City of Stairs

Content levels

Trigger warnings

Positive tags

Heroine archetypes

Protagonist archetypes

Tropes

Themes

Synopsis

HUGO AND LOCUS AWARD FINALIST • In the first book of an epic fantasy trilogy, master spy Shara Thivani investigates a murder in a mysterious city of dead gods, living assassins, and buried histories, from the nationally bestselling author of The Tainted Cup. “Readers seeking a truly refreshing fantasy milieu should travel to Bulikov, and welcome its conquest.”—N. K. Jemison, The New York Times With the gods on its side, the city of Bulikov was once rich beyond measure, using the power of the heavens to reign over the Continent—until a desperate people rose up and did the impossible, killing its divine protectors. Now the surreal landscape of the city itself—first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it—stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy. Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country's most accomplished spies, dispatched to catch a murderer. But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem—and that Bulikov's cruel reign may not yet be over. “A great world, original and unique, with a scent and a texture, a sense of deep, bloody history, and a naturally blended magic living in the stones.”—NPR Don’t miss any of Robert Jackson Bennet’s Divine Cities trilogy: CITY OF STAIRS • CITY OF BLADES • CITY OF MIRACLES

City of Stairs: content & age rating

Intended for adult readers (18+).

This adult fantasy contains political violence, murder investigation content, and themes of genocide and oppression. The complex worldbuilding explores the aftermath of gods being killed and a city living under occupation.

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