The Cityborn - Hardcover

Willett, Edward

3.75

142 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0756411777 ISBN 13: 9780756411770

Publisher: DAW, 2017

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Two young individuals must uncover the dark secrets of their stratified city in this suspenseful sci-fi standalone

The metal City towers at the center of the mountain-ringed Heartland, standing astride the deep chasm of the Canyon like a malevolent giant, ruled with an iron fist by the First Officer and his Provosts in the name of the semi-mythical Captain. Within its corroding walls lies a stratified society, where the Officers dwell in luxury on the Twelfth Tier while the poor struggle to survive on the First and Second, and outcasts scrabble and fight for whatever they can find in the Middens, the City's rubbish heap, filling the Canyon beneath its dripping underbelly.

Alania, ward of an Officer, lives on Twelfth. Raised among the privileged class, Alania feels as though she is some sort of pampered prisoner, never permitted to explore the many levels of the City. And certainly not allowed to leave the confines of the City for any reason. She has everything a young woman could want except a loving family and personal freedom.

Danyl, raised by a scavenger, knows no home but the Middens. His day-to-day responsibility is to stay alive. His sole ambition is to escape from this subsistence existence and gain entrance to the City--so near and yet so far out of reach--in hopes of a better life.

Their two very different worlds collide when Alania, fleeing from an unexpected ambush, plunges from the heights of the City down to the Middens, and into Danyl's life.

Almost immediately, both of them find themselves pursued by the First Officer's Provosts, for reasons they cannot fathom--but which they must uncover if they are to survive. The secrets they unlock, as they flee the Canyon and crisscross the Heartland from the City's farmlands to the mountains of the north and back again, will determine not only their fate, but the fate of the City...and everyone who lives there.

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Review:

Praise for Edward Willett's science fiction:

"Willett brings J.G. Ballard's High-Rise into the distant space age in this dystopian tale of class, power and freedom that will entertain devotees and non-genre fans alike." --RT Reviews

"Willett wraps his capable new adult science fiction adventure around the fate of a mysterious many-tiered city and its inhabitants.... Willett's spunky protagonists and colorful world will entertain SF adventure fans." --Publishers Weekly

"Set in a metal city at the center of the mountain ringed Heartland, The Cityborn is sprawling space opera centering on Alania, born to the City's privileged caste, and Danyl, a lowborn scavenger.... This is one suspenseful sci-fi thriller not to be missed." --Unbound Worlds

"Their moral dilemma is only one of the reasons this novel is so fascinating. The Selkie culture and infrastructure is very picturesque and easily pictured by readers who will want to visit his exotic world." --Midwest Book Review

"Mr. Willett blends science fiction with heavy religious beliefs into a well-written storyline that's filled with dramatic scenery and character detail. Sci-fi and fantasy fans should find this story full and entertaining." --Darque Reviews

"An intriguing take on genetic modification.... A very good read." --Night Owl Reviews

"The author was constantly surprising me, which doesn't happen often, twisting the usual sci-fi conventions into more than just a shoot 'em up space opera. Edward Willett has created people, personalities with belief systems and misguided judgments who make mistakes in trying to do what they believe is right." --Boomtron

"Terra Insegura is an action-packed thrill-ride...a novel that knows it is good science fiction and isn't afraid to show it...science fiction at its best." --Fantasy & SciFi Lovin' News & Reviews

"Both of Willett's books in this series have a wonderful, driving pace, which, when coupled with multiple well-rounded characters and fascinating stories, make wonderful, captivating books that deserve to be read over and over." --Book Chick

About the Author:

Edward Willett is the award-winning author of more than fifty books of science fiction, fantasy, and non-fiction for adults, young adults, and children. Born in New Mexico, he moved to Weyburn, Saskatchewan, from Texas as a child, and now lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, with his wife, Margaret Anne Hodges, P.Eng., their teenaged daughter, Alice, and their black Siberian cat, Shadowpaw. Ed received the Aurora Award for best Canadian science fiction novel in English in 2009 for Marseguro (DAW Books); its sequel, Terra Insegura, was short-listed for the same award. Ed has also written for DAW as Lee Arthur Chane (Magebane) and E.C. Blake (The Masks of Aygrima trilogy). In addition to writing, Ed is an actor and singer who has appeared in numerous plays, musicals, and operas, both professionally and just for fun. He can be found at edwardwillett.com.

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