The Shuddering City

As a fan of Sharon Shinn for more than 25 years, I was so happy to discover her first novel since 2019 (which feels like a lot more than four years ago). Her knack for distinctive but not byzantine world-building is still evident in this standalone fantasy/romance. It takes a while for the plot to kick into high gear, but the final 100 pages are more than worth the effort, bringing the disparate characters together in a race against time, and throwing the reader an unexpected curveball.

It might be a challenge to find a hard copy of this book, as it is published by small press, Fairwood. I'm glad someone still appreciates the strength of her writing. The “Big Five” may have forsaken her, but her followers remain loyal.