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The Hanging City
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romantasy (2023)For a young woman who wields the power of fear, humanity’s greatest enemy is her only hope in a new fairy-tale adventure by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.
Seven years on the run from her abusive father, and with no hope of sanctuary among the dwindling pockets of human civilization, Lark is out of options. Her only leverage is a cursed power: she can thrust fear onto others, leaving all threats fleeing in terror. It’s a means of survival as she searches for a place to call home. If the campfire myths of her childhood are true, Lark’s sole chance for refuge could lie in Cagmar, the city of trolls—a brutal species and the sworn enemies of humanity.
Valuing combat prowess, the troll high council is intrigued. Lark could be much more useful than the low-caste humans who merely labor in Cagmar. Her gift makes her invaluable as a monster slayer to fight off the unspeakable creatures that torment the trolls’ hanging city, suspended from a bridge over an endless dark canyon.
Lark will do anything to make Cagmar her home, but her new role comes with a caveat: use her power against a troll, and she’ll be killed. Her loyalty is quickly put to the test when she draws the hatred of a powerful troll who loathes humankind. Still, she finds unexpected friendship in the city and, even more surprisingly, love. But if everything else doesn’t undo her, being caught in the arms of a troll surely will. Now in the fight of her life, Lark has a lot to learn—about her past, about trust and hope when all seems lost, and above all, about the extraordinary power of fear itself.
Seven years on the run from her abusive father, and with no hope of sanctuary among the dwindling pockets of human civilization, Lark is out of options. Her only leverage is a cursed power: she can thrust fear onto others, leaving all threats fleeing in terror. It’s a means of survival as she searches for a place to call home. If the campfire myths of her childhood are true, Lark’s sole chance for refuge could lie in Cagmar, the city of trolls—a brutal species and the sworn enemies of humanity.
Valuing combat prowess, the troll high council is intrigued. Lark could be much more useful than the low-caste humans who merely labor in Cagmar. Her gift makes her invaluable as a monster slayer to fight off the unspeakable creatures that torment the trolls’ hanging city, suspended from a bridge over an endless dark canyon.
Lark will do anything to make Cagmar her home, but her new role comes with a caveat: use her power against a troll, and she’ll be killed. Her loyalty is quickly put to the test when she draws the hatred of a powerful troll who loathes humankind. Still, she finds unexpected friendship in the city and, even more surprisingly, love. But if everything else doesn’t undo her, being caught in the arms of a troll surely will. Now in the fight of her life, Lark has a lot to learn—about her past, about trust and hope when all seems lost, and above all, about the extraordinary power of fear itself.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2023
5457 people are currently reading
56168 people want to read
About the author
Charlie N. Holmberg
53 books8,893 followersCharlie N. Holmberg is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of fantasy and romance fiction, including the Paper Magician series, the Spellbreaker series, and the Whimbrel House series, and writes contemporary romance under C. N. Holmberg. She is published in over twenty languages and is a Goodreads Choice Award, ALA, and RITA finalist. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. A BYU alumna, she discovered in her thirties that she’s actually a cat person. She lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,626 reviews
July 18, 2023
Did I just read Shrek fanfiction?
January 10, 2024
i'm reading this and a few others from the goodreads choice awards in an attempt to understand romantasy. what the hell is it, are there similarities between books etc.
this was not great. mediocre characters, lacking plot, clunky world building. thematically, i guess it was alright but nothing ground breaking.
i guess this would be considered romantasy in that the only thing that really "happens" is a human broad banging a troll. and accepting his mating rock (he gives her a literal rock). oh and he's a troll so like "fantasy."
hoping my next romantasy read rocks my world lol
this was not great. mediocre characters, lacking plot, clunky world building. thematically, i guess it was alright but nothing ground breaking.
i guess this would be considered romantasy in that the only thing that really "happens" is a human broad banging a troll. and accepting his mating rock (he gives her a literal rock). oh and he's a troll so like "fantasy."
hoping my next romantasy read rocks my world lol
May 30, 2025
I am like Lark: I have the power of the DARK within me.
Once, like Lark, I used it in a very public place. It worked, because it boomeranged back on my nefarious interlocutors. But it fried me.
As it fried Lark.
The Dark's Christian Name is CONVICTION. It singes the soul. And it HURTS like Hades.
So why let Christians unleash it on you? Visit it YOURSELF, if you don't believe me! As a weapon it leaves an incurable Mark -
Unless cleansed fully by the Fire.
(To be Redeemed
From fire by Fire)!
But Lark keeps moving, and so I now do the same. Because:
Up-town, down-town
No one's lucky, I'm a target! (Joe Jackson)
When you lower your ingenuous shield, you have no choice - you've gotta keep moving.
So Lark no longer dwells long in one spot. A moving target is harder to hit!
Rei pasa, Heracleitos said.
Everything we are and see in Nature is a shape shifter, never sitting still for long. For, exposed, the Fear can overwhelm you!
***
The Underground is here.
Home of the Troll City, last outpost of semi-civility within our dystopian human civilization, the troll's underground is where all trust ends.
In Future Earth, even the Mud Fries, and the anti-Human Trolls keep potable water close at hand.
Lark is lucky so far.
She has food and sustenance.
She is the sole respected remnant of dying humanity in Trolldom.
For the Trolls detest the Fire's Bright Glaring Light, being - like most of us - shades under the Shade of Moral Darkness. But they hate PITCH Dark.
They are Play-Acting Children of the Twilight.
Not Wounded Believers!
***
This is the dead-end futureless future of humanity. Lark is alone. She is Too Wounded. Every human being she remembers, she remembers regretfully and somewhat bitterly. We have all let her down.
We are all afraid of The Dark. She's not.
Not YET.
She is reduced to fear and loathing.
But the Trolls are a self-contained civilization, and they don't play the old human hanky-panky. They distrust her. She's darker than themselves.
But Lark trusts herself.
For she has the Power, and the Trolls keep their bitter but respectful distance from her.
She'll get no love from them.
Not YET...
And yet, in spite of her best efforts - she MAY just prove to be the Last of Us.
The saga, Ms. Holmberg hints, will continue.
So thanks, dear Amazon, for the free Advance Copy!!!
Once, like Lark, I used it in a very public place. It worked, because it boomeranged back on my nefarious interlocutors. But it fried me.
As it fried Lark.
The Dark's Christian Name is CONVICTION. It singes the soul. And it HURTS like Hades.
So why let Christians unleash it on you? Visit it YOURSELF, if you don't believe me! As a weapon it leaves an incurable Mark -
Unless cleansed fully by the Fire.
(To be Redeemed
From fire by Fire)!
But Lark keeps moving, and so I now do the same. Because:
Up-town, down-town
No one's lucky, I'm a target! (Joe Jackson)
When you lower your ingenuous shield, you have no choice - you've gotta keep moving.
So Lark no longer dwells long in one spot. A moving target is harder to hit!
Rei pasa, Heracleitos said.
Everything we are and see in Nature is a shape shifter, never sitting still for long. For, exposed, the Fear can overwhelm you!
***
The Underground is here.
Home of the Troll City, last outpost of semi-civility within our dystopian human civilization, the troll's underground is where all trust ends.
In Future Earth, even the Mud Fries, and the anti-Human Trolls keep potable water close at hand.
Lark is lucky so far.
She has food and sustenance.
She is the sole respected remnant of dying humanity in Trolldom.
For the Trolls detest the Fire's Bright Glaring Light, being - like most of us - shades under the Shade of Moral Darkness. But they hate PITCH Dark.
They are Play-Acting Children of the Twilight.
Not Wounded Believers!
***
This is the dead-end futureless future of humanity. Lark is alone. She is Too Wounded. Every human being she remembers, she remembers regretfully and somewhat bitterly. We have all let her down.
We are all afraid of The Dark. She's not.
Not YET.
She is reduced to fear and loathing.
But the Trolls are a self-contained civilization, and they don't play the old human hanky-panky. They distrust her. She's darker than themselves.
But Lark trusts herself.
For she has the Power, and the Trolls keep their bitter but respectful distance from her.
She'll get no love from them.
Not YET...
And yet, in spite of her best efforts - she MAY just prove to be the Last of Us.
The saga, Ms. Holmberg hints, will continue.
So thanks, dear Amazon, for the free Advance Copy!!!
December 31, 2023
Callis or Lark, as she likes to call herself, has a gift or a course that makes her run from town to town in search of a family and a life. She can induce fear in people and creatures around her. Her father was using her in his plans and at 12 she left home and was hunted by her father's men.
She gets access to the hanging city of Cagman built by trolls and hopes to befriend humans that live there. But she is different from them and gets a job as a monster hunter, making her different even between trolls with their 8 stage system. Only the High Council knows about her power and she was forbidden to use it against trolls.
The story tells us about a person who is different from others but still hopes to find her happiness and her love. And about love that doesn't require you to meet a person similar to you to be happy. Love is not about the same looks, but the same souls and beliefs.
Very kind book with an ending that inspires hope for a better future.
This was my sixth book by Charlie N. Holmberg . And like all other authors' books, it is full of kindness and sacrifice for loved ones. I recommend it as a read for people who love fantasy or romance books.
She gets access to the hanging city of Cagman built by trolls and hopes to befriend humans that live there. But she is different from them and gets a job as a monster hunter, making her different even between trolls with their 8 stage system. Only the High Council knows about her power and she was forbidden to use it against trolls.
The story tells us about a person who is different from others but still hopes to find her happiness and her love. And about love that doesn't require you to meet a person similar to you to be happy. Love is not about the same looks, but the same souls and beliefs.
Very kind book with an ending that inspires hope for a better future.
This was my sixth book by Charlie N. Holmberg . And like all other authors' books, it is full of kindness and sacrifice for loved ones. I recommend it as a read for people who love fantasy or romance books.
July 2, 2025
The Hanging City has a good premise - a woman with magic seeking acceptance in a trollis city when ostracized by her own people. But the book does not really deliver on its potential, to me personally.
There is some world-building lore at the beginning, but the rest of the book leaves many questions unanswered. Similarly, the characters were interesting at the beginning, but they soon became one-dimensional without a discernable character arc. The pacing of the book is slow and not much really happens given the length of the book.
The writing is Charlie N. Holmberg's usual straightforward, but it doesn't seem to work as well for this book as the story itself and the characters lack complexity. I did enjoy some of her other recent books however and might pick up a book in another series by her.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers 47North and Charlie N. Holmberg for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🌟
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; Zero stars for the characters; Zero stars for the story; Half a star for the world-building; Zero stars for the writing - 1 star in total].
There is some world-building lore at the beginning, but the rest of the book leaves many questions unanswered. Similarly, the characters were interesting at the beginning, but they soon became one-dimensional without a discernable character arc. The pacing of the book is slow and not much really happens given the length of the book.
The writing is Charlie N. Holmberg's usual straightforward, but it doesn't seem to work as well for this book as the story itself and the characters lack complexity. I did enjoy some of her other recent books however and might pick up a book in another series by her.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers 47North and Charlie N. Holmberg for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🌟
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; Zero stars for the characters; Zero stars for the story; Half a star for the world-building; Zero stars for the writing - 1 star in total].
Want to read
March 28, 2025
From now on I will read every book Charlie N. Holmberg has written or will write, end of the discussion!
Star Mother 9/10⭐
Star Father 9.25/10⭐
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms 9.25/10⭐
Heir of Uncertain Magic 9.5/10⭐
Boy of Chaotic Making 8.5/10⭐
Wizard of Most Wicked Ways 8/10⭐
The Paper Magician 8.5/10⭐
The Glass Magician to-read
September 10, 2023
3 Stars
One Liner: Got its moments; a mixed read
Lark has been on the run for seven years, trying to escape the men her father sends for her. There is no place left except Cagmar, the city of trolls. Trolls and humans have been enemies forever, but Lark is desperate. If nothing, her skill could be useful in convincing the trolls to let her live with them.
While Lark does get a chance, she also ends up in a tricky position. She makes enemies with a powerful troll who hates humankind. But she also makes friends and finds love. However, Lark cannot move on until she faces her past.
The story comes in the first-person POV of Lark.
My Thoughts:
After enjoying the first two books of the Whimbrel House Series, I was excited to read a standalone by the author. The cover and the premise are alluring, too!
The story begins with a prologue, introducing the MC in her younger days and setting the stage for her adventures six years later. The world-building starts with a bang. Imagine a city under the bridge with complex lifts, cramped apartments, and dark spaces. The complex caste system was also interesting.
We also see the MC’s special ability and get a teaser about her past. As the story progresses, the teaser turns into repetition. While new information is revealed, it comes with a lot of repetitive statements. In fact, the entire book is so full of repetition that it could have easily been 40 pages shorter.
Even the world-building takes a hit. There seems to be a lot of information, but very little is useful. Lark cooks so many times, yet we hardly know what she cooks except ‘meat’, which could be any meat! She nibbles on some fruit disks, but there isn’t much info about those either.
The first quarter is quite interesting, while the second has a lot of going around in circles with some love and romance thrown in. The priorities shift to romance and continue this way. I’m glad I could guess who the love interest would be. Could have been awkward otherwise. Also, I have a few doubts about erm… based on the descriptions.
The narration is slow-paced, which I expected. However, it doesn’t gain momentum even in the second half. Instead, the pacing is slow throughout, and things happen fast in the end, with a lot of detail left out.
Even with Lark being the narrator, I couldn’t empathize much with her. In fact, I liked Azmar more (makes sense in a way) and even Unach. Still, it would have been nice to connect with Lark a little more, given that she goes through so much. The rest of the characters are pretty much flat.
The last quarter started out great, and I was excited for the big face-off between Lark and her Daddy Dangerous (the villain). We see him for a while (not enough personality, duh!), but then… that’s it. I don’t want to reveal spoilers, but it was disappointing.
The most important scene happens off the page because the POV comes in Lark’s first person, and her current obsession is her love interest. Moreover, our MC keeps pushing herself to her limits, which means she faints quite a few times. It’s a convenient plot device but shouldn’t be overused.
The book’s priorities may have shifted midway through. I thought it would be about Lark facing her past and having a future. While she does face her past, there isn’t much (psychological) healing as such. Things wrap up real soon (though we already wasted too much time in repetition).
And that ending… I can see the appeal, but this book could have benefitted from an epilogue, no matter how unrealistic the situation. Also, the decision is quite risky, and we are almost where we began, but with a plus one. Will there be a book two? Doesn’t seem possible, but who knows!
The author’s note explains that she wrote 2/3rds of the story in 2019 before working on another series and got back to finish this recently. That explains why the book suffers from these issues. Her writing style and preferences (very likely) changed during this period. So the theme shifted from a ‘coming of age escape/ revenge plot’ to a ‘love story with some drama’. The number of buts in the review should give you an idea about how the book promises potential and doesn't deliver.
To summarize, The Hanging City is a decent fantasy romance and a standalone with an open ending (some readers will love it). It’s got its moments and can be a light read despite the darkish contents.
Thank you, NetGalley and 47North, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #TheHangingCity
***
TW: attempted sexual assault, violence, and mentions of abuse.
One Liner: Got its moments; a mixed read
Lark has been on the run for seven years, trying to escape the men her father sends for her. There is no place left except Cagmar, the city of trolls. Trolls and humans have been enemies forever, but Lark is desperate. If nothing, her skill could be useful in convincing the trolls to let her live with them.
While Lark does get a chance, she also ends up in a tricky position. She makes enemies with a powerful troll who hates humankind. But she also makes friends and finds love. However, Lark cannot move on until she faces her past.
The story comes in the first-person POV of Lark.
My Thoughts:
After enjoying the first two books of the Whimbrel House Series, I was excited to read a standalone by the author. The cover and the premise are alluring, too!
The story begins with a prologue, introducing the MC in her younger days and setting the stage for her adventures six years later. The world-building starts with a bang. Imagine a city under the bridge with complex lifts, cramped apartments, and dark spaces. The complex caste system was also interesting.
We also see the MC’s special ability and get a teaser about her past. As the story progresses, the teaser turns into repetition. While new information is revealed, it comes with a lot of repetitive statements. In fact, the entire book is so full of repetition that it could have easily been 40 pages shorter.
Even the world-building takes a hit. There seems to be a lot of information, but very little is useful. Lark cooks so many times, yet we hardly know what she cooks except ‘meat’, which could be any meat! She nibbles on some fruit disks, but there isn’t much info about those either.
The first quarter is quite interesting, while the second has a lot of going around in circles with some love and romance thrown in. The priorities shift to romance and continue this way. I’m glad I could guess who the love interest would be. Could have been awkward otherwise. Also, I have a few doubts about erm… based on the descriptions.
The narration is slow-paced, which I expected. However, it doesn’t gain momentum even in the second half. Instead, the pacing is slow throughout, and things happen fast in the end, with a lot of detail left out.
Even with Lark being the narrator, I couldn’t empathize much with her. In fact, I liked Azmar more (makes sense in a way) and even Unach. Still, it would have been nice to connect with Lark a little more, given that she goes through so much. The rest of the characters are pretty much flat.
The last quarter started out great, and I was excited for the big face-off between Lark and her Daddy Dangerous (the villain). We see him for a while (not enough personality, duh!), but then… that’s it. I don’t want to reveal spoilers, but it was disappointing.
The most important scene happens off the page because the POV comes in Lark’s first person, and her current obsession is her love interest. Moreover, our MC keeps pushing herself to her limits, which means she faints quite a few times. It’s a convenient plot device but shouldn’t be overused.
The book’s priorities may have shifted midway through. I thought it would be about Lark facing her past and having a future. While she does face her past, there isn’t much (psychological) healing as such. Things wrap up real soon (though we already wasted too much time in repetition).
And that ending… I can see the appeal, but this book could have benefitted from an epilogue, no matter how unrealistic the situation. Also, the decision is quite risky, and we are almost where we began, but with a plus one. Will there be a book two? Doesn’t seem possible, but who knows!
The author’s note explains that she wrote 2/3rds of the story in 2019 before working on another series and got back to finish this recently. That explains why the book suffers from these issues. Her writing style and preferences (very likely) changed during this period. So the theme shifted from a ‘coming of age escape/ revenge plot’ to a ‘love story with some drama’. The number of buts in the review should give you an idea about how the book promises potential and doesn't deliver.
To summarize, The Hanging City is a decent fantasy romance and a standalone with an open ending (some readers will love it). It’s got its moments and can be a light read despite the darkish contents.
Thank you, NetGalley and 47North, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #TheHangingCity
***
TW: attempted sexual assault, violence, and mentions of abuse.
August 5, 2023
I wanted to love this, but there's nothing positive I can say about this book beyond the fact that the cover is gorgeous and the basic concept - a city built into the sides of a canyon, a protagonist who has power over fear - is very cool.
The plot is missing in action until about 70 percent of the way through. Before that, the story focuses on the slice of life aspect of the protagonist finding her place and encountering difficulties in the trollis city of Cagmar.
Slice of life style fantasy can work, but only if the characters are good enough to keep it intriguing, and the characters in this were utterly flat. They all had one defining character trait (the outcast struggling to belong, the kindly healer, the gruff warrior with a good heart, the sensitive soul wishing for change, the evil one...) and were never developed with any complexity beyond it. As a consequence, I wasn't invested in any of them, or in their relationships. The romance, which was the driving motivation for the protagonist for the only 30 percent of the story that had a plot was similarly bland.
Finally, even though the world-building had potential, the world mostly lacked depth and development. I wish we'd at least gotten a better understanding of the world, since the plot was so slow.
This has a pretty high rating on GR, so clearly other people found something to love in it, but unfortunately I really didn't like it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
The plot is missing in action until about 70 percent of the way through. Before that, the story focuses on the slice of life aspect of the protagonist finding her place and encountering difficulties in the trollis city of Cagmar.
Slice of life style fantasy can work, but only if the characters are good enough to keep it intriguing, and the characters in this were utterly flat. They all had one defining character trait (the outcast struggling to belong, the kindly healer, the gruff warrior with a good heart, the sensitive soul wishing for change, the evil one...) and were never developed with any complexity beyond it. As a consequence, I wasn't invested in any of them, or in their relationships. The romance, which was the driving motivation for the protagonist for the only 30 percent of the story that had a plot was similarly bland.
Finally, even though the world-building had potential, the world mostly lacked depth and development. I wish we'd at least gotten a better understanding of the world, since the plot was so slow.
This has a pretty high rating on GR, so clearly other people found something to love in it, but unfortunately I really didn't like it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
May 18, 2023
If you think you don't need a troll romance in your life, you're wrong!
.
I loved everything about this book. The world building was incredible. The trollis society hierarchy was fascinating. The characters were amazing.
.
Lark was a fascinating heroine. It was a treat to see how her relationship with the trollis helped her accept herself and her powers.
.
Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are mine.
.
The Hanging City is available 8/1/23.
.
I loved everything about this book. The world building was incredible. The trollis society hierarchy was fascinating. The characters were amazing.
.
Lark was a fascinating heroine. It was a treat to see how her relationship with the trollis helped her accept herself and her powers.
.
Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are mine.
.
The Hanging City is available 8/1/23.
October 5, 2023
•✿•➳2.5✫
When I thought this book was it, I thought it was going to be another 5-star read, but the disappointment is disappointing🤧
I was so immersed from the start to the first half of the story that it was taking a little bit of time but I liked it. The detailed explanation about how Cagmar as a city, was located between canyons it was beautiful everything was going great basically.
But then when the story was about to take a turn, it was like I was reading a completely different book with different characters.
- the romance between the MCs feels forced; it was insta-lust and there was barely any romantic connection between the two.
- the nonexistence of the monsters😭 they've been talking about them constantly in this book, but what happened with them honestly? the author just decided to drop them and pretend they're not some deadly monsters is so frustrating
- Lark is stressing me out like girlie has this life-threatening power, but when there's a time when she can just shoot the fear at these terrible people "the sweet kind-hearted" Lark decided to do nothing🫶🏼
- the inconsistent behaviour by some of the side characters was so weird, like one minute they were supporting Lark but then being completely rude afterward, and they just went away and never mentioned again, which was annoying because they were really some important characters in this book.
- the only good thing about this book is the map btw, which is stunning.
..*sigh* anyway
Upon surviving her abusive father, Lark is seeking a place to live in the city of trolls, Cagmar.
Cagmar was known as a place of brutal species of trolls that were sworn enemies of humans.
But Lark is not empty-handed coming to Cagmar; she's hidden a special power with which she can thrust fear onto others.
When I thought this book was it, I thought it was going to be another 5-star read, but the disappointment is disappointing🤧
I was so immersed from the start to the first half of the story that it was taking a little bit of time but I liked it. The detailed explanation about how Cagmar as a city, was located between canyons it was beautiful everything was going great basically.
But then when the story was about to take a turn, it was like I was reading a completely different book with different characters.
- the romance between the MCs feels forced; it was insta-lust and there was barely any romantic connection between the two.
- the nonexistence of the monsters😭 they've been talking about them constantly in this book, but what happened with them honestly? the author just decided to drop them and pretend they're not some deadly monsters is so frustrating
- Lark is stressing me out like girlie has this life-threatening power, but when there's a time when she can just shoot the fear at these terrible people "the sweet kind-hearted" Lark decided to do nothing🫶🏼
- the inconsistent behaviour by some of the side characters was so weird, like one minute they were supporting Lark but then being completely rude afterward, and they just went away and never mentioned again, which was annoying because they were really some important characters in this book.
- the only good thing about this book is the map btw, which is stunning.
..*sigh* anyway
March 22, 2023
Charlie Holmberg is the QUEEN of Misdirection. Every time I felt that I knew where the story was going, there was a swift sharp to the left. And I loved it! She writes romantic fantasy in a way that is enjoyable to me, who is not a fan of typical romantic storylines. The romantic gestures, and acts, are so relatable and wanted. The power of the main character is also something new and exciting and made me hunt for the reason why she was gifted with such a strange and powerful gift. This book shows a brand new world that makes the reader want more and more! Hopefully, we will be seeing more of Lark and her trolls . . . I mean Trollis ;)
February 7, 2026
Trama/Plot ⭐⭐⭐
Personaggi/Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stile/Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy 0,⭐
In una terra devastata da una siccità ultra-decennale, quasi completamente desertica, Lark scappa dal padre-padrone sfruttatore e dagli uomini in generale, cercando rifugio tra i Trollis, dove viene sì accolta, ma comunque considerata un essere inferiore, incapace, inutile per la società e priva di dignità...un mondo che richiama da vicino la nostra società – in modo quasi inquietante direi – per tanti aspetti (dalla crisi climatica all'immigrazione) e che racconta una bella storia di accettazione di quello che siamo e di quello che è l'altro, che lotta e sconfigge (o tenta di) i pregiudizi.
***
In a land devastated by a decades-long drought, almost completely deserted, Lark escapes from her exploitative father-master and from humans in general, seeking refuge among the Trollis, where she is welcomed, but still considered an inferior being, incapable, useless to society and devoid of dignity...a world that closely resembles our own society – almost disturbingly, I would say – in many ways (from the climate crisis to immigration) and which tells a beautiful story of acceptance of who we are and who others are, which fights and defeats (or attempts to) prejudice.
Personaggi/Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stile/Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy 0,⭐
In una terra devastata da una siccità ultra-decennale, quasi completamente desertica, Lark scappa dal padre-padrone sfruttatore e dagli uomini in generale, cercando rifugio tra i Trollis, dove viene sì accolta, ma comunque considerata un essere inferiore, incapace, inutile per la società e priva di dignità...un mondo che richiama da vicino la nostra società – in modo quasi inquietante direi – per tanti aspetti (dalla crisi climatica all'immigrazione) e che racconta una bella storia di accettazione di quello che siamo e di quello che è l'altro, che lotta e sconfigge (o tenta di) i pregiudizi.
***
In a land devastated by a decades-long drought, almost completely deserted, Lark escapes from her exploitative father-master and from humans in general, seeking refuge among the Trollis, where she is welcomed, but still considered an inferior being, incapable, useless to society and devoid of dignity...a world that closely resembles our own society – almost disturbingly, I would say – in many ways (from the climate crisis to immigration) and which tells a beautiful story of acceptance of who we are and who others are, which fights and defeats (or attempts to) prejudice.
February 19, 2024
absolutely loved this book one of my new favorites.
Love Lark her gifts and her outlook trying to make the most out of her situation.
I thought all the characters were really amazing and the world building was really well done.
This book was exactly what I was looking for.
Happy Reading 📙📚📓📗📘📒📓📚📙📕📙📚📗📓📒📘📔📗📘📒📓📚📙📕📙📚📗📓📒📘📗📚📙📕📖
Love Lark her gifts and her outlook trying to make the most out of her situation.
I thought all the characters were really amazing and the world building was really well done.
This book was exactly what I was looking for.
Happy Reading 📙📚📓📗📘📒📓📚📙📕📙📚📗📓📒📘📔📗📘📒📓📚📙📕📙📚📗📓📒📘📗📚📙📕📖
December 18, 2023
So What’s It About?
Seven years on the run from her abusive father, and with no hope of sanctuary among the dwindling pockets of human civilization, Lark is out of options. Her only leverage is a cursed power: she can thrust fear onto others, leaving all threats fleeing in terror. It’s a means of survival as she searches for a place to call home. If the campfire myths of her childhood are true, Lark’s sole chance for refuge could lie in Cagmar, the city of trolls—a brutal species and the sworn enemies of humanity.
Valuing combat prowess, the troll high council is intrigued. Lark could be much more useful than the low-caste humans who merely labor in Cagmar. Her gift makes her invaluable as a monster slayer to fight off the unspeakable creatures that torment the trolls’ hanging city, suspended from a bridge over an endless dark canyon.
Lark will do anything to make Cagmar her home, but her new role comes with a caveat: use her power against a troll, and she’ll be killed. Her loyalty is quickly put to the test when she draws the hatred of a powerful troll who loathes humankind. Still, she finds unexpected friendship in the city and, even more surprisingly, love. But if everything else doesn’t undo her, being caught in the arms of a troll surely will. Now in the fight of her life, Lark has a lot to learn—about her past, about trust and hope when all seems lost, and above all, about the extraordinary power of fear itself.
What I Thought
I’ve meant to read a Charlie Holmberg book for a while now because her works seem like they could be right up my alley. In the first half or so of The Hanging City, I was really, really enjoying myself and sure that I’d be eagerly reading more of her stuff soon. Unfortunately, the book went seriously downhill for me in the second half, and it ended up being a pretty mediocre read by the end.
In the first half, the focus is mostly on Lark acclimating to life in Cagmar, the strange trollis city, in what I found to be a very enjoyable slice-of-life plot. She starts to learn about a unique new place, make friends, and develop hopes for the future. In the second half, the focus narrows in on her romance with Azmar to the book’s overall detriment. I’m no monsterf*cker, but neither am I inherently opposed to the idea of a Lark/Azmar romance. It just ends up moving incredibly quickly to the point that they are exchanging life-bond stones and declaring their love in what feels like no time at all. A lot of the stakes involve the romance after this point, and I just wasn’t totally convinced or onboard for it.
The other big problem is that there are SO many plot points that feel quite dubious and shaky in the second half. Sometimes a plot point or two will feel a bit contrived to me, but it’s rare to encounter so many one after another. Here is my list:
-While she is a prisoner, Lark flirts with a guard so that he won’t tie her rope bonds well, and this works
-While sneaking around the enemy camp, she finds all of the army’s strategic plans and diagrams in a random drawer that isn’t even in the general’s tent - it's just the first random empty tent that she sneaks into by chance
-Azmar is able to save Lark from the soldiers trying to kill her because he sees her running away from her father from across a battlefield while he is fighting for his life
-Lark uses her powers to terrify Azmar so much that he gets up from dying after being impaled and runs back to the trollis healers
-She makes herself bait to summon a legion of monsters and is able to corral and herd them all with her powers before any of them attack her
-Azmar gets over his intense fear of Lark (after she’s used her powers on him) after one occasion of seeing her
-He convinces her that he still loves her by showing her old military papers demonstrating that his usual fear response is to fight instead of flee, so she was able to convince him to flee when she saved his life by terrifying him. I’m not really sure why this is important at all. (Side note: it’s a bit strange that fear/trauma responses are dichotomized into fight and flee in this book since I feel like the most common version you hear these days is fight/flight/freeze and most of the trauma research I’m familiar with now typically includes “fawn” and “flop” the other primary responses.)
So, yes. A lot of things had me raising my eyebrows towards the end. Charlie Holmberg wrote in her acknowledgements that she had to stop working on the book while struggling during COVID and was only able to return to it and finish it recently. I can’t help but wonder if this fact has something to do with how much the book changes as I described.
The other main thing that feels strange about The Hanging City to me is that it introduces an element of hatred between the humans and trollis in a very superficial way, and this conflict drives most of the plot…but I just don’t feel like the book goes beyond that to have much to say about it. An example is the way that Lark takes on the role of Unach and Azmar’s servant who has to do everything for them (and does it all eagerly) to “earn her place” and “deserve to stay in Cagmar” and be protected from the trollis who is stalking and trying to kill her. It’s a troubling dynamic given the fraught history between the species, the discrimination against humans (who are hated and treated as second-class citizens) in Cagmar, and the romance that develops between Lark and Azmar. Yet it’s never explored beyond this surface level understanding that discrimination is bad but this is just what Lark needs to do to get by and it's good that Unach and Azmar are protecting her.
Despite these problems, I did enjoy the unique setting, slice-of-life first half, and sweet, optimistic protagonist enough to be interested in reading more books by this author. It’s just a shame that I wasn’t as enamored as I thought I would be starting out.
Seven years on the run from her abusive father, and with no hope of sanctuary among the dwindling pockets of human civilization, Lark is out of options. Her only leverage is a cursed power: she can thrust fear onto others, leaving all threats fleeing in terror. It’s a means of survival as she searches for a place to call home. If the campfire myths of her childhood are true, Lark’s sole chance for refuge could lie in Cagmar, the city of trolls—a brutal species and the sworn enemies of humanity.
Valuing combat prowess, the troll high council is intrigued. Lark could be much more useful than the low-caste humans who merely labor in Cagmar. Her gift makes her invaluable as a monster slayer to fight off the unspeakable creatures that torment the trolls’ hanging city, suspended from a bridge over an endless dark canyon.
Lark will do anything to make Cagmar her home, but her new role comes with a caveat: use her power against a troll, and she’ll be killed. Her loyalty is quickly put to the test when she draws the hatred of a powerful troll who loathes humankind. Still, she finds unexpected friendship in the city and, even more surprisingly, love. But if everything else doesn’t undo her, being caught in the arms of a troll surely will. Now in the fight of her life, Lark has a lot to learn—about her past, about trust and hope when all seems lost, and above all, about the extraordinary power of fear itself.
What I Thought
I’ve meant to read a Charlie Holmberg book for a while now because her works seem like they could be right up my alley. In the first half or so of The Hanging City, I was really, really enjoying myself and sure that I’d be eagerly reading more of her stuff soon. Unfortunately, the book went seriously downhill for me in the second half, and it ended up being a pretty mediocre read by the end.
In the first half, the focus is mostly on Lark acclimating to life in Cagmar, the strange trollis city, in what I found to be a very enjoyable slice-of-life plot. She starts to learn about a unique new place, make friends, and develop hopes for the future. In the second half, the focus narrows in on her romance with Azmar to the book’s overall detriment. I’m no monsterf*cker, but neither am I inherently opposed to the idea of a Lark/Azmar romance. It just ends up moving incredibly quickly to the point that they are exchanging life-bond stones and declaring their love in what feels like no time at all. A lot of the stakes involve the romance after this point, and I just wasn’t totally convinced or onboard for it.
The other big problem is that there are SO many plot points that feel quite dubious and shaky in the second half. Sometimes a plot point or two will feel a bit contrived to me, but it’s rare to encounter so many one after another. Here is my list:
-While she is a prisoner, Lark flirts with a guard so that he won’t tie her rope bonds well, and this works
-While sneaking around the enemy camp, she finds all of the army’s strategic plans and diagrams in a random drawer that isn’t even in the general’s tent - it's just the first random empty tent that she sneaks into by chance
-Azmar is able to save Lark from the soldiers trying to kill her because he sees her running away from her father from across a battlefield while he is fighting for his life
-Lark uses her powers to terrify Azmar so much that he gets up from dying after being impaled and runs back to the trollis healers
-She makes herself bait to summon a legion of monsters and is able to corral and herd them all with her powers before any of them attack her
-Azmar gets over his intense fear of Lark (after she’s used her powers on him) after one occasion of seeing her
-He convinces her that he still loves her by showing her old military papers demonstrating that his usual fear response is to fight instead of flee, so she was able to convince him to flee when she saved his life by terrifying him. I’m not really sure why this is important at all. (Side note: it’s a bit strange that fear/trauma responses are dichotomized into fight and flee in this book since I feel like the most common version you hear these days is fight/flight/freeze and most of the trauma research I’m familiar with now typically includes “fawn” and “flop” the other primary responses.)
So, yes. A lot of things had me raising my eyebrows towards the end. Charlie Holmberg wrote in her acknowledgements that she had to stop working on the book while struggling during COVID and was only able to return to it and finish it recently. I can’t help but wonder if this fact has something to do with how much the book changes as I described.
The other main thing that feels strange about The Hanging City to me is that it introduces an element of hatred between the humans and trollis in a very superficial way, and this conflict drives most of the plot…but I just don’t feel like the book goes beyond that to have much to say about it. An example is the way that Lark takes on the role of Unach and Azmar’s servant who has to do everything for them (and does it all eagerly) to “earn her place” and “deserve to stay in Cagmar” and be protected from the trollis who is stalking and trying to kill her. It’s a troubling dynamic given the fraught history between the species, the discrimination against humans (who are hated and treated as second-class citizens) in Cagmar, and the romance that develops between Lark and Azmar. Yet it’s never explored beyond this surface level understanding that discrimination is bad but this is just what Lark needs to do to get by and it's good that Unach and Azmar are protecting her.
Despite these problems, I did enjoy the unique setting, slice-of-life first half, and sweet, optimistic protagonist enough to be interested in reading more books by this author. It’s just a shame that I wasn’t as enamored as I thought I would be starting out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2023
Most people see a three star review as a negative but it's really not. This book was good, it just wasn't great for me. The first third was fabulous. The storyline and the characters were exciting and new, and it moved quickly. The next third got bogged down in repeating all the character points that were laid out in the first third; that her father is abusive; that everyone's afraid of Lark when they learn her ability; that all she wants is to be with people that will accept her and love her; that she's been searching for acceptance for seven years and failing every time. Okay, move along, we got the message, we understand poor, sad, Lark. (Yes, that was definitely sarcastic). The last third got interesting again, but there were some unanswered questions and an unrealistic ending. (I know, the story is a fantasy and will never be realistic, but the author still needs to respect the parameters that she herself laid out.)
Perhaps if the middle part was a bit shorter and helped the story move forward more quickly, this review would be four stars⭐⭐⭐⭐
But alas, we'll never know.
Perhaps if the middle part was a bit shorter and helped the story move forward more quickly, this review would be four stars⭐⭐⭐⭐
But alas, we'll never know.
August 24, 2023
i loved the idea of this book going into it. in the beginning i was excited and had high expectations seeing other reviews which were 4 stars and above. however...
the characters fell kinda flat??? i couldn't connect to any of them and i had a difficult time understanding the world like the imagery just wasn't all that there for me. the romance was alright and the fight scenes felt like they were cut too short. i wish the author expanded the action sequences rather than lark just waking up and the fight would be over already 😭
also the ending felt so rushed and not very satisfying? i wanted to see more, know more, understand more. for me, it ended with quite a few unanswered questions which is fine i guess but i wanted additional closure rather than just a metaphorical happy ending
but! i will say this book was interesting as a whole and i finished it in practically a day + the concept of lark's magic and the trollis hierarchy system was really cool to read about
overall this book was more vibes than anything else tbh
the characters fell kinda flat??? i couldn't connect to any of them and i had a difficult time understanding the world like the imagery just wasn't all that there for me. the romance was alright and the fight scenes felt like they were cut too short. i wish the author expanded the action sequences rather than lark just waking up and the fight would be over already 😭
also the ending felt so rushed and not very satisfying? i wanted to see more, know more, understand more. for me, it ended with quite a few unanswered questions which is fine i guess but i wanted additional closure rather than just a metaphorical happy ending
but! i will say this book was interesting as a whole and i finished it in practically a day + the concept of lark's magic and the trollis hierarchy system was really cool to read about
overall this book was more vibes than anything else tbh
August 14, 2023
The Hanging City is the newest book by Charlie N. Holmberg, the author of The Paper Magician and Star Mother. An adult fantasy romance, The Hanging City tells the story of a young human with the power to wield fear. After being used by her domineering father to control and terrify others, she flees and begins her hunt to find the woman who told her future when she was 14. Along the way, she begins to go by the name Lark, and tries to find a home in numerous human settlements. Without fail, when she eventually reveals her power, the humans around her reject her as a witch and she becomes a vagrant once more. Without options remaining, Lark arrives at a bridge that is rumored to hide the city of Cagmar - the largest known settlement of trollis (trolls). Using the magic words she learned from a traveling storyteller years earlier, Lark gains an audience with the high council of trollis and convinces them to let her, a lowly human, join them and use her powers of fear against the monsters that haunt the canyon the city is built into. In her new role as monster hunter, Lark is placed to live with a trollis named Unach and her brother Azmar. She also meets and befriends other humans in Cagmar and a half-human-half-trollis named Perg.
What unfolds is a story with rich world-building. I could almost picture the city of Cagmar and I loved the development of the complex social and political structure of the trollis that lived there. The romance element was lovely and I enjoyed the friendships built across difference. With that being said, the ending was a little bit rushed for me and I was disappointed by every character with power - human and trollis. There was a lot of cruelty and bigotry that unfortunately could not be overcome. I wish that the ending for Lark had been different, but I enjoyed the story immensely.
Summary: The Hanging City is a closed-door fantasy romance that has a trollis MMC and a human FMC. The world-building is rich and beautiful. This read like a combination of The Hollow Kingdom and Radiance. A lovely read for fall or late summer!
Thanks so much to Charlie N. Holmberg and 47North for this ARC through NetGalley. The Hanging City is available as of August 1st, 2023, and is on Kindle Unlimited!
What unfolds is a story with rich world-building. I could almost picture the city of Cagmar and I loved the development of the complex social and political structure of the trollis that lived there. The romance element was lovely and I enjoyed the friendships built across difference. With that being said, the ending was a little bit rushed for me and I was disappointed by every character with power - human and trollis. There was a lot of cruelty and bigotry that unfortunately could not be overcome. I wish that the ending for Lark had been different, but I enjoyed the story immensely.
Summary: The Hanging City is a closed-door fantasy romance that has a trollis MMC and a human FMC. The world-building is rich and beautiful. This read like a combination of The Hollow Kingdom and Radiance. A lovely read for fall or late summer!
Thanks so much to Charlie N. Holmberg and 47North for this ARC through NetGalley. The Hanging City is available as of August 1st, 2023, and is on Kindle Unlimited!
March 4, 2024
[March 2024] REREAD: Brilliant. All that is good and holy in Fantasy Romance is in this book.
[July 2023] The human – non-human romance trope can be done well, or… not done well. I’ve been fortunate to have read some great stories in this Romantasy niche, (The Wraith Kings series by Grace Draven is brilliant, go read it). I’ve also read some clankers. In Holmberg’s The Hanging City, she nails it.
The single-person POV was so well written, that it wasn’t until about the 50 percent mark that I realized who the love interest was. This is a bit of Holmberg’s magic, because who doesn’t love being right there when the MC realizes, “Oh my God, I’m falling in love with this person!” Uh, so good. Add in the non-human aspect and it’s just brilliant.
Oh, and I haven’t even talked about the best part of this book!
Holmberg’s world-building is just incredible. She took the ages-old “troll bridge” fairytale and turned it on its head. Cagmar, the hanging city, is one of the most interesting fantasy settings that I’ve read in a long time.
Crap, I didn’t start this review with my standard disclaimer that I am a huge Charlie Holmberg fan because I promised myself, I wouldn’t gush. I failed.
[July 2023] The human – non-human romance trope can be done well, or… not done well. I’ve been fortunate to have read some great stories in this Romantasy niche, (The Wraith Kings series by Grace Draven is brilliant, go read it). I’ve also read some clankers. In Holmberg’s The Hanging City, she nails it.
The single-person POV was so well written, that it wasn’t until about the 50 percent mark that I realized who the love interest was. This is a bit of Holmberg’s magic, because who doesn’t love being right there when the MC realizes, “Oh my God, I’m falling in love with this person!” Uh, so good. Add in the non-human aspect and it’s just brilliant.
Oh, and I haven’t even talked about the best part of this book!
Holmberg’s world-building is just incredible. She took the ages-old “troll bridge” fairytale and turned it on its head. Cagmar, the hanging city, is one of the most interesting fantasy settings that I’ve read in a long time.
Crap, I didn’t start this review with my standard disclaimer that I am a huge Charlie Holmberg fan because I promised myself, I wouldn’t gush. I failed.
July 1, 2023
I’m not gonna lie—when I heard this was a troll romance, I was a bit skeptical. But I’ve loved Holmberg’s books for years, so of course I was going to give it a chance. And the only thing bad about that is, I’m done reading. It’s over. And I don’t want it to be!
I absolutely adored this story. Lark was a fantastic heroine—strong, yet gentle hearted, and definitely broken by her past. In her search for belonging—a place to call home, a family that can love her—she seeks refuge in a city of trolls. The characters she finds there were so diverse and interesting, and I loved each and every one (except Grogg. But I loved to hate him!).
This story was so much more than I expected. The world was so well developed, the city of Cagmar played like a movie scene behind my eyes while I read. I didn’t want to put it down, and now that I’m done reading, I only want more. I want to know what happens to Lark and Azmar. I want to see how their story ends, how the characters I fell in love with continue on after this ending.
I’m so sad this is over, but I’m so happy I took a chance and read this amazing book!
I absolutely adored this story. Lark was a fantastic heroine—strong, yet gentle hearted, and definitely broken by her past. In her search for belonging—a place to call home, a family that can love her—she seeks refuge in a city of trolls. The characters she finds there were so diverse and interesting, and I loved each and every one (except Grogg. But I loved to hate him!).
This story was so much more than I expected. The world was so well developed, the city of Cagmar played like a movie scene behind my eyes while I read. I didn’t want to put it down, and now that I’m done reading, I only want more. I want to know what happens to Lark and Azmar. I want to see how their story ends, how the characters I fell in love with continue on after this ending.
I’m so sad this is over, but I’m so happy I took a chance and read this amazing book!
July 6, 2023
I wanted a fantasy novel and I got a romance novel, one with fairly heavy-handed allegorical lessons about mixed romances and humanity-as-a-common-thread.
I was intrigued with the idea of exploring a society of trolls as we get little teasers at the beginning of what might be a really interesting setting (a city that hangs underneath a bridge!) and a different sort of people. Unfortunately, the book quickly morphed into a generic romance with little in the way of plot or action. I was not familiar with this author before hand though if I had been, the move into romance would have been expected since that is mostly what she writes.
The world-building here was minimal: other than the troll city itself, we had at the most some handwaving about the rest of the world, and even that seemed not well thought out, with some human civilization mentioned but that makes no sense in scale... There are very few humans, but instead of living miserable mean lives with no technology or luxuries as you would expect, there are vague references to politics and powerful leaders... How much room can you have for these things when there are so few people? It didn't make sense. Even the trolls' city felt incomplete and out of scale. And how did a barren canyon support gobs and gobs of giant, fierce monsters? What did they *eat*? It all just felt like window-dressing for the "message romance" that the author wanted to write.
And the romance definitely felt forced and allegorical, with all of the trappings of childish prejudice and bigotry that seemed like a clear message to the reader that "love is love". Let's be clear: I absolutely believe love is love, but I don't need to be *taught* that any more than things like "bullying is not ok" or "don't judge a book by its cover." It's been *done* a billion times, and it is tired and trite to do it again.
My personal taste does not enjoy all the pawing and sighing and heart-fluttering, but if that's your thing, I get it.
All that said: I read the entire book, and that means at least a 3 rating from me. I did start speed reading in the middle when the book shifted more into a romance, but I did at least want to see where she went with it. In the end, I was disappointed, as e.g. her comic-book-villain father showed up in the end as a villain cameo or sorts, and then we did not even get the emotional satisfaction of seeing his defeat, instead hearing after the fact that he had been killed. Definitely not a book with the emotional payoffs that I was looking for.
I was intrigued with the idea of exploring a society of trolls as we get little teasers at the beginning of what might be a really interesting setting (a city that hangs underneath a bridge!) and a different sort of people. Unfortunately, the book quickly morphed into a generic romance with little in the way of plot or action. I was not familiar with this author before hand though if I had been, the move into romance would have been expected since that is mostly what she writes.
The world-building here was minimal: other than the troll city itself, we had at the most some handwaving about the rest of the world, and even that seemed not well thought out, with some human civilization mentioned but that makes no sense in scale... There are very few humans, but instead of living miserable mean lives with no technology or luxuries as you would expect, there are vague references to politics and powerful leaders... How much room can you have for these things when there are so few people? It didn't make sense. Even the trolls' city felt incomplete and out of scale. And how did a barren canyon support gobs and gobs of giant, fierce monsters? What did they *eat*? It all just felt like window-dressing for the "message romance" that the author wanted to write.
And the romance definitely felt forced and allegorical, with all of the trappings of childish prejudice and bigotry that seemed like a clear message to the reader that "love is love". Let's be clear: I absolutely believe love is love, but I don't need to be *taught* that any more than things like "bullying is not ok" or "don't judge a book by its cover." It's been *done* a billion times, and it is tired and trite to do it again.
My personal taste does not enjoy all the pawing and sighing and heart-fluttering, but if that's your thing, I get it.
All that said: I read the entire book, and that means at least a 3 rating from me. I did start speed reading in the middle when the book shifted more into a romance, but I did at least want to see where she went with it. In the end, I was disappointed, as e.g. her comic-book-villain father showed up in the end as a villain cameo or sorts, and then we did not even get the emotional satisfaction of seeing his defeat, instead hearing after the fact that he had been killed. Definitely not a book with the emotional payoffs that I was looking for.
May 4, 2023
I never thought I would be so interested in trolls but wow this one was knocked out of the park for me. The trollis now hold a piece of my heart.
The story follows Lark who is on the run and seeks refuge among a city of trolls. While humans are bottom of the caste system there, she is no ordinary human. Lark can instill pure fear into others, making her a great resource in the city. As she starts to create a home for herself and find love, her past eventually catches up to her.
Read if you like:
• Chosen family
• Secret powers
• Hierarchical power struggles
• Fantasy creatures
• Forbidden love
Definitely put this one on your calendars. I seriously couldn’t put it down.
Thank you so much to @cnholmberg for my physical copy and honoring me with an ARC to review.
The story follows Lark who is on the run and seeks refuge among a city of trolls. While humans are bottom of the caste system there, she is no ordinary human. Lark can instill pure fear into others, making her a great resource in the city. As she starts to create a home for herself and find love, her past eventually catches up to her.
Read if you like:
• Chosen family
• Secret powers
• Hierarchical power struggles
• Fantasy creatures
• Forbidden love
Definitely put this one on your calendars. I seriously couldn’t put it down.
Thank you so much to @cnholmberg for my physical copy and honoring me with an ARC to review.
August 13, 2023
Honestly I was surprised to see that this was so underrated. It was a beautiful story of forbidden love, magic, sacrifice and perseverance and I could not stop reading!
I adored Lark and Azmar’s relationship, and Lark really spoke to me as a character. For every setback she encountered she came back with such strength and resilience and I so admired her determination.
This book is beautifully written, the world building is fantastic, I could see every part of Cagmar in my head and felt like I was really there! It was a little less action packed than what I’m used to but it felt so nice to settle into the routine of the hanging city, learning about the Trollis and growing to love them.
More people need to read this!
I adored Lark and Azmar’s relationship, and Lark really spoke to me as a character. For every setback she encountered she came back with such strength and resilience and I so admired her determination.
This book is beautifully written, the world building is fantastic, I could see every part of Cagmar in my head and felt like I was really there! It was a little less action packed than what I’m used to but it felt so nice to settle into the routine of the hanging city, learning about the Trollis and growing to love them.
More people need to read this!
December 14, 2023
4.25⭐️
This has been a big Romantasy year for me. I have been introduced to hot Faerie men with Bat Wings, morally grey Shadow Daddies, 7-foot Blue aliens with horns and tails...and now 8-foot green trolls with tusks (Trollis if we are being PC :).
Suffice it to say, that my horizons have been broadened.
The Hanging City is such a unique fantasy story. I went in blind, so finding out it was about a troll city (Cagmar) that is suspended between a canyon below a bridge was so intriguing (reference the provided picture in the book for a better visual, it helped a lot).
The idea of humans and trolls coexisting would never cross my mind. The human main female character, Lark, had such a sad history. She escaped her abusive father when she was very young and just wanted to find somewhere she could be accepted. This is one of the first books in a long time that kept me awake until 2 AM so I could finish it. My heart was racing and I was so anxious to see how it would come together. A few moments towards the end with a couple of characters kinda disappointed me...but I did love this incredibly unique story of strength, friendship, and a little Trollis love.
This has been a big Romantasy year for me. I have been introduced to hot Faerie men with Bat Wings, morally grey Shadow Daddies, 7-foot Blue aliens with horns and tails...and now 8-foot green trolls with tusks (Trollis if we are being PC :).
Suffice it to say, that my horizons have been broadened.
The Hanging City is such a unique fantasy story. I went in blind, so finding out it was about a troll city (Cagmar) that is suspended between a canyon below a bridge was so intriguing (reference the provided picture in the book for a better visual, it helped a lot).
The idea of humans and trolls coexisting would never cross my mind. The human main female character, Lark, had such a sad history. She escaped her abusive father when she was very young and just wanted to find somewhere she could be accepted. This is one of the first books in a long time that kept me awake until 2 AM so I could finish it. My heart was racing and I was so anxious to see how it would come together. A few moments towards the end with a couple of characters kinda disappointed me...but I did love this incredibly unique story of strength, friendship, and a little Trollis love.
August 7, 2023
What an amazing, inventive world! This was an epic story that was clear and easy to understand from the beginning: and it still managed to be full of complicated layers of culture and politics. I can’t wait to read more about these characters! 5 ⭐️
August 10, 2024
This was an interesting fantasy about a young woman, Lark, who has been on the run for a long time. She’s running from her father. He’s a ruler who wants to stay a ruler, so he used Lark’s ability to instill fear in people to maintain his position. Lark winds up in the city of Cagmar, which hangs below a bridge. There is a small enclave of humans, but the city of Cagmar is mainly inhabited by trolls. This author has written several fantasy series and by the time I got to the end of this story I felt that it may be the first in another series.
September 25, 2023
This was a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I mean, who doesn’t love fabulous world-building, a fast-paced plot, and a love story between a human and a troll? Maybe that’s been done before, but this was a first for me, and I highly recommend it.
Lark has an ability to instill fear in others, and that power makes her a useful tool to her dangerous father. As the book opens, she’s on the run and quickly seeks refuge in a deep canyon-spanning city, inhabited by trollis (trolls). Because her power makes her no less useful to the trollis, she’s allowed to stay and given the task of fighting the monsters that rise from the canyon’s deepest rift. As Lark struggles to fit in, a more dangerous threat than the monsters approaches, one that threatens her new home, her friends, and a forbidden relationship that she refuses to live without.
The pace is snappy, and though the plot is straightforward, the characters are captivating. They’re vivid and distinct, and the trollis are wonderfully complex and varied with surprises at every turn, a fresh take on an old stereotype. Told in first-person, Lark is engaging, likable, and trying her best – with mixed results. She was the most emotionally available character, and very easy to root for. A wonderful book for fantasy fans of all ages.
Lark has an ability to instill fear in others, and that power makes her a useful tool to her dangerous father. As the book opens, she’s on the run and quickly seeks refuge in a deep canyon-spanning city, inhabited by trollis (trolls). Because her power makes her no less useful to the trollis, she’s allowed to stay and given the task of fighting the monsters that rise from the canyon’s deepest rift. As Lark struggles to fit in, a more dangerous threat than the monsters approaches, one that threatens her new home, her friends, and a forbidden relationship that she refuses to live without.
The pace is snappy, and though the plot is straightforward, the characters are captivating. They’re vivid and distinct, and the trollis are wonderfully complex and varied with surprises at every turn, a fresh take on an old stereotype. Told in first-person, Lark is engaging, likable, and trying her best – with mixed results. She was the most emotionally available character, and very easy to root for. A wonderful book for fantasy fans of all ages.
March 25, 2024
What a unique book! I was pretty convinced that I wasn’t going to like this book because it is so different from what I normally read but I actually really enjoyed it! The author does an amazing job at describing the world and complex magic that even me, as a non-fantasy reader, could picture it. I was totally immersed in the world and couldn’t put it down. So unlike anything I’ve read before.
January 4, 2024
Rating: 4 Stars
I'll be real honest... I thought I was a bit crazy to pick a book in the Romantasy category to start my 2024 off with. I love Fantasy, but I am not a huge fan of romance, and I was worried this one would be smutty.
It was not! I mean... there's a love story. And some closed-ish door stuff. But this book was much more about the adventure and worldbuilding and childhood trauma as it was about the love story. So while I was invested in the romance, I really appreciate that I got the fantasy side first.
And boy did we get the fantasy side of things. This book took a while to set up, and wrapping up the book felt like sliding down a hill fast. The first half of the book felt like nothing really happened, and the last half of the book had me checking to see if it had a sequel because there's no way they could fit everything in. They did! It was great! But it was a bit of whiplash.
All that said, I do not like trolls. Like... as a trope, they are not sexy to me. Harry Potter and the troll boogies completely ruined that. So while I really enjoyed the story and the love interest and the adventure and the monsters, I was just a little bit repulsed by the trollis. That, and the bit of the rushed ending, took the star off. But really, really solid first read of the year.
I'll be real honest... I thought I was a bit crazy to pick a book in the Romantasy category to start my 2024 off with. I love Fantasy, but I am not a huge fan of romance, and I was worried this one would be smutty.
It was not! I mean... there's a love story. And some closed-ish door stuff. But this book was much more about the adventure and worldbuilding and childhood trauma as it was about the love story. So while I was invested in the romance, I really appreciate that I got the fantasy side first.
And boy did we get the fantasy side of things. This book took a while to set up, and wrapping up the book felt like sliding down a hill fast. The first half of the book felt like nothing really happened, and the last half of the book had me checking to see if it had a sequel because there's no way they could fit everything in. They did! It was great! But it was a bit of whiplash.
All that said, I do not like trolls. Like... as a trope, they are not sexy to me. Harry Potter and the troll boogies completely ruined that. So while I really enjoyed the story and the love interest and the adventure and the monsters, I was just a little bit repulsed by the trollis. That, and the bit of the rushed ending, took the star off. But really, really solid first read of the year.
March 29, 2023
I love this book. I hope I can do it justice in this review.
I took a little longer than I normally do to read this book (aka like 3 days instead of my normal 1-2 😅) but it’s because I was loathe to finish it.
This is my most favorite forbidden romance novel ever. I’m not joking.
This book is engaging the entire time. There were many things I didn’t see coming!
This world was incredibly riveting and I seriously looked forward to learning more about it. And then would proceed to tell my husband about it.
This is how the romance made me feel:
🥵‼️👏🏼😍🥹🫠😮💨🤌🏼
How an author writes romance scenes can make or break a book for me. This had the perfect amount of depth, description, tension and steam while still remaining closed door.👏🏼Well done Charlie👏🏼
Also, I’ve never wanted someone to create fan art as badly as I do for this book! Please, someone, help a girl out!
Charlie, you absolutely crushed it!! This has risen to be one of my top reads of 2023.
Thank you SO much for the advanced copy! I literally feel so honored that I got to read this book before it’s released. I will be sharing with everyone.
This book will be out August 1, 2023. MARK YOUR 📆!!!!
I took a little longer than I normally do to read this book (aka like 3 days instead of my normal 1-2 😅) but it’s because I was loathe to finish it.
This is my most favorite forbidden romance novel ever. I’m not joking.
This book is engaging the entire time. There were many things I didn’t see coming!
This world was incredibly riveting and I seriously looked forward to learning more about it. And then would proceed to tell my husband about it.
This is how the romance made me feel:
🥵‼️👏🏼😍🥹🫠😮💨🤌🏼
How an author writes romance scenes can make or break a book for me. This had the perfect amount of depth, description, tension and steam while still remaining closed door.👏🏼Well done Charlie👏🏼
Also, I’ve never wanted someone to create fan art as badly as I do for this book! Please, someone, help a girl out!
Charlie, you absolutely crushed it!! This has risen to be one of my top reads of 2023.
Thank you SO much for the advanced copy! I literally feel so honored that I got to read this book before it’s released. I will be sharing with everyone.
This book will be out August 1, 2023. MARK YOUR 📆!!!!
December 1, 2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Genre: Fantasy Romance
POV: 1st person
If you like…
🔅 Trolls
🔅 Forbidden Romance
🔅 Magical Powers
🔅 Found Family
🔅 Political Intrigue
Content warning: Violence, War, Bullying, Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse.
Spice: 🌶️
Genre: Fantasy Romance
POV: 1st person
If you like…
🔅 Trolls
🔅 Forbidden Romance
🔅 Magical Powers
🔅 Found Family
🔅 Political Intrigue
Content warning: Violence, War, Bullying, Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,626 reviews