City of Nightmares: The thrilling, surprising young adult urban fantasy

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And that's saying something for the city of Newham, where the current Mayor keeps a Nightmared-pterodactyl on a leash to eat her political enemies.) Undeterred, still grinning, Priya whips out a spray can from her belt and starts spraying something in the air at the Nightmare. Pressurized salt, maybe. A lot of the ethereal Nightmares come from people’s fears of old ghost stories, which means they can often be stopped with salt because that’s what the legends say stop them. The characters in this book really stood out to me. Ness, our main character, is described as a coward, but it runs much deeper than that. I love a good unlikable character, and Ness is definitely one. She’s on the morally grey side, and she’ll do anything to ensure her safety. I loved her character arc, and I’m really excited to see where this series will go.

I weigh my options and then decide I’m screwed anyway, so I might as well go out by being an absolute bitch.” They’re going to put a fancy blurb up here soon, but I want you all to have the fun chaotic description a book like this truly deserves, so here’s how I would pitch it: The world-building was really good and leans into the dark and gritty, 1920s-style comic book aesthetic that paired well with all the morally ambiguous characters we encounter. Most of whom had some rather big personalities, or eccentric quirks that made them really memorable (like keeping a pterodactyl to kidnap or eat your enemies.) Their questionable actions also kept me on my toes, though it’s probably the first time my tendency to suspect everyone has actually paid off.The city buzzes with life in City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer. Citizens piss on the grimy walls. Pterodactyls fly above tall buildings. Speakeasies hide beneath the city’s secrets while Nightmare hunters fly in from the sky to slay dragons. Casinos shaped like golden dragon eggs encase villains and their sharp smirks. Advertisements promise Newham’s fearful citizens a life of immortality. The world is refreshing, funny, and dark. As a nightmare whose own fear turned him into a vampire, Cy was definitely a character I enjoyed getting to know. Unlike the romanticised versions, Cy is pretty much the complete antithesis of what vampires are expected to be—and even argues against the widespread media coverage that glorifies them. Even bringing up some very valid (and thought provoking) points on the ethics of consent within the vampire mythos-such biting/ feeding without consent (or mind controlling them) and then wiping the memories being no different than date rape. Let's also add in some "eh, might die, but I can't afford to be anywhere else" vibes and I'm sold. This was such a fascinating concept and a really fun read. Mrs. Sanden crumples my leaflet into a ball. “I’m sure your little cult would like that, me going in so you can brainwash me into believing my husband’s death was a good thing.”

I was never quite sure where it was headed, but I always knew each piece of information being introduced was going to be important at some point, which it most certainly was. Aptly, the entire story felt like a spider weaving its web until the entire city of Newham and all of its plot points were trapped and connected by this web. Even though a lot of questions were answered, there’s still so much to be uncovered, and I already cannot wait until the next book comes out! But being part of Friends of the Restful means contributing to the group. And when her assigned voluntary job ends in disaster—AGAIN—she cons her way into delivery duty as penance. Until that too ends in chaos. But what made her such an interesting character was that she’s entirely aware of those flaws, and is both honest and unapologetic about it. And it didn’t take long for me to warm to her (and root for her) inspite of it. Sounds scary, huh??? Maybe even a little weird??? 🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣…Trust me, everyday I spent time thinking about the following: I cannot remember the last time that I have been so eager to wake up every morning and choose reading a book over watching television. I mean, I truly had SSSOOO MUCH FUN with beautiful but messy masterpiece!!!Whether that means becoming a Nightmare that’s monstrous only in appearance, to transforming into a twisted, unrecognizable creature that terrorizes the city, no one is safe. Ness will do anything to avoid becoming another victim, even if that means lying low among the Friends of the Restful Soul, a questionable organization that may or may not be a cult. Something I especially enjoyed about City of Nightmares was the protagonist’s personality. Unlike many other MCs in YA fiction, Ness was terrified of almost everything, and very rarely willing to put herself on the line to face those fears. It was rather refreshing to see and set up some interesting plot points. Additionally, her personality made for an excellent character arc that was done believably. I enjoyed being in her thoughts, and I’m excited to see what adventures she gets up to in the sequel. I also weirdly love everyone in this book. In particular I, of course, love Ness and her willingness to break ankles, and I have a soft spot for Cy, but I also absolutely love the Nightmare Phantom, without even getting to know him more than about chapter. This is one of the big reasons I needed a sequel- I absolutely must see how this plays out. I took a whopping zero notes whilst reading this book, so please excuse me if this review is short.