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anca_antoci's review against another edition
5.0
The Story
It picks up three weeks after the end of Shadow City. Just like its predecessor, Dark City is a fast-paced novel with multiple POVs intertwined. After defeating the Overlord of the Dark ones everyone in the Zone sees Colton as a hero while the nightmarish creatures regroup to attack.
Colton starts having blackouts, sometimes even during missions, which puts his life and his team at risk. Despite claiming he’s okay, he agrees to go with Bombshell to the Academy for an extensive check-up. After a novel and a half of wondering what Colton is and why he has no memory of his past, we finally find out and I seriously doubt that you can guess the truth. This is a spoiler-free review, so I’m not going to tell you, but it will blow your mind.
The truth about his origin comes with sad news and I’m looking forward to seeing how the author will deal with his situation in the next novel.
The other mystery is Vincent. We learn more (but not everything) about him and his orders too. He is intrigued by the feelings Eurydice stirs in him because it’s all new to him. In the end, he has a difficult decision to make.
We get to read some more cinematic style fights, narrated blow by blow with great effects. Eurydice is as badass as she was in Shadow City.
The characters
There are several plot-twists character-wise. The first of them is Louis. We already knew from Shadow City that he was sick with radiation poisoning and most likely dying. His character arc is spectacular as he goes from the sweet little boy who would do anything for his sister, to the vengeful teen (because his sister Jean has taken an interest in Colton and gives him more attention than she gives her brother) who wants Colton dead. You’ll never guess who sways his loyalty? Without giving too much away, let’s say that Eurydice has a hand in it.
We get to see Eurydice quite often through Louis’s eyes and she’s more fascinating than ever.
Eurydice isn’t all bad and we learned that in the previous book when she saved Vincent and not only him. Louis knows this. Vincent is fascinated with her and with his feelings for her which go way beyond lust.
Read the full review here:
https://www.summonfantasy.com/book-reviews/dark-city-tales-of-the-shadow-city-2-by-anna-mocikat-book-review
It picks up three weeks after the end of Shadow City. Just like its predecessor, Dark City is a fast-paced novel with multiple POVs intertwined. After defeating the Overlord of the Dark ones everyone in the Zone sees Colton as a hero while the nightmarish creatures regroup to attack.
Colton starts having blackouts, sometimes even during missions, which puts his life and his team at risk. Despite claiming he’s okay, he agrees to go with Bombshell to the Academy for an extensive check-up. After a novel and a half of wondering what Colton is and why he has no memory of his past, we finally find out and I seriously doubt that you can guess the truth. This is a spoiler-free review, so I’m not going to tell you, but it will blow your mind.
The truth about his origin comes with sad news and I’m looking forward to seeing how the author will deal with his situation in the next novel.
The other mystery is Vincent. We learn more (but not everything) about him and his orders too. He is intrigued by the feelings Eurydice stirs in him because it’s all new to him. In the end, he has a difficult decision to make.
We get to read some more cinematic style fights, narrated blow by blow with great effects. Eurydice is as badass as she was in Shadow City.
The characters
There are several plot-twists character-wise. The first of them is Louis. We already knew from Shadow City that he was sick with radiation poisoning and most likely dying. His character arc is spectacular as he goes from the sweet little boy who would do anything for his sister, to the vengeful teen (because his sister Jean has taken an interest in Colton and gives him more attention than she gives her brother) who wants Colton dead. You’ll never guess who sways his loyalty? Without giving too much away, let’s say that Eurydice has a hand in it.
“From afar, they looked like two normal teenagers hanging out on a roof. But in truth, they were two dark souls understanding each other without words. A deadly killer everyone feared, and her apprentice, who they would fear even more someday.”
We get to see Eurydice quite often through Louis’s eyes and she’s more fascinating than ever.
"What happened next, Louis could only describe as some sort of dance, the art of killing shown to perfection.
Louis watched how Eurydice continued her dance of death and destruction, which had an alluring, morbid beauty."
Eurydice isn’t all bad and we learned that in the previous book when she saved Vincent and not only him. Louis knows this. Vincent is fascinated with her and with his feelings for her which go way beyond lust.
Read the full review here:
https://www.summonfantasy.com/book-reviews/dark-city-tales-of-the-shadow-city-2-by-anna-mocikat-book-review
deethereader's review against another edition
4.0
Dark City
The people in the Zone are trying to survive, not only from the weather and harsh conditions that leave them with little of anything including food but also from the rebel vampires and The Dark Ones.
I didn’t read the first book in this series but did not feel that I was missing anything. Although I am not normally a fan of post apocalyptic books I loved the combination of the urban fantasy and post apocalyptic worlds colliding (vampires are one of my weaknesses).
I found that it did ramble a bit in places but there was plenty of action that kept me wanting to turn the pages.
I look forward to the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review
The people in the Zone are trying to survive, not only from the weather and harsh conditions that leave them with little of anything including food but also from the rebel vampires and The Dark Ones.
I didn’t read the first book in this series but did not feel that I was missing anything. Although I am not normally a fan of post apocalyptic books I loved the combination of the urban fantasy and post apocalyptic worlds colliding (vampires are one of my weaknesses).
I found that it did ramble a bit in places but there was plenty of action that kept me wanting to turn the pages.
I look forward to the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review
jferrell526's review against another edition
5.0
The fight continues.
In the fight for what's left of Los Angeles, many things are unveiled. Anna Mocikat continues these wonderful series with Dark City. It holds all the drama and battles you could ever want. But be warned there is a touch of sadness too.
In the fight for what's left of Los Angeles, many things are unveiled. Anna Mocikat continues these wonderful series with Dark City. It holds all the drama and battles you could ever want. But be warned there is a touch of sadness too.
tricky's review against another edition
4.0
The world is a mess, something called the Glitch has decimated the human population but there are survivors. The survivors have to eke out an existence between the harshness of the land and a vampire colony with an agenda of their own and the Dark Ones who seek to end the human race. There is also a cyber race that assists the humans. It certainly is not an easy world for anyone to navigate.
We meet all the characters a couple of weeks after a major battle has occurred in which the humans with the assistance of the vampires have secured a major victory over the Dark Ones. Everyone is smarting from their wounds and even victory has had a cost. At the start of the story everyone is regrouping and developing strategies for their next moves.
For the humans, it is about affirming their alliance with the vampires through blood. For the Dark Ones it is about preparing for the ultimate battle. For the two central characters to this story, Eurydice and Colton it is about revealing more of who they are and how they figure in the yet to be released final instalment.
Eurydice, by age an ancient vampire but by appearance is frozen in time and is stunning. She is a woman playing all sides and has been traversing this environment by herself. However, she decides that she needs to start her own vampire clan and looks to bring in Louis, a young man who will die of radiation poisoning. What complicates matters for Eurydice is her relationship with Vincent and the strong connection they have. Colton, who was discovered outside of the zone, has no memory of where he came from but has extraordinary powers. However, Colton is suffering a mystery ailment and is not willing to confront what is happening. This is the launch pad for the story but then you throw in the political gamemanship, the manoeuvring of the major players and you are in for a heady ride as the reader.
What I did not realise that this was the second book in a trilogy and to be honest it did not matter. As you are whisked straight into the action and quickly catch up with what has been and what is coming. You realise it is a trilogy as the ending certainly makes that clear. It did take me some time to come to grips with the large number of characters and the roles they all play. None of the characters are vanilla, they all have their own foibles and strengths. The world is well crafted in taking the known and twisting it to the worse possible scenario. I truly do not want to say too much as I don't want to give away anything for those waiting for the book to arrive so they can learn the plight of their favourite characters.
For those who have read the first book, I am sure they will have no problems continuing their reading investment with the second. For those coming to the story for the first time you will not be disappointed.
This is a fast paced read created in an interesting world and has a intriguing cast of characters.
Net galley provided me with an advanced copy for an honest review.
We meet all the characters a couple of weeks after a major battle has occurred in which the humans with the assistance of the vampires have secured a major victory over the Dark Ones. Everyone is smarting from their wounds and even victory has had a cost. At the start of the story everyone is regrouping and developing strategies for their next moves.
For the humans, it is about affirming their alliance with the vampires through blood. For the Dark Ones it is about preparing for the ultimate battle. For the two central characters to this story, Eurydice and Colton it is about revealing more of who they are and how they figure in the yet to be released final instalment.
Eurydice, by age an ancient vampire but by appearance is frozen in time and is stunning. She is a woman playing all sides and has been traversing this environment by herself. However, she decides that she needs to start her own vampire clan and looks to bring in Louis, a young man who will die of radiation poisoning. What complicates matters for Eurydice is her relationship with Vincent and the strong connection they have. Colton, who was discovered outside of the zone, has no memory of where he came from but has extraordinary powers. However, Colton is suffering a mystery ailment and is not willing to confront what is happening. This is the launch pad for the story but then you throw in the political gamemanship, the manoeuvring of the major players and you are in for a heady ride as the reader.
What I did not realise that this was the second book in a trilogy and to be honest it did not matter. As you are whisked straight into the action and quickly catch up with what has been and what is coming. You realise it is a trilogy as the ending certainly makes that clear. It did take me some time to come to grips with the large number of characters and the roles they all play. None of the characters are vanilla, they all have their own foibles and strengths. The world is well crafted in taking the known and twisting it to the worse possible scenario. I truly do not want to say too much as I don't want to give away anything for those waiting for the book to arrive so they can learn the plight of their favourite characters.
For those who have read the first book, I am sure they will have no problems continuing their reading investment with the second. For those coming to the story for the first time you will not be disappointed.
This is a fast paced read created in an interesting world and has a intriguing cast of characters.
Net galley provided me with an advanced copy for an honest review.
readingwordsmith's review against another edition
4.0
Spoiler-Free Review:
Dark City by Anna Mocikat is action-packed and takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. It follows main characters: Colton, Jean, Eurydice, Eric, Bombshell, Vincent, and Louis.
The book contained many interesting Sci-Fi aspects that I found to be really enjoyable. I especially liked the contrast of the desolate, post-apocalyptic world with these enhanced cyber-machines and people. It really felt like what a potential post-apocalyptic world might look like if it existed in reality.
The supernatural elements of the books like the presence of vampires and demons added a fantastical element to the story. This was done in a way I haven’t really seen before in other books, making the story unique in that aspect. I really enjoyed seeing how these elements interacted throughout the story.
The characters were pretty intriguing and I like how they were all connected to each other in some way. Throughout the entire story, I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who or what Vincent was and why his people were the enemies of the Dark Ones. Eurydice was compelling villain, she was well developed and multi-dimensional. While she is evil, her romance with Vincent and the little cracks in her armor present her as a multi-dimensional character.
While Colton is toted as this big hero in this book, he is far from being perfect. He is dealing with different issues in this book, particularly his declining health. It was great to see the weaknesses in a hero who is considered to be practically invincible. His identity reveal was shocking and worth the wait as I felt attached to his character.
Bombshell was a cyborg female character who nearly always said something that lightened the mood. Her character was like a bit of fresh air against the gloom, grim mood of the story. I think she is also the first cyborg main character I’ve read about. I loved that she experienced real human emotions, instead of being cold and emotionless as technology and robots are usually portrayed.
The plot of the story was a bit predictable, especially at the beginning which I disliked. The story is also a bit tricky to get into, but after a few chapters it really starts to get interesting. Several events happen throughout the story that propel the plot forward, but for the most part these feel natural and not overly forced. I loved and diliked the cliffhanger at the end of the story. It was a good tactic to end the book while keeping readers engaged, especially since Dark City was the second book in the series. However, I just wanted to read on and finish the rest of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book pretty well. I thought that the plot was a bit predictable, but I really enjoyed the world and the characters. I think my favorite part of the story was probably the mix of the fantastical/supernatural elements with the Sci-Fi ones.
If you’re looking for a Sci-Fi story with compelling characters and an interesting world, this book is for you.
Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐
Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Cyberpunk
Author: Anna Mocikat
Publication Date: 17 September 2020
Dark City by Anna Mocikat is action-packed and takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. It follows main characters: Colton, Jean, Eurydice, Eric, Bombshell, Vincent, and Louis.
The book contained many interesting Sci-Fi aspects that I found to be really enjoyable. I especially liked the contrast of the desolate, post-apocalyptic world with these enhanced cyber-machines and people. It really felt like what a potential post-apocalyptic world might look like if it existed in reality.
The supernatural elements of the books like the presence of vampires and demons added a fantastical element to the story. This was done in a way I haven’t really seen before in other books, making the story unique in that aspect. I really enjoyed seeing how these elements interacted throughout the story.
The characters were pretty intriguing and I like how they were all connected to each other in some way. Throughout the entire story, I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who or what Vincent was and why his people were the enemies of the Dark Ones. Eurydice was compelling villain, she was well developed and multi-dimensional. While she is evil, her romance with Vincent and the little cracks in her armor present her as a multi-dimensional character.
While Colton is toted as this big hero in this book, he is far from being perfect. He is dealing with different issues in this book, particularly his declining health. It was great to see the weaknesses in a hero who is considered to be practically invincible. His identity reveal was shocking and worth the wait as I felt attached to his character.
Bombshell was a cyborg female character who nearly always said something that lightened the mood. Her character was like a bit of fresh air against the gloom, grim mood of the story. I think she is also the first cyborg main character I’ve read about. I loved that she experienced real human emotions, instead of being cold and emotionless as technology and robots are usually portrayed.
The plot of the story was a bit predictable, especially at the beginning which I disliked. The story is also a bit tricky to get into, but after a few chapters it really starts to get interesting. Several events happen throughout the story that propel the plot forward, but for the most part these feel natural and not overly forced. I loved and diliked the cliffhanger at the end of the story. It was a good tactic to end the book while keeping readers engaged, especially since Dark City was the second book in the series. However, I just wanted to read on and finish the rest of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book pretty well. I thought that the plot was a bit predictable, but I really enjoyed the world and the characters. I think my favorite part of the story was probably the mix of the fantastical/supernatural elements with the Sci-Fi ones.
If you’re looking for a Sci-Fi story with compelling characters and an interesting world, this book is for you.
Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐
Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Cyberpunk
Author: Anna Mocikat
Publication Date: 17 September 2020
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