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City of Last Chances

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City of Last Chances

By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Narrated by: David Thorpe
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About this listen

Arthur C. Clarke winner and Sunday Times bestseller Adrian Tchaikovsky's triumphant return to fantasy with a darkly inventive portrait of a city under occupation and on the verge of revolution.

There has always been a darkness to Ilmar, but never more so than now. The city chafes under the heavy hand of the Palleseen occupation, the choke-hold of its criminal underworld, the boot of its factory owners, the weight of its wretched poor and the burden of its ancient curse.

What will be the spark that lights the conflagration?

Despite the city's refugees, wanderers, murderers, madmen, fanatics and thieves, the catalyst, as always, will be the Anchorwood–that dark grove of trees, that primeval remnant, that portal, when the moon is full, to strange and distant shores.

Ilmar, some say, is the worst place in the world and the gateway to a thousand worse places.

Ilmar, City of Long Shadows.

City of Bad Decisions.

City of Last Chances.

©2022 Adrian Tchaikovsky (P)2022 Head of Zeus Action & Adventure Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction City Paranormal

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All stars
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Enjoyable story that lends itself well to a series with good characters and some interesting ideas.
All well written with some typical Tchaikovsky descriptions.

A walk to Aldebaran gets complicated!

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I wanted to like this book but realised roughly halfway that I was persevering/slogging through the story, rather than enjoying it.

There are some interesting and enjoyable elements for sure, but overall it’s just not enough to grip me. I think it’s because I’m a character reader and this is a plot-centred book. If you read for plot, this will be DEFINITELY up your alley as the plot is rich and complex. It’s just not suited for the type of reader I am.

DNFd roughly halfway

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The story is good but there are a lot of spinning plates in it and it can be hard to follow with so many characters. The performance is excellent and David Thorpe really brins a vibrancy to the characters.

Nice story excellently told.

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This books seems to run on the saying "Everyone is the hero of their own story" and this book has so many interesting characters.
The world is also just a mad of ideas that could be individual stories just as well. A fantasy city under occupation from a strange Nation that aims to perfect the world by rendering magic down to pure power for their own use, a university of ideal driven students, demon powered factories, gangs of organised crime and underground magic users. And that's just the stuff on the surface, this world has a depth that just unfurls so naturally in your mind, it's a treat to read.

A fantasticly novel take on fantasy

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Fan of Adrian as I am, I just could not get past the first few chapters of this book, I've tried thrice now.
Maybe it's because I listen to audiobooks while doing other things so they don't get the full 100% of my attention, but I found it impossible to keep up with all of the characters and locations that were being introduced. I was never really given anything to get invested in and after three attempts, I still don't know what the book was going to be about.

Hard to follow

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The book started out a little confusing as I struggled to keep track of the characters or to become invested in their stories. The narration was a bit over enthusiastic at times too. However, I stuck with it and this turned out to be a fantastic book - the world building was fantastic with a fantasy world fully fleshed out with different races, languages, lifestyles and histories. Reminiscent of the Discworld series.

Excellent worldbuilding

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I enjoyed this story far, far more that typical fantasy. Compelling characters, interesting social observations and lack of simplistic moralisms plaguing fantasy (and SciFi) recently. I want more!

Perfect hit for me

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Complex set up at the beginning- Lots of characters. Names hard to remember and so blurred them sometimes and found it a bit hard to follow. Thought the narrator struggled with the author’s text rather than bringing it to life much of the time. But despite all of that, overall a really interesting story and if there are more books in this series (is it a series?) then more if the complex world building should make sense / have more time to evolve. So hugely imaginative but a bit hard to follow at least in the beginning.

Not sure the narrator got the text

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rambling tall tale that draws on great 19th century novels, Les miserables, and crime and punishment sporing to mind, but with fantastical twists and turns and a somewhat large fistful of pratchett. I have found this author over long, but the excellent narration makes the whole thing superbly entertaining.

fantastic set pieces within a coherent narrative

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Imaginative world and intricate plot with a fleshed out cast of flawed and endearing characters. Brilliant narration that elevates the whole story.

Great Story and Fantastic Narration

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