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Bright City, Shattered
Win a free print copy of this book!
7 days and 17:16:39
5 copies available
U.S. only
Reine just started her job as head of security at Clean Crystal Corporation (C3) when Isaline, a brilliant technician and the CEO's niece, is found dead in the crystal's Core Room. Chief Executive Max Caldwell and Detective Inspector Novau are convinced Isaline was murdered by another employee, dismissing theories of a safety accident. They claim the crystal, powering Bright City's clean energy, is harmless. But Reine, haunted by Isaline's fear when she warned her away from the crystal, suspects otherwise.
Isaline knew something, and Reine is determined to uncover the truth. The problem she needs her job at C3 to support her family, and Max Caldwell won't tolerate Reine's eagerness to investigate Isaline's death as a potential accident.
A retro-futurist vision of life in an isolated metropolis, Bright City, Shattered is a gripping mystery of lies, loyalty, and the relentless pursuit of truth.
Isaline knew something, and Reine is determined to uncover the truth. The problem she needs her job at C3 to support her family, and Max Caldwell won't tolerate Reine's eagerness to investigate Isaline's death as a potential accident.
A retro-futurist vision of life in an isolated metropolis, Bright City, Shattered is a gripping mystery of lies, loyalty, and the relentless pursuit of truth.
97 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2025
1587 people want to read
About the author
Millie Abecassis
6 books48 followersMillie Abecassis is a French-American author of adult speculative fiction born and raised in France. She is the founder and host of #SmallPitch, a pitch event centered on independent presses, and the co-founder of the Small Spec Book Awards. Besides writing, Millie works in the biotech industry, has two cats, and loves playing video games whenever she has the time between two manuscripts.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 29, 2025
[For my entire review, please visit my blog: https://lnholmeswriter.wordpress.com/...]
I think what’s most impressive about Millie’s newest work is how much she’s able to pack into a small story. Bright City, Shattered’s world felt so whole, so complete, even though I think the entire book was something close to 94 pages on my iPad. The ocean and its whistling whales, the terrifying creatures of the forest, and the isolated city with its sinister glowing crystal felt all too alive and real. I also loved the retro-futuristic setting, something I’ve enjoyed since I first started playing the Fallout video games.
A sense of danger permeates the novel, but Reine, who grew up on the perilous, tsunami prone beach and worked in the treacherous forest with its deadly animals, is an apt guide for the reader. We experience that false sense of security with her as she enters the city that’s supposed to be so safe. We feel the warm, inviting glow of the crystal as Isaline gives Reine a tour of C3.
We are startled awake from this comforting dream when Isaline puts her hand on Reine’s shoulder, stopping her from getting any closer to the crystal.
When Isaline turns up dead the next day, we can’t help but feel the shock of it with Reine.
Millie’s choice to make Reine head of security, with a history of protecting people, is a smart move. Reine’s struggle with her “failure” to protect Isaline feels even more impactful because of it. We also watch Reine grapple with what really happened to Isaline. As an authority figure herself, she feels conflicted about questioning people like the police, and this makes the book all the more interesting and complex. I loved reading about Reine’s struggle with her instincts, her training, her personal biases, and her sense of justice.
While the story definitely felt complete on its own, I’d love to return to this city with Reine. It would also be fun to visit the places mentioned outside of the city’s borders. That’s how appealing the world building is—it makes you want to explore. I would love it if Millie decided to return here to tell us another story.
Regardless, Bright City, Shattered is a satisfying tale with a cathartic conclusion. It will appeal to genre blending mystery lovers and those who want to explore the dangers of becoming too comfortable with the way things are.
Thank you to Millie Abecassis and Polymath Press for the free ARC of Bright City, Shattered in exchange for a review.
I think what’s most impressive about Millie’s newest work is how much she’s able to pack into a small story. Bright City, Shattered’s world felt so whole, so complete, even though I think the entire book was something close to 94 pages on my iPad. The ocean and its whistling whales, the terrifying creatures of the forest, and the isolated city with its sinister glowing crystal felt all too alive and real. I also loved the retro-futuristic setting, something I’ve enjoyed since I first started playing the Fallout video games.
A sense of danger permeates the novel, but Reine, who grew up on the perilous, tsunami prone beach and worked in the treacherous forest with its deadly animals, is an apt guide for the reader. We experience that false sense of security with her as she enters the city that’s supposed to be so safe. We feel the warm, inviting glow of the crystal as Isaline gives Reine a tour of C3.
We are startled awake from this comforting dream when Isaline puts her hand on Reine’s shoulder, stopping her from getting any closer to the crystal.
When Isaline turns up dead the next day, we can’t help but feel the shock of it with Reine.
Millie’s choice to make Reine head of security, with a history of protecting people, is a smart move. Reine’s struggle with her “failure” to protect Isaline feels even more impactful because of it. We also watch Reine grapple with what really happened to Isaline. As an authority figure herself, she feels conflicted about questioning people like the police, and this makes the book all the more interesting and complex. I loved reading about Reine’s struggle with her instincts, her training, her personal biases, and her sense of justice.
While the story definitely felt complete on its own, I’d love to return to this city with Reine. It would also be fun to visit the places mentioned outside of the city’s borders. That’s how appealing the world building is—it makes you want to explore. I would love it if Millie decided to return here to tell us another story.
Regardless, Bright City, Shattered is a satisfying tale with a cathartic conclusion. It will appeal to genre blending mystery lovers and those who want to explore the dangers of becoming too comfortable with the way things are.
Thank you to Millie Abecassis and Polymath Press for the free ARC of Bright City, Shattered in exchange for a review.
July 1, 2025
Another absolutely fantastic novella from Millie Abecassis. I am truly obessed with her writing style and ability to write short but powerful story's that pack a punch and leave you thinking beyond the pages.
What's truly impressive is Millie's abilitiy to give so much in such a small and compact package. This story, much like her debut Daughters of the Blue Moon, uses incredibly well crafted fiction to explore very important and very real topics we face in our day to day lives.
I loved the genre blending in this novella. This book was a beautiful blend of science fiction, supernatural magic, and retro-futurism that made it incredibly unique and had me intrigued from the first page. The murder mystery was incredible and kept me turning the pages just to find out where each lead would take me next.
I can't wait to read more from this author in the future. Her books are beautiful, compact dopamine hits that leave me feeling satisfied, satiated and ready for more.
What's truly impressive is Millie's abilitiy to give so much in such a small and compact package. This story, much like her debut Daughters of the Blue Moon, uses incredibly well crafted fiction to explore very important and very real topics we face in our day to day lives.
I loved the genre blending in this novella. This book was a beautiful blend of science fiction, supernatural magic, and retro-futurism that made it incredibly unique and had me intrigued from the first page. The murder mystery was incredible and kept me turning the pages just to find out where each lead would take me next.
I can't wait to read more from this author in the future. Her books are beautiful, compact dopamine hits that leave me feeling satisfied, satiated and ready for more.
August 1, 2025
Disclaimer: ARC received for free.
Once again an amazing novella by Millie Abecassis.
Blending boldly together genres from the murder mystery to the retro-futurist utopia, she brings us to a possible future, a city of what could be.
Having weathered Nature’s revolution, humanity found refuge in big cities and the outside world is now hostile. It’s in such a city that our story takes place. Millie invites the reader into the life of Reine, a newly employed head of security to the city’s only energy company. But nothing goes as she was expecting and one of the most important employees gets killed. Her employer and the police need a culprit, and quickly, to appease public opinion, and Reine sees her loyalty conflict with her instincts that something more sinister is going on.
The writing is good and hooked me insanely well. If it wasn’t for a friend sleeping over and dragging me to bed, I would have finished it in one sitting. Instead, I put it down and couldn’t get back to it, worried I would feel empty once done with it (I’m feeling empty, so I’m writing this review in the hope to keep the magic going for a bit longer)
Millie’s prose nails the mystery, the clues and how Reine pieces all of it together to perfection, weaving in our protagonist’s doubts and emotions to unfold a tapestry of lies, deceit and strong feelings.
As much as Daughter of the Blue Moon’s (another one of Millie’s novella) ending left me wanting for more, ending on a slightly disappointing note, this ending landed perfectly and gave me a lot to think about.
Overall a good read, short enough to fit in one (long) sitting or a couple of days, which will bring you to the exciting world of Bright City and leave you with a longing for more of it.
Spoilers ahead, so turn back, future reader who wants to keep the surprise.
The world Millie offers us is actually an anti-utopia (nope, that’s not a dystopia. A dystopia is when the people living there know their world sucks. In an anti-utopia, they think everything is fine), sprinkled with some ecologist thematics. The murder mystery leads to discoveries bringing the heroine questioning the lifestyle of those in the city, rejecting it at the end, but with an ending open enough to let the reader wonder how they would react in such a situation.
Reine deciding it isn’t her place to decide to stop the energy from flowing in the city and wanting to go back to a simpler lifestyle cements the ecological theme of overconsumption and infinite growth our society is struggling with today, making it not only a great science-fiction story, but also a tale about our own world and how we can navigate it.
Once again an amazing novella by Millie Abecassis.
Blending boldly together genres from the murder mystery to the retro-futurist utopia, she brings us to a possible future, a city of what could be.
Having weathered Nature’s revolution, humanity found refuge in big cities and the outside world is now hostile. It’s in such a city that our story takes place. Millie invites the reader into the life of Reine, a newly employed head of security to the city’s only energy company. But nothing goes as she was expecting and one of the most important employees gets killed. Her employer and the police need a culprit, and quickly, to appease public opinion, and Reine sees her loyalty conflict with her instincts that something more sinister is going on.
The writing is good and hooked me insanely well. If it wasn’t for a friend sleeping over and dragging me to bed, I would have finished it in one sitting. Instead, I put it down and couldn’t get back to it, worried I would feel empty once done with it (I’m feeling empty, so I’m writing this review in the hope to keep the magic going for a bit longer)
Millie’s prose nails the mystery, the clues and how Reine pieces all of it together to perfection, weaving in our protagonist’s doubts and emotions to unfold a tapestry of lies, deceit and strong feelings.
As much as Daughter of the Blue Moon’s (another one of Millie’s novella) ending left me wanting for more, ending on a slightly disappointing note, this ending landed perfectly and gave me a lot to think about.
Overall a good read, short enough to fit in one (long) sitting or a couple of days, which will bring you to the exciting world of Bright City and leave you with a longing for more of it.
Spoilers ahead, so turn back, future reader who wants to keep the surprise.
The world Millie offers us is actually an anti-utopia (nope, that’s not a dystopia. A dystopia is when the people living there know their world sucks. In an anti-utopia, they think everything is fine), sprinkled with some ecologist thematics. The murder mystery leads to discoveries bringing the heroine questioning the lifestyle of those in the city, rejecting it at the end, but with an ending open enough to let the reader wonder how they would react in such a situation.
Reine deciding it isn’t her place to decide to stop the energy from flowing in the city and wanting to go back to a simpler lifestyle cements the ecological theme of overconsumption and infinite growth our society is struggling with today, making it not only a great science-fiction story, but also a tale about our own world and how we can navigate it.
September 16, 2025
I'm the kind of person who reads anything, as long as the synopsis thrills me.
So, when I heard that Millie Abecassis—who wrote a novella I loved (Daughters of the Blue Moon)—had released another one in a completely different literary genre and setting, I jumped in with my eyes closed.
Of course, I opened them again to read it and, once more, it was a complete win for me.
The author's concise writing style always hits the spot, without neglecting beauty in the process.
I loved the world-building, and I applaud the author’s ability to create something so interesting, intriguing, appealing, and original in so few pages.
The characters aren’t painted in black and white, and it’s clear that the gray areas of morality are never the same depending on which character's perspective you take.
I won’t say more—I don’t want to spoil anything for you.
But I loved it, and I hope you will too!
So, when I heard that Millie Abecassis—who wrote a novella I loved (Daughters of the Blue Moon)—had released another one in a completely different literary genre and setting, I jumped in with my eyes closed.
Of course, I opened them again to read it and, once more, it was a complete win for me.
The author's concise writing style always hits the spot, without neglecting beauty in the process.
I loved the world-building, and I applaud the author’s ability to create something so interesting, intriguing, appealing, and original in so few pages.
The characters aren’t painted in black and white, and it’s clear that the gray areas of morality are never the same depending on which character's perspective you take.
I won’t say more—I don’t want to spoil anything for you.
But I loved it, and I hope you will too!
October 18, 2025
I would've read this in one sitting if it wasn't for the fact that it was 4am and I had work in the morning, so I read it in two.
Worldbuilding: 9/10. The retro-futurism of the worldbuilding is present from page one and remains vivid and consistent throughout. I often veer away from near-future dystopian stories because I'm not really a fan of grunge and gritty aesthetics, but this is not that. Bright City is a sleek, streamlined, pristine sort of retro-futurism, where everything seems perfect on the surface, but you also immediately sense that there's a darker undercurrent. The worldbuilding is vivid and strikes that perfect balance between overtness and subtlety.
Plot: 10/10. I wish more books are paced like this. At the heart of the story is a murder mystery. The inciting incident happens quickly, but not so abruptly that you lose the necessary background context before it happens. After the murder, there's new information on pretty much every page to either enhance the details already known or to open up new investigative possibilities. The plot is tight, the intrigue is complex without being confusing, and the pacing has superb forward momentum.
Character: 8/10. Reine is pretty much everything I can hope for in a protagonist. She's smart, competent, rational, highly logical, quick on her feet, jaded, and takes no bullshit. No details slip past her, and all her actions are well-calculated and rational. I never felt like she was acting impulsively or unreasonably, which is super important for the protag of a murder mystery. It was really satisfying following her perspective because her analyses, insights, and theories enhance the intrigue of the mystery, rather than obfuscate it. Between the plot and the MC's character, it was truly a "1 + 1 = greater than 2" type of experience. Super satisfying.
Should you read this?
Yes, if you're a fan of Mirror's Edge.
Yes, if you like protags who are driven by logic and rational thinking.
Yes, if you like murder mysteries mixed with speculative sci-fi elements.
Yes, if you like a quick read with really tight pacing.
No, if you prefer character-driven stories that focus on deep dives on interiority. This is not that, this is a plot-driven story that focuses on the mystery.
No, if you dislike stories where romantic sentiments are only there to serve as a plot device.
No, if you prefer more literary leaning prose. The prose in this novella is very no-nonsense and pretty much invisible.
Worldbuilding: 9/10. The retro-futurism of the worldbuilding is present from page one and remains vivid and consistent throughout. I often veer away from near-future dystopian stories because I'm not really a fan of grunge and gritty aesthetics, but this is not that. Bright City is a sleek, streamlined, pristine sort of retro-futurism, where everything seems perfect on the surface, but you also immediately sense that there's a darker undercurrent. The worldbuilding is vivid and strikes that perfect balance between overtness and subtlety.
Plot: 10/10. I wish more books are paced like this. At the heart of the story is a murder mystery. The inciting incident happens quickly, but not so abruptly that you lose the necessary background context before it happens. After the murder, there's new information on pretty much every page to either enhance the details already known or to open up new investigative possibilities. The plot is tight, the intrigue is complex without being confusing, and the pacing has superb forward momentum.
Character: 8/10. Reine is pretty much everything I can hope for in a protagonist. She's smart, competent, rational, highly logical, quick on her feet, jaded, and takes no bullshit. No details slip past her, and all her actions are well-calculated and rational. I never felt like she was acting impulsively or unreasonably, which is super important for the protag of a murder mystery. It was really satisfying following her perspective because her analyses, insights, and theories enhance the intrigue of the mystery, rather than obfuscate it. Between the plot and the MC's character, it was truly a "1 + 1 = greater than 2" type of experience. Super satisfying.
Should you read this?
Yes, if you're a fan of Mirror's Edge.
Yes, if you like protags who are driven by logic and rational thinking.
Yes, if you like murder mysteries mixed with speculative sci-fi elements.
Yes, if you like a quick read with really tight pacing.
No, if you prefer character-driven stories that focus on deep dives on interiority. This is not that, this is a plot-driven story that focuses on the mystery.
No, if you dislike stories where romantic sentiments are only there to serve as a plot device.
No, if you prefer more literary leaning prose. The prose in this novella is very no-nonsense and pretty much invisible.
August 16, 2025
I read this book in one two short sittings and would have definitely polished it off in one had I not had to go to work. The setting immediately pulled me in. Whistling whales? The natural world beyond the walled city? Come on! The mystery and danger surrounding those elements, but also the allure....if Millie Abecassis ever writes a sequel, I'd love to see what's out there beyond the city! In other words, even the backdrop setting was rich and atmospheric!
The character development was tight and the actions/reactions felt fitting for their personal backgrounds. At no point did actions or events feel like they were coming out of nowhere. The plot, pacing and characters were acting as well-oiled gears.
What I found really compelling, beyond the murder mystery itself, were the parallels I see to our current world. What happens with over-consumption. What happens when we pollute to the point that we destroy the environment. How we reckon with those things. There were deeper ecological and human messages. It was a book that inhabits the grey realm. No simple black-and-whites. And all of it was accomplished through story. We're solidly within the protagonists's sphere. These deeper themes congeal in the reader's mind rather than through heavy handed messaging on the page. Millie has written this novella in a way that it keeps on speaking to you have the cover is closed. Those themes seep into your brain and you continue to have "aha" moments long after the book is through.
The character development was tight and the actions/reactions felt fitting for their personal backgrounds. At no point did actions or events feel like they were coming out of nowhere. The plot, pacing and characters were acting as well-oiled gears.
What I found really compelling, beyond the murder mystery itself, were the parallels I see to our current world. What happens with over-consumption. What happens when we pollute to the point that we destroy the environment. How we reckon with those things. There were deeper ecological and human messages. It was a book that inhabits the grey realm. No simple black-and-whites. And all of it was accomplished through story. We're solidly within the protagonists's sphere. These deeper themes congeal in the reader's mind rather than through heavy handed messaging on the page. Millie has written this novella in a way that it keeps on speaking to you have the cover is closed. Those themes seep into your brain and you continue to have "aha" moments long after the book is through.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews