The City in the Middle of the Night

by

Paperback, 368 pages

Published Feb. 11, 2020 by Tor Books.

ISBN:
978-0-7653-7997-9
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3 stars (6 reviews)

Would you give up everything to change the world?

Humanity clings to life on January – a colonized planet divided between permanently frozen darkness on one side, and blazing endless sunshine on the other.

Two cities, built long ago in the meager temperate zone, serve as the last bastions of civilization – but life inside them is just as dangerous as the uninhabitable wastelands outside.

Sophie, a young student from the wrong side of Xiosphant city, is exiled into the dark after being part of a failed revolution. But she survives--with the help of a mysterious savior from beneath the ice.

Burdened with a dangerous, painful secret, Sophie and her ragtag group of exiles face the ultimate challenge – and they are running out of time.

Welcome to the City in the Middle of the Night

7 editions

reviewed The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

Review of 'The City in the Middle of the Night' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Interesting read this one. It took me a while to get through it, but in the end the world building was compelling enough to keep me interested, even if I didn't entirely get on with the writing style to begin with.

I have to commend the author for conjuring such a unique setting... the more I read the more I wanted to know about the histories of the two cities, the story of the mothership, and the mystery of the 'crocodiles'. It wasn't without annoyances though... the whole Bianca/Sophie dynamic was fascinating to begin with but became infuriating by the end. Mouth's arc felt more satisfying, but in the end the whole story kind of felt like it finished before it really got started. I read (after finishing it) that it's a standalone, which, frankly, shocked me, since I was sure it was going to be the start of a …

reviewed City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

Review of 'City in the Middle of the Night' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

This is a book which has potential, but doesn't seem to go anywhere. We get introduced to a bunch of human characters early on, as well as another species, and everything looks like it's setting things up for a decent story and then... nothing.

There's no real enemy or threat as such - the humans fight amongst themselves and the other species seems content to be left alone for the most part. The backstory of how people got to the planet sounds interesting but is left hanging with no further details.

Overall, this would work as the first book of a trilogy, but as a standalone novel not much happens and the ending is unfulfilling.

reviewed The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

Review of 'The City in the Middle of the Night' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Lord, this was a mess. 2 stars might imply that I didn't finish it but I did. It is just a 2 star book is all. Such a disappointment because her first book was exquisite. I am not going to stick the boot in by waxing eloquent here but suffice to say I cannot recommend. In fact, I recommend to avoid. That all being said, I will probably buy her next one as the first indicated a serious talent. Let's hope she finds her mojo again.

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2 stars
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5 stars

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