicated by the war - Tiger has spent her life in hiding. But when she risks her life to save a little girl on the outskirts of Central City, she discovers that the child is one of many abducted in broad daylight by a wraithlike being - an impossibility with dangerous implications for everyone on Earth. Because if the light is no longer enough to protect them, nowhere is safe....

©2016 Keri Arthur (P)2016 Recorded Books

Variety of Supernatural Beings

Our main character, Tiger, is a pretty flat and 2-dimensional character. It was really hard for me to relate to her in any way. She is the result of a government “super soldier” program that combines the DNA from shapeshifters and vampires. She is what is known as a “dechet”. She survived the human shifter war 100 years before the story takes place and had to watch everyone she cared about to die after the shifters won the war and decided to eradicate the dechet en masse.

The premise of the story itself was pretty good and it had a lot of potential. I’m a huge fan of urban fantasy, but I had no idea this was also a paranormal romance novel. The dialog in the book leaves a lot to be desired, which lets the book down in and of itself considering there is a lot of dialog in the book. A lot of dialog. There are eyebrows flipping everywhere and so many “cold”, “mirthless” or “humorless” smiles.

Mia Barron, The narrator, also kind of killed the book for me. She used the same voice for almost every character, and her dialog rhythm was very bizarre. It got a little better by the end of the book, but listening to conversations between 3 or 5 people, all with the same voice kind of makes it a little hard to follow who is talking and whose eyebrows are flying where. That’s not to say that the narrator was awful, she has a very nice voice and during the course of the narrative parts, it was a pretty enjoyable listen.

I did like the world and a lot of the ideas that went into it. In this dystopian world, there are vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, wraiths, witches, dechet, and probably some other things that I may be forgetting. The history of the world was nice, not really rich, but definitely thought out. Then on top of all the different types of characters, you also have a sci-fi feeling environment, that still feels desolate.

Unfortunately, the book was a little too predictable and repetitive for me. I had already guessed what was going on by 45% of the way through the book. I would say the end of the book, but the end of the book is not really an ending. The author basically didn’t finish the story, then called it a cliffhanger.

All in all, it was a bit of a slog, and I don’t want book 2. It fell short of what I was expecting and what I was really hoping for in a unique urban fantasy book.


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Once you get past the weirdness it gets good!

Where does City of Light rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This one started out weird for me. Post-apocalyptic world – check; Shifters – check, vampires – check; Tiger, that’s where we get weird. She is a genetically engineered déchet, or super soldier, made during the war between humans and shifters. She is the last of her kind, and has been hiding in the remains of the military bunker; she is the lone survivor. She lives in the bunker with ghosts she can talk to and treats them as family. This is where the story almost lost me. Oh, and because of the destruction from the war, there are now rifts in reality; beings from other dimensions are pouring into our world. Did I also mention Tiger is over 100 years old? Yep weird.

I’m glad I didn’t give up in the first few chapters, as I wanted to do. I was like WTF is this? In this world vampires are raging beast driven by their blood lust; this saved the story for me. They are monsters that ravage and destroy, live in darkness, and can become darkness. No sparkly sissy’s here! This story is about Tiger; she is really a bad ass chick, yet she also has a huge heart. She’s stuck in a world where people fear and hate her kind, making it necessary to hide, and blend in, for fear of discovery.

Arthur has set this first story up perfectly; I love Tiger for her bravery and her heart. Readers will want her happy and accepted for who she is, in this world that hates her. I can’t wait for book two. City of Light is a fast paced, thrilling story that that leaves readers wanting more. You just have to get through and absorb the initial weirdness....Sara

Dystopian sci-fi and fantasy, this book is all 3.

This is the first book in an excellent series. I have read both books, and am on the llokout for the next one. This series takes place in the aftermath of a huge war, hence I would consider it dystopian. However, technology was not lost, and has continued to advance, including genetic modification and the creation of the Dechet, who are meant to be "supersoldiers." The main focus is on rescuing some children who have been abducted by a company who wants to make vampires immune to sunlight, which would be a very bad idea. The two protagonists work together to rescue the children, while trying to overcome their hatred for each other's races. the thing I really like about this series is that the romance stays in the background, and the main focus in the plot itself. I highly recommend this book, and its sequel. I hope Ms. Arthur continues the series soon.

The best of sci-fi and fantasy

What did you love best about City of Light?

Most? It's impossible to say, because I loved everything about this book. Tiger, the ghosts, the world...all of it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love Tiger. She's tough and capable, but also self-aware and caring. Her character is very well-devoloped and she makes for an amazing heroine...even if she's reluctant to be one!

Which character – as performed by Mia Barron – was your favorite?

Mia Barron voices everyone very well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It absolutely was!

A Wonderful Story

I hated this to end. I can't wait for the next book. the reader was great and brought the characters to life.

book sucks

What disappointed you about City of Light?

Everything, one of the worst books I have every tired to lessen to! Good I get my money back?

Would you ever listen to anything by Keri Arthur again?

I don't think so

What didn’t you like about Mia Barron’s performance?

Bla

What character would you cut from City of Light?

Bad story line all together

Any additional comments?

I want another book to replace this piece of crap

Wow! This one is good

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely recommend. Keri Arthur's best series so far. Try it, Mikey. You'll like it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Really only one choice - Tiger. She is the main character and really it is her story.

Which character – as performed by Mia Barron – was your favorite?

Same

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely. Plan to stay up late.

Any additional comments?

I love Keri Arthur and really dug Riley Jensen and the Dark Angels series, but this is the best so far. Very unusual world, interesting heroine, great bad guys. Keri is really growing into her talent.