'City of Last Chances' by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a fantasy novel set in the city of Ilmar, which has been occupied by the Palleseen for three years. The city is divided into factions of resistance, including old aristocrats, scholars, thugs, killers, and unions. Outside the city lies the grove, the Port of Nowhere, offering an escape to other worlds when there seems to be no other option. The plot revolves around a revolutionary conspiracy collision where all story threads come together at a breakneck pace, leading to a city in crisis and a magical cauldron on the brink of boiling over. The characters are engaging and believable, offering insights into their motivations and desires as events cascade from bad to worse.
The writing style of 'City of Last Chances' is described as brilliantly realized, featuring fantastic characters and a plot that rockets along with great prose. Adrian Tchaikovsky weaves a deep, layered, and believable world, incorporating elements of magic, mayhem, gods, demons, and human struggles within the city of Ilmar. offers a fast-paced and interesting story from multiple perspectives, culminating in a surprising and satisfying open ending that leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next installment.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The novel includes content related to political oppression, violence, and themes that might be distressing to some readers.
From The Publisher:
WINNER OF THE 2022 BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
'Endlessly creative... so much invention peeking around every corner' Patrick Ness
Arthur C. Clarke winner and Sunday Times bestseller Adrian Tchaikovsky's triumphant return to fantasy with a darkly inventive portrait of a city under occupation and on the verge of revolution.
There has always been a darkness to Ilmar, but never more so than now. The city chafes under the heavy hand of the Palleseen occupation, the choke-hold of its criminal underworld, the boot of its factory owners, the weight of its wretched poor and the burden of its ancient curse.
What will be the spark that lights the conflagration?
Despite the city's refugees, wanderers, murderers, madmen, fanatics and thieves, the catalyst, as always, will be the Anchorwood - that dark grove of trees, that primeval remnant, that portal, when the moon is full, to strange and distant shores.
Ilmar, some say, is the worst place in the world and the gateway to a thousand worse places.
Ilmar, City of Long Shadows.
City of Bad Decisions.
City of Last Chances.
'Ilmar is vividly alive with ideas, conflicts, and a sense of its own history - a truly breathtaking fantasy city, down every street a compelling story.' David Towsey
'A master at the height of his powers. This is epic symphonic fantasy, weaving a breakneck plot through a sumptuously dangerous world.' Ian Green
'A wonderful twisty stew of a book with a cast of fascinating characters, set against the brilliantly realized city of Ilmar.' Django Wexler
'A triumph of a book: wildly imaginative, immediately immersive and hypnotically compelling.' Sharon Emmerichs
Ratings (4)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (1) | |
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (1) |
Reader Stats (18):
Read It (5) | |
Want To Read (13) |
1 comment(s)
This book reads like a collection of interconnected short stories. Each chapter, we are jumping POV to a different denizen of the city with fingers in different pies. As the book continues, the stories become more interconnected and we get repeats of the same characters.
(Yes, I know that what I'm describing is just a multi-POV novel. However, it really does feel like each chapter is a short story, and I think that's the correct expectation to have. If you're expecting a novel, you're probably going to be disappointed. If you're expecting a collecting of highly interconnected short stories, you might just have a great time.)
I would expect fans of Malazan to have a blast with this book.
City of Last Chances is a portrait of a magical and political city. It's a melting pot of cultures, including freshly-arrived invaders. There are districts under different curses, and bars that have portals to other realms in the back. It's a story about impossible quests, cultural identity, duty, and faith.
This book made me laugh several times. It's delightfully witty.
In the beginning, I really struggled with this book. The disconnect between each chapter/short story made it impossible for me to engage with the plot. However, I then made a decision that changed it all around. I chose a character, and searched the ebook for chapters featuring that character. I read those chapters, following a somewhat cohesive plotline that circled that character. And then I chose another character, until I had crossed all of the chapters off the list. If you're not loving the book, I would recommend trying out this reading order.
Here's some of my suggested characters to follow. Just start with whomever you're most intrigued by.
HELLGRAM (Jem's Reasons for Leaving, The Hospitality of the Varatsins, Ruslav in the Teeth, Breaking Things, Hellgram's War, Unity and Division, Resurrections).
YASNIC (Yasnic's Relationship With God, Nihilostes Loses A Convert, Conservations About God, Price of Rope, Drinking Alone, The Apostate, Port to Nowhere, Another Round).
RUSLAV (Ruslav in Love Again, Ruslav's Master's Voice, Jem's Reasons for Leaving, Hospitality of the Varatsins, Ruslav in the Teeth, Nihilostes Loses A Convert, Chains, Price of Rope, Wings, The Bitter Sisters, The Dousing, Resurrections, Another Round).
A video review including this book will appear on my channel in the coming weeks, at https://youtube.com/chloefrizzle
Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
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City of Last Chances?
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