A STRANGER IN THE CITADEL

In a world where books are sacrilegious, a musketress and a librarian search for the truth.

Lilith and her 12 brothers and sisters are musketeers of Ninetha, a walled city. Their family controls the cornucopia, which gives them enough to survive, though they must constantly monitor the common people so that their city does not collapse on itself. Then a librarian arrives, carrying with him the unthinkable: a book. Kira, who sometimes acts as Lilith’s bodyguard, sometimes as her teacher, and sometimes almost as a mother figure, wants to execute the librarian at once, but though Lilith knows that books are forbidden, she also wants to honor the rare appearance of a traveler and feels responsible for the man’s fate. The librarian’s arrival heralds a rupture in Lilith’s own life as she witnesses her city and family in turmoil. Ultimately, Lilith journeys beyond the city walls, accompanied, unexpectedly, by the librarian. Despite their differences, the two must rely on each other to survive in a world stranger than either of them could have imagined. While the worldbuilding and mystery surrounding technology and books are fascinating, a constant distance from Lilith’s emotions and sometimes even from the action utterly disrupting her life makes the story less than fully engaging. Though the stakes should be high, only Lilith’s unknowing journey to stumble upon the central conceit of her world propels the story to its singular revelation.

A worthy concept that struggles with its execution.