Heart of Tartarus by Lucy Smoke – A Book Review

Posted March 27, 2020 by Booksandblurbs in Dystopian, Reverse Harem, Reviews, Sci-Fi / 0 Comments

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Heart of Tartarus

(The Sky Cities Series – Book 1)

by Lucy Smoke
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Sci-Fi, Slow Burn RH
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down & Dirty

A Dystopian future set in the sky, this series hits all the right spots while tossing a melodic tone that weaves an emotional ballad of pain and hope. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

On Tartarus I was born…

Soaked in power and secrets—Tartarus is a city for rebels, exiles, and criminals. As a messenger, every shadow is my friend. I know all the secrets of this place. Or, at least, I thought I did. When my best friend, Kida, goes missing, I don’t waste any time assuming her identity to draw her or whoever took her, out of hiding.

On Tartarus I will die…

As I search for Kida’s whereabouts, Tartarus’ most dangerous gang—The Tanks—are slowly rising out of the chromework, growing more and more powerful. Every instinct in my body is screaming for me to run, to save myself, but I can’t—not without Kida. If I have to set the city ablaze just to get her attention, I will. And if the fire doesn’t kill me, the secrets I uncover just might.

Note:

***THIS COPY CONTAINS BOOK 1 AND 1.5 OF THE SKY CITIES SERIES***
***THIS IS A REVERSE HAREM TITLE***

Thoughts on Heart of Tartarus

For a Futuristic Dystopian landscape, there is far less action included in these pages than I would expect – and far more of a lyrical, emotional ambiance. There is action, of course, just a bit less, and there is time to breathe between the scenes, allowing the knowledge presented to meld into a solid picture.

The characters are intriguing, though not quite fully formed yet. The potential is there, and the scars are becoming clearer, as is the direction this group will eventually fall. It’s beautiful, in a painful kind of way – and it IS painful. Events happen that just flat out hurt, and the descriptions of grief that imbue the Novella at the end made my heart hurt with their rawness.

All in all, this is a vivid and well wrought world, one I can’t wait to continue exploring in Book 2.

Favorite Lines

“When all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.” ― E.A. Bucchianeri (76%)

“There’s very little comfort for grief,” he replies. (84%)

Pros:

Well written.
There is a way that Lucy Smokes twists a phrase or describes the mundane that simply impresses.
Well woven plot.
The emotional component… ah.
Quick silver characters.