This was a really interesting sci-fi, with some noir vibes. I did expect it to be a bit more sci-fi, so the fantasy elements surprised me a bit, but I did think it worked well in this story.

There are quite a few POV's, which was really interesting because you got to see the different perspectives, motives, backgrounds and collect all those puzzle pieces. There were, however, too many characters to really form a connection to anyone. So I felt a bit indifferent to the things that happened to them.
I was also a bit disoriented during some of the chapters. We often get a flashback, but it's not really clear it's a flashback or a memory until we return to the scene at hand. So halfway through a scene I find myself in a wildly different scenario (which, yes, I can usually figure out is an event that happened in the past) to find myself a page later transported back to the first scene. I think a different structure of the story or choosing to 'announce' the flashbacks (or put them in italics or something) would've been a better choice for this story, because those scenes often do add more depth to the story and/or character.

The worldbuilding was an interesting premise, and I would've loved to see it be expanded on more. The only thing I struggled with, are the words for time. They still use days, but also chime, turn, stretch, span, and it's not always clear out of the context what exactly it meant. Eventually (I think) I figured out that turn means year, but I'm not too sure about the others. This influence the impact certain sentences had. For example "she could've been here for a stretch!" (paraphrased) just doesn't do much if I don't know how long a stretch is.

I am a little dissatisfied about certain endings, but happy with other endings that were tied up neatly. So overall a solid 3 stars!

I am so sad that I didn't enjoy this book because the premise sounded so good. We follow the story told from 6 POVs, and the plot itself is very fast-paced. However, it starts like a murder mystery without the murder, and I liked that vibe, but I feel like we find out the answers way too quickly, and in the end, there is not a straight plot to it. Like, if you ask me to describe the book, I would give you a very ambiguous answer because if I were to truly tell you about it, I would describe the whole book in 10 minutes— cause there isn't a straight plot. I don't know how to explain it, but you get the point.

Anyways, my biggest problem is that (SPOILER, I think) there is a SA scene. It's very ambiguous, and I read that passage 7 times and I'm still not sure if it happened, but it made me uncomfortable because there was no reason to include a SA scene. ON TOP OF THAT, the person who allegedly committed the act was also SA'd when they were younger, so I really don't think they would do it to another person for various reasons.

All in all, if I exclude this scene (because I still don't know if it happened, but it was 100% implied) it was pretty interesting. I really enjoyed the initial magic system that was presented to us, but then it got more complex, which was cool. A part of the magic system is kinda like Jade City, but I actually liked this one more. Also, the entire magic system is interesting.

It has a pretty unique plot (even though it's all over the place), and I gathered that this is only book 1 of the series. I might check out book two when it is released, because all in all, it was enjoyable.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and I have not been influenced by the fact that this is an ARC.

*please add this book to Goodreads*

My time with New World City flew by! I was hooked getting to know the diverse roster of characters and learning about the city's culture and history cleverly woven throughout their stories. The action scenes are kinetic and fun, written with the same crisp style that makes everything feel vivid. It's a dark world that feels just familiar enough to be recognizable, yet filled with quirks and philosophical ideas that kept my curiosity engaged until the end. If you enjoy immersive worldbuilding with compelling characters, New World City's worth your time.