Although a street urchin, Jay’s abilities mean that she could potentially have secured a home studying to strengthen her powers, everyone dismisses that as an option for her without any adequate explanation. There were aspects of the worldbuilding that I felt could have been stronger. While quirky at the beginning, Rath’s apparent refusal to acknowledge the extent to which he has welcomed Jay into his life begins to lose its impact. However, it is a slow-paced novel, and at times West’s painstaking review of the intricacies of each relationship feels like it stalls the story. It is a high stakes novel, and West is not afraid of pushing her characters and their loyalties to their limits. I particularly liked Carver, and how West wove a bit of mystery around his background and why he was there at the right time. I really enjoyed the other children who steadily trickled into Jay’s life, and how she slowly coaxes them out of their shells and unites them. Despite Rath’s initial denial, the bond between him and Jay steadily strengthens and they each begin to have a profound effect on one another. This is a deliberate, thoughtful novel with a strong focus on character development and morality. However, Rath’s clandestine activities retrieving treasures from a forgotten city, Jay’s untested powers and an unspeakable crime ring reveal many more children in need of help and a growing danger that could threaten the entire world as they know it. As the unlikely pair form a mentor-mentee bond, Jay begins to share her newfound fortune with other street children. When she tries to rob the mysterious and reclusive Rath, his attempts to reclaim his goods end up with him reluctantly taking a very sick Jay in. The book is about a young homeless girl named Jewel, who insists on being called Jay. “The Hidden City” by Michelle West is an epic fantasy novel and the first in the series called “The House War”. Outside the triangle are flowers made of stone.

The cover has an image of a girl with curly hair holding a blade set inside a triangle. The paperback novel is resting on a wooden table next to a carved bowl and below a knife with a burnished blade and a wooden handle. Image is of “The Hidden City” by Michelle West. Anyway, these books have been collecting dust for way too long so it was time to at least read the first one. I’ve donated over a few years, and one year was lucky enough to win a prize! I talk about it in much more depth in a podcast episode. Money donated goes to Heifer International, and each US$10 you donate secures you an entry in their lottery. I actually won 6 books in this series in the annual Worldbuilders fundraiser. I am still chipping away at my to-read shelf, and in my efforts to tackle some of the fantasy books I have had lying around for some time, I remembered I had this one. Epic fantasy about an orphan girl and a forgotten city

The Hidden City by Michelle West