Half Bastion’s pantheon are dead, and more gods fall with every passing day. The underworld is ash, seared clean of souls by the Staff of the Fifth Sun. The nahual war among themselves, each sect battling to bring their deity to dominance. The veil is torn, the ghosts of dead gods, demons, and banished sorcerers clawing their way back into the city. Eternal Bastion is divided, her ancient stone crumbling.
Left brittle and cracked by the death of her friends, Nuru swears to rid Bastion of parasitic gods. Wielding the Staff of the Fifth Sun, the deranged Mother Death riding her soul, she stalks the pantheon one by one.
Fleeing his failures, riding the ragged edge of brain-burn, Akachi pursues his prey into the inner rings. If he doesn’t catch them before they murder the last god, all Bastion is doomed. For religion does not play a part in a civilization, it defines it.
Michael R. Fletcher is a science fiction and fantasy author, a grilled cheese aficionado, and a whiskey-swilling reprobate. He spends his days choreographing his forklift musical (titled "Get Forked"), and using caffeine as a substitute for sanity. Any suggestions that he is actually Dyrk Ashton in disguise are all lies.
I have been waiting for three years to write this review. The City of Sacrifice series is my absolute favorite of anything written by mega-talented fantasy author Michael R. Fletcher. And that is really saying something because Michael truly has one heck of an extensive catalog of highly entertaining fantasy books. They also tend to lean toward the darker end of the theme, tone and violence spectrum - which in all honesty I enjoy in my reads. So when I caught wind that the third and final book titled SIN AND SORROW was being released at the end of this year, I could barely contain my excitement and knew that I had to get my hands on an early copy if possible. Thankfully author Michael R. Fletcher was gracious enough to provide just that, and I immediately set everything aside to immerse myself in what I hoped would be a brilliant finale.
As this is the third and final book in the series I will avoid getting too specific and straying into spoiler territory, but will nonetheless attempt to convey just how satisfying and thrilling this concluding volume was for me. The story is told through alternating chapters of the two main players in this war among gods, those being Nuru and Akachi. Both continue to be equally zealous in their beliefs and their absolute determination to see their side win out in this titanic struggle for the future of the ringed city of Bastion. Each also has their own companions or those akin to friends who are helping them as they hurtle toward what looks like an unavoidably catastrophic war that could destroy Bastion for good. But are they really friends or do their motivations run much deeper?
I really didn't think that this series could get any more intense and action-packed as it already was up to this point but this book just proved me wrong big time. Not only that but the dark sorcery somehow inexplicably got way darker while these characters turned the insanity level up to 11 on the old Marshall stack. But I guess that's going to happen when you are trying to murder gods who have ruled for hundreds if not thousands of years. The magic system in this series is just so spectacular and I've loved it from the opening scenes of book one. The whole methodology of ingesting different narcotics that each yield a particular benefit, while also teetering on the edge of potentially destroying your mind in the process is simply phenomenal.
As far as the pacing goes I found it to be damn near perfect as emotional stretches of dialogue are counterbalanced beautifully with intense battles and fight scenes throughout. This was a huge reason why I flew through this book in about a week. There was never a moment when I wanted to put it down except to maybe finally get some sleep after countless hours of being engrossed in what was taking place.
Suffice to say SIN AND SORROW met and greatly exceeded all of the lofty expectations I had for it. You can't ask for a better finish to a series in my opinion. I knew going in that the stakes would be incredibly high but I still wasn't fully prepared for just how electrifying the last few chapters were. That payoff alone was well worth the time I spent in eager anticipation of this book. And it's essentially the reason why we read books in the first place, for that unmatched feeling when all is said and done when you realize that you've experienced something immensely special.
If you are looking for an out of the box fantasy read that has unbelievably cool sorcery, vengeful and insane gods that war with and against mortals, a highly inventive and fully realized world, and some of the most skillful writing/dialogue around, well then you should read everything by Michael R. Fletcher but especially his City of Sacrifice trilogy. SIN AND SORROW is a masterful end to a series that will stay with me for a long long time. I'm sad to see it come to an end but I know that whatever Michael cooks up next will find itself right at the very top of my reading list, and I cannot wait.
I am very lucky and got a very advanced review copy of Sin and Sorrow by Michael R. Fletcher. I'm so glad I didn't have to wait for December, I needed to know HOW THIS ENDED!
I'll post a full review closer to release, but for now I can guarantee that if you enjoyed the series so far, you'll love this series finale. There's some nice twists, more death, more character growth and the most fitting end, which manages to be both conclusive and satisfying, but leaving room for more later on.
This book is just as insane, addictive, gripping and in the best way disconcerting as I'm used by the author, and I already crave more.
Sin and Sorrow concludes Fletcher's City of Sacrifice series.
The previous installment showed that gods can indeed be killed. Devastated by the loss of her friends, Nuru is determined to cleanse Bastion of parasitic gods. Armed with the Staff of the Fifth Sun and driven by the deranged Mother Death within her, she pursues the pantheon. Efra's on her side (though you never know with Efra), so gods are f*&cked.
Meanwhile, Akachi chases his prey into the inner rings. The fate of Bastion hangs in the balance, as failure to catch the gods before they slay the last one will spell doom for the entire city.
The narrative follows alternating chapters of Nuru and Akachi. Both are zealots, obsessed with their beliefs. Both are determined to secure victory for their respective sides.
The City of Sacrifice trilogy is impressive, imaginative, and engaging.
What an ending to a fantastic trilogy, the ties to the other two trilogies, the manic battles of bonkers magics at play. Full review to come closer to release day. But this series was phenomenal, just like everything else Fletcher releases.
Over at Fantasy Faction, Chloe Smith provides a useful definition of Epic Fantasy. She maintains such stories include the mysterious, the mythic, and the divine which speak openly to make their actions clear. She talks of how this sub-genre evolved from epic poems in which the narrative addresses what historians call “a world historical scale.” The struggles and journeys of the main characters, its impact on their world and how it changes history. Epic fantasy faces challenges other genres don’t. Epic fantasies need complex magic systems, sophisticated and diverse cultures along with a cast list larger than any Shakespeare, Tolstoy and Dickens – combined. I contend Michael R Fletcher’s City of Sacrifice trilogy is a wonderful example of epic fantasy for these reasons. It pits its three protagonists against an entire pantheon of Mesoamerican gods. By doing so, these three must confront those who worship them and their priests. However, what makes these stories stand out, for me, is the persistent doubt that clouds their mission. It is this doubt that pits them against each other too. So many action film sacrifice characterisation in favour of car chases, explosions, earthquakes and invading aliens. Mike Fletcher avoids this trap by creating engaging characters which resonates with us. They question their motives and the ethics of their gods. Whether their ends justify the means. Because people suffer hugely from their actions. Doubt is everywhere. That’s what hooks us into this tale. What lifts the story still further is the philosophical provocations that make us question the nature of worship, faith and religion itself. This tale isn’t just fantasy, it’s analogous. The story is set in the vast desert city of Bastion. As its name implies, it is the only remaining home of humanity. Formed by concentric circles, each social group is separated by high walls. Over the course of the three novels, this structure is slowly destroyed when the gods battle each other via their champions. Three of these ‘hearts’ are Nuru and Efra, lowly ‘dirts’ from the Growers circle. Akachi is a young priest with a privileged background. In this final narrative, we see them driven to desperation. Once again, this happens on an epic level. I’m in awe at the author’s imagination here. His world building creates so many ways to make our heroes suffer, doubt and struggle to survive in order to fulfil a destiny that may, or may not, save their city. It is the epitome of anguish. With an ending, which is heart rending in its emotional fall-out, we are left guessing the outcome up until the final page. It is truly sublime.
I received an early ARC of this book, and I could not have been more excited to continue following Efra's rampage across Bastion.
The Enemy of Both Sides sows ever more chaos among the Gods. Akachi just wants to stop the filthy Growers before they tear down the last pieces of Bastion's pantheon.
If you've made it this far in the series you know that our characters sanities are barely holding on at this point. There are no holds barred in this book as the Gods pick sides in the struggle....or do they?
We also have a welcome addition of one of my favorite new characters in recent reads. Fajah, the cheese loving, reluctant Pastor. No more on her to avoid spoilers....but you need to read this book just for her!
An amazing (and shocking) conclusion to a criminally underrated dark fantasy series that should be on your radar.
Sin and Sorrow is the third and final installement of Michael Fletcher`s City of Sacrifice trilogy. This is the second ending book Fletcher has released this year, after finishing his Manifest Delusions series, and in both instances he has shown his skill to deliver an ending that breaks you. But let`s not get ahead of ourselves.
Sin and Sorrow narrates the final act of the war between the gods of Bastion. After the events of the previous book, war has intensified and threatens to destroy Bastion itself. The previous books were dark, but here the story takes a level in despair and hopelessness. Thankfully, Fletcher completely dominates the grimdark genre, and gives the reader the exact amount of hope necessary to keep the story engaging.
In this final movements of the conflict, the focus of the story is again in Akachi and Nuru. And i must say, the character writing has improved a lot since the first book. Particularly in Akachi`s case.
The young priest was fascinating to read in previous books, masterfully showing how the mind of a fanatic works. But he was quite one-dimensional, particularly at the beginning. In Sin and Sorrow, he experiences a massive amount of development, delving in his insecurities, regrets and showing a more humane side of him thanks to his relationship with the new character Fajah. She acts as a foil to Akachi, being a Cloud Serpent nahual like him, but caring more about surviving and less about worshipping the gods.
Nuru`s chapters are the most exciting they have ever been. While in the previous two books she was forced to hide and run away constantly, now she and her friends are strong and cunning enough to face gods directly. These fights are some of the best moments in the book, showing how gods are absolutely terrifying enemies.
In conclussion, Sin and Sorrow is an amazing conclusion to the trilogy, a gripping tale that won`t let you stop reading. But before i finish i want to talk a little about the last part of the book. Spoilers,of course
Questo volume finale e tutta la serie sono di una bellezza ed epicità uniche!! L'ho praticamente letto in due giorni, impossibile da mettere giù.. La battaglia tra i due schieramenti si fa sempre più intensa, a mano a mano che ci si avvicina ai Rings più interni.. Con continui colpi di scena e trovate geniali il libro mi ha emozionato sempre di più... Lo scontro con Turquoise Fire, Signore del Tempo, è stato unico.. graficamente e come resa.. anche il tempio di Shei Baal Ba è stato uno dei mie momenti preferiti, dove tutta la fantasia di Michael si è scatenata.. (La caverna di Cloud Serpent! Aiutooo!!) Discettando su fede e religione, sulla divinità e sulla libertà, Fletcher fa riflettere oltre che intrattenere.. Ha creato dei personaggi così imperfetti ma così umani da averli resi vivi oltre le pagine stampate.. e anche il finale è in perfetta linea con la sua opera e la sua idea! A differenza del finale dell'altra sua saga Manifest Delusion che ho trovato un po' sottotono, qui tutto è un crescendo di azione, sentimenti, epicità e disperazione, esattamente come dovrebbe essere un capitolo conclusivo.. il tutto condito da badilate di sangue e interiora, che non fanno mai male.. Notevole anche le rivelazioni finali che si incastrano con le altre sue saghe, intrecciandosi nel suo multi-fletcher-verso e che ampliano il punto di vista globale.. non vorrei mai aver finito un altro suo libro, adesso mi mancherà davvero tanto..
The last book in the City of Sacrifice trilogy was a bloody ride... in a good way.
I wasn't sure how much I'd remember from the first two novels, but the first couple of chapters do a good job at reminding the reader of the previous events. As Nuru and Efra continue their journey to rid Bastion of the remaining gods, Akachi is on the hunt to stop them from causing the very possible destruction of the remnants of mankind.
This story (and series) presents the reader with some familiar themes and questions that continue to hold up. Do we need religion to function as a civilized people? Where does one's loyalties lie when you have to choose between a loved one or your god? Loyalty, friendship, love, destruction, and asshole gods... that's the series for you.
It was tough to root for anyone in particular. Akachi has his prejudices. Nuru, her ignorance. And Efra, insensitive to say the least. But their flaw also came their humanity, and problems we all as people go through. But in the end, I'd have to say Akachi was a personal favorite of mine.
If you've come for more heartbreak, visceral, gritty violence, sprinkled in with some truly hilarious moments, a badass magic system, and not a little amount of Aztec/Mesopotamian influence... then you've come to the right place. Five starts for a fantastic conclusion to a killer series.
His City of Sacrifice trilogy is a study in world building and although he used many of humanity's past theological references, at no point did any of them jar me back into my own barren world filled with seventy odd years and thousands of books of fact, fantasy and diverse fiction. I consider it a splendid work of literature, bursting with real people with all too recognisable failings and lusts, good senses of humour, very identifiable and clearly individual in their nature. I regret leaving his tortured world of Bastion, even though the idea of my existing in his vivid dimension would be one of the worst fates, for a normal human, imaginable. Well done.
4.5 rounded up because I really enjoy this author and hope others who enjoy grim dark type books find him. This series is dark and weird like his other work, which I enjoy. Worth reading if you liked the previous books in the series. I’d recommend the obsidian path series before this one to those completely new to his work and like general fantasy, but this would be an easy recommendation if they liked that.
Read the whole series in less than a week. Kept going for the Mike Fletcher unique vibe, but I hate to admit this series is the least of my favourites. Too much repetition and inconsistencies and less than adequate character development and conflict. I write too, so I know it's no easy task. But the author had done way better before and that's what set my expectation for this work.