City of Shattered Light

De: Claire Winn

Narrado por: Sarah Beth Pfeifer

As heiress to a powerful tech empire, 17-year-old Asa Almeida strives to prove she's more than her manipulative father's shadow. But when he uploads her rebellious sister's mind to an experimental brain, Asa will do anything to save her sister from reprogramming - including fleeing her predetermined future with her sister's digitized mind in tow. With a bounty on her head and a rogue AI hunting her, Asa's getaway ship crash-lands in the worst possible place: the neon-drenched outlaw paradise Requiem.

Gunslinging smuggler Riven Hawthorne is determined to claw her way up Requiem's underworld hierarchy. A runaway rich girl is exactly what the bounty Riven needs - until a nasty computer virus spreads in Asa's wake, causing a citywide blackout and tech quarantine. To get the payout for Asa and save Requiem from the monster in its circuits, Riven must team up with her captive.

Riven breaks skulls the way Asa breaks circuits, but their opponent is unlike anything they've ever seen. The AI exploits the girls' darkest memories and deepest secrets, threatening to shatter the fragile alliance they're both depending on. As one of Requiem's 154-hour nights grows darker, the girls must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other before Riven's city and Asa's sister are snuffed out forever.

©2021 Claire Winn (P)2021 Tantor

Queer adventure in space

I can’t wait for the next book! This was a fun adventure; everything I wanted in a story: queer folks running around in space wreaking havoc.

Definitely worth a listen!

Has a great cyber punk vibe with out getting to lost in technical jargon. Has great potential in world building and overall story. Love me a good “found family” story!

A fun cyberpunk tale.

The story overall was quite good. I really enjoyed some of the twists and turns. There is a full world waiting to be explored with many characters that leave many future options open. The narrator did a great job at expressing the characters feeling and individual personalities.

Great Scifi Thriller

Gripping story that I couldn't stop listening to. Great narrator performance too! The setting feels real and lived in and the characters have compelling intersecting arcs.

A thrilling debut!

City of Shattered Light bleeds neon, chrome, and non-stop action from cover to cover. A solid debut that sets the stage for an exciting series of novels with diverse cast of characters. Cyberpunk fans will be right at home with this story.

Great story!

Super creative story. Great characters, strong women! Narrator is a little one-note. Always sounds like she's whining or under tension, even during parts of the story that were peaceful or happy.

Far too YA for good sci-fi

As much as I enjoy a good space adventure, too much time was spent upon the inner “turmoil” of the main characters, one too pompous at not being dead for half her own stupidity and the other’s lack of common sense in lieu of her technological genius. I kept waiting to see if the story would show off the actual expertise of the characters but neither grew out of random teenage luck.

For young adult fans, this may work. For fans of the genre like Star Wars, Star Trek or even Galaxy Quest, this isn’t the book you’re looking for.