The Hidden City by Michelle West

Just like instantly loving the voice of a singer upon hearing them for the first time, reading a book can offer the opportunity to fall in love with a writer’s voice (their written style). If Michelle West was a singer, she would be Michael Bublé. I know that’s a weird comparison because of their gender differences, but Michael has that smooth, strong tone—and that’s what it felt like reading The Hidden City by West.

This book “had me at hello,” you could say. The first sentence introduces Rath, a spy/thief/man of quiet competence and mysterious talents. After a while getting to know him, he runs into Jewel, a newly orphaned girl with an intriguing gift; and it is this girl, the one with the unruly auburn curls, who quickly becomes the story’s driving force.

The Good

Michelle West does many things well in this novel. The most noticeable expert-level craft she employs in her plot construction. She separates the chapters into pristine portions, each one offering the same great taste to a reader’s healthy appetite, and each a perfect link in the love-every-step-of-this-long-journey novel. It’s not her plot that jumps out at first, though. The author has a master’s touch. The paragraphs and sentences are not overly flashy, but each one is orchestrated with the same attention to detail and thoughtful engineering. Jewel and Rath end up journeying together in a slowly unfolding plot, the odd couple attempting to unravel a sinister plot threatening the whole city.

The Bad

The novel is a bit long. Though I temper this criticism with the fact that I enjoyed the moment to moment reading so much, West could have made it even longer and I’d have still stayed on for the whole ride! She’s a good driver.

Additionally, the book never took me places that wowed me with raw power and beauty. West tends more toward the meticulously arranged story, as opposed to one martialed by brute force. Near the end of the novel, West adds too many new main characters (other orphans Jewel rescues) at once, without enough description to keep them clearly differentiated.

The Ugly

The core characters build together over time, allowing the reader to get used to them—a trait I admired. And, although the story begins with Rath, a cautious nobleman/thief-warrior, Jewel is the one to watch. She initiates the story into all it of its hairy predicaments. What else are children for, right?

Throughout, West pursues a bigger picture narrative, and though character insights are many, I never felt a lot of personal empathy or sympathy for the characters due to West’s manner of giving those insights. Something didn't quite penetrate to an emotional level, for me. I’m not bothered by that fact, though. My hunger and love for West’s superb plot far outweighs the issue.

The House War series by West stands out among my autumnal reading—I’m quite excited about seeing where the rest of the saga leads!