The Hanging City

For a young woman who wields the power of fear, humanity's greatest enemy is her only hope in a new romantic, adventure-filled fantasy by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Seven years on the run from her abusive father, and with no hope of sanctuary among the dwindling pockets of human civilization, Lark is out of options. Her only leverage is a cursed power: she can thrust fear onto others, leaving all threats fleeing in terror. It's a means of survival as she searches for a place to call home. If the campfire myths of her childhood are true, Lark's sole chance for refuge could lie in Cagmar, the city of trolls--a brutal species and the sworn enemies of humanity.

Valuing combat prowess, the troll high council is intrigued. Lark could be much more useful than the low-caste humans who merely labor in Cagmar. Her gift makes her invaluable as a monster slayer to fight off the unspeakable creatures that torment the trolls' hanging city, suspended from a bridge over an endless dark canyon.

Lark will do anything to make Cagmar her home, but her new role comes with a caveat: use her power against a troll, and she'll be killed. Her loyalty is quickly put to the test when she draws the hatred of a powerful troll who loathes humankind. Still, she finds unexpected friendship in the city and, even more surprisingly, love. But if everything else doesn't undo her, being caught in the arms of a troll surely will. Now in the fight of her life, Lark has a lot to learn--about her past, about trust and hope when all seems lost, and above all, about the extraordinary power of fear itself.

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Published Aug 1, 2023

349 pages

Average rating: 7.25

28 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

sabmosteller
Dec 31, 2024
6/10 stars
Shrek fanfic was not on my bingo card this year
JL Reads
Jul 18, 2024
9/10 stars
I don’t usually pick up fantasy books, but this was an absolute delight. The tale of a young woman with special powers is run off who is run off from town after town until she finds solace in an unlikely place, with trolls who hate humans. I enjoyed this so much. Book #59 in 2023
margardenlady
Dec 27, 2023
8/10 stars
One of the things I love about Charlie Holmberg's writing is that she writes strong female protagonists. This was no exception. The fantasy world was well developed and a premise of racial conflict and deep caste structure are timely topics to address. Our protagonist, Lark, has a special ability - the ability to incite terror intentionally through her mind. Her power hungry father has exploited it and abused her for years and when we meet her, she is wandering in search of a place she can call home. She thinks she may have found it in Cagmar, a city of trollis that hangs in a crevasse inhabited by monsters. I wasn't sure I liked this very well at times. There was an awful lot of fighting and violence, with arbitrary caste structures defining interactions. But after finishing, I appreciate the themes and message of the book.

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