In the City of Stone, where magic is might and shadows hold secrets, Kasperi Ironstone is about to become the key to an Empire’s salvation—or its downfall.
Caught stealing to provide a better life for his little brother and sent to the dreaded labour camps, Kas emerges eight years later to a world on the brink of war, and a long-lost brother who now leads a rebellion.
As an unstoppable army threatens to invade, Kas and his band of unlikely allies must navigate a web of political intrigue and sabotage to expose a traitor and unite the fractured realm before it’s too late.
But when a shocking betrayal hits close to home, Kas is forced to choose between the brother he loves and the fate of the realm. Will Kas embrace his duty or let the Empire fall?
Fans of Brandon Sanderson and Brent Weeks will love this action-packed tale of magic, intrigue, and the unbreakable bonds of family.
City of Stone is the kind of book that sneaks up on you. A story of young people finding each other after years of brutal labor camps, it builds its strength quietly, through found family, warmth, and characters you genuinely want to root for. Our judges had plenty to say about it, and more than one found themselves reading well past their intended stopping point. Here is what wethought.
EG:
I really wanted to get into this book. It has rebellion, potential for political situations and manoeuvring, which I love, and a wide cast of characters. But at 50% I just was so bored. The character dynamics were spelled out over and over again, as though I couldn’t follow what was going on. It led to various plot twists being quite obvious. And the characters that I thought were interesting were instead just angry or childish and I lost interest. It has potential, but I got bored and didn’t care about how it would turn out.
Maureen:
I loved this book- I’m a sucker for found family.
There were layers upon layers of plotting. All the major players had a plan, a scheme, or an agenda. Judging from where things were left, we’ll see a lot more of it in the follow-up books.
Kaz wants to save his brother, who just wants to be badass-in-charge. Emelia wants to bring down the Empire— or does she? Cassandra wishes to rule without the old farts in the back stymying her plans. Francisco hopes for peace— I think.
The world-building was completed without info-dumps; the various cities and towns laid out, along with their political machinations and affiliation to our heroes. While I’m still a bit unclear on how some of the magic works, I’ve got a decent handle on it.
Pacing was likewise great— something was always afoot, even in the mines where prisoners did the same thing day in, day out. The last few chapters, in particular, were frenetic.
Terrific book, looking forward to the next.
Julia:
This is one of those books I really enjoyed while reading, the kind I moved through in long stretches without losing interest. It has a strong emotional core, a cast that’s easy to care about, and a clear love for found family and loyalty. I liked it a lot, even when I could see the rough edges.
The story follows a group of young people who survive years in brutal labor camps with their magic bound, and then have to figure out who they are once they’re free. What stood out to me most was the way they come together. They are all from different backgrounds, different peoples, different experiences, and yet the bond between them feels natural and warm. The banter, friendship, and quiet loyalty are some of the book’s biggest strengths, and they carried me through the whole story.
One thing I really appreciated was how calmly and kindly the book treats unlearning. Kas starts out very empire centric in the way he thinks and speaks, using the names he grew up with for other peoples. Over time, he learns that those names can be hurtful or dismissive, and that groups like the Jatte and the Kikachi have their own names for themselves. Once he realises this, he simply makes an effort to do better. It’s not framed as a big moral moment, just a quiet adjustment, learning and respecting what matters to others.
The same approach shows up in more personal moments too. The book is very light on romance, which I loved. There is a bit of attraction here and there, mostly the awkwardness of young people figuring themselves out, but it never takes over the story. One scene in particular worked really well for me, when a character assumes romantic interest, gets corrected, blushes, apologises, and accepts it. There’s a touch of first attempts at love awkwardness, but it stays gentle and kind. It’s about friends recalibrating, teasing a little, and moving on. LGBT existence isn’t turned into a source of drama, just something that requires a moment of rethinking and adjustment between people who care about each other. That baseline of acceptance and willingness to learn felt genuinely comforting to read.
Alongside the main group, we also get POV chapters from a young empress trying to rule while surrounded by nobles who would rather protect their own power and wealth than care for their people. She’s lonely, sharp, and deeply frustrated by entitlement and patriarchy, and I found her chapters engaging and emotionally grounded. They add political weight to the story and show how difficult it is to do the right thing inside a system built to resist change.
There is also a POV from the opposing side, which I liked in theory for the added perspective and moral tension. Seeing the world through different eyes added an interesting contrast, even if that arc sometimes felt like it moved a little too quickly. The ideas behind it are strong, and I would have loved to see them given more space to unfold. This ties into a broader issue, as the book does sometimes feel a bit too easy. Conflicts resolve quickly, people often get along faster than expected, and answers tend to appear just when they’re needed. Nothing ever pulled me out of the story, but there were moments that made me pause with a raised eyebrow before continuing.
Overall, this is a book with a solid foundation, a lot of heart, and characters I genuinely enjoyed spending time with. It already shines in its found family, kindness, and emotional clarity, and that’s exactly why the rougher edges stood out to me. The frustration I felt came from caring, from seeing how close this story is to something truly excellent. With a bit more depth and polish, it could dazzle, and I’d happily follow these characters wherever the next book takes them.
Kerry:
I’d just be reiterating a lot of the points that Maureen, Julia and Stacey have made. It did take me a wee while to get wholly immersed but around the 15-20% mark I was engrossed and ended up reading it in one sitting. I desperately needed to find out what happened next so I promptly downloaded book 2 and then read that in its entirety as well (yay for insomnia). Looking forward to seeing where book 3 takes our disparate band of characters. Big shout out to the druids, in that they are not your average tree huggers, some are seriously disturbed and disturbing.
Stacey:
The opening has me interested. I’d totally be down to finish this one! Finished and will include my review – While certainly not perfect, this found family story had so much going for it I could ignore almost anything that needed a little polish. And that’s all that it needs, a little finesse, a little trim and it will be really good!
We open on Kas, our main character, trying to keep his brother both fed and out of trouble with the local gang. When little brother Soli manages to get himself into a situation that only Kas can get him out of, things go pretty badly for Kas. Caught to save him, Kas goes away for 8 long years.
We pick back up and the adventure really begins. Kas has some very good friends with him now but he really just wants to find his brother again! The book takes a turn when they reconnect and all is not what it should be. Solamon isn’t the same and Kas has trouble navigating that and the fact that the realm really needs a hero. One of my fav characters is Emilia, a Controller. Cool magic but even better, someone who wasn’t prepared to FEEL for the people she’s seeing around her. Her journey and learning are a highlight for me. With several POV’s we see a few sides of the story develop and eventually all come together. There is magic but it’s not the core of the novel….people and relationships are. I love that.
City of Stone will keep you turning really enjoyable pages! I’m excited to continue the series.
Our judges this year Adawia Asad, Eva Geraghty, Evelyn Grimald “E.G.” Stone, Julia Kitvaria Sarene, Karen Lucia, Kerry Smith, Kit Caelsto, Maureen Neuman, Robert Max Freeman, Sara Rosevear, Sherry Cammer, Stacey Markle, Tianna Twyman, and Yaniv Rosenfeld Cohen. If you’d like to learn more about us, including our likes and dislikes, you can read about them here. And again, you can learn more about the contest here.
Any queries should be directed to the editor, Jennie Ivins, via DM (Bluesky/Threads).
Aly Noel