ARC Fantasy Review: City of Broken Magic by Mirah Bolender

City of Broken Magic
by Mirah Bolender


Description:
Five hundred years ago, magi created a weapon they couldn’t control. An infestation that ate magic—and anything else it came into contact with. Enemies and allies were equally filling.

Only an elite team of non-magical humans, known as sweepers, can defuse and dispose of infestations before they spread. Most die before they finish training.

Laura, a new team member, has stayed alive longer than most. Now, she’s the last—and only—sweeper standing between the city and a massive infestation.


My Review:
This one caught my eye because I love stories with interesting magic systems. It didn’t disappoint.

I enjoyed Laura, the main character, who is rather all in with regard to her chosen profession. She’s been in awe of sweepers since childhood, even though her own town has been downplaying their need and importance for years. Despite this, she lands an apprenticeship with the rather moody and unpleasant Clae, the head sweeper, and earns her chops on the job. I kept looking for a romance to pop up. There were some hints in certain scenes where perhaps an interest was sparked, but the book ended up being all about the magic and the team of sweepers protecting the city from the infestations. It never went anywhere romantic, not really.

The battle scenes in this story are fantastic. The infestations are amorphous, flowing and solid, adaptable, voracious. Each encounter with them highlights just how horrifying they are. Hiding in plain sight in broken amulets. Biding their time until strong enough to feed, on everything. Even the small ones are daunting. There are just enough encounters to really give you a feel for how the sweepers and their gear work against them.

One thing I thought missed the mark were the pronunciation hints. The first was for Clae and the second was for Amicae. In the first case, Clae, the correct pronunciation was explained too late for it to stick for me, even though it wasn’t all that far into the book. I kept self-correcting after that point, and it was distracting. For the second, Amicae, a person’s technically correct pronunciation was called out, but it was revealed at the same time that none of the citizens of the city said it that way. That left me in a bind since I had been using the “correct” pronunciation to that point, and the citizens’ pronunciation wasn’t explained. At that point, it was too late to adjust, even had I figured out how Laura would have pronounced it.

Finally, the story seems to resolve in a way that might indicate future installments, which I think might be good, but I was left unsure whether this actually would be a first in a series or a straight up standalone. Still, the finale was absolutely gripping, heartbreaking, and eye-widening. It came to life for me. I had a little trouble sleeping that night, and that is a good thing. Fantastic.

Overall, I loved this book. I think fans of fantasy and magic will dig it. There are some glimmers of romantic interest, but they flutter away without a second thought.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.


About the Author:

 

 

Mirah Bolender graduated from college with majors in creative writing and art in May 2014. A lifelong traveler, she has traveled and studied overseas, most notably in Japan, and these experiences are reflected in her work. City of Broken Magic is her debut fantasy novel.



Intrigued? Pre-order your copy at Amazon!