The Only City Left

The Only City Left #1

by Andy Goldman

Eighteen-year-old Allin Arcady only wants one to reach the Roof of the World and see the Sun for the first time in his life. The problem is, he's lost in the depths of the ruined planet-city called Earth, fleeing the horrors of his past.When his past catches up to him, Allin is thrust into a science fantasy adventure in which he meets a race of genetically-modified cats, tangles with vengeful werewolves, and parlays with cyborgs. Along the way, Allin is forced to will he spend his whole life running or take a stand against the forces that want to finish off the Earth once and for all?

Genres: Science Fiction

404 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 17, 2014

About the author

Andy Goldman has been writing since he was a little kid bashing out stories on his typewriter. They were often incredibly silly firsthand accounts of the adventures of his Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Star Wars action figures. Fast forward thirty years and Andy is still playing with toys and telling stories, much to his delight. The typewriter, alas, did not survive.
One or two other things have changed in the interim, the most important being his marriage to a wonderful, supportive wife, and the introduction of two beautiful, intelligent, and spirited daughters who very much encourage Dad's toy-buying habit, especially when it comes to Lego.
Andy’s work is heavily influenced by growing up in the 80s and 90s, and mixes western SFF with manga and anime. If he had to list the ancestry of The Only City Left series, three works would loom large: Asimov’s Foundation series, the original Star Wars trilogy, and Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns.
Andy hopes readers enjoy adventuring in the fantastical worlds inside his head for years to come.

Reviews

[Matt Ely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review at JC Book Haven

Dad of course, hadn't liked the fact I was afraid of ghosts. First chance he got, when I was maybe eight or nine years old, he found one and forced me to approach it. "Say 'Hello' to it, Allin," he had said.

The Good
There are so many good things about this book for me. To be honest, when I got a few chapters in, it was like I was bitten by a zombie. There was no cure to stop it, the turn, I was now a fan. All I wanted at that point was to reach the roof of the world and it the sun as well. The book has some great fights as well as some fun races. I love the walking, talking cat people. Well most of them. The werewolves as bad guys work very well and I did enjoy how they were able to access the moonlight despite being underground in a hive-like city. There is plenty of other danger to avoid from other monsters to traps set by hungry people looking to lighten your load so you can travel easier. The Future underground city was descriptive and creepy.


The Bad
Honestly my only complaint is I want a book 2 in my hands already.


The Romance
The Romance in The Only City Left is between Allin and a young women named Tyena. The two of them have some complicated history but you can't help but root for them.


Conclusion
This is such a good book. I'm pretty sure there will be a book 2, and I'm dying for it. If there isn't a plan for one right now, I hope that changes. This book has a little bit of everything I need in a book. A good concept, good character development, strong protagonist and quirky sidekicks. Plus, it has a few bonuses, in particular an amazing environment in which the story takes place. I totally recommend this book to anyone that enjoys these things. If you’re on a cold streak, I really recommend The Only City Left as a bad book streak breaker. Trust me on this one.

[Galit Balli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Plot/Story:

The Only City Left is an excellent book with a well-developed plot. The plot is told from a first POV and is action packed. There is no moment for rest, not for the hero and nor to the reader. With each page you’ll turn you’ll think “this can’t get any weirder” but then it will, lol. The moment I finished reading this book I felt emotionally drained, but in a very good way.
I feared for the characters, I laughed with them and I cried with them. I enjoyed reading this book immensely and I think the author has done a wonderful job creating this world and building all the wonderful characters in it.

Characters:

The main character Allin, is well written and I felt as if I was on an adventure with him. Andy Goldman did a wonderful job with Allin and let us into Allin’s emotions and thoughts. I loved the supporting characters as well, even though the author didn’t put a lot of details about them as I wanted but it didn’t hurt the story at all. You really get to “love to hate” the anti-protagonist in this story and I love when authors build villains like that.

Romance/Kills:

There was a bit of romance in this story, but the author didn’t put much emphasis on it.

Writing:

The Only City Left is a wonderfully and brilliantly written book. The writing style is simple enough for anyone to read but still full of action and emotions. The amount of twists and surprises in each chapter kept me on the edge of my sit. As a writer myself, I truly love how he wrote the action scenes and the way he tied up everything and ended the story.

Beginning:

From the beginning you get a full picture of Allin’s life and the world, but you still get surprised with each turn of the page. From the start it’s fast paced, as you start in mid action. I dived deep into the story from the first few pages and it was hard to pull me away from it.

Ending:

I loved how the story ended a lot as a reader and as a writer. I love that the author left room for more adventure, but still could be a stand-alone as well. Lets just say that I can’t wait till I read the next book.

Cover Art:

I know it’s a bit shallow, but I love the cover a lot. It’s simple but pretty.

Blurb:

I loved the Blurb, even though it has a few yummy spoilers. Because of the weird and wonderful nature of this book with all its twists and fast pace changes, I would leave some of the details out and keep it vaguer. I do love the question at the end of the blurb, it really sets the tone for Allin’s adventures.

Read the original review at The Reading Bud

[Ryan Toxopeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally speaking, I don't like first person point-of-view (POV). I find it constricting in an uncomfortable sort of way because a lot of authors do it poorly. It's a delicate balance of keeping things interesting around the main character, while also giving the reader the impression that there are still important things going on in the larger world.

That said, Andy Goldman pulled it off beautifully. The only point I had difficulty with was Allin's ceaseless and unflappable desire to see the Roof of the World. I knew he wanted to, and it was important to him, but it never came across clearly in the book why this one particular goal was such a strong driving force for him that he would put his life in jeopardy. But then, he doesn't sound like he had much to live for at the start, anyway.

The scenery was described with just enough information to paint a picture in the reader's mind without going overboard. Some of the places in the City were downright creepy and one left me feeling uncomfortable. I still feel a knot in my stomach thinking about it!

The cast of characters is interesting and different from anything I've read before, and I loved the cats. I kind of want to dress up my cat Bob in a poncho and rename him Tumble. Except my lazy beast has little in common with the adventurous cat depicted in this book.

Without getting into spoilers, the ending is satisfying. That's a big one for me with books lately, because I've been finding endings that are either half-assed or just dropped right in the middle of things in an attempt to get me to buy the next book to see how it continues. Those types of tactics don't work with me. I hate that, and will often refuse to get the second book on principle.

But for The Only City Left, I am excited to get my hands on the sequel! (Note: It's called The Fifth House, and has an estimated release date of mid-March!)

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allin Arcady has only one thing to live for, to get to the top of the roof of the city to see the sun for the first time in his life. After his parents tragic death, Allin has been roaming the depths of the ruined planet-city Earth, just trying to stay alive long enough to make it to the roof. Along his travels, Allin encounters many creatures of the night, genetically modified cats, vengeful warewolves and cyborgs. After learning about hidden family history, he has to decide if he will help save his new friends and what's left of Earth, or continue on his own adventure to the roof.

Let me open by saying I'm not generally a sci-fi fan. BUT after I got past the talking cats, it was actually a very good read. Around every corner poor Allin is running into another bad guy or problem! After losing his parents he thinks he can survive on his own and doesn't need anyone in his life. He soon learns that he needs help but who is he suppose to trust?? When he meets Tumble one of the cats, he learns some family history his parents never shared, and finds out his parents weren't really who he thought they were. He learns pretty quick that one can't run from the past and just because someone is family, doesn't mean he has to end up like them.

Overall, this is a great book, kept me intrigued and thinking now what?! The fight scene towards the end of the book when longer than I felt necessary. I know the author was trying to get you to feel like you were there, but quite a few pages in I was thinking die already or finish somehow! The ending leaves you thinking, there HAS to be more to the story! Since this is only book one I'm sure there will be many more twists to look forward to!

**I was given this free ebook in return for my honest review**

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading this book, my most common thought was, "This would make a fabulous video game." Throw together a post-apocalyptic world set in a never-ending city, and you've got an adventure that feels like a mish-mash of Fallout, Kingdom Hearts, and Borderlands.

The action is non-stop in this book, and it's a lot of fun. At first, I was excited that my 11-yr old would be able to read this one. Based on the pacing and the voice, this would make a great middle-grades story. What tween wouldn't love a story about talking cats, chatty ghosts, crazy werewolves, sentient skeletons, and the scrappy orphan boy who has to try to survive on his own?

However, the scrappy orphan is an 18-yr old with ambiguous morals, and there are a lot of bloody deaths and an insinuated rape in this one. My boy will have to wait a few years. The addition of some of the heavier stuff means this falls firmly in young adult territory.

I was very satisfied with the ending of this one. Goldman puts a lot of pieces in play over the course of this story, and he keeps them all moving. I loved seeing how earlier elements were brought back for later fights. And there's just enough of a hint about the Fifth House and future story developments that I'm excited about reading the sequel.

There isn't a lot of heart or depth here, and I struggled to like the main character Allin. However, the action and adventure is imaginative and fun. I could visualize the locations and characters, adding to that feeling of playing a good video game. If you're looking for a great plot-based summer read, try this one.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written and intriguing story about people living in the only city left, underground without true light. The earth is no longer livable above ground but what lives beneath the earth is amazing and terrifying at the same time. The city is a maze within it self winding turning going up and down but where is the roof or the door out onto the true earth. Allin has been traveling or searching for the roof for 3 years if only he can see the sun just once he can then die happy. His family is gone and they too were travelers, unlike Allin they held secrets that Allin must now face alone. The problem is that everyone knows these family secrets except the one person that needs to know, Allin. In Earth there are many life forms, some human, some not so human but Allin must find a way to save them all or die along with them but everything that Allin touches falls apart. How will he find the roof if he has to stop to help others and how will he die happy if everyone else seems to want him dead long before he gets there? If only he knew why he was being hunted everyday, other than the fact he killed his parents or so he thinks there is no founded reason for a hunt that goes so far but no one will kill him without permission from their werewolf leader! Great read, I did not think I would enjoy it because it does get a bit confusing just remember when reading the characters are all inside earth not on top of it so the story is told through doors.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm sorry if humans mistreated your people in the past, but if we don't join together now, it's time to admit that we're all just keeping busy while we wait for the Earth to die."

In some far-off future, the earth has been reduced to nothing but isolated pockets of life existing deep within the City, a place where the sun can't even reach. Allin Arcady's sole mission for the past three years of his solo existence has been to reach the roof of the world and set eyes on the sun for the first time in his life. When the past comes back for him, so to speak, he falls into a world of genetically modified cats, cyborgs, and werewolves, and has to question who to trust and what his real mission is.

This book was the best dystopian novel I've read in a long, long time. It comes pretty close to blowing even The Hunger Games out of the water, in my opinion. It's fast-paced from beginning to end, and just when you've gotten used to one absurdity more surprises are thrown at you. I can't wait to read book two.

A free copy was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title offers a unique combination of dystopian sci-fi and paranormal characters. I found myself engaged with the characters and trying to keep a close eye on the details that would help solve the bit of mystery running like a thread throughout the digital pages.

We are in a wrecked, vacated, ruin of a city cast in perpetual darkness. Pockets of civilization struggle against dark forces to maintain existence, and not all of these communities are human. Allin, our young protagonist, encounters ghosts, talking cats, and werewolves in this creative adventure.

Andy Goldman sets up the reader with an immediate entanglement of a literal nature. In an attempt to reach The Roof of the World, Allin must escape a pack of metallic tacmites with razor sharp teeth and is left dangling in the dark above the floor of a decrepit shopping mall. From then on, the adventure doesn't stop.

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[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Only City Left follows Allin as he adventures through the remains of a futuristic city that has fallen into serious disarray following the departure of the majority of its residents. This city is populated by humans, werewolves, mutant humanoid cats, and an array of other inhabitants (humanoid and otherwise; mechanical and otherwise). I found the book a little slow to get into. By the half way point, I really wanted to see what would happen next. I didn't find myself rooting for the hero so much as wanting to see what kind of twist or new aspect to the world would be on the next page. From the end looking back, I liked the book, though my opinion would have varied throughout. I did think the set up for the next book in the series seemed a little weak.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun distopian read. Geared towards a slightly younger audience but can be fully appreciated by adults.

The characters are pretty stock but overall are completed nicely.

The setting suffers from Scale. With so much space in a planet sized city it seems doubtful that so many various sects would live jammed in together in one space that can be reached by a handful of hours.

You will not notice it unless you are well versed in three dimensional planning but the layer cake approach of the spaces is something that pulled me a bit out of the story.

Overall a nice find and definitely worth the read, especially in the serialized version.

[Jesena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

I really liked this book. The pace of the story was good and the amount of adventures just right. The end satisfied me too, and it is often the end that can ruin a good book for me. There are some questions left unanswered but I regard them as teasers for the next book.
And to be honest, while this book wasn’t a true 5star for me I loved Tumble and Banshee so much that they pushed the rating up.

[Ceh131973 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
[The Only City Left] by [Andy Goldman] is a nice mix of fantasy and dystopia. The characters were very creative and the setting was fitting. I liked how Allin's goal was to see the 'top of the world' but that changed as he learned more about his past and the city. I definitely would recommend this book.

[Tim H. McEnroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating story, and I really enjoyed reading it. It is chock full of tense moments that kept the pages turning and yet leaves enough breathing room to allow for great character development.

I'm looking forward to reading about the Fifth House.

[Judie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read that had me intrigued & captivated. The characters were very well written and I am always down for a page turning read.

[C.M. Skiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Andy Goldman's The Only City Left, the protagonist, 18-year old Allin Arcady is driven by a desire to see the sun for the first time in his life. This solar motivation fondly reminded me of my favorite Ray Bradbury short story called All Summer in a Day. Despite Allin's single-minded efforts, the post-apocalyptic urban ruins thwart his every move. For Allin, 'two steps forward, one step back' becomes 'one step upward, two steps down.' Imprisoned in this diabolical game of Chutes and Ladders, his past comes roaring from behind, hijacking his plans and revealing his harrowing hidden secrets. Goldman's writing immerses the reader in Allin's suffering and traps you into experiencing his pain. Imaginative and adventurous, the tale is both dark and light-hearted, offering an exciting journey to follow Allin as he grows from teen to manhood.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. It received a 4.5 on my blog.)

This book was a lot of fun, really. Thanks to a bout of insomnia, I was able to read it in one night. It had a great active reading flow to it, starting quite actively at the beginning and rolling through the narrative with one event after another. There are some points where these events feel a bit rushed, bouncing too fast from one to another, but never so much to pull you out of the story.

There were some paranormal and fantasy tropes that aren’t uncommon, but felt new in how our author presented them. Namely: the apocalyptic setting, werewolves, and talking cats.

At the end, I read how this book was originally a serial and you can kind of see that as you go, but it works. Our narrator was engaging. You enjoy watching his transformation. He is flawed and might drive you a little crazy at times, but it makes the character a three-dimensional human and never so much that you don’t care what happens to him.

Since it says “Book One” right on the cover, you know there will be more, and there are some threads left not wrapped up so they can return for these future installments. I’m curious what will come next. It missed some element to really give me that rave factor, but it came pretty damn close: 4.5 Fireballs.

[Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me awhile to get into the book, but by the 4th chapter I was hooked and had to finish it. The writing is simple and easy, the plot fun and with unexpected twists.