Fiction, despite the fact that it is by definition not real, has the power to comment on our society. Sometimes it's even more effective to use imaginary worlds and people to do this, since the author can bend and twist the actions and outcomes that take place in the book specifically to make his or her own point clear. City of Stairs, the latest from author Robert Jackson Bennett, contains a number of fantastic twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night.
Shara is content with a life of quiet political intrigue, working behind the scenes and in the shadows for the benefit of her island country Saypur. She and her hulking bodyguard of a "secretary" Sigurd oversee much of the sociopolitical theater on the Continent, which used to rule Saypur. That was before Shara's ancestor led an uprising that ultimately resulted in the deaths of the Continent's gods and Saypur's dominance. When a Saypuri historian, Shara's old friend, is killed in the Continent's capitol city while researching the Divine history that is forbidden knowledge to Continentals, Shara finds that his death may have much larger implications than Continental rebellion. For one, Shara suspects that the gods might not really be dead after all, and their return could spell the end for Saypur.
As she digs deeper into the revolutionary rumblings of the Continent, Shara realizes that she can trust neither her manipulative aunt in the Saypuri government, nor her former lover, a prominent Continental. She may even lose Sigurd, and she doubts her own mind more and more as she finally uncovers what her historian friend was killed to protect.
This is a very cerebral tale, full of intellectual and philosophical acrobatics as much as it is assassinations and sea monsters. Shara is very clever and hyperaware of balances of power, a lesson that she learned the hard way early on in her career, but still human enough to show flaws and follies. These imperfections and self-doubt are much of what causes her to question herself, even when she seems to be on the right track toward unraveling the mystery of what's happening in the Continent's capitol city.
Bennett has created a subtle and complex mythology in this novel, one built on subjective realities and relative perceptions. The gods he's dreamed up are archetypal: the trickster, the law-bringer, the earth spirit, etc. But the ways in which these different deities interact with their followers is what, to my mind, makes them interesting. Even the legends about their deeds and origins are beautiful and imaginative, but would also sound right at home in a world mythology textbook despite the fact that they're entirely fictional.
While I very much enjoyed and admired the ways in which the author wove intricate patterns of political power and subterfuge into the story, throughout the book I felt disconnected somehow from the characters. It was almost as though they were half-empty vessels whose only function was to move forward the greater scheme of global and divine power, instead of participating in their own story. That sounds harsh, and I don't mean to say that I felt nothing for them at at all. Shara's weakness, Mulaghesh's weary determination, Sigurd's calculated indifference and Vol's misguidance all had their effects on me, but they somehow felt half-finished. It's my opinion that were their individual backstories more fleshed out (like the scandal that Shara caused years earlier in Saypur, or Sigurd's story of regime change in his homeland) and related in greater detail, the characters could become more dynamic in their own right.
If you appreciate intricate world-building and politics that are deeply influenced by gods and goddesses, and are ready to join characters on a journey that will turn their worldview upside down, settle down with a copy of City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett. Fans of how divinities are portrayed in Neil Gaiman's American Gods will especially enjoy the pantheon at play here. City of Stairs will be released in September, and you can pre-order it now. While you're waiting, you could also pick up one of Bennett's other novels. They, and City of Stairs, are available through your local independent bookstore.
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