This Will Kill That, Shades of the City

A queer urban sci-fi series perfect for fans of V. E. Schwab’s VICIOUS and Rainbow Rowell’s CARRY ON.

District City is full of monsters.

Abandoned houses are haunted by wayward spirits, and leaders of rival Colors clash over the secrets of a brutal past.

After the Plague thinned out the population, Rin thought people would stop killing each other. No such luck. When her parents suddenly disappear, she becomes the new Lady Morana, head of the Green faction. As the clan’s new leader, Rin must contend with her complicated relationship to her rival, Lady Amaya, as well as her own history of violence.

Meanwhile, a series of riddles take Amaya Verity out of her isolated room in the Blue compound and into the hidden spaces of the City. Running away from captivity, Amaya takes shelter with Rin at the old Sydis house.

There, she meets two young men with demons of their own and powerful abilities to match. Alan, who is hiding out from his abusive ex, and Kazuki, who might be the only person in the City that remembers the events of the Plague.

As they dig deeper, Rin and Amaya must decide whether to fight monsters or become them.

The Shades of the City Series is best enjoyed in the following order:

Book 1: This Will Kill That
Book 2: Shades of the City
Book 3: A King and a Monster