The City in Glass by Nghi Vo

TL;DR: This one is sneaky, it’s a slow read and deeply rooted in the psyche of our characters but it has a fascinating arc.
Source: Netgalley, Thank you to the publisher!!

Plot: A demon loves a city till a host of angels destroy it. She grieves her city as she grapples with the angel that stayed, seemingly cursed to her side.
Characters: Vitrine is our primary character. She is lost in grief for most the novel and she is a fascinating take on the ‘demon’ character. I really enjoyed her.
Setting: The ruins of a once great city. It was both sad and beautiful in turns.
Fantasy: As far as magic and the ‘fantasy’ of it I don’t think that was the focus so it’s overly strong. I’d consider this low magic, very much not of our world.

Thoughts:

I was half way through this book and though ‘I don’t know if I like this’. Then, as I finished and sat on it a while and it came together in my mind I realized that wow, that’s going to stick to me. The City in Glass is fascinating study of a woman trapped in grief for the city she lost. Vitrine is an immortal demon, one who has lived and grown her beloved Azril. Then it’s destroyed by a host of angels and she spirals into grief and anger.

We are limited to Vitrine, the entire story follows the grief maddened woman around the ruins of her city as she calls up ghosts and reflects on the lives and times lost. We also meet an angel who Vitrine cursed, and who finds himself trapped on the earth and with her in a way. The two have a fascinating, a tie that bonds them over the course of the novel till the bittersweet ending.

This is entirely a story of grief. Of loss, and memory and how we stumble and fall and struggle to rebuild after such devastation. The last half of the story begins to grow in hope and honestly by the end I was enthralled by this demon who I at times hated and other times loved. I reread that last chapter at least three times. It was a slow but beautiful burn. If you enjoy that type of a story this is a big recommendation – but it definitely won’t be for everyone!