Rezension zu "City of Strife: An Isandor Novel (City of Spires, Band 1)" von Claudie Arseneault
ShikuA queer political fantasy
City of Strife is described as a political fantasy set in the city of Isandor. Ruled by „noble“ families, disregarding of its less fortunate populace and threatened by a cruel Empire slowly edging its way into local politics, the city is rife with conflict.
While I enjoyed how much is going on at all times, I think the book also suffered from it a little. There are various plotlines: a found family‘s relationships are tested when one member gets falsely (or not?) accused of murders. Others struggle to survive in an inherently oppressive regime - trying to figure out when to put themselves first, and when others. A head of family walking the fine line between his ideals and doing what’s right for those dependent on him; all the while faced with an opponent no one else seems to take seriously.
It all felt a little introductory, partially because the narrative never led to a certain point that would sort of close off book 1; instead we‘re left exactly when all characters are finally in place. (Felt like that anyway.) But that’s also something I hope will be different in the next books. I’ll keep reading for the characters alone, whose relationships range from complicated (and hopefully not tragic) to very sweet.
What I wholeheartedly loved was how Arseneault made space for a spectrum of queer identities, be it aro, ace, mspec, gay, lesbian or on the gender side of things: trans incl. nonbinary. Two of our main characters are on the aromantic spectrum (and talk about it, too!!), one of them potentially being demi or grey, we shall see. The fact that one male MC is aro and heterosexual and there being potential with another male character, meaning that we’re likely going to get an exploration of the split attraction model? Genuinely makes me so happy.
CNs: torture (physical and mental), mention of death through fire, racism (society as a whole and its executive forces), classism, queermisia incl. mentions of transmisia, one very weird instance where the narrative jumps around with the nonbinary character‘s pronouns for no apparent reason
While I enjoyed how much is going on at all times, I think the book also suffered from it a little. There are various plotlines: a found family‘s relationships are tested when one member gets falsely (or not?) accused of murders. Others struggle to survive in an inherently oppressive regime - trying to figure out when to put themselves first, and when others. A head of family walking the fine line between his ideals and doing what’s right for those dependent on him; all the while faced with an opponent no one else seems to take seriously.
It all felt a little introductory, partially because the narrative never led to a certain point that would sort of close off book 1; instead we‘re left exactly when all characters are finally in place. (Felt like that anyway.) But that’s also something I hope will be different in the next books. I’ll keep reading for the characters alone, whose relationships range from complicated (and hopefully not tragic) to very sweet.
What I wholeheartedly loved was how Arseneault made space for a spectrum of queer identities, be it aro, ace, mspec, gay, lesbian or on the gender side of things: trans incl. nonbinary. Two of our main characters are on the aromantic spectrum (and talk about it, too!!), one of them potentially being demi or grey, we shall see. The fact that one male MC is aro and heterosexual and there being potential with another male character, meaning that we’re likely going to get an exploration of the split attraction model? Genuinely makes me so happy.
CNs: torture (physical and mental), mention of death through fire, racism (society as a whole and its executive forces), classism, queermisia incl. mentions of transmisia, one very weird instance where the narrative jumps around with the nonbinary character‘s pronouns for no apparent reason