Her descriptions of the courtyards, canals, and alleyways of Venice make it feel as though her version of the city extends beyond the story one gets the sense that just beyond the courtyard she’s describing, there are several more worth exploring. The story is enjoyable and unpredictable, and Cohen’s ability to craft complex, believable characters is stunning: even the city of Venice feels like a character in the story-one with desires and personality. Venice seems a plausible place in which to find magicians and wrathful sea monsters, and Liona surprises herself as well as readers as she navigates the city, trying to save it, her own life, and that of her family. The Sinking City is a beautifully written story that weaves fantastic elements into the solid structures of a real city. When the Seleni intersect with Liona’s family, the city itself begins to crumble. But the Seleni’s brine-like smell precedes them whenever they come on land, and the bargains they make with those wealthy citizens always come at a high cost. It is beautiful, but the one note in it that sounds off is that of the Seleni, an ancient race of water-dwellers who retrieve pearls for the wealthy Venetians in exchange for a home in Venice’s waters. Venice is a city of the sea-a city threaded through with canals, where the water is never far from the front doors of its citizens. While he dotes on them, his eyes slide past her, leaving her free in some ways to grow up as she pleases, but giving her nonetheless an ache that she cannot place. The one note in it that sounds off is her relationship to her father, which, though she doesn’t understand why, is different than his relationship with her siblings. Her life is comfortable, filled with little delicacies, affectionate siblings, and splendor. Liona Caravatti’s family belongs to one of the highest ranks in the city of Venice.
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