Yumiko Moth has discovered her name, but she still does not know who, or what, she is. What she has learned is that her mother is dead, her master has disowned her, and her beloved has vanished. And she also knows that the Day world is a very dangerous place for a Twilight girl, especially when the dark forces of Night are hunting her.
To discover the truth she seeks, she must infiltrate the enemy’s citadel. In New York City, that is The Cobbler’s Club, home to the world-famous Peach Cobbler Girls. But how can a girl who stalks the shadows hide herself in the bright lights of the stage? CITY OF CORPSES is the fifth book of MOTH & COBWEB, an astonishingly inventive series about magical worlds of Day, Night, and Twilight by John C. Wright.
John C. Wright is one of the living grandmasters of science fiction and the author of THE GOLDEN AGE, AWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND, and IRON CHAMBER OF MEMORY, to name just three of his exceptional books. He has been nominated for both the Nebula and Hugo Awards, and his novel SOMEWHITHER won the 2016 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel at Dragoncon.
CITY OF CORPSES is available from Amazon and from the Castalia House bookstore. Reviews of the first five books of the MOTH & COBWEB series:
- Coming of age story written by of one of the greatest wordsmiths of our times. It is a story of a young man who doesn’t fit into society because he is morally upright for the decadence that infests modern society. The young man, who will being morally upright isn’t the most introspective fellow or overtly gifted with prudence, follows his path to squirehood and my what a road it is.
- Outstanding! I really don’t know how else to characterize it besides simply outstanding! I enjoyed Swan Knight’s Son, devoured it in fact, but this one transported me in a way I haven’t been since I was a boy and could read a new book every weekend. The setting is feels like all the best parts of Tolkien, with that same depth lent to it by its roots in classical and Christian lore. The story is, as always, deeply moving and wonderfully worded and paced. I am not being hyperbolic when I say that The Green Knight’s Squire is shaping up into one of those series a boy could read and find that it deeply shaped his life for years to come.
- An excellent book, and worthy sequel to both Swan Knight’s Son and especially Feast of Elfs. Mr. Wright continues to amaze with his command of the Western canon and English language, to say nothing of his superlative storytelling. These are books I wish I’d had growing up, and find the wonder diminished not at all by reading them as an adult.
Another must-read from John C. Wright. I didn’t know where Wright was going with his “Moth and Cobweb” series, but now I think I have a clue: Perpendicular. As in, still connected but shooting off 90 degrees. With a new female protagonist, a new mystery, new discoveries and new challenges, Daughter of Danger has enough in common with books 1-3 to hook you in, and then goes on it’s own storyline. If you’re familiar with Wright’s style of writing, you’ll be pleased to know that he hasn’t lost a single bit of talent.- Wright again does an excellent job of incorporating the medieval understanding of the “elfs”, presenting their perspective as something alien to humanity: glorious and mighty, but also cold and cruel and haughty. The Christian symbolism he includes is strange to modern ears, but wrapping it in the spy-action story helps to draw the modern reader in to introduce him to a style and focus once more common in the best literature…. Overall, I enjoyed this book (and its predecessor) a great deal and indeed prefer this cycle to the first three books in the series. Wright keeps getting better!
