City of Miracles (2017)   Robert Jackson Bennett

Sigrud je Harkvaldsson

The “Man”

I have to say that Sigrud has been my favorite character in the Divine Cities Trilogy.   He just gets Stuff done.  You have a divine sea monster in your river send Sigrud.  When the monster swallows him whole (sending him to a personal Hell)  he will carve his way out killing the monstor in the process.  That is classic Sigrud. 

In this story we see Sigrud working as a logger as one of the odd jobs that he has been doing anonymously since the end of City of Blades – 13 years.  The apparent assassination of Shara Komayd brings him back to action.  He is driven to find out who did this to his former employer and friend.  He eventually runs into a near divinity – Nokov – a child of the original divinities   -  Jokov and Ovos. Nokov is the embodiment of the first night.  He grows more powerful by swallowing other children of divinities. His goal is to turn the world into a black night.   Shara’s adopted daughter Taty is taken under Sigrud’s wing and protected but we know there is more to her then we see.

The real story though is the transformation of Sigrud from a noble man of action to a happy old philosopher.  Sad.  I really liked the old Sigrud and hoped he would good down fighting rather than as a whimper.  However, I would guess that most people will like Bennett’s conclusion to this trilogy better than I do.  Conclusion?  I don’t know.  There seems to be a lot of open plot lines and interesting characters in this world that Bennett could tap for another volume or even another series.    

City of Miracles. -Robert Jackson Bennett

City of Stairs (2014)  Robert Jackson Bennett

It is worth reading the first book of Bennett’s Divine Cities Trilogy,  City of Stairs,  for the character Sigrud.  He is the “assistant” for our heroine,  Shara Komayd,  a Saypuri diplomat / spy who uncovers a political and supernatural plot in the continental capital of Bulikov.  The former home to a ragtag group of divinities who ruled most of this world in a capricious and ruthless manner.  Some unhinged people want to bring these godlike creatures back and Shara with the help of “Norse-like” Sigrud work to uncover and stifle this plot.  Shara and Sigrud have personal histories that we begin to see throughout the book that are as fascinating as the main plot.  Sigrud’s fight with the supernatural river-monster is epic.  Like Mona Bright in American Elsewhere Bennett draws terrific characters that are consistent in their actions in ways that are at first unexpected but upon reflection make perfect sense. 

City of Blades (2015) Robert Jackson Bennett

This story begins five years after the action in City of Stairs.  Shara Komayd plays only a small, distant role in the book.  Sigruid plays a significant, if somewhat unsatisfying role.  We are introduced to his daughter.  The lead character in City of Blades is General Turyin Mulaghesh. The action takes place in the continental city of Voortyashthan.  While a harbor is being built in the city to increase trade a new ore is found with remarkable – if not miraculous – properties.  Here we go again…   Bennett does much more than concoct a tale about long gone Gods who still have an effect on the present.  He brings a complex character like Mulaghesh alive through her back story and the choices she makes throughout the plot.  She is truly a much more interesting character then one would have thought from City of Stairs.

I found it interesting that the figure of the giant monstrous “mother” again echoes so similar to that seen in American Elsewhere.  Bennett must have some sort of mother concept.  Sigruid is apparently  featured in the City of Miracles climax which I am looking forward to.  This book leaves him on the run.

City of Blades (2015) Robert Jackson Bennett

City of Blades (2015) Robert Jackson Bennett

This story begins five years after the action in City of Stairs.  Shara Komayd plays only a small, distant role in the book.  Sigruid plays a significant, if somewhat unsatisfying role.  We are introduced to his daughter.  The lead character in City of Blades is General Turyin Mulaghesh. The action takes place in the continental city of Voortyashthan.  While a harbor is being built in the city to increase trade a new ore is found with remarkable – if not miraculous – properties.  Here we go again…   Bennett does much more than concoct a tale about long gone Gods who still have an effect on the present.  He brings a complex character like Mulaghesh alive through her back story and the choices she makes throughout the plot.  She is truly a much more interesting character then one would have thought from City of Stairs.

I found it interesting that the figure of the giant monstrous “mother” again echoes so similar to that seen in American Elsewhere.  Bennett must have some sort of mother concept.  Sigruid is apparently  featured in the City of Miracles climax which I am looking forward to.  This book leaves him on the run.

City of Stairs (2014). Robert Jackson Bennett

City of Stairs (2014) Robert Jackson Bennett

It is worth reading the first book of Bennett’s Divine Cities Trilogy,  City of Stairs,  for the character Sigrud.  He is the “assistant” for our heroine,  Shara Komayd,  a Saypuri diplomat / spy who uncovers a political and supernatural plot in the continental capital of Bulikov.  The former home to a ragtag group of divinities who ruled most of this world in a capricious and ruthless manner.  Some unhinged people want to bring these godlike creatures back and Shara with the help of “Norse-like” Sigrud work to uncover and stifle this plot.  Shara and Sigrud have personal histories that we begin to see throughout the book that are as fascinating as the main plot.  Sigrud’s fight with the supernatural river-monster is epic.  Like Mona Bright in American Elsewhere Bennett draws terrific characters that are consistent in their actions in ways that are at first unexpected but upon reflection make perfect sense.