Publishers Weekly
11/24/2014
This dense, overwritten fantasy novel reunites the ragtag crew of adventurers from Sykes’s Aeons’ Gate series (Tome of the Undergates, etc.). Done with adventuring and the requisite tally of murders, Lenk—a hardcore killer with an incongruously sweet face—wants out, and he needs his team to help him collect his final payday. Unfortunately, things do not exactly go to plan, and it’s up to this comically inappropriate group to save the day as their city descends into chaos and ruin. The fantastical, dangerous world and the creatures that populate it are packed with potential, different enough from standard fantasy fare to be exciting. The delivery is less appealing; Sykes struggles to get a handle on non-human perspectives and the mindset of people who kill for money, and characterization is inconsistent. Meanwhile, the potential for a rousing and gritty adventure is disappointingly smothered by pages of repetitive and meandering narrative. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
"Action fantasy with soul-albeit a small, dirty, funny soul."—Brent Weeks
"Insouciant, unrepentant and irrepressible adventurers in a powder keg of a city. And that's just how the story begins."—Robin Hobb
"Sykes has put the fun back in fantasy with fantastical creatures and a lovable crew of malcontents. The City Stained Red is like David Eddings meets Conan the Barbarian."—Brian McClellan, author of Promise of Blood
"Sam Sykes continues to reinvent the fantasy adventuring party in a vibrant world of rude magic and good intentions gone bad. Bold and exuberant, never cynical, Sykes fights the good fight on behalf of rich fantasy that nonetheless refuses to apologize for being kick-ass fun."—Scott Lynch
"Playful language, distinctly drawn characters, and a cavalcade of action."—SF Signal
"An entertaining blend of classic adventure and inventive inspiration."—Juliet E. McKenna, author of The Thief's Gamble
"Excitement, vivacity, and sly wit... simply impossible not to enjoy."—RT Book Reviews (4.5 Stars)
"This brash, prolific wordsmith has a natural eloquence that grabbed my attention and refused to let go."—Locus
Library Journal
12/01/2014
A small group of adventurers is heading for the city of Cier'Djaal to collect on a debt, but they could not have chosen a more dangerous time. The city is about to erupt in violence, as the local criminal gangs are taking to the streets, the nonhuman residents are restless, and the forces from two foreign powers are squaring up for a battle right in the middle of town. Lenk and his companions get in trouble together and separately as they sort through who is stirring Cier'Djaal to violence, and to what end. VERDICT A dark fantasy with humor and lots of action, this should appeal to fans of Scott Lynch or Joe Abercrombie. Bringing back characters from his earlier "Aeon's Gate" series (Tome of the Undergates), Sykes deftly introduces his world to first-time readers and is setting up the rest of what is sure to be an exciting new series.
Kirkus Reviews
2014-12-07
A new entry in the grimdark fantasy genre begins with this follow-up to the Aeons' Gate trilogy (The Skybound Sea, 2012, etc.). The priest Miron Evenhands has yet to pay the swordsman Lenk and his band of adventurers for services rendered, so they track their elusive employer to Cier'Djaal, a corrupt, teeming city on the brink of civil war. As the forces of two opposing gods square off, both the wealthy fashas who rule the city and a powerful criminal guild struggle to reassert control, but all are helpless before the Khovura, an insane cult bent on resurrecting the demons. Lenk just wants his gold so he can retire, but he and his companions are unavoidably caught up in the city's bloody chaos. And soon they discover that Miron is not whom he seemed to be. The author attempts to give his characters depth by loading them up with dark secrets, which he then hastens to reveal as quickly as possible, leaching them of their dramatic power. Sadly, the protagonists—the cynical, weary swordsman; the priestess struggling with her faith; the brash young wizard; the feral warrior woman; and the dragonman who's the last of his kind—simply lack the emotional texture that would make them real people instead of stock fantasy figures seemingly drawn straight from a role-playing game manual. Foes pursue them, whereupon they fight, they argue, separate to their own affairs, reunite and begin the process again. There's an attempt to create tension through Lenk's conflicted desire to lay down his sword; but we know he won't for now, because the series wouldn't be very interesting if he does. It's not clear if the series will be all that interesting if he doesn't, either. A great deal of shouting, soul-searching and swordplay adding up to nothing very much.
