Review: The Old City (By Katherine Sorin)

     The Old City
Source: Goodreads

Length: 233 pages

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The survivors of the outbreak have gained international fame. Their story is followed by everyone around the world as they stand firm against the vampires plaguing their city. But there’s more to the outbreak than anyone could have known. Their popularity as hardened vampire killers takes Ailis, Scott and James out of New York… and right into the middle of London. But The Old City is no longer the beautiful place it once was. Affected by the outbreak, London has fallen into disarray much like New York. Funded by a rich and powerful individual, Ailis, Scott and James are in London on a mission – save the influential man’s son and Ailis’ sister and bring them to safety. But what waits for them in London is nothing like what they’d expected. As Ailis searches for her sister, she also faces her past – a past which brings to light the truth about the outbreak… and about Ailis.

My take:

A fitting sequel to a great book. The Old City came with a lot of expectations, given how great The City of Whispers was, and it lived up to all of them. The story picks up right where it left off and moves quickly.

In The Old City, you get to see a new side of Ailis as concern for her sister pushes her to do things that the otherwise cool headed protagonist would not have considered. Katherine Sorin has really created a wonderful character and focused not only on her strengths, but also on her flaws. The bond between the characters strains and grows stronger with each new experience and that too is depicted in a simple and engaging manner.

The action may not be as much as in the first book, but as with its prequel, it is so well done that your imagination needs little push to see it all happening around you. What I especially liked about The Old City was the parallel story style, where the present is sprinkled with scenes of the past of Ailis’ life. Although they seem random, they all take you to a conclusion where past and present combine to give you an unexpected realization. And to make it all the more interesting, there are scenes that may strike you as random in the present too, but they only add substance to a beautifully woven conclusion.

The conclusion itself was unexpected and captivating and now, I can hardly wait to get my hands on the next book. All in all, an extremely engaging read that, much like its first part, was almost impossible to put down. So, if you liked City of Whispers but have been bitten by the crappy sequel paranoia bug, leave your fears aside… because The Old City does not disappoint.

– Rishika

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