The Divine Cities Trilogy, By Robert Jackson Bennett

 

The Divine Cities Trilogy is written by Austinite author Robert Jackson Bennett. I became aware of this series because I recently read Mr. Bennett's novel, The Tainted Cup, for my book club.  I liked The Tainted Cup well enough to look into the other novels Mr. Bennett has written.

When I read the premise of City of Stairs, book one in the trilogy, I did so with no intention of definitively reading the other two in the series.  I was intrigued by what the first book seemed to be about and I ended up enjoying it very much. I read, or rather listened, to the other two books, and was equally entertained and enjoyed them as well.

The world building of this trilogy is quite well done, and Mr. Bennett explores many interesting themes throughout the three books.  These themes include the nature of war, belief, oppression, trauma, and all the various aftermaths. One of the reasons the books are so good, is that this is done so on a very human and relatable level, which, considering the overarching themes of the books, would have been difficult in less capable hands.

The basic theme, or world, that the reader is thrust into, is a world where divinities are real; and they ruled a continent, uplifting the people who lived there, and enslaved the peoples of a large island nation. The enslaved eventually rise up and their champion slays the divinities.  With these divine deaths, miracles break and/or end, the power balance shifts, and the world is turned topsy turvy.  The first book starts about 70+ years after the divinities are killed.

I thought that I wouldn't necessarily enjoy the second book The City of Blades, and the third book, The City of Miracles as much as the first, but I was wrong. I loved all three books, both individually and as a unified whole. I thought the trilogy ended really well and I was satisfied with its ending.

If you read this unasked for book review, this trilogy is one that I highly recommend.