Collection
Series
Publication
Ballantine Books (2017), Edition: Reprint, 624 pages
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� �??A thrilling finale to a trilogy that will stand as one of the great achievements in American fantasy fiction.�?��??Stephen King You followed The Passage. You faced The Twelve. Now enter The City of Mirrors for the final reckoning. As the bestselling epic races to its breathtaking finale, Justin Cronin�??s band of hardened survivors await the second coming of unspeakable darkness. The world we knew is gone. What world will rise in its place? The Twelve have been destroyed and the terrifying hundred-year reign of darkness that descended upon the world has ended. The survivors are stepping outside their walls, determined to build society anew�??and daring to dream of a hopeful future. But far from them, in a dead metropolis, he waits: Zero. The First. Father of the Twelve. The anguish that shattered his human life haunts him, and the hatred spawned by his transformation burns bright. His fury will be quenched only when he destroys Amy�??humanity�??s only hope, the Girl from Nowhere who grew up to rise against him. One last time light and dark will clash, and at last Amy and her friends will know their fate. Look for the entire Passage trilogy: THE PASSAGE | THE TWELVE | THE CITY OF MIRRORS Praise for The City of Mirrors �??Compulsively readable.�?��??The New York Times Book Review �??The City of Mirrors is poetry. Thrilling in every way it has to be, but poetry just the same . . . The writing is sumptuous, the language lovely, even when the action itself is dark and violent.�?��??The Huffington Post �??This really is the big event you�??ve been waiting for . . . A true last stand that builds and comes with a bloody, roaring payoff you won�??t see coming, then builds again to the big face off you�??ve been waiting for.�?��??NPR �??A masterpiece . . . with The City of Mirrors, the third volume in The Passage trilogy, Justin Cronin puts paid to what may well be the finest post-apocalyptic epic in our dystopian-glutted times. A stunning achievement by virtually every measure.�?��??The National Post �??Justin Cronin�??s Passage trilogy is remarkable for the unremitting drive of its narrative, for the breathtaking sweep of its imagined fu… (more)
ISBN
0425285529 / 9780425285527
Pages
624
Physical description
624 p.; 5.44 inches
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2016-05-24
Awards
User reviews
LibraryThing member thejohnsmith
A tremendous final instalment to the Passage trilogy. Every bit as exciting and enjoyable as the first two novels in the series, City of Mirrors provides a continuation of the fantastic plot and its interesting characters,. A great conclusion to a brilliant story.
LibraryThing member nx74defiant
This really dragged.
It starts out well enough.
Than we get a big section of Patient Zero - Timothy Fanning telling his life story. I just found - I DON'T CARE!!! Get on with the story already.
It starts out well enough.
Than we get a big section of Patient Zero - Timothy Fanning telling his life story. I just found - I DON'T CARE!!! Get on with the story already.
LibraryThing member TexasBookLover
SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY
Justin Cronin
The City of Mirrors
Ballantine Books
Hardcover, 978-0-3455-0500-2 (also available as an ebook, audiobook, and on Audible), 624 pgs., $28.00
May 24, 2016
SPOILER ALERT: The City of Mirrors is the final installment of a trilogy; if you haven’t read the first two
“…a beginning and an ending joined.”
It is eight months after the liberation of the Homeland: Amy, the Girl from Nowhere, is presumed dead; Alicia has gone missing to parts, and for reasons, unknown; Michael is a recluse in his boat on the Gulf of Mexico; and Peter has gone to Kerrville, Texas, with Caleb. Billions are dead; global civilization is destroyed. No one has spotted an Easter Virus–spawned viral for three years—the war is over.
The few survivors turn to rebuilding and dare to hope, but all is not as it seems. Lucius the mystic lives in a shack alone, outside of Kerrville, seeing his visions, drawing what he sees, and collecting blood—he is preparing. Not long after Michael unexpectedly arrives at Lucius’s shack with a plan to save what’s left of humanity, animals—and then people—begin to go missing. Zero (think “Patient Zero”), the father of The Twelve, lives still and commands his Many, and his hatred will not rest.
The City of Mirrors is the final installment in Justin Cronin’s The Passage Trilogy. Fans have waited for more than three years to discover the fate of these beloved characters, and Cronin does not disappoint. Apocalypse threatens a dystopia sparsely populated by prophets and false prophets, seers and lunatics, sages and fools; and the messiah is called upon once again to save the survivors.
Cronin’s story is biblical, mythical, legend; heavily messianic, full of portents and resurrections, both bodily and societal. The plot is intricate, the vision full. The pace is steady until approximately halfway through and then picks up, tension building as the players take their places for the final showdown. The narrative moves back and forth through time and space, employing parallel realities and multiple points of view, shifting from third person to first and back. It is a challenge and too long, but the conclusion is thrilling.
Much is explained as all of the loose threads are braided. Zero’s motivation for global destruction is a disappointment, but then he is supposed to be a monster of selfishness, The Joker as dystopian vampire with shades of Ann Rice’s Lestat. “Behind every great hatred is a love story,” claims Zero.
Cronin’s imagery is resonant (“stars thick as powder” in the night sky), his similes vivid (“Alicia was like a comet, given to long, unannounced absences and blazing, unanticipated returns”). The virals’ movements were “so fine that they barely parted air.” Cronin’s rendering of a ruined civilization is haunting.
The City of Mirrors is also a warning. From Zero’s story, poetic in despair: “Consider the species known as man. We lie, we cheat, we want what others have and take it; we make war upon each other and the earth; we harvest lives in multitudes,” Cronin writes. “We have mortgaged the planet and spent the cash on trifles.” But The City of Mirrors also tells us that it ain’t over till it’s over.
Originally published by Lone Star Literary Life.
Justin Cronin
The City of Mirrors
Ballantine Books
Hardcover, 978-0-3455-0500-2 (also available as an ebook, audiobook, and on Audible), 624 pgs., $28.00
May 24, 2016
SPOILER ALERT: The City of Mirrors is the final installment of a trilogy; if you haven’t read the first two
Show More
books in the series then proceed at your own risk.“…a beginning and an ending joined.”
It is eight months after the liberation of the Homeland: Amy, the Girl from Nowhere, is presumed dead; Alicia has gone missing to parts, and for reasons, unknown; Michael is a recluse in his boat on the Gulf of Mexico; and Peter has gone to Kerrville, Texas, with Caleb. Billions are dead; global civilization is destroyed. No one has spotted an Easter Virus–spawned viral for three years—the war is over.
The few survivors turn to rebuilding and dare to hope, but all is not as it seems. Lucius the mystic lives in a shack alone, outside of Kerrville, seeing his visions, drawing what he sees, and collecting blood—he is preparing. Not long after Michael unexpectedly arrives at Lucius’s shack with a plan to save what’s left of humanity, animals—and then people—begin to go missing. Zero (think “Patient Zero”), the father of The Twelve, lives still and commands his Many, and his hatred will not rest.
The City of Mirrors is the final installment in Justin Cronin’s The Passage Trilogy. Fans have waited for more than three years to discover the fate of these beloved characters, and Cronin does not disappoint. Apocalypse threatens a dystopia sparsely populated by prophets and false prophets, seers and lunatics, sages and fools; and the messiah is called upon once again to save the survivors.
Cronin’s story is biblical, mythical, legend; heavily messianic, full of portents and resurrections, both bodily and societal. The plot is intricate, the vision full. The pace is steady until approximately halfway through and then picks up, tension building as the players take their places for the final showdown. The narrative moves back and forth through time and space, employing parallel realities and multiple points of view, shifting from third person to first and back. It is a challenge and too long, but the conclusion is thrilling.
Much is explained as all of the loose threads are braided. Zero’s motivation for global destruction is a disappointment, but then he is supposed to be a monster of selfishness, The Joker as dystopian vampire with shades of Ann Rice’s Lestat. “Behind every great hatred is a love story,” claims Zero.
Cronin’s imagery is resonant (“stars thick as powder” in the night sky), his similes vivid (“Alicia was like a comet, given to long, unannounced absences and blazing, unanticipated returns”). The virals’ movements were “so fine that they barely parted air.” Cronin’s rendering of a ruined civilization is haunting.
The City of Mirrors is also a warning. From Zero’s story, poetic in despair: “Consider the species known as man. We lie, we cheat, we want what others have and take it; we make war upon each other and the earth; we harvest lives in multitudes,” Cronin writes. “We have mortgaged the planet and spent the cash on trifles.” But The City of Mirrors also tells us that it ain’t over till it’s over.
Originally published by Lone Star Literary Life.
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LibraryThing member oldbookswine
Book three of a trilogy this can be read without the other two. Humankind is at the end of it's existence kris it. As the final settlement is destroyed by virals (created by a virus) others work to sail an ancient ship away from North America. Contains all the piece for a really great read.
I
I
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picked this up at BEA and is not one I might have selected at a bookstore. Not that far-fetched the ending reads like a history and gives the reader great satisfaction knowing the story is done. Show Less
LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
Actually 4.5 stars - the only reason it's not 5 stars is that I felt the epilogue dragged on a little too long and I felt the section with the return to the Homeland in Iowa was unnecessary. But this was a great conclusion to this trilogy. It started out with a prologue that served as a refresher
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had happened in the last book. After briefly following Alicia in the immediate future, the story jumped back to 1989 and gave us the back story on Zero, Timothy Fanning. It then jumps ahead 20+ years after the virus and continues the stories of Peter, Sara, Michael, Amy, etc. It is a fast paced and well-written book. I hope Justin Cronin continues to write about events in these books - I would love to see a book about what happened on the Bergensfjord or what was going on in Europe when North America was quarantined. I highly recommend the entire trilogy and suggest reading all three consecutively. Show Less
LibraryThing member LynnCoulter
Readers have waited six very long years for the conclusion of author Justin Cronin's apocalyptic trilogy, which began with The Passage in 2010. Now I can say--the final installment, The City of Mirrors, was absolutely worth the wait. The story's sprawling cast of characters and long time frame made
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me doubtful that Cronin could wrap his tale in a satisfying and complete way. But he did. He really did. If you have time, I'd recommend re-reading the first two books, although it's not necessary; Cronin revisits past events on CITY's opening pages, so the reader is quickly immersed in the action, and soon feels an emotional connection to the many characters. A section in the middle of the book, a backstory about the first "viral," Fanning, seems to run around 200 pages (I received an e-book from NetGalley), and at first, I thought this slowed the narrative drive and took away from the plot. But I was soon mesmerized by the events that shaped Fanning's destiny. I could've read an entire book about Fanning alone! When the story shifted back to the other characters, I had a deeper understanding about what was going on, and saw how the author was building to his theme that love is the key to everything. While this was a complimentary copy, I can say without reservation that I highly recommend it. It's stunning storytelling. Show Less
LibraryThing member melissarochelle
Well worth the years of waiting.
I read The Twelve when it was published in 2012, so it's been a little while since I spent time with Amy, Peter, Alicia, Michael, etc. I was worried I'd have to go back and re-read the previous two books (I'm not a fan of re-reading), but Cronin does an excellent
I finished it in 5 days. It's that good.
While I still have questions regarding the HOW of some aspects of the virus (the dreams, the visions, the telepathy), those questions didn't take away from the all things I enjoyed. There were times in the previous two books where things slowed down, that didn't happen here. Cronin keeps the story moving forward (even when we're in the middle of a lengthy flashback) and again manages to fill in information that I didn't even know I needed.
My favorite of the three. An excellent ending to a truly epic series.
I read The Twelve when it was published in 2012, so it's been a little while since I spent time with Amy, Peter, Alicia, Michael, etc. I was worried I'd have to go back and re-read the previous two books (I'm not a fan of re-reading), but Cronin does an excellent
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job of recapping previous events. Plus there's this crazy little thing called the internet and people really like to write lengthy summaries of books (thank goodness!). So once I was refreshed, I dived in.I finished it in 5 days. It's that good.
While I still have questions regarding the HOW of some aspects of the virus (the dreams, the visions, the telepathy), those questions didn't take away from the all things I enjoyed. There were times in the previous two books where things slowed down, that didn't happen here. Cronin keeps the story moving forward (even when we're in the middle of a lengthy flashback) and again manages to fill in information that I didn't even know I needed.
My favorite of the three. An excellent ending to a truly epic series.
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LibraryThing member daveb66
I received this book as an ARC. It is an unedited version, so there are some typos and others things that I understand will be corrected in the final version. That in no way diminished my enjoyment of this book. This one is, in my opinion, the best of the three in the series. I especially enjoyed
Parts of the book are sad, as might be expected in a series finale there are deaths and lots of drama, but the ending is worth the wait. I won't spoil it but I will say that it both surprised and didn't surprise me. It left me satisfied that the story was fully told.
I don't often rate a book 5 stars and one of the criteria for such a rating is if I stay up late to keep reading and both anticipate and dread the ending. That was certainly the case for "The City of Mirrors." If you have read the first two books in this series, you must read this book because without it, the rest is simply subtext.
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the sections where the author provided details about the past lives of the main characters. There is a very compelling section that provides an in-depth telling of the life of Tim Fanning (Zero). Parts of the book are sad, as might be expected in a series finale there are deaths and lots of drama, but the ending is worth the wait. I won't spoil it but I will say that it both surprised and didn't surprise me. It left me satisfied that the story was fully told.
I don't often rate a book 5 stars and one of the criteria for such a rating is if I stay up late to keep reading and both anticipate and dread the ending. That was certainly the case for "The City of Mirrors." If you have read the first two books in this series, you must read this book because without it, the rest is simply subtext.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
I have been avoiding writing this review for three weeks and not because I did not enjoy the finale. Rather, I enjoyed it a lot. Yet, the entire time I was reading it, I could not help but recognize that there are going to be many fans who are supremely disappointed. It is not as action-packed as
Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed The City of Mirrors. Using flashbacks, Mr. Cronin fills in the gaps of Zero’s past, and we finally see the connections between Zero and Dr. Lear as well as the reasons for Zero’s fascination with Amy. We get to see all of our favorite characters yet again and what they are doing with their lives since we last saw them. I adore the ending and how he ties certain character arcs up so nicely but leaves others open for interpretation. I think this better reflects reality and is in keeping with each character’s personality. Mr. Cronin’s writing remains powerful and evocative, and the story, for all its trolling of past events, moves along at a rapid pace without skipping key plot points.
That being said, there are several points within the novel that made me laugh out loud or work a bit harder than necessary to suspend disbelief. While there has always been an element of the supernatural to Amy’s powers, Mr. Cronin elevates this supernatural element, thereby giving the story a more fantastical air about it than in the previous two novels. It is not that this shift is bad; it is just that it is a departure from the other two stories and is one of the areas I know will be controversial.
Then there is Zero himself. On the surface, he is an unlikely villain, even if he is ground zero for the virus that nearly wiped out all of humanity. Supremely self-absorbed, he is not the type of person to bother with the rest of humanity, whom he so clearly disdains as beneath him. As he shares his story and the parts in his life that continue to haunt him, you realize just how messed in the head he is. It makes for a chilling realization that our hapless heroes are dealing with a true madman, and we all know how difficult that is. Zero is the penultimate monster.
The most important thing about The City of Mirrors is that we get closure. Closure on Amy – the poor girl who has been a pawn in someone else’s end game for too long. Closure on Zero. Closure on the virus that took out the world. Closure on the characters we first met in the first novel, who left the safety of The Colony to seek answers and found themselves facing things they could never imagine – Peter, Michael, Alicia, Sara, and their entire group. Closure on Carter, one of the only virals to inspire sympathy. Closure on this post-apocalyptic world in which humanity hangs by a thread. After so many pages and years with these characters, you cannot ask for much better than that.
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the first novel, and there are huge swaths of flashbacks that seem odd in a third book but are necessary to flesh out Zero as the ultimate villain. While I feel Mr. Cronin brings dignified and fitting ends to these characters who have experienced so much in their lives, I fear that others will disagree. Strongly.Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed The City of Mirrors. Using flashbacks, Mr. Cronin fills in the gaps of Zero’s past, and we finally see the connections between Zero and Dr. Lear as well as the reasons for Zero’s fascination with Amy. We get to see all of our favorite characters yet again and what they are doing with their lives since we last saw them. I adore the ending and how he ties certain character arcs up so nicely but leaves others open for interpretation. I think this better reflects reality and is in keeping with each character’s personality. Mr. Cronin’s writing remains powerful and evocative, and the story, for all its trolling of past events, moves along at a rapid pace without skipping key plot points.
That being said, there are several points within the novel that made me laugh out loud or work a bit harder than necessary to suspend disbelief. While there has always been an element of the supernatural to Amy’s powers, Mr. Cronin elevates this supernatural element, thereby giving the story a more fantastical air about it than in the previous two novels. It is not that this shift is bad; it is just that it is a departure from the other two stories and is one of the areas I know will be controversial.
Then there is Zero himself. On the surface, he is an unlikely villain, even if he is ground zero for the virus that nearly wiped out all of humanity. Supremely self-absorbed, he is not the type of person to bother with the rest of humanity, whom he so clearly disdains as beneath him. As he shares his story and the parts in his life that continue to haunt him, you realize just how messed in the head he is. It makes for a chilling realization that our hapless heroes are dealing with a true madman, and we all know how difficult that is. Zero is the penultimate monster.
The most important thing about The City of Mirrors is that we get closure. Closure on Amy – the poor girl who has been a pawn in someone else’s end game for too long. Closure on Zero. Closure on the virus that took out the world. Closure on the characters we first met in the first novel, who left the safety of The Colony to seek answers and found themselves facing things they could never imagine – Peter, Michael, Alicia, Sara, and their entire group. Closure on Carter, one of the only virals to inspire sympathy. Closure on this post-apocalyptic world in which humanity hangs by a thread. After so many pages and years with these characters, you cannot ask for much better than that.
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LibraryThing member Twink
Well, the wait is finally over for fans of Justin Cronin's Passage trilogy. The third and final book, The City of Mirrors, has just released. And for those of you who haven't read any of the books yet - lucky you - you can start at the beginning and binge read right to the final page. And actually,
Myself and multitudes of fans have been waiting four years for the final entry to this absolutely fantastic series. I was so eager to reconnect with loved (and hated) characters, meet new ones and re immerse myself in this future. Familiar faces have aged, some are gone and a new generation has grown. As has complaceny. The virals are gone aren't they? Cronin takes us full circle, returning to that first mutant - named Zero. His narrative is a large part of The City of Mirrors. And he's not gone.....
"To make the world a wasteland; to bring upon it the mirrored image of my wretched self; to punish…my friend, my enemy, who believed he could save a world that was not savable, that never deserved saving in the first place."
I simply can't detail the width and breadth of these books. And if you think they're just run of the mill vampire killing books, you're very, very wrong. The characters are so detailed, the dystopian world building is brilliant and the plots continually surprise me. And honestly, they're quite literary.
But as I drew closer to the final pages, I was torn. I wanted to see what ending Cronin had imaged, but I didn't want the book to end. Put it down and make it last or......well, binge reading won out. Yes, these are the final battles - action, adventure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Answers to questions left unanswered over the last two books. And an emotional roller coaster as the last stand takes place. And oh, the end - those last few pages had me in tears....Read an excerpt of The City of Mirrors.
I have no idea how Cronin could top this series, but I seriously hope he's writing his next book.
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that's what I did - I went back to the beginning and re-read the first book, The Passage, and the second book, The Twelve. There are very few books I would read a second time, but this series is one of them.Myself and multitudes of fans have been waiting four years for the final entry to this absolutely fantastic series. I was so eager to reconnect with loved (and hated) characters, meet new ones and re immerse myself in this future. Familiar faces have aged, some are gone and a new generation has grown. As has complaceny. The virals are gone aren't they? Cronin takes us full circle, returning to that first mutant - named Zero. His narrative is a large part of The City of Mirrors. And he's not gone.....
"To make the world a wasteland; to bring upon it the mirrored image of my wretched self; to punish…my friend, my enemy, who believed he could save a world that was not savable, that never deserved saving in the first place."
I simply can't detail the width and breadth of these books. And if you think they're just run of the mill vampire killing books, you're very, very wrong. The characters are so detailed, the dystopian world building is brilliant and the plots continually surprise me. And honestly, they're quite literary.
But as I drew closer to the final pages, I was torn. I wanted to see what ending Cronin had imaged, but I didn't want the book to end. Put it down and make it last or......well, binge reading won out. Yes, these are the final battles - action, adventure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Answers to questions left unanswered over the last two books. And an emotional roller coaster as the last stand takes place. And oh, the end - those last few pages had me in tears....Read an excerpt of The City of Mirrors.
I have no idea how Cronin could top this series, but I seriously hope he's writing his next book.
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LibraryThing member MaowangVater
Several years have passed since the defeat of The Twelve, and in Kerrville, the capital of the Republic of Texas, its hundred thousand residents are feeling penned in behind the city gates “without a single viral sighting in three years, drac or dopey, the pressure was mounting on the Civilian
But far away in the ruins of Grand Central Station in New York lurks Timothy Fanning, subject Zero, the original vector of the virus. He’s had over a century to brood over the losses in his life. He wants revenge on the cold, pitiless universe, and only the complete extermination of hope and humanity will slake his thirst for revenge.
Cronin’s finale to his apocalyptic trilogy is filled with broody suspense, fast paced action, and detailed character development, and a surprising end to their quest for the surviving members of California’s First Colony. There’s not a wasted word in his 600 page millennium spanning saga of human death, grief, hope, and resurrection.
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Authority to open the gate.” The viral plague that for a century had turned humans into blood-thirsty vampires and depopulated the continent had run its course. It’s time to get out of the cramped city and back to the ranch. But far away in the ruins of Grand Central Station in New York lurks Timothy Fanning, subject Zero, the original vector of the virus. He’s had over a century to brood over the losses in his life. He wants revenge on the cold, pitiless universe, and only the complete extermination of hope and humanity will slake his thirst for revenge.
Cronin’s finale to his apocalyptic trilogy is filled with broody suspense, fast paced action, and detailed character development, and a surprising end to their quest for the surviving members of California’s First Colony. There’s not a wasted word in his 600 page millennium spanning saga of human death, grief, hope, and resurrection.
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LibraryThing member SheTreadsSoftly
The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin is the final epic novel in the postapocalyptic Passage trilogy. The action in this highly recommended conclusion follows The Passage and The Twelve.
The City of Mirrors is not a stand-alone novel although Cronin does have an abbreviated Biblically inspired
Cronin does continue to have a plethora of incredibly well developed characters set in a fully realized world and complicated plot. The novel starts off slow, but keep with it. Virals are back - although I'm sure most people didn't think they were really eradicated. Fanning's (Zero) background story is told here, a long but necessary addition. You will find out what happens to the characters we've been following: Alicia, Amy, Peter, Michael, Lucius, Sara, Caleb, and Zero. Cronin explores the meaning of love as a destructive force and a basic need.
I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil anything for fans or future fans, so let me just repeat my admonition that you need to reread the first two novels to fully appreciate this final novel. It will also help you follow the complex plot and all the characters. If I'm honest, it had just been too long between novels for me to fully appreciate The City of Mirrors and I didn't have the extra time to invest in rereading the previous two (hefty) novels.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Random House for review purposes.
The City of Mirrors is not a stand-alone novel although Cronin does have an abbreviated Biblically inspired
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synopsis at the beginning. Honestly, I need to start out saying to anyone interested in reading this, that in order to fully appreciate this final novel in the trilogy, I think you need to reread the previous two novels.Cronin does continue to have a plethora of incredibly well developed characters set in a fully realized world and complicated plot. The novel starts off slow, but keep with it. Virals are back - although I'm sure most people didn't think they were really eradicated. Fanning's (Zero) background story is told here, a long but necessary addition. You will find out what happens to the characters we've been following: Alicia, Amy, Peter, Michael, Lucius, Sara, Caleb, and Zero. Cronin explores the meaning of love as a destructive force and a basic need.
I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil anything for fans or future fans, so let me just repeat my admonition that you need to reread the first two novels to fully appreciate this final novel. It will also help you follow the complex plot and all the characters. If I'm honest, it had just been too long between novels for me to fully appreciate The City of Mirrors and I didn't have the extra time to invest in rereading the previous two (hefty) novels.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Random House for review purposes.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
This is part three of a series. I had really looked forward to the conclusion. Part one “The Passage” and part two “The Twelve” were excellent. This last book in the series “The City of Mirrors” left a lot to be desired. After listening to more than 7 hours of a 28+ hour audio, I gave
The narrator of this book, Scott Brick, has been excellent in all others that I have listened to by him. In this one, he droned and over-emoted, and quite honestly, I am not sure whether or not it was the narrative or the narrator, but I actually fell asleep more than once and had to backtrack several times.
There was so much background given, and so much detail and description provided about a character “Zero”, or Dr. Fanning, who started the whole virus that infected the world, that it mind-numbing! My husband and I listened to the first two with interest and were completely engaged, but both of us looked at each other and gave up the effort at the same time. Once again, I apologize to the author, but I think it was too long and too detailed and often entered the realm of a teenage/YA fantasy or sci-fi book, rather than a book that could please adults and young adults. It stretched credibility beyond my ability to suspend disbelief.
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up. I hate to give up on books, and yet, recently, I have had to because they were just not engaging enough to invest more time.The narrator of this book, Scott Brick, has been excellent in all others that I have listened to by him. In this one, he droned and over-emoted, and quite honestly, I am not sure whether or not it was the narrative or the narrator, but I actually fell asleep more than once and had to backtrack several times.
There was so much background given, and so much detail and description provided about a character “Zero”, or Dr. Fanning, who started the whole virus that infected the world, that it mind-numbing! My husband and I listened to the first two with interest and were completely engaged, but both of us looked at each other and gave up the effort at the same time. Once again, I apologize to the author, but I think it was too long and too detailed and often entered the realm of a teenage/YA fantasy or sci-fi book, rather than a book that could please adults and young adults. It stretched credibility beyond my ability to suspend disbelief.
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LibraryThing member ReadingGrrl
I was so excited when I saw that the finale to this trilogy was out. Although there was so much time between the last book and this one that I found myself a bit lost in the beginning and thankful for the summary of what had happened so far at the beginning of the book.
Once I delved into the actual
By about 1/2 way through the book and after Zero's story the pace picked up and I was reminded of the previous books and why I loved them so much. As I turned the last page I found tears on my cheeks. Brilliant ending to this series.
Once I delved into the actual
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book I found that I was still a bit lost. It skipped around a lot and then there was a long detailed history of Zero. The man who started the virus that almost destroyed the human race. By about 1/2 way through the book and after Zero's story the pace picked up and I was reminded of the previous books and why I loved them so much. As I turned the last page I found tears on my cheeks. Brilliant ending to this series.
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LibraryThing member mmoj
I received this book from a Goodreads' Giveaway.
"The City of Mirrors" is the final installment of The Passage series. If you haven't read the first two books you really need to - you will be lost in this book. As a matter of fact if you haven't read the books recently you may want to do so before
In the previous books Amy and her friends have defeated The Twelve but it has been at a cost. The group has gone on different paths and Amy and Lish are nowhere to be found. The viral's haven't been seen in decades and Kerrville, with their influx of Iowans; are starting to spread outwards into ungated settlements. Caleb, Peter's son is a grown man with a family and is one of those who has started working the land with the intention of settling there with his wife and children.
Michael has left his job and has become obsessed with a ship that he has found. He meets with Greer who shares a secret - Amy is alive. Amy has told him that Zero, father of all the virals (except for Amy) is planning on finishing what he started, to wipe out all the rest of humanity and to kill Amy. Alicia has met Zero, or Tim Fanning as he was originally called. Fanning tells Alicia his story, something we hadn't heard about in the previous books.
I love Cronin's writing style and this book was well worth the wait. He makes us see the other person's viewpoint and makes us think about that person's experience to make them who they are. I did think the book could have ended a bit sooner, that part of the ending didn't add to the story.
"The City of Mirrors" is the final installment of The Passage series. If you haven't read the first two books you really need to - you will be lost in this book. As a matter of fact if you haven't read the books recently you may want to do so before
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reading this - I know that's a HUGE time commitment (Cronin is a terrific writer but does not believe in brevity) but it will worth it.In the previous books Amy and her friends have defeated The Twelve but it has been at a cost. The group has gone on different paths and Amy and Lish are nowhere to be found. The viral's haven't been seen in decades and Kerrville, with their influx of Iowans; are starting to spread outwards into ungated settlements. Caleb, Peter's son is a grown man with a family and is one of those who has started working the land with the intention of settling there with his wife and children.
Michael has left his job and has become obsessed with a ship that he has found. He meets with Greer who shares a secret - Amy is alive. Amy has told him that Zero, father of all the virals (except for Amy) is planning on finishing what he started, to wipe out all the rest of humanity and to kill Amy. Alicia has met Zero, or Tim Fanning as he was originally called. Fanning tells Alicia his story, something we hadn't heard about in the previous books.
I love Cronin's writing style and this book was well worth the wait. He makes us see the other person's viewpoint and makes us think about that person's experience to make them who they are. I did think the book could have ended a bit sooner, that part of the ending didn't add to the story.
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LibraryThing member SquirrelHead
** spoiler alert ** Ok, The Passage remains my favorite of the books but City of Mirrors came through like gang busters. If it’s been a while since you read the first two book in this trilogy you may want to reacquaint yourself again.
Many of our favorite characters from the previous books turn up
Remember the monster like creature Zero? The father of The Twelve? You get his backstory when he was a man living an ordinary life. He was Timothy Fanning back hundreds of years ago; a man who lived in a neighborhood, who went to Harvard, an intelligent man who fell in love with Liz, a woman who was involved with his roommate. He was smart – as in wicked smart in the sciences, the sort of guy who could change the world with medical discoveries and be the Time man of the year.
SPOILERS BELOW !!!!!!!!
Some people didn’t like Zero/Fanning’s back story as his role in the two previous books is that of villain, the father of the virals. In my opinion Fanning’s back story is one of hope and love. Now his roommate Jonas Lear turned the tables on him as he was completely obsessed with Liz and her illness. It becomes a driving force for Lear and it seems Liz isn’t his focus anymore, it’s the cure of what’s wrong with her. I honestly loved the monologue by Zero and enjoyed reading about the stages of his life, finding out how he became the monster instead of a man.
Amy is old as dirt even though she occupies the body of a 12 year old. An old, old woman who has the jedi power to make people sleep when she needs them to. I asked my husband if she ever became a woman, in a woman’s body, and he did ask if I wanted that spoiler. (Obviously he read it first) Her role to save the world was an interesting one, a hard path to take and while the ending wasn’t what I wanted, I don’t know how I thought it should end. But it did end about the only way it could.
Remember I said SPOIlERS above? If you’ve continued to read……here comes another one and it’s big. Be warned!!
My biggest complaint is what happened when Amy and Peter were captured in NYC. Zero ends up slitting Peter’s throat right I front of Amy. Why? Because that is the one thing that can hurt Amy. When you love someone, you get hurt. The person you love is what can hurt you the most in life, it guts you.
After a great fight between Amy and Zero, Amy finds Peter alive and does the unthinkable. She gives him some of her blood because she can’t bear to live without him. She loves him and that selfish choice to keep him alive, as a viral, is a terrible thing. It’s a mockery of the life he lived. He fought every day against the virals, from youth into old age, trying to eradicate them and make the world a safer place. What a horrific thing to turn him into the monster he abhorred.
I did like the stories about the survivors getting on Michael’s ship and how they formed a new society. Wish I could have known more about how the society evolved. There is so much to cover about the book so I’ll just say overall I liked it a A-
The writing is skilled and the story is very engaging. I hope Justin Cronin sets out to tell another epic tale such as this one. I would most certainly buy it.
Many of our favorite characters from the previous books turn up
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here. When we met Peter in The Passage he was a young man but he’s a white haired 50 something fellow midway through this book.Remember the monster like creature Zero? The father of The Twelve? You get his backstory when he was a man living an ordinary life. He was Timothy Fanning back hundreds of years ago; a man who lived in a neighborhood, who went to Harvard, an intelligent man who fell in love with Liz, a woman who was involved with his roommate. He was smart – as in wicked smart in the sciences, the sort of guy who could change the world with medical discoveries and be the Time man of the year.
SPOILERS BELOW !!!!!!!!
Some people didn’t like Zero/Fanning’s back story as his role in the two previous books is that of villain, the father of the virals. In my opinion Fanning’s back story is one of hope and love. Now his roommate Jonas Lear turned the tables on him as he was completely obsessed with Liz and her illness. It becomes a driving force for Lear and it seems Liz isn’t his focus anymore, it’s the cure of what’s wrong with her. I honestly loved the monologue by Zero and enjoyed reading about the stages of his life, finding out how he became the monster instead of a man.
Amy is old as dirt even though she occupies the body of a 12 year old. An old, old woman who has the jedi power to make people sleep when she needs them to. I asked my husband if she ever became a woman, in a woman’s body, and he did ask if I wanted that spoiler. (Obviously he read it first) Her role to save the world was an interesting one, a hard path to take and while the ending wasn’t what I wanted, I don’t know how I thought it should end. But it did end about the only way it could.
Remember I said SPOIlERS above? If you’ve continued to read……here comes another one and it’s big. Be warned!!
My biggest complaint is what happened when Amy and Peter were captured in NYC. Zero ends up slitting Peter’s throat right I front of Amy. Why? Because that is the one thing that can hurt Amy. When you love someone, you get hurt. The person you love is what can hurt you the most in life, it guts you.
After a great fight between Amy and Zero, Amy finds Peter alive and does the unthinkable. She gives him some of her blood because she can’t bear to live without him. She loves him and that selfish choice to keep him alive, as a viral, is a terrible thing. It’s a mockery of the life he lived. He fought every day against the virals, from youth into old age, trying to eradicate them and make the world a safer place. What a horrific thing to turn him into the monster he abhorred.
I did like the stories about the survivors getting on Michael’s ship and how they formed a new society. Wish I could have known more about how the society evolved. There is so much to cover about the book so I’ll just say overall I liked it a A-
The writing is skilled and the story is very engaging. I hope Justin Cronin sets out to tell another epic tale such as this one. I would most certainly buy it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rosalita
The final book in Cronin's [The Passage] trilogy finally gives us answers to who was the man who became Patient Zero, and what we wants from the ragtag segment of human civilization that remains. Cronin is a first-rate storyteller who, like Stephen King and many other authors who become very
It also doesn't help that it's been three years since the second book, [The Twelve] was released, which left me with only the foggiest memory of plot details from it and the first book. I considered re-reading at least Book Two to bring me back up to speed, but considering this one alone is 712 pages (!) I really wasn't willing to invest so much time when there are so many lovely unread books waiting out there.
The bottom line is I'm glad I read this just to finish the trilogy, but it fell a bit flat for me. In addition, there is an extended coda that gives new meaning to the word "anticlimactic". All in all, a valuable reminder that writing series of books that remain compelling and relevant is hard, y'all.
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popular, is badly in need of a ruthless editor to help him rein in the worst of his verbose impulses. It also doesn't help that it's been three years since the second book, [The Twelve] was released, which left me with only the foggiest memory of plot details from it and the first book. I considered re-reading at least Book Two to bring me back up to speed, but considering this one alone is 712 pages (!) I really wasn't willing to invest so much time when there are so many lovely unread books waiting out there.
The bottom line is I'm glad I read this just to finish the trilogy, but it fell a bit flat for me. In addition, there is an extended coda that gives new meaning to the word "anticlimactic". All in all, a valuable reminder that writing series of books that remain compelling and relevant is hard, y'all.
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LibraryThing member BrittanyLyn
"City of memories. City of mirrors"
In the final part of Justin Cronin's apocalyptic trilogy, we finally have resolution to all the questions and character nuances that have thus far plagued us.
The shifts in perspective and timelines really engaged me, I especially enjoyed learning more about
In the final part of Justin Cronin's apocalyptic trilogy, we finally have resolution to all the questions and character nuances that have thus far plagued us.
The shifts in perspective and timelines really engaged me, I especially enjoyed learning more about
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Zero's history and how he came to be the harbinger of the virus. The backstory of Jonas Lear was also fascinating. Show Less
LibraryThing member hazel1123
I really enjoyed this book. The writing is good and the plot is creative and although complicated with lots of characters it was not hard for me to follow. I liked the story within the story of Zero and who he was. There was tension as the story ended. I thought the ending was perfect. Read the
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first two before this one. This is definitely a series year needs to read in order. Show Less
LibraryThing member sturlington
The last book in The Passage series provides a satisfying ending to the trilogy. In keeping with the previous two installments, The City of Mirrors is massive and covers a long period of time, again focusing on the stalwart survivors we have gotten to know so well over the series, now returned to
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Kerrville, Texas. Although the threat of the original Twelve had been eliminated in the previous book, the first victim of the virus--and the most powerful of the original vampires--remains. He is Zero (Timothy Fanning), and he is holed up a ruined New York City. Zero's back story is long enough, and interesting enough, to be a novel in itself. Knowing it gives this villain dimension and helps us understand his obsessions. He is also patient, naturally, given his extended lifespan. I won't say more, for fear of giving anything away--only that this book contained all the nerve-wracking suspense, depth of character, and epic scale I have come to expect and love in this series, and it offers satisfying closure for all of these characters whom we have stuck with through so much. Show Less
LibraryThing member jhoaglin
I loved this final addition to the Passage trilogy. The author creates such a complex plot, and keeps adding layers. Mr. Cronin resolved one story line after another, but keeps adding new plot lines, and then brought resolution to those as well. There is some back story here, filling in questions
Thanks to Goodreads for my free advanced readers copy.
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as to how this all started, and "Zero's" own personal story and tragedies. The stories are all so richly textured, and characters are all drawn with depth, nothing that seems a caricature, or flat. This is truly an example of "literary" science fiction.Thanks to Goodreads for my free advanced readers copy.
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LibraryThing member labdaddy4
This might just be the best of the three novels in this excellent trilogy. Cronin's story (consistent over the span), action (a bit gory & violent), and characters (full, meaningful, and well developed) combine along with simply excellent writing of an epic tale to make a trilogy that stands above
I completely love the gentle and moving ending - a high point of all three novels.
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most of it's peers. I still consider the Lord of the Rings trilogy to be the "gold standard" but this is up there. It will be interesting to see what the author does next.I completely love the gentle and moving ending - a high point of all three novels.
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LibraryThing member sassafras
I am amazed by Cronin's storytelling and character development. I love these characters and feel like I really know them. When the story is over, it lingers and I want to know what is going to happen next to these characters. The City of Mirrors wraps up a three book storyline, so we have been
And on top of the characters, there is a fairly complicated storyline, which again we have been following for three books. The story is not flat either, just when you think you know where it's going it will take a 180 turn and you are off in another direction. There are not many books that can do that for me, but this series is one that does.
You don't have to read the previous two books to understand this one, but knowing the characters' histories from the other books makes this a more satisfying read. Again, another stellar read from Cronin.
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following these characters for a long time, their whole lives practically. Cronin does an excellent job keeping them all interesting and real. And on top of the characters, there is a fairly complicated storyline, which again we have been following for three books. The story is not flat either, just when you think you know where it's going it will take a 180 turn and you are off in another direction. There are not many books that can do that for me, but this series is one that does.
You don't have to read the previous two books to understand this one, but knowing the characters' histories from the other books makes this a more satisfying read. Again, another stellar read from Cronin.
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LibraryThing member busyreadin
Way too long between books. I could hardly remember who the characters were. The story did pick up and had a good conclusion.
LibraryThing member c.archer
This was an amazing conclusion to the dystopian tale that Justin Cronin began in "The Passage". My memory isn't the greatest, so I didn't recall much about "The Passage" other than I loved it. I believe it was the first apocalyptic story that I read, and certainly it is one of the best. I recently
The start of this book seems a bit more relaxed than the previous two, since it would appear that with the defeat of The Twelve, the virals could no longer pose a threat to the humans. The U.S. remnant has been reestablished and some new degree of normalcy seems to have returned to its citizens and their civilization. This new normal changes in an instant, and the action doesn't stop until the end of the book. It literally had me on the edge of my seat, and didn't in any way disappoint me.
Although Mr. Cronin does give a bit of summary at the beginning of each book, it is a very good idea to read these books in the order in which they are written in order to understand the characters and the background to the fullest. Even so, you could enjoy this as a stand alone. The writing is spectacular and the details and character development for a novel of this type are superb.
This is a perfect book for those who think reading is boring or lacks the excitement of a movie. There is enough excitement in this book for the most avid of action fans. "The City of Mirrors" is another big volume, but it is so worth your time.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
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finished "The Twelve", and was once again dazzled by the magic of Cronin's imagination. Since it was fairly fresh in my mind, I was able to jump into "The City of Mirrors" without much confusion. I'm not sure what I expected from this third and last of the series, but it far exceeded anything I could have envisioned.The start of this book seems a bit more relaxed than the previous two, since it would appear that with the defeat of The Twelve, the virals could no longer pose a threat to the humans. The U.S. remnant has been reestablished and some new degree of normalcy seems to have returned to its citizens and their civilization. This new normal changes in an instant, and the action doesn't stop until the end of the book. It literally had me on the edge of my seat, and didn't in any way disappoint me.
Although Mr. Cronin does give a bit of summary at the beginning of each book, it is a very good idea to read these books in the order in which they are written in order to understand the characters and the background to the fullest. Even so, you could enjoy this as a stand alone. The writing is spectacular and the details and character development for a novel of this type are superb.
This is a perfect book for those who think reading is boring or lacks the excitement of a movie. There is enough excitement in this book for the most avid of action fans. "The City of Mirrors" is another big volume, but it is so worth your time.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
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