Silent City

by Sarah Davis-Goff

From the author of LAST ONES LEFT ALIVE comes the story of young female warrior who must start a revolution if she and those she loves are to survive.

Orpen has always been an outlier in Phoenix City - the only outsider ever admitted to the ranks of the banshees, the female warriors who enforce order, and protect it from the skrake - the ravening creatures that have laid waste to the rest of the country, and gather at the city walls.

Unrest is building in the city - a deadly sickness is spreading through the workers, while an unspoken disillusionment is creeping amongst the fighting women, weary of enforcing the all-male management's patriarchal rule, and of the cost, to their sisters, and to young new recruits, of upholding this order.

Rumour has it that banshees have been taking matters into their own hands, and taking swift and violent revenge. When Orpen's troop leader falls under suspicion it becomes clear that Orpen will need to muster all her courage and prowess if she and her fellow banshees are going to be able to find a way to escape, and rebuild a society worth fighting for.

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Horror, Fantasy, Zombies, Post Apocalyptic, Ireland

248 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 17, 2023

Reviews

[Kait · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose any end of the world a’la zombie type creatures is going to give off “The Last of Us” and “The Walking Dead” vibes, and “Silent City” certainly does that. But what makes this tale unique is the female prism through which we see this crumbling world. The women who cripple the men. The women who are called upon to keep populating the earth. The women who are the grubby hands of management. The women who finally decide “enough’s enough” and start a revolution. At the end of the day, despite that interesting angle, this book did not become a new favorite—I was bored by the exposition and felt almost nothing for the characters—but from a curiosity standpoint, I wanted to see what would happen to Orpen (the FMC) as she decides what to do with her scrappy little life.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. “Silent City” comes out Oct 17th.

[Knblodgett · Rating 2 out of 5]

somehow didn't realize this was a sequel. maybe that's why i didn't care for it a ton. but i didn't really connect with the characters and the story felt lacking.

[Karen’s Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved dystopian novels, and when they’re set in post apocalyptic settings in a world full of shrakes (zombies), even better. Silent City is not a zombie book although zombies are present here and there. It’s a dystopian book in a post-apocalyptic world and I was all in.

Having read Last Ones Left Alive several years ago, I even said in my review that I wanted more! And yes, Sarah Davis-Goff delivered. Once again, I couldn’t read her book fast enough.

Silent City begins right after the events of Last Ones Left Alive ends with Orpen finding the Banshees, the all-women warriors from Phoenix City. The story then picks up 6 years later with Orpen as a member of the Banshees inside of Phoenix City.

But Phoenix City is not all that Orpen thought it would be. Instead she comes to find that the leadership is ruthless, the survivors in the City are starving, and the Banshees are used to help oppress the innocent.

I would say that’s it’s best to have read the first book but not completely necessary. Both books give different viewpoints of this horrific apocalyptic world. Last Ones Left Alive introduces the world of survival outside of Phoenix City living with the shrake, and Silent City is survival within the “safety” of the City.

In both, I loved Orpen’s character. In Silent City we also come to know the rest of her Banshee troop. This world that Sarah has created is a desolate hard world, but the overall story is about friendship and justice.

Once again, I hope that another book is coming.

*Thanks so much to Flatiron books for the gifted copy!*

Pubdate 10/17/23

[Megan (inkand.imagination) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Note: thanks to Flatiron Books for sending me the ARC copy to read and review!

I have to start this review by saying that I didn’t know this was a sequel, and wasn’t aware of that fact until I was about halfway through the book. I haven’t read the first book, and am trying to keep that in mind when writing this review.

I enjoyed some aspects of this book. The companionship between the Banshees and their bravery was definitely my favorite part of the book. I loved the found family aspect. I also really liked how Orpen was relatable, and how it was clear that she didn’t really know that much about the world she was living in at first. I think she had great development and she was a very realistic character.

I also enjoyed the very unique twist on the commonplace “zombie apocalypse” trope. It was unique in a few ways: 1) the book is set in Ireland (every zombie book I’ve read has been set in America), 2) it takes place quite a while after the apocalypse has happened, when dystopian societies have already been established, 3) Orpen, the main character, was born into a post-apocalyptic world. All of these aspects together made this book very unique!

However, I did find it really hard to get into this book. The writing style was very…strange to me, and took almost half the book to get used to. Given that this is a short read, 250ish pages, it made for a bit of a lackluster read in that I didn’t really get into the story until it was almost over. There were also a lot of things that I felt I was missing, but that’s likely due to me not reading the first book.

Overall, this is a decent read and I’m grateful that I had the chance to read an ARC! If you’re a fan of zombie books with strong female characters, check this one out! Just make sure to read the first book beforehand lol.

[Ian Mond]

Silent City is the sequel to Last Ones Left Alive. I loved the first book, but was less enamoured with the follow-up. That’s not to say Silent City is poor. It’s a strong example of the feminist/queer zombie post-apocalypse narrative. It just doesn’t feel as fresh as the first book. As with Last Ones Left Alive, Silent City centres on Orpen. She is no longer the plucky teenager making her way through zombie (skrake)-infested Ireland. Six years later, she is now a hard-knuckled member of the Banshees, the crack squad of women who search for survivors and much-needed supplies for Phoenix City. Orpen’s new home, though, is no utopia. It’s your typical totalitarian government, where the Management (populated only by men) rule with cruelty, using the Banshees to keep the rest of the City, starving and diseased though they are, in their place. It’s the depiction of Phoenix City - the male elite lording over their traumatised peasants - that I found overly familiar. I still loved Orpen, though. Six years older, still a little naive, but overwhelmed by a sense of justice, she is the heart and the soul of this and the previous book. Also, the novel’s centrepiece, involving an abandoned airport, is nail-bitingly good. While not entirely in love with Silent City, I’d still follow the adventures of Orpen if there’s a third novel.

[Book Club of One · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Last Ones Left Alive Orpen journeyed across a zombie (referred to here as Skrake) filled dystopian Ireland to find the home of the mythical Banshees, paired women fighters that were featured in posters touting their fighting capabilities. Orpen succeeded, but not without loss and hardship. Silent Citypicks up where The Last Ones Left Alive ended, showing how Orpen adjusts to life in Phoenix City. It is a place focused on survival where man is just as much a threat to life as the zombie menace.

While the narrative picks up right at the end of the prior book, there is then a leap forward of six years time. The new setting shows Orpen, the last known human survivor to reach the city as she has adjusted to living amongst a much wider population than she was used to. The city lives under many threats: disease outbreaks, lack of resources especially food, dwindling numbers of people and of course the Skrake. The city is protected by a wall that is constantly maintained, those contributing to the city are divided in to many different classes or factions with those higher up having more of a privileged life. The leaders are all male, the Banshees are the enforcers who used to be sent out on missions to search for supplies but have not been out for along time. There are also farmers, tradesmen and a class known as Breeders.

By the events of the book whatever event caused the spread of the Skrake has long since past. Ireland is depopulated and the Banshees have picked clean most of the available salvage. Those in Phoenix City are trying to make due and survive, but not all have to struggle equally. An unknown group or faction is also striking out under the shelter of darkness attacking and permanently wounding members of the ruling group.

Davis-Goff writes the book as narrated by Orpen, revealing her inner life and how since coming to the city she has struggled to be near so many other people. Where at first she was incapacitated by anxiety by the physical nearness she has learned to cope, or at least function. She has also struggled to open up to her Banshee squad, but has revealed a good bit of her past to her partner.

Orpen's Banshee squad undertakes a risky, rogue mission to seek supplies, if successful they'll be forgiven, if they fail it could mean their death. Orpen seems to be a rising star in the society. Will she give in to the opportunities and comforts of power? Or will she renounce it all and return to the sheltered island of her youth?

A more nuanced look at post apocalyptic survival that asks us to wonder what it means to survive and what it is to be human, but follows the general tropes of a heroes journey with an ending open enough to continue the series.

I received a free digital version of this eBook via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[Viktoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really hoping for a strong follow up, however this was not that. The story is forced, the characters underdeveloped (can straight women write good queer characters??...) and I felt like it just wasn't very imaginative. I did like the feminist messages and the dynamics of the banshees throughout, I suppose the ending leaves this open for more story but, not for me thanks.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

I was put off immediately, on the very first page, by the style of writing. It felt almost like reading a script rather than a novel. I don't enjoy feeling like I'm trying to decipher dialect while I'm reading, so I gave up. DNF.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silent City takes place in Phoenix City, outside of Dublin, Ireland and is humanity's last stand against the skrake (aka zombies). The narrator, Orpen, is an anomaly in this city- she was not born here, unlike every other citizen. She survived outside of the city with her mothers until they met their demise. She is part of a force called the Banshees, a group entirely of women whose purpose is to keep the citizens of their city in line.

I binge-read this book in two days- I did NOT want to put it down. It is actually book two of a series- the first titled Last Ones Left Alive- but it is not necessary to have read the first book to understand and enjoy this one. I haven't read the first book but will most definitely be seeking it out after finishing this! It very much reminded me of the writing of Emily St. John Mandel (Station Eleven), as well as the plot of The Last of Us in that this book is set in a world filled with horror but it takes a backseat for the focus on humanity. That being said, there is one section of the book that had me tearing my hair out and on the edge of my seat. I would definitely recommend this one!

[Reads_Must · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silent City
Fantasy
Sarah Davis-Goff
⭐️⭐️

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. At around the 60% mark I just didn't want to continue reading.

The writing style didn't flow right for me. It seemed very choppy and full of short sentences. I also found that the author used a lot of "telling" rather than actually "showing" what was happening which meant that I couldn't become engrossed in the story.

I didn't connect to any of the characters and I found the pacing slow.

Although this book wasn't for me, other readers might like it.

*Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

[Ally Renell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every so often I randomly read an apocalyptic novel by an Irish author and it turns out to be really really good. This book is no exception. I figured out about halfway that it's a companion/sequel to an earlier book, but this can definitely stand alone. As always , never underestimate women.

[Josh Morrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The setting is great. Some kind of zombie-like apocalypse that has the surviving citizens of Ireland trapped in the walled-off ruins of Dublin. Unfortunately, we don't get much information about the "Skrake" (the zombies). The novel is far more character focused, so the skrake are just background. Which is fine, I like a good character driven novel, but in this case I wanted just a little more about the skrake's origins and such.

The story itself was interesting at times, but slow. Sometimes it feels like it wasn't thought through all way. Like, the MC, Orpen, is supposedly the only outsider let into "Phoenix City" (Dublin), as she was found surviving on her own outside the walls where the skrake are. But in an apocalyptic scenario, I would think ANY survivors found outside the city would be admitted because there are so few humans left. It mentions there are others out there on their own, so why wouldn't they let them in? It doesn't make sense to me.

The real issue I had with this book (and in hindsight, I should have paid closer attention to the novel summary, because it states it right there), is that about 3/4 of the way through I finally realized that this novel is nothing more than a man-hating feminist fantasy. Society is ruled by power hungry, perverted men, and protected by a whole class of fierce warrior women. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good strong female protagonist (Vin from Mistborn, Jin Erso from Rogue One, of course Ripley from Aliens, and even Roz from the Wild Robot). What I can't stand is any story that holds up one gender over another. In this novel, all men are evil and corrupt (there is only one man, without a name, who does something briefly good at the very end. The rest are the vile, nasty power hungry rulers of the city). And I know there are a LOT of novels where the opposite is true, and all the men are good while the women are evil or just background. And I don't like those novels either. I much prefer when the men and women work together, using their differences (and yes, there ARE differences) to succeed as one.

This story is not that. It's all the women doing the hard, brave, strong things, while the men cower in their ivory tower safe within the city. An idea that I find wholly unbelievable. Yes, there are definitely some strong women out there who would be awesome at doing what the banshees do, going out into the dangerous world to scavenge for supplies and keep back the skrake. But the idea that a society on the brink of utter collapse would ONLY send out women to do this difficult and dangerous work, and that no men at all would be sent? Ludacris and unrealistic. Men and women together would be doing this kind of work. (And I recognize that this would ruin the novel's premise of "the Banshees" that are the focus of the whole story, because banshees are female in Irish folklore, and that idea is kind of cool. I just think maybe this team of women should be one of several teams and the others w0uld include mixed groups.)

In the end, I recognize that I'm probably not the target audience for this novel. And that's fine. I hope others enjoy it more than I did. For me, the blunt feminist, man-hate became all too clear and distracting by the end.

[Alex Mullane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.

This is a sequel to The Last Ones Left Alive, which is an excellent slice of feminist Irish post-apocalypse, pitched somewhere between 28 Days Later and The Handmaid’s Tale. Given Silent City is a follow-up, I guess don't read on if you don't want to know anything else about the first book.

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Silent City picks up Orpen’s tale some years later, with her now well-established in Phoenix City, a last enclave of humanity in a ruined land. The city strives to keep as quiet as can be, so as to not antagonise the monstrous and quite disgusting hoard of skrake that surround the city at all times. Orpen has achieved her dream of becoming a banshee, one of the fearsome female warriors that keep the city safe and undertake forays into the dangerous wilderness in search of survivors and supplies.

Much like the first novel, the set-up is fairly standard for the post-apocalyptic/zombie genre (every season of The Walking Dead essentially featured its own version of Phoenix City, where life is hard and the risk of death is ever-present), but yet again it’s Davis-Goff’s prose, which is still satisfyingly literary yet accessible, that helps elevate Silent City. The feminist themes remain strong, as the male-run Phoenix City proves anything but the haven Orpen had hoped for. The distinctive Irish flavour is still welcome, and Davis-Goff definitely gets points for not just rehashing the first novel. This is a proper sequel, which develops the main character, and takes her to new places, both physically and emotionally.

There are a few stand-out sequences - an early incident which haunts Orpen throughout and a (mis)adventure to an old airport best among them - and Orpen is still a great protagonist. On the whole, I don’t think it’s quite as distinctive as the first novel, but it’s still a great, short read that’s right in my sweet spot genre-wise.

[Dev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old words and ideas are turned over and passed along by story, by voice, in a city where women are voiceless. But there's beauty there too, in stories carried only by memory, from past to present to future. There's a type of learning there as well, in what each voice brings to the stories.

Man, I'm glad I took a chance on this one. I'm particular about zombie apocalypse books much the way I am about vampires and werewolves; they've just been so done. I find that a lot of the time, the world just feels like every other zombie world with people surviving however they can, and while that's still true in this book, we've also got a patriarchal government (very alike to the one in The Handmaid's Tale) but backed by physically stronger women soldiers. This is a love letter to feminism more than a zombie book. Orpen was a joy to read, and seeing her becoming the heroine she'd always meant herself to be was the best part. It's a book about sisterhood, betrayal, survival and freedom from subjugation. It's written lovingly, and terrifyingly. It really made me wonder whether I'd rather just take my chances with the skrake over staying in the city, and I loved seeing that wonder mirrored in the characters. This is an easy five stars for me, I just wish it was a bit longer.

Partners are only worth something if you can trust them."

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

PR Copy
3.5/5

Silent City by Sarah Davis-Goff was published last month and is the follow-up to 'Last Ones Left Alive', so please do be aware of spoilers if you haven't read the first one.

I do think you'd have to read the first book to appreciate this one, but it's a fast read, and it's worth it to get a proper feel for the characters and what has led them to this point.

This book focuses much more on what's happening with the Banshees inside Phoenix city (formerly Phoenix Park).

The story picks up six years after the first one, and we find out what has happened during that time.

I'm a little bit loathe to tell you much more than that, other than by the end of it I was cursing Sarah Davis-Goff from a height for leaving it on a cliffhanger (sorry, Sarah), I could have done another 200 pages easy!

I love this world, I'm really getting fond of some of the characters, and I'm very much looking forward to the next instalment.

Thank you to Elaine Egan for sending me a copy, which pushed me to read the first one which had been on my TBR for much, much too long.

If you're looking for a fast-paced, dystopian, character-driven romp, do check this (and the previous book) out.

[Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 16%.

I’ve been reading a lot more this year and as a result have discovered more what my taste in books is. First person present tense narration is not for me. I kind of hate it. Someone else describes this style as reading a really long list of stage instructions for a play. That’s pretty close to the mark. It feels unnatural. Additionally, I had to go online to figure out that this book is a sequel…there was no clear indication of that before I started reading, but it adds up with how little was explained as I read. I didn’t make it very far, but there was little there for me to grab onto. If you like post-apocalyptic stuff, zombies, and female-centric storytelling then perhaps this is for you. But I want more nuance in my fiction than Silent City is offering.

Note on the audio version: I love the Irish accent, but having an entire book narrated with one was kind of rough. The end of every other sentence has an upward inflection making it sound like a question or an unsure/open-ended statement. 6 hours of that is a hard sell.

[Severina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orpen finds and joins the Banshees, the all-female warriors she’d heard tell of who protect civilians from the skrake (zombies) that have overtaken the land, but living in their walled city is not what she expected.

The renamed Phoenix City, a walled park inside Dublin, is a patriarchal nightmare, with the men in “management” comfortable in their warm clothing and good food, while the rest of the city struggles to get by. The Banshees at least have rations and somewhere to sleep, though little clothing and footwear that is falling apart. The wallers, who continually build up the protective wall, work sunrise to sunset for a small ration. The people in the shanties get nothing at all. And it’s the Banshees who enforce the always changing, arbitrary rules.

Revolution is inevitable, and the midway point of the book is where the story really picks up. The author expertly shows Orpen’s changing emotions and when she takes up the mantle of leadership and reminds the others that they could really be what the old posters claimed, I wanted to cheer for her.

[Jaime Garza · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I’m a big fan of immersive reading, which means I listen to audiobooks while also diving into the physical book. I tried this with this one, and guess what? It’s the first time I’ve heard an audiobook with an Irish accent! It was a fresh experience, and I really enjoyed it. The narrator is fantastic.

In this world, there are all sorts of characters, like the banshees, the breeders, the folks from the shanties, and of course, the all-male management team, who are pretty ruthless. The banshees are a group of women trained to fight, and they always stick together in twos. Plus, there’s this plague of zombie-like creatures called the skrage. Orpen eventually becomes a banshee and leads the charge against the management.

I didn’t realize this was a sequel until now. The original is called Last Ones Left Alive, and it seems like it wraps up where the prologue of this one begins. I might have to go back and read that too.

[Elle Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had a cool concept, sort of a dystopian zombie-apocalypse-esque horror, but the writing was a massive let down. Quite frankly I didn't care.

It wasn't scary, it wasn't emotional and it wasn't exciting. Mainly because there was very little establishment of the characters, and therefore the reader couldn't get attached to them and invested in their story. It's hard for a horror book to be scary when you don't feel scared for the characters, especially with the kind of bland writing that doesn't create tension from language or tone.

Take 'I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream' as an example. Because it's a short story, the reader doesn't get much opportunity to get to know the characters in depth. But it's so disgusting and disturbing that it's still freaky, just through the words that Ellison uses to describe the horrifying events.

I know it's a little wrong to compare the second book of a relatively small author to the works of a sci-fi master like Ellison. To me, Silent City has neither of the things that I think make a horror or thriller successfully scary.

[Sara Mcfadden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron books for the opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available October 17,2023.

A feminist apocalyptic story about fighting the fight against injustice, shady tyrannical cities and saving loved ones.

It is set in Ireland where a plague has overrun the country. Orpen is the main character. They live in an oppressive city state called Phoenix city. Orpen is a member of the Banshees, an all female fighting force that hunts the Skrake. One bite and you are donesies.

It was okay. I am all for feminine empowerment but what I am not for is tedious femininism with no true reason. Like Girl Power but not at the sake of the story.

[Amy Verkruissen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Silent City picks up right where Last One's Left Alive left off. Orpen is taken to Phoenix City, home of the Banshee's that she's seen on old posters for years. The story then skips ahead six years and all is not as idyllic as Orpen had hoped it would be.
A pretty grim story overall but still beautifully written and starkly atmospheric. The story did end rather abruptly and I had some unanswered questions so I would love to have more of the story but perhaps the author wants us to come up with our own conclusion.

[Wiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book via that Goodreads Giveaways thing. I didn't realize it was a sequel until about halfway through. While it reads pretty well as a standalone, I'm sure my opinion may be a little different had I read the first book, 'Last Ones Left Alive', which I may go back and read.

Now for the review part. It's a pretty good, quick story. I don't necessarily love the writing style. At first I thought there were several errors but eventually realized it was just the intentional language and writing style of the author.

Ok, that's it. Bye.

[Andy Cochrane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't realised this was a sequel until after I read it and looked at some of the reviews. I struggle a little with books written in the first person, with only the one point of view.
An interesting take on zombies with a female lead, but for me, even the action scenes weren't enough to make me feel any real concern for the characters. The ending leaves things open for a follow up, but not for me.

[Greg S · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a few really exciting parts to this story. But for a zombie novel there's not a lot of zombies. It deals more with how the humans are dealing with the situation. And that lead to quite an uneven read where there was a lot of exposition that was quite boring and a hugely unsatisfying ending that feels more geared up to hinting at a sequel than actually successfully resolving what has happened in this book.

[Victoria Sampley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This works as a standalone, but apparently it’s a sequel and I didn’t know that. 😂 I tend to enjoy post apocalyptic/dystopian reads, and this one was just okay. I found myself getting bored as the overall content is pretty standard. We have a community that has essentially turned into a corrupt cult. There were a couple of action scenes that I enjoyed. Mostly it just felt like something I had already heard before.

[Molly Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great sequel to Last Ones Left Alive - it answered a lot of the questions from the first one (but not why the Emergency/the skrake happened!), and developed Orpen's character much more. I really responded to the messages about patriarchy, queerness, division, and loyalty in the novel, and I think young adults would really enjoy its subversiveness. The scene in the airport was amazing, I kept compulsively turning pages. I do think there were some slight pacing issues, but this is a strong sophomore novel.

[Lauren Makepeace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange turns of phrase, weird relationships left open/unexplained, and a not-very-definitive ending led to me giving this 3 stars. It's a decent read and certainly not terrible, just not amazing.
(I didn't realise it was a sequel when I picked it up at the library, so I'm not sure whether that would've made any difference)

[Kelsey Rhodes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a dystopian zombie story by author Sarah Davis-Goff. I liked the premise; I felt like having the women's empowerment angle was a cool take. It just didn't pay off in terms of the story accomplishing anything. There were some promising apocalypse points; it just didn't make up for the pacing being all over the place.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short read with a lot going on. The world is imaginative and finds interesting ways to explore feminism and power dynamics. If you enjoy kick ass women and sad dystopian world's this one's for you!

[SmarkDent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the second part of this post apocalyptic series! A definite step forward from the excellent 'The Last Ones Left Alive' and Sarah Davis-Goff is real emerging talent. Beautifully written, brutal plot and highly recommended.