Review Detail

DIAMOND CITY follows Aina, an assassin. Aina was out on the streets as a young child, when her parents were murdered for being Inosen (a religion that includes magic in its practice and was outlawed). She works for a crime house run by Kohl, the man who saved her from a building that was about to explode when she was a child. Now, she does her job and hopes one day to start her own house for the freedom.

Kohl has given her a major case with a major payout- not only is it a lot of money, but she would also get his blessing to start her own house, something of which she had long dreamed. However, the hit is on a Steel, the upper class who are well-guarded and hard to approach. Taking along her BFF, Teo, in exchange for half of the monetary reward, she attempts the hit. This launches a series of events that open her eyes to the truth of Kohl and the corrupt city in which she lives.

What I loved: Aina is a really fantastic character, and it was really great to see her growth and strength. We do really get see an assassin working, and not just one with a secret heart of gold. She is good at what she does, albeit not infallible- and committed to buying her freedom through her kills. Teo is another great character who does what he has to in order to buy the medicine his mother needs, and he is really swoon-worthy- though I did appreciate that they were just friends. There's a light maybe romance in the book (and crushes), but it's so background and not developed that you could ignore it and focus on the plot.

There are some interesting themes about wealth distribution, religion/cultural suppression, and corrupt leadership that will speak to modern readers and can be quite thought-provoking.

What left me wanting more: The religion and city are really interesting, and I felt like we only got glimpses of them. I would have liked to learn even more about this world. There are also places where the plot really slows down and then jolts to lightning speed. I was left with whiplash a few times and had to backtrack to try to follow. The book felt like it was hitting its stride towards the end, so I imagine the next book will be stronger.

Final verdict: A fresh new YA fantasy, DIAMOND CITY is an intriguing story about assassins, with interesting themes about corrupt politics, and religious/cultural suppression.