Heart of Tartarus

Sky Cities Series, Book 1

By: Lucy Smoke

Narrated by: Lisa Larsen

On Tartarus I was born...

Soaked in power and secrets, Tartarus is a city for rebels, exiles, and criminals. As a messenger, every shadow is my friend. I know all the secrets of this place. Or, at least, I thought I did. When my best friend, Kida, goes missing, I don't waste any time assuming her identity to draw her or whoever took her, out of hiding.

On Tartarus I will die...

As I search for Kida's whereabouts, Tartarus's most dangerous gang - The Tanks - are slowly rising out of the chromework, growing more and more powerful. Every instinct in my body is screaming for me to run, to save myself, but I can't - not without Kida. If I have to set the city ablaze just to get her attention, I will. And if the fire doesn't kill me, the secrets I uncover just might.

Contains mature themes.

©2018 Lucy Smoke LLC (P)2019 Tantor

Great start to a new series!

When Cassandra's partner, Kida, goes missing, Cassandra will stop at nothing to find her...even if it means taking on her identity. The only problem is, doing so brings on the wrong kind of attention and suddenly she's surrounded by a group of men who are dragging her in. This was a solid start to the series though it's definitely a slow-burn and not a lot has happened yet between her and the guys. I look forward to reading more and seeing where it goes.

Meh

I was expecting better from Lucy Smoke. Lots of dialogue, very little action, lots of conversations about grief.

Great story with powerful themes!

*Contains some small spoilers, but important if you are considering reading.
I LOVED this book! Yes, at the beginning of the book the FMC is in a f/f relationship, but by the end of the first book you can see how the harem is starting to form and the FMC is no longer with her girlfriend. Eventually, this is going to be a five book series and clearly it is a slow burn. Also, two of the guys in the potential harem are into each other, this isn't something unique to this book in the RH genre. Those two guys also haven't addressed this with each other yet, and I thought the fact that the FMC was in a previous same-sex relationship helps explain why she's so willing to embrace theirs (even within the future harem) and help them come out to each other.

Anyways, I thought the story was intriguing and enjoyed the action. There is incredible world-building, unexpected twists and turns, and a great cast of characters. I especially liked that the FMC was badass and sassy. Plus, I appreciated the LGBT and grief themes. They really spoke to me and made me enjoy the story all the more!

I listened to this in audiobook and give the narrator a 4/5.

Interesting

A feel of fifth element with flying cars and a broken world. Fighting the patriarchy

Interesting story

This could’ve been a million bucks instead was a bit repetitive and shallow in terms of world building and characterization. What they did go in depth on felt hollow. I will listen to the second in Hopes that it gets better.