‘An impeccably dark parable, endlessly inventive and utterly compelling’ M R Carey, author of The Girl with all the Gifts
Beth’s world is falling apart. Then she discovers a hidden London, full of marvels, magic . . . and menace. Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere.
Hidden under the surface of everyday London is a city where wild train spirits stampede over the tracks and glass-skinned dancers with glowing veins light the streets.
When a devastating betrayal drives her from her home, Beth stumbles into the secret city, where she finds Filius Viae, London’s ragged crown prince, just when he needs someone the most. For an ancient enemy has returned to the darkness under St Paul’s Cathedral, bent on reigniting a centuries-old war. Desperate to find a way to save the city they both love, they find themselves in a desperate race through this bizarre urban wonderland, but when Beth’s best friend is captured, she must choose between this wondrous existence and the life she left behind.
The City’s Son is the first book of The Skyscraper Throne trilogy: a story about family, friends and monsters, and how you can’t always tell which is which.
Beth’s world is falling apart. Then she discovers a hidden London, full of marvels, magic . . . and menace. Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere.
Hidden under the surface of everyday London is a city where wild train spirits stampede over the tracks and glass-skinned dancers with glowing veins light the streets.
When a devastating betrayal drives her from her home, Beth stumbles into the secret city, where she finds Filius Viae, London’s ragged crown prince, just when he needs someone the most. For an ancient enemy has returned to the darkness under St Paul’s Cathedral, bent on reigniting a centuries-old war. Desperate to find a way to save the city they both love, they find themselves in a desperate race through this bizarre urban wonderland, but when Beth’s best friend is captured, she must choose between this wondrous existence and the life she left behind.
The City’s Son is the first book of The Skyscraper Throne trilogy: a story about family, friends and monsters, and how you can’t always tell which is which.
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Reviews
Pollock's imagined London is intense and absorbing, and The City's Son is an urban fantasy in the truest sense of the word, intent on imbuing every corner of the city with life, wonder and magic
An impeccably dark parable, endlessly inventive and utterly compelling
Vivid, inventive - and truly weird
Gorgeously written and brimming with bizarre urban creatures, this darkly imagined and sometimes painful tale should delight fans of Neil Gaiman, China Miéville, and Holly Black
Hugely inventive in his world-building . . . following in the tradition of authors like Neil Gaiman and China Miéville
From Charles Dickens to Iain Sinclair, Monica Ali to Philip Reeve, the city of London has been the central character in hundreds of great books. The City's Son, from Tom Pollock, is no exception
Everything the genre should be . . . you need to read this book. It is intelligent, true to its genre, and the most fun thing I've read this fall
I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book as much as The City's Son. Fans of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere will definitely find things to love here; it's dark, it's gritty, it's touching, and it's deeply engrossing. I didn't want it to end
One of the most imaginative pieces of genre fiction I've ever read
I was absolutely swept away . . . The writing is dynamic and vibrant, lyrical and bristling with intensity without being pretentious
