tl;dr cyberpunk sapphics. literally if legend by marie lu was sapphic & sci-fi. thank you.
Premise
As heiress to a powerful tech empire, seventeen-year-old Asa Almeida strives to prove she's more than her manipulative father's shadow. But when he uploads her rebellious sister’s mind to an experimental brain, Asa will do anything to save her sister from reprogramming—including fleeing her predetermined future with her sister’s digitized mind in tow. With a bounty on her head and a rogue A.I. hunting her, Asa’s getaway ship crash-lands in the worst possible place: the neon-drenched outlaw paradise, Requiem.
Gun-slinging smuggler Riven Hawthorne is determined to claw her way up Requiem’s underworld hierarchy. A runaway rich girl is exactly the bounty Riven needs—until a nasty computer virus spreads in Asa’s wake, causing a citywide blackout and tech quarantine. To get the payout for Asa and save Requiem from the monster in its circuits, Riven must team up with her captive.
Riven breaks skulls the way Asa breaks circuits, but their opponent is unlike anything they’ve ever seen. The A.I. exploits the girls’ darkest memories and deepest secrets, threatening to shatter the fragile alliance they’re both depending on. As one of Requiem’s 154-hour nights grows darker, the girls must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other before Riven’s city and Asa’s sister are snuffed out forever.
Rating
4.5/5 stars
Review
Super pleasantly surprised! The best way I can describe City of Shattered Light is an interstellar adrenaline rush. I loved pretty much everything about this book, from the characters to the action-packed plot to the setting. The cover is gorgeous as well and is part of the reason I believe digitally drawn people on covers are truly superior.
The plot was fast-paced and engaging, with new twists always coming up so you don't get bored. The world-building was done really well, and I didn't find myself confused at all. I was always trying to anticipate what would happen next, and I was left completely shocked during some of the plot twists. Yes, I did cry. The epilogue also got me good - I demand a sequel immediately.
The book also played on many popular YA tropes, including enemies to lovers, love triangle, "the princess and the criminal", and found family. This love triangle I actually ended up enjoying; it was m/f and f/f, and though I definitely wish I saw more moments between the two MCs (aka the sapphic romance), the slow burn was worth it. Every member of the love triangle also genuinely liked one another, so it wasn't toxic.
Speaking of found family, I didn't expect to get as attached to the characters as I did. They're a found family that I love with all my heart. They all grew on me, especially Riven and Asa. I really liked seeing their character development and how they worked with the rest of the crew. I liked RIven's character development the most, and the way we slowly got to unravel the history behind Riven and her motives was very interesting. The side characters (Ty, Samir, and Diego) are all so lovely and have so much potential; I'd love to learn more about their backstories and see more development from them. Also, great representation! I loved seeing Riven and Asa being unapologetically bisexual and other characters being unapologetically queer.
Also, someone said Riven and Asa reminded them of Day and June from Legend and I just want to point out the immense amount of parallels that I saw between the characters of this novel and the characters from Legend. It was lovely.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading City of Shattered Light. One of my few critiques would be the plot - I think it got repetitive after a bit because although the issues the characters faced were different, pretty much every conflict was solved with a big brain lightbulb moment from Asa in one way or another. I love Asa, though, don't get me wrong.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flux for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Other Info
Standalone (for now)
Releases October 19, 2021
14+
Rep: bi mcs, mlm side couple
CW: strong language, gun violence, death, blood, mild gore, emotional abuse/manipulation, mild body horror (cybernetics), references to suicide, terminal illness, drug and alcohol references
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/City-Shattered-Light-Claire-Winn/dp/1635830710
Would I Recommend?
Yes!
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