Outwardly, Jovan is the lifelong friend of the Chancellor’s charming, irresponsible Heir. Quiet. Forgettable. In secret, he’s a master of poisons and chemicals, trained to protect the Chancellor’s family from treachery. When the Chancellor succumbs to an unknown poison and an army lays siege to the city, Jovan and his sister Kalina must protect the Heir and save their city-state.

But treachery lurks in every corner, and the ancient spirits of the land are rising…and angry.

I’ve struggled trying to make a “Top (however many) Books I Read in 2018” list, but I’ve been chipping away at it. I was able to kinda-sorta narrow it down to around 20, and then I read City of Lies, the debut novel by Sam Hawke.

I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf since summertime. I remember buying it the day it came out (it’s memorable to me because it’s one of at least five instances where my local Barnes & Noble has FAILED to put a book on the shelf on its release date…it’s always mysteriously “in the backroom”, as if that’s any place at all for a new release!!) I have mo good excuse as to why it’s taken me so long to read it…it just always seemed to be something I would get to “soon”. And I’m so glad I finally did, because this is an absolutely wonderful fantasy novel! I just adored City of Lies…it was one of those books where I was always counting the hours until I’d have some time to pick it up & read some again. From the characters, to the setting, to the impeccable writing…I loved everything about this!

The book takes place primarily in the city of Silasta. The two main POV characters are Jovan & his sister, Kalina. Jovan is a proofer, trained by his uncle to detect a wide variety of poisons, so that he can keep the city’s Chancellor safe. Early in the novel, the sitting Chancellor as well as Jovan’s uncle are poisoned & killed. Jovan & his friend Tain, the Chancellor’s nephew, are thrust into roles that they’ve been training for their whole lives, but in sudden & shocking fashion. Tain becomes Chancellor, with Jovan as his proofer.

Silasta is a very peaceful city…no weapons are allowed except for members of the Order Guard or Warrior Guild. Additionally, the army is currently away on another mission, leaving the largely unprotected and vulnerable. With things in complete upheaval within the city walls, an enormous army appears outside the city, and begins a bloody siege of Silasta. Because of course they do!

There are so many interesting dynamics at play in this story, the relationship between Jovan & Kalina especially. Kalina was initially in line to become proofer to the Chancellor, but chronic illness & an inability to develop her own immunities to poison prevented this from happening. There’s a hint of sadness that hovers around Kalina as a result, but never bitterness towards her brother. Their relationship is deep & complex…it really wound up being one of my favorite sibling relationships I’ve ever read in a fantasy novel.

There are some incredibly unique elements in City of Lies. One thing I found fascinating is that there is no mention of fathers anywhere in this book. One’s uncle, or “Tashi” seems to be the most prominent adult figure in a child’s life. There’s also a great bit of representation with both Jovan & Kalina. Kalina struggles with chronic pain & illness. Jovan struggles with anxiety & obsessive-compulsive tendencies. But neither one of these amazing characters is defined by their struggles…they live *with* these conditions.

Hawke waits quite awhile before introducing my FAVORITE character in this book, Hadrea. She is a member of the Darfri religion. Most of the Darfri reside outside the city, in rural areas. Hadrea becomes a rather reluctant bridge between Jovan & the Darfri, many of whom feel the Silastians have poisoned the land & forsaken the gods. Hadrea is a character I just loved the second she showed up…fiercely loyal, proud, clever, badass, loving…GAH!!! She’s just a fucking gem of a character!!

I feel like I’m flubbing this review…City of Lies is a very complex novel. There’s layers of intrigue & treachery & POISONING & you’ll be pulling your hair out thinking EVERYONE IS A SUSPECT!!! The pacing of the book is electric…this is a 560 page book, and I’m a slow reader…but I ate this up. It gets under your skin quickly, and you never want to be away from it too long. The book really succeeds with its great cast of characters…Jovan & Kalina & Tain, all just thrown into nightmarishly unfamiliar territory, finding strength in themselves, and in each other.

This is a such gorgeous book…there’s some truly gut-wrenching moments, some incredibly sweet moments, and some absolutely thrilling action sequences. There’s murder & magic & mayhem…double-crosses, sexy romantic scenes, and truly EPIC worldbuilding. Sam Hawke’s debut is a fucking triumph…ALL THE GODDAMN STARS…Hollow Empire cannot get here fast enough!!