Astonishingly good . . . a deep, powerful novel that's worth reading and rereading * Publishers Weekly, starred review *
One of the smartest second world fantasies out there and has some of the most memorable characters in recent memory * Wes Chu, The Chicago Review of Books *
Magnificent . . . City of Blades does everything a really good sequel should. If anything, it's a better book than its predecessor * Tor.com *
Surpasses its predecessor in almost all aspects . . . loud, bold and uncompromisingly ambitious and I wholeheartedly recommend it even if you haven't read City of Stairs * Upcoming4.me *
Does [City of Blades] live up to the Locus, World Fantasy, British Fantasy and GoodReads Choice Awards-nominated City of Stairs? Allow me to answer with an emphatic yes . . . Robert Jackson Bennett is one of the most talented authors writing in SFF today and this is his finest work to date' * Fantasy-Faction *
Robert Jackson Bennett deserves a huge audience. This is the book that will earn it for him. A story that draws you in, brilliant world building, and oh my God, Sigrud. You guys are going to love Sigrud. * Brent Weeks, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Black Prism on City of Stairs *
Building beautifully upon the richly detailed world introduced in the first book of the series, Bennett serves a stew of fantasy and adventure with a healthy dose of humor and a ladle full of violence * Library Journal, starred review *
Like the very best speculative fiction, City of Blades immerses readers in a made-up world, only to force us to take a harder look at the real one * Booklist *
Richly detailed and expertly plotted. A grand entertainment * Kirkus *
City of Blades is bolder and harder hitting in almost every aspect . . . perfection. This one gets a full five stars and my hearty recommendation * Bibliosanctum *
City of Blades has really left an impression and however much I try to write I feel like I can't do the book enough justice. It is so much more than just another Fantasy novel with gods, war and mystery * Draumr Kopa *
Bennett's most powerful book yet - an examination of deeper issues within an enthralling adventure fantasy tale as sharply crafted as any of the titular blades. 9/10 * Sci-fi Bulletin *
In a word, City of Blades is perfection. * The Bibliosanctum *
A superior work of secondary world epic fantasy . . . I would recommend City of Blades, and its predecessor, to anybody looking for an example of cutting edge, subversive and self-aware epic fantasy . . . I sincerely hope this will be a landmark trilogy that . . . will have a rippling effect on the epic fantasy genre for years to come. * SFFWorld *
An outstanding example of fantasy literature * Speculating on SpecFic *
City Of Stairs worked, primarily, for one big reason: The world Bennett had created was just awesome. [City of Blades] feels no less rich, no less realised . . . Read this first and then, if you fall just as hard for the world as I have, go back and read Stairs to get your fill of all the strangeness and wonderment * NPR.org *
Just as powerful as the first, and even stronger in significant ways . . . among the best novels of 2016 * SF Signal *
Hooked me from the first chapter and kept me reading at a frantic pace. I can honestly say I enjoyed it even more than the first * The Speculative Herald *