The City in Glass

Author: Nghi Vo

Genre: Fantasy

Format: Digital ARC

Publish Date: October 2024

Read: June 2024

Favorite Quote: The city in the south would go the way of limestone, crumbling into the desert until nothing was left but an archaeological layer of dark gray ash and sorrow.

Story Synopsis: Vitrine is a demon - ancient and powerful - who loves her city of Azril more than anything. Over the centuries, she walked among Azril’s people, accepting their offerings, matchmaking, and raising the city like a mother raises a child.

When the angels come, Azril is destroyed in front of Vitrine’s eyes.

Vitrine diligently kept a book of names in a safe place of all the humans she loved over the years. After the destruction of Azril, the book is all she has left… the book and a wingless angel whom she cursed to never leave the city he destroyed.

As Vitrine mourns her city and begins to rebuild, she finds herself locked in both love and hatred with the angel. Together, they shape a new Azril and help its inhabitants with new challenges and new humans to love. When war approaches Azril’s borders again, Vitrine and the angel must determine how their interactions will shape their lives and those residing in Azril.

Why does this book beguile? I was super excited to read this book because it’s not every day you find a standalone fantasy novel - especially one that’s short! The City in Glass is beautifully written: descriptive and immersive. I enjoyed how the main character was a demon who lived for centuries and each of the humans she interacted with was a blip on her radar of living. Vo does an excellent job of building the tension between Vitrine (the demon) and the angel counterpart to create a will-they-won’t-they/enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies situation, and you don’t know where anything will fall. The City in Glass by Nghi Vo is a different and short fantasy novel that all high fantasy readers will enjoy.

Rating: 4/5

Link*: The City in Glass by Nghi Vo

If you’re interested in this, read*: Siren Queen by Nghi Vo