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Last Smile in Sunder City
Last Smile in Sunder City | Luke Arnold
5 posts | 7 read | 7 to read
A former soldier turned PI tries to help the fantasy creatures whose lives he ruined in a world that's lost its magic in a compelling debut fantasy by Black Sails actor Luke Arnold. Welcome to Sunder City. The magic is gone but the monsters remain.I'm Fetch Phillips, just like it says on the window. There are a few things you should know before you hire me: 1. Sobriety costs extra.2. My services are confidential.3. I don't work for humans. It's nothing personal--I'm human myself. But after what happened, to the magic, it's not the humans who need my help. Walk the streets of Sunder City and meet Fetch, his magical clients, and a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.
LibraryThing
review
RaeLovesToRead
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Mehso-so

Have just finished the first of my Litsyversary recs 😊 Thanks for suggesting Last Smile @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage 💕

It wasn't always my cup of tea, but I did enjoy it more as the story went on, and fans of urban fantasy with a noir feel will be entertained!

I didn't like the MC much, and I kept having to re-read large passages because I'd fall asleep and forget what had happened 😅

Still, easy to read and nicely noir.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage Sorry you didn‘t love it, but thanks for giving it a try! 11mo
RaeLovesToRead @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage No, I'm sorry for being so hard to impress 😅 I really appreciate the recommendation! 🥰🥰 Also, love the new Litsy name. I'm all about the blankets and beverages too!!! 11mo
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage Lol thanks :) I won‘t recommend the rest of the trilogy to you, but I feel like these got better as we got to know all the characters more and the main character was redeemed at the end (in my eyes). There are so many good books out there, it‘s hard to pick one that will hit at the right time. Happy reading!😁 11mo
RaeLovesToRead @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage I would actually consider reading the others in future... 😁 11mo
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage 🥳 Rock on! 11mo
60 likes5 comments
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Twainy
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Pickpick

🎧 Humans seem to be the cause that magic has disappeared.

Fetch is human & has fled his walled human city to live among nonhumans.

A very old vampire teacher is missing. Fetch is hired to find him. And this is how this dark gumshoe periodesque novel begins.

I enjoyed this book & already bought book 2. It‘s dark, gritty, noir, in the vein of The Grimnoir Chronicles. A nice change of pace. Good narration.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

34 likes2 stack adds
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julesG
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That's my reaction to the German translation of the tagged book. I made it to page 8.

The book, an Urban Fantasy, might be good. Yet the German translation is abysmal. Right on page 1 the 'agony' of listening to someone babbling for ages is translated as 'Agonie', which in German means painful death throes (and nothing else). ⬇️

Yes, the author is the Australian actor, but I wasn't aware of it when I requested and started reading the ARC.

julesG Page 3 has the LITERAL translation of a phone's 'earpiece' instead of using the well-known German word for it. And... I just checked the English version - no mention of an earpiece at all... 3y
julesG I'd like to whack a mechanical typewriter around the translator's head. 3y
See All 6 Comments
TheKidUpstairs Sounds like someone just passed it through Google translate! 3y
julesG @TheKidUpstairs The translator seems to have a degree in English. 🙈🤦🏻‍♀️ 3y
Andrew65 Page 8! It must have been abysmal. Sounds an awful translation. 3y
57 likes6 comments
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ElleMNOpe
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Pickpick

A mashup of fable fantasy, John Grisham detective/mystery, & some kind of western adventure. Gritty & dark with a flawed pseudohero protagonist. Fetch is appropriately flawed & conflicted. Fun world building and excellent characters. Some wandering and extraneous plot that made bits a little slow, but the writing is direct & descriptive without being flowery. An intriguing story & a fun read. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

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SW-T
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Mehso-so

Didn‘t hate it, didn‘t love it. To me, Fetch came across as too generic, complete with a drinking problem, sordid past, and personal list of lines he won‘t cross. Lots of backstory and flashbacks to wade through, which made the book drag. Liked that there were lots of different creatures populating this world but otherwise it felt stale and recycled. First book and beginning of a new series, so who knows.

#urbanfantasy