City of Stairs

Sometimes it's good to take a break from fantasy set in a faux-medieval world and check out something a bit different. City of Stairs is set in a fantasy world that's technologically similar to, say, the 19th-century. It begins with spy/diplomat Shara Thivani sent to the subjugated city of Bulikov to investigate the murder of a historian. Shara is a petite, shrewd woman who brings along her “secretary” Sigrud for muscle. Sigrud is a great character too. He's a big, hulking northener who is scarily good at disarming adversaries (and would think nothing of doing that literally). Bulikov used to be a beautiful, successful city largely on account of its group of six gods (Divinities) who made it that way. But decades ago, a fabled general from Saypur known as the Kaj, killed these gods. But as Shara – who is also from Saypur – comes to learn, not all the gods may have died. Although the pacing may at times be on the slow side, this book kept me turning pages and at times was a lot of fun. Things get super interesting in the middle and the ending has some nice surprises too.