Tarnished City by Vic James

Luke is a prisoner, condemned for a murder he didn’t commit. Abi is a fugitive, desperate to free him before magic breaks his mind. But as the Jardines tighten their grip on a turbulent Britain, brother and sister face a fight greater than their own. New alliances and old feuds will remake the nation, leaving Abi and Luke questioning everything – and everyone – they know. And as Silyen Jardine hungers for the forgotten Skill of the legendary Wonder King, the country’s darkest hour approaches. Freedom and knowledge both come at a cost. So who will pay the price?

After reading Gilded Cage, the first book in The Dark Gifts trilogy, I knew Tarnished City had a lot to live up to because I absolutely loved Gilded Cage. I am not going to lie I went into this book with very high expectations, too high if I’m honest, but Tarnished City smashed all my expectations and I couldn’t be happier. I loved every page every word, everything about this book made the series become one of my favourite book series of all time, and I still have the final book to read.

I don’t want to talk about the story too much because of it being the second book in a series anything I say could be potential spoilers. The story continues on from the end of Gilded Cage and immediately takes you back into the action and the world. I will say that some of the questions that you had at then end of Gilded Cage will be answered in this book, but as always with book series there is also new questions you want answered when you finish reading Tarnished City.

I will say is that I found the story to be just as exciting and just as engaging as the first book. I thought the world and the characters were developed even more than the first book and the more and more I read the more I felt like I knew the characters personally, and I had visited the places mentioned. I think this is down to how descriptive the writing is because when you start reading you feel as if you are there with the characters, experiencing what they are experiencing, and living in this world. I thought the tone of the book was darker than the first and there were definitely some shocking moments that left me speechless.

If you are looking for a new book series to completely take over your life then I would honestly say you need to check out The Dark Gifts Trilogy. I haven’t finished the series myself yet, I know that whatever happens in the final book will be spectacular, and bring this amazing series to a close. Even though I had some very high expectations for this book, Tarnished City is a wonderful read and a brilliant instalment to the series.

I rate this book 5/5 stars