Book Review - City of Night (House Wars, Book 2) by Michelle West

Synopsis:  Demonic activity has escalated in both the Undercity and the mortal surface level city as the worshipers and servants of the Lord of the Hells strive to complete the rituals that will return their god to the mortal realm. As Rath joins with mages and the Twin Kings' agents to wage a secret battle against this nearly unstoppable foe, he gives Jewel Markess and her den of orphans the opportunity to escape the chaos by providing them with a note of introduction to the head of House Terafin, where Jewel will discover her destiny.

First Line:  "Water lapped against the curved sides of the ships that lined the docks in the harbor overseen by the Port Authority.

Random Quote:  "The room itself was large; certainly larger than the entire apartment the den now called home; it was also almost circular in shape.  Reaching out carefully, Jewel touched one wall.  It was almost white in color, but hints of smoky gray veined it.  Marble, white marble.  No bloody wonder the room's light was so harsh.  It couldn't all be marble, could it?"

Review:  I think Michelle West's books are among the best of those written by newer fantasy writers.  I love her universe, her ability to write characters that are three-dimensional and who I care about, her interest in broad themes of family and loyalty, and her fabulous storytelling.

Image by Shain Erin via Flickr

This is the second in the House Wars series and expands on the story told in the Sacred Hunt duology - expands and tells it from a slightly different perspective.  Some people may find this annoying because they think they've heard the story before and it isn't strictly moving the new story along, but I'm not one of those people.  I absolutely loved getting deeper into the tale, finding a new way of looking at it all, and getting to know these characters even better than I already know them.  I love that West is taking her time to develop this rich story and this great group of characters.  I can't wait to see where she goes next.

If you're interested in starting the series (and you are in for a huge treat if you decide to do so), here's the order to read them in:

The Sacred Hunt duology
Hunter's Oath
Hunter's Death

The Sun Sword Cycle
The Broken Crown
The Uncrowned King
The Shining Court
Sea of Sorrows
The Riven Shield
The Sun Sword

House Wars
The Hidden City
City of Night

West has also written a great series for Luna books as Michelle Sagara, The Chronicles of Elantra.  They're police procedurals set in a fantasy universe - very unique and lots of fun.  It's also great to read these books because she writes a lot of strong female characters who have actual lives outside of the men they know and friendships - with each other even! 

Reading Challenges: Once Upon a Time IV Reading Challenge, Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge 2010, Chunkster Challenge 2010, 2010 100+ Reading Challenge