Cabaret meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world.
Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder’s mother is cursed with a spell that’s driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.
Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city’s secrets-even while he hides secrets of his own.Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they’re not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too.
Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, this is a chilling thriller with a touch of magic where the dead don’t always seem to stay that way.
Dark Metropolis was certainly an interesting take on the zombie genre: necromancy and its associated magic caused the resulting zombies to be much different than the typical undead who lust for blood. The zombies aren’t particularly creepy nor is there much zombie-caused chaos, though, so I was a tad underwhelmed in that regard.
The atmosphere of the Dark Metropolis was enthralling, and I couldn’t wait to learn more about this post-war, alternate Berlin world that Dolamore created. Unfortunately, the history that was provided was limited and often glossed over in favour of a fast-paced plot, so hopefully it will be elaborated upon in the sequel.
The plot-oriented nature of Dark Metropolis made it difficult for me to connect with any of the characters. Their backgrounds and perspectives were interesting, but they never felt real to me. As a result, the subsequent romances also lacked believability; trust was gained far too quickly in order to further the plot and maintain its quick pace, causing them to fall rather flat. That being said, I appreciated the quiet inclusion of LGBTQ elements in the story, including lesbian and asexual characters.
Overall, Dark Metropolis had many elements that I enjoyed, but the focus on a quick-paced plot made it difficult to connect to the story.
