City of Light & Shadow by Ian Whates
Ian Whates’ City of Light & Shadow is the third novel in the CITY OF A HUNDRED ROWS series. The series title refers to Thaiburley, a city of rows built on top of each other. The lowest rows are plagued by gang violence while the well-intentioned leaders at the Heights do their best to keep order. The previous novel, City of Hope & Despair, relied on its supporting cast of assassins and gang leaders to drive the plot forward. Here, our not-quite-a-chosen-one hero, Tom, takes center stage.
Tom is an adolescent uniquely blessed with the power to save the city from the corruption of the goddess Thaiss’ evil brother. We learn that this brother has corrupted the source of arkademic power — the core — in the city, and now people are dying of bone flu while Rust Warriors and Demons take over Thaiburley. In short, the plot has become considerably more epic. Tom is at the heart of this change: he meets a goddess, he is trained to use the arkademics’ power, and he is given more significant quests by the Prime Master. Through Tom, we are even introduced to Thaiburley’s magic system.
The shift from the local to the grandiose is not uncommon — or even unexpected — in the third installment of a series. However, I have found Whates’ focus on the smaller details to be the best part of this series. Although Dewar, the assassin, is still present, his plot is frustratingly inconsequential. He travels to his homeland in search of vengeance for past wrongs, only to return to Thaiburley. It’s too bad, since his carefully calculated plans are always fun to read. Meanwhile, the “Death Queen” Kat and the Kite Guard Tylus lead a band of soldiers and Tattooed Men into the “Stain,” an even more unsavory part of Thaiburley than the Pits. The Stain is populated by monsters that recall China Miéville’s remade, and they serve as unsympathetic pin cushions for our heavily armed heroes.
Between Tylus, Kat, Dewar and Tom, City of Light & Shadow offers more than its share of swords and sorcery. Demons, creatures, warriors, kings, and assassins are all vanquished. And given that Whates has managed to craft yet another relatively short read, he is forced to keep a fast pace as he directs his characters from one confrontation to the next. However, I found that the action in these sequences was less compelling, perhaps because the more grandiose narrative limits Whates’ pages spent storytelling.
Regardless, Whates has a knack for world building, and although I found the plot of City of Light & Shadow a disappointment compared to the previous two novels, it packs a lot of punch for action fans and it does offer a heck of an ending.
The City of a Hundred Rows — (2010-2011) Publisher: The first in a series of novels set in one of the most extraordinary fantasy settings since Gormenghast — the vertical city of Thaiburley. From its towering palatial heights to the dregs who dwell in The City Below, it’s an incredible creation. When Tom, a teenage street thief from the depths, ventures into the uppermost levels to impress a girl, the last thing he expects to do is witness a murder. Accused of the crime, he must use all of his knowledge of the ancient city to flee certain death.
I’m kinda on the “outs” with big Epics right now, but this series is one of about three that has been tempting me. I have to say it’s impressive that its at book 3, when book one came-out in 2010.
Ryan- Would you categorize this series be like the big, door-stopper high fantasy epics? Or is the story lean toward a smaller scale?
I think Whates is trying to manage both ends of the scale with this series. The action is getting a little more grandiose all the time — new nations and dimensions that could come in conflict with Thaiburley are introduced — but the books are roughly 400 pages each. I was expecting this series to run out at three novels, but the ending of “Light & Shadow” suggests that a fourth entry might be on the way.
As for the speed, Whates is a pretty hard working guy. Look him up and you’ll find he’s written quite a bit and edited more than his share as well.