Review – City of Lies by Sam Hawke
Funny story (well, not really) – I was visiting a spec-fiction themed bookstore in downtown Vancouver called White Dwarf (naturally)and saw this on the shelf. I had heard good things about it, so I picked it up. Looking at the back cover, the esteemed Robin Hobb is quoted as saying “If the first line doesn’t make you buy this book, you should turn in your fantasy-lover’s badge.”
The first line – “I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me.”
She was right. I grabbed a copy and started reading it straight away, something I rarely do (darn TBR).
The first line is just the hook, the rest of the book reels you in until you are well and truly snared. It is different, not wildly so, but more than enough to make it a breath of fresh air. Why? Let’s start with the premise, in short.
Jovan and Kalina, the joint narrators of the tale, come from a long line of proofers, the assistants to the Honoured Chancellor who check his food and drink for poison. The proofers have operated in secrecy for decades, until said chancellor is poisoned, along with Jovan and Kalina’s uncle, the incumbent proofer. The day the city gates are closed for the official mourning period, an army arrives outside to lay siege. Not only is Jovan thrust into the limelight (not literally) as proofer to the heir apparent and his best friend, he and his sister must locate the poisoner while surviving a siege. Okay, there’s the first couple of chapters.
The world is fascinating, if not hugely original. The country is “run” by a vain and devious ruling class, each trying to one up the other, but also maintaining the current status quo. This ruling class live in the city (there are other smaller cities, but this is where the action happens), but possess massive estates in the country where their unwanted family members reside. The estates are worked by what are essentially serfs, and it is these beaten down masses who rebel and and lay siege to the city.
The city itself, Silasta, the Bright City, is believed (by the wealthy) to be the pinnacle of their world, a hotbed of culture, education and so forth. It is a city of gleaming spires, built beside a lake in an idyllic setting. It is also, as you’ve probably guessed by now (and due to the title) rotten to the core. The hierarchy evident between the city and country folk, also exists in Silasta, and those who still practice the old ways are accepted begrudgingly.
The mystery aspect – at it’s core this novel is a murder mystery – is nicely done, with breadcrumbs and red herrings thrown in with reckless abandon. Telling the story from the point of view of one (or a couple in this case) is always a plus for mysteries (take that, FPP haters), as we don’t have shady characters having secret meetings and so forth, unless our protagonists are part of it. There is a lot to piece together too, as the society is set in a way that any of the suspects could benefit from a power shift. Also, the added distraction of the siege adds an extra layer. Is this coincidence, or is it all part of a greater plan? I have to be honest, I did guess the culprit about 400 pages in, but in no way did it diminish my enjoyment of the rest of the tale.
There is a lot to this story, but it is the characters that make it more than the sum of its parts. As mentioned early, the story is told from the perspective of two siblings. But these are not your father’s – or mother’s – fantasy heroes. They are not brave knights, wielding great swords and slaying (insert fell fantasy creature here). They are far more interesting. Jovan must take on his uncle’s (called a tashi) mantle earlier than he had planned, and must find not only the poisoner, but also the mystery poison that took the Chancellor and Jovan’s uncle too soon. While under siege. He is no weapons expert, and is probably more of a danger to himself than to the least deadly of foes. However, he is driven by his sense of duty, both to his city and his best friend, the new Chancellor. To make things even more interesting (and realistic), Jovan’s biggest enemy is not the army outside the wall, or the assassin skulking in the shadows, but his sometime crippling anxiety and OCD, which crop up at the worst of moments. But he is smart, brave and loyal, and this keeps him going when his body tries to hold him back.
His sister, Kalina, is equally delightful and well-rounded. She feels a sense of anger at being passed over as heir to her uncle, but it is due to her frail body caused by a lifetime of illness, not some patriarchal nonsense. While she is brave and strong-willed, her ailing body just cannot meet the rigours of a career of checking food for poisons. Despite her anger, she feels the loss of her uncle seemingly more keenly than Jovan, who struggles to articulate such feelings. While she is weak on the surface, and lacks her brother’s incredible memory and logical approach, she is strong underneath, and shows great savvy and the ability to think outside the box – useful skills when the path ahead is not so obvious. She is no soldier, but proves to be a useful detective, blending in with the crowd to dig up clues that would otherwise remain hidden.
Tain, the new Chancellor, we only see from the siblings’ perspective, but he is every bit as interesting. The three are childhood friends, and their bond is obvious from the start. Tain is aware of their “concerns,” and is patient when the need arises, even in matters of great urgency, where many of us would try to be “helpful.” Tain had no expectations of being a Chancellor at such a young age (thy’re all in their early twenties), instead living the carefree life of any young noble. Now, with the pressures of a city under siege, a dead tashi and a potential assassin, he must lead Silasta through through it’s greatest crisis. At times, he does so with aplomb, making sage decisions and handing the more politically experienced council like a salty pro. At others, he shows his doubt, and only his sense of duty keeps him afloat.
Also worth a mention is Hadrea (she’d probably make me call her an-Hadrea), who shows up later in the book. She supports the rebel cause, but it is her love for her peoples’ traditions that drive her to throw her lot in with our heroes.
So there you have it. The last couple of years seem to be rife with outstanding fantasy debuts, and Sam Hawke’s first effort can stand proudly among them. A brilliant 5/5 stars.
