Dark, complex and dystopian all fit this book. It's an engrossing story that takes place in an alternate world following a battle where the main character had to crawl through sewers and set off bombs that resulted in horrific loss of life, not to mention one of his legs. When it begins to look like a plot is afoot to undo what he fought, and almost died for, he's at first hesitant to become involved, but the deeper he digs, the more everything seems to stink as much as those sewers he had to crawl through. Plenty of action and tight moments. My only concern is that the ending was too ambivalent for me. ( )

The Sightless City is a dark, apocalyptic, sci-fi, steampunk fantasy thriller set in the post-war industrial cities of Huile and Icaria, which are surrounded by blighted wastes. The world-building is complex, detailed, original and fascinating. The main characters are Marcel, a traumatized human veteran and private investigator, and Sylvaine, a bright young ferral (furred, oft-reviled, non-human) engineering student. They are an unlikely duo, flawed and relatable, and the reader empathizes with them readily. They are initially manipulated and abused, but wise up and fight back. Even the secondary characters in this book are distinctive, fleshed out and interesting. Essentially, this is a morally complex good vs. evil story with many shades of grey. The Sightless City is well-written, with colorful and inventive language and great dialogue. A gripping, creative, and brilliant debut with a sequel hopefully on the way. #BooksForwardFriends ( )

This book is such an interesting take on the steampunk-dystopian speculative fiction genres. The author seamlessly blends characteristics of these subgenres to create something really unique.

It took me a bit to find my way in the book--about 15-20% through before I had a firm grasp on the characters and plot. This is partly due to the mind blowing world-building that takes place at the beginning of the book. I'm impressed with the detail of the world building and characters; it was worth the slower start. There are some twists and surprises to keep you on your toes along the way, and additional books in the series to keep the world alive.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Library Thing in exchange for an honest review. ( )