- #1
The novel City of Witches offers an intriguing premise of a genius mathematician getting stranded in a secret city of witches after a plane crash. He learns to use magic in order to try to escape. The worldbuilding seems very immersive and imaginative, with good attention to detail in establishing the workings of the witch city. I appreciate how rigid and ruthless the hierarchy is.The plot seems to start off slower paced, focused on the main character's backstory and daily life in the city, but apparently picks up later. This type of slow story-telling always tends to pay-off well later, so let's be patient, shall we?The characters, especially the female heroines, are described as well-developed and distinctly charismatic. The s*xual relationships MC has with the witches are a significant part of the plot, which may appeal to some readers more than others. The erot*c scenes are well done and not cringeworthy as most tend to be.One con is that the magic system seems very complicated yet the story doesn't try to make you understand it in simple terms. Its like teaching algebra to a child who can't count to 10. I would have appreciated the author to start from scratch and teach how the magic system works.Overall, City of Witches appears to offer an original fantasy premise exploring the idea of a male witch protagonist set in an imaginative secret world. While the plot pace may start slower, the worldbuilding and character dynamics seem to improve as the story progresses. For readers who enjoy fantasy with creative worldbuilding and a mix of action and smutty elements, City of Witches could be an interesting new read.