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Cardinal
I’m not saying it wasn’t my fault Mink got hurt.
I’m saying I’m going to kill everyone involved who wasn’t me.
Cardinal is living the dream: she’s a fun-loving thief-for-hire, squatting in a penthouse and spending her big paydays on comic books and junk food.
Born in the Citadel, a prison city where the most unfixable psychopaths have been dumped since the ‘60s, Cardinal has long known the important lessons: talk faster and punch harder than the other guy.
But when her fast-talking gets her best friend into trouble (like “face sliced up” trouble) Cardinal’s going to have to learn some new lessons… or learn nothing at all and instead try to kill the scariest baddie in the Citadel: the delusional mob boss known as the Duchess.
Cardinal picks Crazy Door Number Two.
With the help of a schizophrenic teenager and a cowardly drug addict/MMA fighter, Cardinal sets out on a rampage through her beloved city’s underground that puts her on every bad guy’s radar. Which is just how she wants it.
But will her hunt for monstrous people turn Cardinal into a monster?
Cardinal is a fast-paced laugh-riot adventure through an anarchist utopia, perfect for fans of antiheroes like Deadpool and Harley Quinn.
Buy now in paperback or Kindle ebook and get ready for a rollercoaster of epic fight scenes, witty one-liners, and some moral lessons if that’s your kind of thing.
I’m saying I’m going to kill everyone involved who wasn’t me.
Cardinal is living the dream: she’s a fun-loving thief-for-hire, squatting in a penthouse and spending her big paydays on comic books and junk food.
Born in the Citadel, a prison city where the most unfixable psychopaths have been dumped since the ‘60s, Cardinal has long known the important lessons: talk faster and punch harder than the other guy.
But when her fast-talking gets her best friend into trouble (like “face sliced up” trouble) Cardinal’s going to have to learn some new lessons… or learn nothing at all and instead try to kill the scariest baddie in the Citadel: the delusional mob boss known as the Duchess.
Cardinal picks Crazy Door Number Two.
With the help of a schizophrenic teenager and a cowardly drug addict/MMA fighter, Cardinal sets out on a rampage through her beloved city’s underground that puts her on every bad guy’s radar. Which is just how she wants it.
But will her hunt for monstrous people turn Cardinal into a monster?
Cardinal is a fast-paced laugh-riot adventure through an anarchist utopia, perfect for fans of antiheroes like Deadpool and Harley Quinn.
Buy now in paperback or Kindle ebook and get ready for a rollercoaster of epic fight scenes, witty one-liners, and some moral lessons if that’s your kind of thing.
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2022
6 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Riley E. Smith
21 books31 followersRiley E. Smith is an author and comedian who brings warmth and wit to a variety of genres. She loves crafting colorful characters to be your new best friends, and describing whole worlds so distinctly you could fall into them.
Riley was raised in the Arizona desert, where she developed a fondness for pretty things that could kill you if they felt like it. She earned her BA in English Literature from Rice University with a Distinction in Research on the strength of her thesis, an overly long exploration of Bugs Bunny’s performance persona.
She sojourned for a semester’s study at Cambridge University, where she climbed castle towers to discuss poetry and comedy with preeminent scholars in between improvising musicals and getting lost in gardens.
Since college, Riley has worked diligently at whatever took her fancy, including poetry, plays, and novels. She is an award-winning improv comedy player and teacher, and a budding clown, because in order to face our fears, we must become them. She brings her sense of humor to all her projects, even when putting your favorite characters into dire circumstances (she’s sorry about that, but not too sorry).
Riley lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her rarely-mad scientist partner and so many full bookshelves it’s an earthquake hazard. She’s hard at work on another book right now, or at least she should be. She might be playing the Sims.
Riley would love to conduct your next grand adventure, whether you want to solve a murder, fall in love, topple an empire… or have an elegant afternoon tea. Find her books on Amazon, or follow on Patreon for more!
Riley was raised in the Arizona desert, where she developed a fondness for pretty things that could kill you if they felt like it. She earned her BA in English Literature from Rice University with a Distinction in Research on the strength of her thesis, an overly long exploration of Bugs Bunny’s performance persona.
She sojourned for a semester’s study at Cambridge University, where she climbed castle towers to discuss poetry and comedy with preeminent scholars in between improvising musicals and getting lost in gardens.
Since college, Riley has worked diligently at whatever took her fancy, including poetry, plays, and novels. She is an award-winning improv comedy player and teacher, and a budding clown, because in order to face our fears, we must become them. She brings her sense of humor to all her projects, even when putting your favorite characters into dire circumstances (she’s sorry about that, but not too sorry).
Riley lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her rarely-mad scientist partner and so many full bookshelves it’s an earthquake hazard. She’s hard at work on another book right now, or at least she should be. She might be playing the Sims.
Riley would love to conduct your next grand adventure, whether you want to solve a murder, fall in love, topple an empire… or have an elegant afternoon tea. Find her books on Amazon, or follow on Patreon for more!
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 27, 2022
Here's the honest truth. I am not much of a reader unless it's a YA novel. I'm a man in my 30s. With that said, this book nails what I love about YA novels but is built for an adult. It reads like a film. The lead is well fleshed out. She is a strong sarcastic badass who's more than meets the eye. She reminds me of characters like Buffy and Elektra. But she lives in a world resembling Escape from New York. The world is interesting and well thought out. There are so many layers to it that discovering it through the lead's eyes (Cardinal) it's so addicting. Nothing in this world is ever easy or simple and that's what makes it so entertaning. By the end of the novel you're left wanting more.
October 27, 2022
This book was super fun! Lots of snark, badassery, and girl power. That's what I signed up for, and that's what I got! I really connected with the characters and totally lost myself in the story.
July 5, 2024
Immediately the premise had me beyond excited. And the banter and wit definitely held its own. I love the Deadpool style comedy. I was almost a little drowned by all the action sequences because I couldn’t really get into the plot when there were so many, but that was very brief and the great characters, as well as fantastic writing definitely push this for a fantastic read for me.
The main character and supporting characters really came through especially in the second half. It honestly is one of my go to favorites to suggest for anyone who loves action mixed with their comedy.
The main character and supporting characters really came through especially in the second half. It honestly is one of my go to favorites to suggest for anyone who loves action mixed with their comedy.
March 25, 2022
Trends in literature come and go fairly rapidly. It seems as though as soon as something takes off - for example, the vampire craze following the success of Twilight - it's followed by similar books, only for tastes to shift again before series can be completed. This has happened again and again, but one thing I've noticed that doesn't change so much is tone. In the last decade or so, books have taken on a much darker, more mature tone. And this is fine, there's nothing wrong with darker books, but sometimes I find myself reading something that takes itself a little too seriously, and I long for the days where I could laugh at a character's inner monologue and race through ten books in four days (hello library card limits). Fortunately, Riley E. Smith is here to save the day.
Cardinal is the first book in the Citadel series, which takes place in a fictional city created in the US to house criminals. It's alternative contemporary, full of action and snarky comments. It's a little like Gotham, if you removed the civilians and built a giant wall around it. The general premise is fascinating: all criminals live in a city where they are relatively free to work and (presumably) pay taxes, but what happens to the children that are born there? Do they take the straight and narrow and have a chance to escape? Or do they fall into crime themselves? You would need an entire series to explore this premise, but Cardinal does a grand job at introducing it.
Our main character is Cardinal, an orphan born in the Citadel who escaped the system and makes a living as a thief. Through the story, she goes from working alone to finding a family she'd be willing to kill for. Her development is so natural you don't even notice it, until suddenly she's surrounded by her loved ones and you think, "Yes. This is where she's meant to be." She's sarcastic, breaks the fourth wall, and badass; she'd certainly give Deadpool a run for his money. She may be the main character, but her supporting cast are just as tough and brilliantly unique.
The narration is easy to read and full of action, but I did find it a little repetitive. Some parts can be gory, though it never felt gratuitous. The epilogue was intriguing, though the ending itself was a little too clean for me - I like my endings messy, with a lot of loose ends. It makes me wonder if the next book in the series will focus on a different character, which (in my opinion) would be an excellent way to structure the series and fully explore the premise.
Cardinal is a book that doesn't take itself too seriously. It may have been a little cheesy and the plot might have been a little simple, but it was light-hearted and ever so much fun. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a little escapism.
I was offered a copy of this book with a request for an honest review.
Cardinal is the first book in the Citadel series, which takes place in a fictional city created in the US to house criminals. It's alternative contemporary, full of action and snarky comments. It's a little like Gotham, if you removed the civilians and built a giant wall around it. The general premise is fascinating: all criminals live in a city where they are relatively free to work and (presumably) pay taxes, but what happens to the children that are born there? Do they take the straight and narrow and have a chance to escape? Or do they fall into crime themselves? You would need an entire series to explore this premise, but Cardinal does a grand job at introducing it.
Our main character is Cardinal, an orphan born in the Citadel who escaped the system and makes a living as a thief. Through the story, she goes from working alone to finding a family she'd be willing to kill for. Her development is so natural you don't even notice it, until suddenly she's surrounded by her loved ones and you think, "Yes. This is where she's meant to be." She's sarcastic, breaks the fourth wall, and badass; she'd certainly give Deadpool a run for his money. She may be the main character, but her supporting cast are just as tough and brilliantly unique.
The narration is easy to read and full of action, but I did find it a little repetitive. Some parts can be gory, though it never felt gratuitous. The epilogue was intriguing, though the ending itself was a little too clean for me - I like my endings messy, with a lot of loose ends. It makes me wonder if the next book in the series will focus on a different character, which (in my opinion) would be an excellent way to structure the series and fully explore the premise.
Cardinal is a book that doesn't take itself too seriously. It may have been a little cheesy and the plot might have been a little simple, but it was light-hearted and ever so much fun. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a little escapism.
I was offered a copy of this book with a request for an honest review.
February 1, 2022
A thrilling tale of a heroic young woman! Will definitely be buying everything Riley writes!
April 26, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this book - funny and engaging. Loved the characters. Looking forward to Book Two!
October 16, 2025
Great action novel!
This book was fun and kept my interest throughout. Lots of great action scenes. Very interesting characters and good character development. Overall a great read!
This book was fun and kept my interest throughout. Lots of great action scenes. Very interesting characters and good character development. Overall a great read!
February 28, 2022
Binge-read right through this book! I loved (but didn't always like) Cardinal, the strong, sassy antiheroine. Her heart's in the right place, but she doesn't always do the right thing. I really enjoyed/appreciated her complexity. The other characters were also well-drawn. I'm looking forward to getting to know them more in future books. The fight scenes were really well-written. I could picture the action as it was happening. I'd love to see this as a graphic novel or TV series. The dialog was quick and witty. I literally laughed out loud in places. The Citadel is a multi-layered dystopian world that is both prison and home to the characters and is pretty much a character in itself. This was a darkly delightful introduction to this character and this series. I'm looking forward to the next installment!
April 25, 2022
I received an ARC of this book. It's great! A bit afield from my usual genres, I haven't read much superhero literature or comics, but the characters and plot are very fun! The setting developed in Cardinal is great and I am excited to see it explored further in the future books.
June 19, 2024
Alright, maybe it's bad etiquette to leave a 5-star review for your own book, but I just reread this and you know what? I like it. And if you don't believe in yourself, who will?
If you are looking for high-octane action, with a heroine who never fails to think up a snappy comeback (except when she has to dodge a hail of bullets first), you will enjoy this.
If you hate books with violence or swearing, you will most likely not enjoy this. I'm not saying it's impossible. But the percentage likelihood is much lower.
It's fun, it pulls on the heart strings in a few places, and it gets your blood pumping. I'm just as excited as y'all to find out what happens next, lol.
If you are looking for high-octane action, with a heroine who never fails to think up a snappy comeback (except when she has to dodge a hail of bullets first), you will enjoy this.
If you hate books with violence or swearing, you will most likely not enjoy this. I'm not saying it's impossible. But the percentage likelihood is much lower.
It's fun, it pulls on the heart strings in a few places, and it gets your blood pumping. I'm just as excited as y'all to find out what happens next, lol.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews