Book Review of Fallen City by Adrienne Young

Fallen City by Adrienne Young. Now, I know I’ve been away for a few minutes. I have missed a couple of days here and there, especially over the month of October. Hopefully not too many in November, but I was moving and had a whole bunch of stuff to not only pack but move. I did 99% of it by myself with my Mini Cooper.

I had two friends with medium-sized SUVs who helped me move a couple of things that wouldn’t fit in my car, but I have four more pieces left at the apartment that I should be getting over here on Friday. We’re 99% done. Those four pieces already have homes for where they’re supposed to go.

But we’re talking about books—you guys probably don’t care about my move and all that stuff, and I get it. So, let’s talk about Fallen City by Adrienne Young. I’ve read a couple of her adult mystery romantic fantasies, and they were really good.

But this doesn’t fall into that category. This one falls more into a fantasy romance with a bit of mythology. I mean, mythology is one of the genres it falls under, though I’m not certain how it really fits into that category.

Adrienne Young has also written Spells for Forgetting, which I think I covered on this channel, and Fable, which I read and really liked. A Sea of Unspoken Things was another one I read and enjoyed.

Those two—Spells for Forgetting and A Sea of Unspoken Things—are probably the most recent ones I’ve done, and they’re kind of adultish mysteries with undercurrents of drama. This one is different. It’s definitely much more in the fictional fantasy realm.

In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion a hundred years in the making. When a legionnaire falls in love with a magistrate’s daughter, their love threatens the fate of the city and the will of the gods.

Luca Matias has one purpose—to carry out the family name, maintaining his presence in the forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his novitiate with the city’s philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.

Maris Cacera was raised amidst the strategic maneuverings of the cathedral’s inner workings, and she knows what her future holds—a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last priestess who possessed the stolen magic of the old war have made her envision a different kind of future.

When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives. As secrets come to light and throw the city into chaos, Luca and Maris hatch a plot to create a calculated alliance that could tip the scales of power. But when an execution forces Luca to become the symbol of rebellion, he and Maris are thrown onto opposite sides of a holy war.

It was a little girthy, around 416 pages in hardcover. My audiobook was about 13 hours long. It’s expected to be published on November 4th, 2025, and it was pretty decent. I’d give it around four stars, maybe 3.75. Some of it was a bit predictable, and the star-crossed lovers trope felt a little overdone.

Fallen City was good, but it was hard to get into at first. The beginning felt slow, and the timeline kept flashing back and forth between present day and the past. That made it a little confusing, especially in audiobook format.

Maris is a cool character, but I liked Luca better. He never wanted to be a representative of power, but when his cruel uncle had no heirs, he adopted Luca to keep the family’s seat on the council. They don’t see eye to eye, and the uncle is awful, so I wasn’t sure why he chose Luca except for nepotism.

There’s a rebellion simmering under the surface, and both Maris and Luca believe change is needed. But the city’s traditions make change taboo. Their relationship feels like insta-love—every time they’re near each other, everything turns electric.

At times, it was too much yearning and pining for me. I found myself rolling my eyes and wishing we’d focus more on the rebellion than the romance.

Romance isn’t my favorite genre, so maybe I’m biased, but I prefer fantasy that’s more about world-building and adventure. The pacing picks up around the 25–30% mark once the tension starts to rise. There’s a section where Luca is outside the city and Maris is inside, both longing for each other as chaos unfolds.

One reviewer, Nilifer Osmechic, said the book is more than a fantasy novel—it’s an emotional journey about love, loss, and fighting for something bigger than yourself. That’s a little exaggerated but not far off.

I gave it four stars; they gave it five. The world-building was a bit slow, but I don’t know how it could’ve been done much better. The rebellion theme was interesting but not fully developed. I wasn’t entirely sure what the fight was really about except for power and bloodlines.

The audiobook was well done, but maybe the e-book would’ve been better for tracking the timelines. Another reviewer, Lyanna, said it gives off Greco-Roman city vibes and has elements of ancient antiquity. That actually makes sense now that I think about it.

Overall, it’s supposed to be a duology, and I’ll probably read the second book just to see how it goes. I hope the author finds a better balance next time—the romance and rebellion were both fine on their own but felt forced together. Star-crossed lovers on opposite sides of a war don’t always work for me, but that’s just my opinion.

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