Cities and Thrones: Recoletta Book 2

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

In the fantastical, gaslit underground city of Recoletta, oligarchs from foreign states and revolutionaries from the farming communes vie for power in the wake of the city's coup. The dark, forbidden knowledge of how the city came to be founded has been released into the world for all to read, and now someone must pay. Inspector Liesl Malone is on her toes, trying to keep the peace, and Arnault's spy ring is more active than ever. Has the city's increased access to knowledge put the citizens in even more danger Allegiances change, long-held beliefs are adjusted, and things are about to get messy! File Under-Fantasy Buried Cities / Secrets & Lies / Revolutionary / Total War

Reviews

Praise for the Recoletta Series:

With Regency-era sensibilities and Agatha Christies flair for the subtle conundrum, Patels debut novel introduces readers to a subterranean city of the future, centuries after what is dubbed The Catastrophe, and beautifully manages the delicate balance between entertainment and social commentary.The subtly fantastical story is resplendent with surprisingly deep villains, political corruption, and a gripping whodunit feel.
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

The Buried Lifeexcels on many levels, quite apart from its presentation of strong female characters: its a cracking whodunnit with sufficient twists and turns to make Agatha Christie proud, a vivid portrayal of a vibrant multicultural society, and an intriguing love story.
The Guardian

The Buried Lifeis a dark, imaginative steampunk gem tailor-made for mystery fans and history nerds alike, with plenty of cops-and-robbers to keep you on your toes. This is a very fine contribution to the genre.
Cherie Priest, author ofBoneshakerandMaplecroft

Vaguely steampunk-ish but not quite classifiable,The Buried Lifeis recommended for readers comfortable straddling the border of fantasy and sci-fi; dedicatedfantasists and hard sci-fi fans may want to go down another hole.
Books, Brains, and Beer

This was a really interesting book. To me it was like the love child of a Steampunk and a Dystopian. Seriously. The setting was fascinating an underground city, a group of rulers that are more dictators than anything, societal rules, and, of course, murder and mayhem.This book took off running. It was fast paced with a hell of a lot of action which, coupled with the setting, was right up my alley. And on top of the murders and guns and all that, there were also some interesting characters. The main characters here were all quite fascinating nuanced, layered, realistic.The world and the characters were fascinating, the plot was fast-paced and action-packed. It was a great read.
In Case of Survival

Patels voice is her own.I was impressed. Patels debut novel is definitely worth reading.
Bookish

This was a very well written novel. Attention to the logic of not only writing but writing a detective novel was superb. Behind this detecting logic there lurks an obvious perpetrator but you always seem to know that that would be too easy. The fun is in determining the who, and seeing if subsequent events play out in your favor. I like a novel that challenges you AND gives you enough information to figure it out. I loved this novel and look forward to Ms. Patels next.
-Koeurs Book Reviews

The Buried Lifeis one of those books where you get much more than you had bargained for. Carrie Patel introduces the reader to a very interesting world, which besides several explanations only raises many more questions. The whole setting of the book is cleverly build by mixing up several of the established genres, Carrie Patel has created a very unique and intriguing blend.The Buried Lifeis a high recommendation, you dont come by these types of books very often, great reading stuff.
The Book Plank

Carrie Patel has conceived of a dark steampunk-esque yet futuristic world filled with anachronisms that, despite that, work well together. Its as if this world has been cobbled together from past cultures and times, which is not as unusual as it may sound, to make for an underground claustrophobic world that you can almost feel pressing down on your head and soul. And theres a library to die for what bookaholic could resist I know I couldnt and I hope you wont either. This is Book #1 in a new series and Im really looking forward to Book #2!
Popcorn Reads

I really enjoyed the novel, Patels descriptions are strong and evoke Recoletta quite clearly. The narrative builds up to a clear climaxI cant wait to return to Recoletta.If you enjoy your SFF a bit off the beaten path or genre mashups in general, then I highly recommend giving Carrie PatelsThe Buried Lifea shot.
A Fantastical Librarian

While the story begins as a routine mystery, it quickly develops into something else entirely, and the tone drops more and more often into a darker moodI think the worldbuilding was my favourite aspect of the book.The story sets up a promising storyline and an interesting world, and Ill be curious to see how the things develop in the city of Recoletta.
Bookaneer

One of the best mystery novels I have ever read.
Avid Fantasy Reviews

This was a lovely debut and it made for a nice easy read. Id definitely recommend it as something a little different; a mixture of crime and steampunk, something new from Angry Robot and well worth a read!
Uncorked Thoughts

While the murder mystery is tied up nicely, providing a pleasant sense of closure to that part of the book, there are larger events that take over towards the end and set up the stage nicely for the follow-up I for one will be eagerly waiting to download it to my Kindle on the day of release!
Ravenous Reader

If you love Steampunk, or Urban Fantasy, grab this book. If you love Post-Apocalyptic Rebuilt Civilizations, grab this book. If you love Empowered Female Protagonists, grab this book. And if you love a well-written, enticing story with a great readers hook, well of course, grab this book! I loved it! Its a re-reader and I cant wait for more from author Carrie Patel.
Mallory Heart Reviews

Her writing exudes an engaging confidence that makesThe Buried Lifehard to put down. Patel also shows a gift for pithy dialogue, and her two female leads are both resilient although in different ways.
SciFi Now

Author Bio

Carrie Patel was born and raised in Houston, Texas. An avid traveller, she studied abroad in Granada, Spain and Buenos Aires, Argentina. She completed her bachelor's and master's degrees at Texas A&M University and worked in transfer pricing at Ernst & Young for two years. She now works as a narrative designer atObsidian Entertainmentin Irvine, California, where the only season is Always Perfect. You can find Carrie online atwww.electronicinkblog.com and@Carrie_Patel on Twitter.