Fallen City by Adrienne Young Book Review

Title: Fallen City
Author: Adrienne Young
Publisher: Deluxe, Limited
Genre: Fantasy / Dystopian / Young Adult Fantasy
Year of Publication: 2025
Date of Publication: November 4, 2025
Pages: 416
ISBN-13: 978-1250794192
Audiobook Narrator: Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick and Leela Bassuk

Summary of Fallen City by Adrienne Young

Fallen City takes place in a city called Isara. In Isara, the city is divided into two unequal parts i.e. the Citadel District and the Lower City, which at the start of the book is already in rebellion.

In the Citadel, you have those who live in luxury and are considered higher born. At the top of this system is a Consul who together with those known as Magistrates, rule over both parts of Isara. Magistrates wield judgement stones and use those stones to control the fate of the city. Before rebellion broke out, there were 65 Magistrates who made up a tribunal and the system was set up in a way that when a Magistrate dies, their position passes to their heir and so, basically the same groups of people remain in the ruling class from one generation to the next.

The Citadel has thrived in terms of the fact that it has for over a hundred years, not suffered any famine, disease or wars. But that’s because many years ago, it had conquered another great city known as Valshad and had stolen a type of magic gifted from the gods, known as Godsblood, and bound this magic to its priestesses. A single drop of Godsblood gives the strength of the gods to mortals.

Things look a lot different in the Lower city, which is much larger than the Citadel. In the Lower City, that’s where you find everyone else who are essentially struggling to survive.

Even within the Citadel, there is a lot of politics at play between the Magistrates and their heirs and the need to balance opposing fractions and shifting alliances. A lot of the story focuses on the politics and the plotting of groups within the Citadel while other parts give readers a glimpse into the history behind the current rebellion and the forbidden romance between a legionnaire named Luca Matius, who is the face of rebellion and Maris Casperia, who is the daughter of a high-ranking Magistrate within the Citadel.

Both Luca and Maris want change for Isara but when we first meet them, they are on opposite sides of an ongoing war.

Main Plot & Characters

• Maris Casperia — A young woman raised within the highest ranks of power. As the daughter of Magistrate Seren Casperia, she carries the weight of expectation while questioning the system she was born to protect.
• Luca Matius — He was raised in the Lower City but after his adoption by his uncle, Magistrate Kastor Matius, Luca is forced into political prominence as heir to his powerful family. His position puts him at the center of the rising unrest and his relationship to Maris drives much of their conflict between duty, family obligation, and love.
• Magistrate Seren Casperia — She is Maris’s mother and a key political leader. Seren is one of the most powerful women in Isara and her actions shape the city’s future.
• Magistrate Kastor Matius — He is Magistrate Seren Casperia’s rival in every sense and Luca’s uncle. Magistrate Matius is an influential authority figure in Isara but is unable to have children of his own.
• Vale Saturian (the Commander) — He is the son of the Consul. His father sits at the top of the chain in terms of leadership in Isara. Vale and Luca form a brotherhood when they joined the Legion and their decisions end up shaping the current power structure.
• Théo — He is Luca’s most recent tribune.
• Nej — He is Maris’s uncle and a scribe. Nej and Magistrate Casperia are siblings.
• Consul Saturian — He is Vale’s father and leads the tribunal.
• Rhea Vitrasian — She is a philosopher whose ideas reflect the ideological tensions shaping the city. Luca was her novice and respected her because she has very high standards.
• Priestess Ophelius — She is a spiritual authority tied to the cultural and belief systems of the world. Ophelius is one of the priestesses that possesses Godsblood. Maris spent four years as her novice to avoid scrutiny of the Citadel.
• Asinia — He is Vale’s tribune. He has known Vale and Luca for a while.
• Centurion Roskia — He was born in the lower part of the city and becomes a military figure enforcing order within the city’s walls.
• Iola — She was Maris’s servant.
• Zuri — He is Iola’s brother.
• Demás — He is Roskia’s most trusted soldier (his tribune).
• Drakon — He is a scribe and Nej’s novice. Drakon is young and was promoted very quickly due to losses from the conflict.

Writing Style

The story is told from multiple perspectives. Each chapter in the book is labelled “Now” or “Before” and is told from either Maris’s or Luca’s point of view. Unlike many stories where you have two groups with one oppressing the other, that eventually build up to rebellion or war, this one drops you right into the conflict. While it took us a minute to adjust to the time jumps, we actually liked the fact that the author used flashback to bring us up to speed with the ongoing conflict.

We appreciated how the author described this world, including the hierarchy system, the gods (though some clarity is still needed here), the different positions and roles, the frustrations that led to the conflict including stealing the Godsblood from Valshad, and the city itself.

When we read books, one thing we usually pay attention to is how the characters make us feel. Are we drawn to them and are they likeable? Do we believe their existence, and do we care if the characters survive? In Fallen City, Adrienne Young, does a great job with this, especially considering this is only Book One. We found that we were invested in whether or not many of the characters survived, particularly Maris, Vale, and Luca. Even side characters like Théo (who we loved by the way) and Roskia (who frustrated us quite a bit) had a strong impact, and that is a testament to how well the author developed them.

With that said, there were parts of the book where we wanted more clarity and found things a little challenging. For one, we were never fully clear on the true impact of the gods granting their gifts to mortals. What does that really mean? Again, the love story was good and we truly appreciated the fact that it did not overshadow the plot of the story. However, there seemed to be a gap between Luca and Maris meeting and the forbidden romance becoming intense. It’s a delicate balance because while we enjoy a good slow-burn romance and don’t want excessive pining, we still want to understand why the characters are so strongly drawn to each other.

Overall, we enjoyed reading Fallen City. If you come to this book focused mainly on forbidden love, you may leave disappointed. However, if you come for the political intrigue, you will definitely enjoy it, just like we did.

Memorable Quotes

• “In two days, when the sun falls behind that mountain….we take the Citadel.”— Vale Saturian
• “They’re coming.”— Priestess Ophelius
• “Sometimes you must born a field to save it.”— Priestess Ophelius
• “I end with her.”— Luca

Final Thoughts on Fallen City

Fallen City gives us a strong mix of political intrigue, shifting loyalties, and a world shaped by conflict. While there are moments where we wanted more clarity, especially surrounding the gods and certain elements of the world-building, the characters and the tension between factions kept us invested from start to finish. The story balances action, strategy, and emotion without letting the romance overshadow the larger stakes, which we appreciated.

If you enjoy political intrigue and plotting, forbidden love, and books centered on war, conflict, and divided loyalties, then this one is for you.

Book 2, Chosen Son, has a release date of December 15, 2026 and we are excited to see where the story goes next.

Rating

Characters ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Plot ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Writing ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Book Cover ★★★★★ (5/5) Audiobook (Narration only) ★★★★★ (5/5)

Overall ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Have you read Fallen City yet? What did you think about Maris and Luca’s dynamic and the future of the city? Share your thoughts, and until next time, keep turning those pages!

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