The Hidden City

The House War, Book 1

By: Michelle West

Narrated by: Eva Wilhelm

Length: 27 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

At last, the story fantasy fans have been waiting for!

The incredible story that fans of The Sun Sword series have been waiting to listen to - the battle for control of House Terafin.

Orphaned and left to fend for herself in the slums of Averalaan, Jewel Markess - Jay to her friends - meets an unlikely savior in Rath, a man who prowls the ruins of the undercity in search of artifacts and treasure. Nursing Jay back to health is an unusual act for a man who renounced his own family long ago, and the situation becomes stranger still when Jay begins to form a den of other rescued children in Rath’s home. But worse perils lurk beneath the slums: The demons that once nearly destroyed the Essalieyan Empire are stirring again, and soon Rath and Jay will find themselves targets of these deadly and ruthless beings.

©2007 Michelle Sagara (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

An unexpected gem.

Would you listen to The Hidden City again? Why?

A story like this is worth listening to again. The cast of characters is petty big and the mystery they weave is revealed slowly with lots of twists and turns.

What other book might you compare The Hidden City to and why?

I found this book similar to Kristen Britain's Green Rider. An excellent story with believable characters that you care very much about.

What does Eva Wilhelm bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The characters are richly presented. Through her narration I developed an emotional attachment to all of them.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

She reveals the difficult and challenging lives that these young children have endured. The author takes her characters through a number of "gut wrenching" situations that leave you emotionally drained.

Series is 12 Books - Missing Middle 6 Books

The oddity of this series is that it was written/released out of order. My understanding is the 1st three books start the plot. A 2nd group of six books (not on Audible) called The Sun Sword (under the name Michelle Sagara) sit between the 1st three books and the last three books of House War. There's no impact at all in the 1st three books as there's no reference to events that technically happen in the future. It is a little problematic in the last three books as references to the plot in the Sun Sword series as somewhat frequent.

Another oddity of the writing is that as the books proceed, no standard narrator or point of view device is used. The same chapter can switch between the viewpoints of different characters for the same events. There are a few irritating tendencies like the overuse of phases like "perfect bow," but overall the series has been enjoyable.

So many authors these days create a collection of one dis-likable character after another. This series is dominated by mostly positive character development that feels more realistic... i.e. no society could survive in worlds dominated by even "heros" who are somewhat craven - much less so many people with less than zero humanity in them.

That said, the plots in each of the books are relatively compact - i.e. not a lot of "action" happens. There are lots of situations and conversations and discussions with occasional activity/action thrown in. For the most part, this is not a negative. In a few instances, repeated sections focused on the mental recriminations or doubts of characters do get a little repetitive.

More Good Writing from Michelle!

Any additional comments?

I became a fan of Michele Sagara by listening to the Chronicles of Elantra Series. Imagine my delight when I discovered another series written by her!

This book is just as descriptive and magical.

Michelle has a special talent for creating worlds that come alive, peopled with characters that wend their way into your life.

Eva's reading of the book is also excellent. Her voice is perfect for 10-year old Jay. My only criticism would be the voice of Aaron, which sounded a bit too forced or fake. But overall, what great job she does with a wide cast of characters.

I'm off to download Book 2!

Powerful Opening to an epic story

This is the first in a fantastic series written by the brilliant Michelle West (Sagara). Robert Jordan, and George R.R. Martin have nothing on the captivating prose written in this series. The story isn't just fantasy, it's a coming of age, hope for the future, epic fantasy adventure. You'll fall in love with the various characters, all of which play a role in the life of the central character Jewel 'Jay' Markess. After the 3rd book you'll have to pick up and read the Sun Sword series to maintain the chronological timeline if you want, and while it isn't available via audio book it's also an amazing series where everything falls into place in a phenomenal way. I've read / listened to the series 4 times now and am still discovering hidden details that I love.

I've looked for months now for a new adventure.

jay ( jewel ) and Rath deliver! I've been a member of audible since 2010. my first real adventure was with Robert Jordon. I've grieved when I heard he'd passed away. such a brilliant man and mind. then Terry goodkind. robin hobb is one of my absolute favorites. the whole story from Fitz and the Fools childhood to their end together. i dont think ive ever gotten emotional thru a story until them. shes amazing. you must listen to the lost ship raiders. it also has the Fools adventure while he is away from Fitz. I ran across this book and seen I put it in my wish list awhile back. so I gave it a try. I was taken away to jays time and life. I was hooked from the beginning. It's been at least 6 months since I found a book that I stuck with. I wasn't having to go back and find where I left off, taking me a week to listen to a 27 hr book. It's gonna be awful for this story to end!! if your hooked like I am on books you'll understand what I mean. I was listening to old books in my library because I couldn't find anything that caught my interest. I hope my review can send you on some great adventures as well!!🤗

Too hard to listen too.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

You almost needed a notepad there were so many different characters.... Has potential...but just too much information you have to grasp....not an easy listen.

Not an "easy" read, but definitely a rewarding one

What did you love best about The Hidden City?

I loved how easily I became engaged in the characters and the world that Michelle created. I think her characters seem very "real" and I wanted to know more about the history of all of them and what had made them who they were. Some were hard to like, some are easier to like, but I think that's true about real people.

I am especially interested in the "Hidden City" and I hope we learn more about it in the future, it was more of just a tease in this novel.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Maybe Teller. He's not that prominent but I like what he represents.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

A lot of moments in this book moved me. This story has a very visceral feel to it. It's hard to listen to sometimes, but it makes the characters more believable and gives them a lot of depth. In some ways Michelle's writing reminds me of George R. Martin, not afraid to go into the dark areas of life, showing how they shape a person.

Any additional comments?

I needed more of a "brain candy" book after this to lighten my mood, but I will use my next credit to get the next book in this series because I want to know what happens next.

Excellent series

Excellent series, perfect narrator, and epic story. On my 4th reread/ listen. The characters are the best.

I’m comfortable giving 5 stars for both writer & narrator with 5 1/2 hours left

Often, when a book really has an impact on me, I praise both the author & narrator, and this is most definitely he case here.

This story, while sharing many elements of other fantasy stories, is unique , at least with regard to my past reading.

And as I will definitely be reading/ listening to the next book in Ms West’s series, assume I’ve lavished praise upon her talents with character, story, world building & most definitely, mood. I feel this place, and these people, and while it’s obvious we’ve only just scratched the surface of the depths for some characters , I am deeply invested in these people. I can’t believe I’d never heard of Michelle Wes before, but am deeply grateful to have encountered her now. Like Kristen Britain & Elizabeth Moon earlier this year (for me ,personally) , she has come out of nowhere & firmly grabbed a new fan.

But I also feel a strong compulsion to sing the praises of Eva Wilhelm, another first encounter for me. She is superb in her many roles as narrator in The Hidden City, & acts as one of the strongest supporting arguments for why I’ve chosen to listen to audiobooks rather than just read the text these days.

Not only does she cover so very many voices of differing ages and class, but in her own subtle & straightforward way, she imbues this story with such a sense of ….I can’t find the correct word. Power? Yes. Density? Yes. Feeling? Also yes. She just conveys so much, so very very much, without over-reaching or seeming to “act” at all. Ms Wilhelm, I apologize for not having the proper words to tell you just how much your narrative has gotten to me, but I will definitely seek out your work in future.

What I wouldn't give for an abridged version!!!

This is a good story, with fantastic characters, and well-narrated. Just way too long to get through. Sooooooo many unnecessary details.