City of Broken Magic

Starred review from August 13, 2018
Bolender’s debut secondary-world fantasy comes to life thanks to a no-frills, working-class point of view that immerses readers in the world of the Sweepers. Monsters are threatening to take over the city of Amicae. The government has convinced residents that the monsters can’t get in, but Clae and Laura know that isn’t true. They are Sweepers, the only people in the city qualified to fight the monsters and make sure they can’t return—and narrator Laura has only been an apprentice for three months. The duo takes on mobsters, corrupt businessmen, and a deliberately skewed cultural narrative, culminating in a fight to protect their city from its own refusal to accept reality. Amicae’s strict caste system is expertly woven into the fast-paced plot that will keep readers turning pages until the very end. This debut builds a fascinating setting that readers will want to keep coming back to.

This urban fantasy has a unique concept: A magical infestation eats the world, and only a few brave souls can stand against it. Narrator Natalie Naudus's beautiful, rich voice gives a lot of animation to the characters through the dialogue. Although her voice is equally lovely during the narrative, it's so fluid and soothing that the narrative needs more inflection. Her pacing through the story is on point, especially during the action scenes, where the rise and fall of her speed matches the intensity. Overall, the unusual plot of the novel and Naudus's lovely voice make this an audiobook to note for listeners of the genre. N.H. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine