Book Review: The City of Arches by Alisse Lee Goldenberg
Book Review / by The Chrysalis BREW Project / 376 views
Have you ever wondered whether rediscovering someone else’s forgotten past could untangle your own? This piece explores that curious possibility, and the full write-up will reveal how the book brings it to life.
Book Title and Author
The City of Arches by Alisse Lee Goldenberg
Genre, Sub-Genres, Themes
Fantasy; character-driven quest fantasy, coming-of-age adventure; identity, legacy, survival, trust, restoration, hidden histories, and the moral complexity of magic.
Review
There is a scientific observation that memories behave like soft clay: every time we touch them, we reshape them ever so slightly. Reading The City of Arches, one begins to sense that its characters live inside that very truth. The story opens not with fanfare, but with a young princess, Sitnalta, trapped indoors on a rain-soaked day, wandering into a mysterious locked room where forgotten objects breathe with untouched stories. Anyone who has ever cleaned out an attic and found an old coat that still holds the scent of a long-ago season will understand instantly why the discovery she makes—an unsent letter—matters so much. This is the book’s quiet magic: it turns the small, overlooked moments into the beginning of epic change.
The parallel storyline belonging to Princess Learsi adds a grounded emotional weight. Her survival on the streets, her invented caution techniques, her lip-reading ability after losing her hearing as a child, and her guarded exchanges with the enigmatic wizard Kralc give the novel a lived-in texture. Goldenberg writes Learsi not as a symbol but as a person—resourceful, frightened, stubborn, principled—whose every choice feels earned. A remarkable detail, subtle but powerful, is how Learsi’s daggers become more than tools; they function almost like anchors to her past and proof of her own resilience.
What stands out most is the novel’s capacity to weave wonder into the everyday. A simple breakfast scene—Kralc confused about how to knock for someone who cannot hear—becomes a study in human connection. Their storm-soaked scramble for shelter later on, with Kralc’s magic flickering under pressure, uses the oldest storytelling trick in the world: let nature test the characters before their true quest even begins. Anyone who has huddled under a makeshift tarp during a sudden downpour will feel a pang of recognition.
Goldenberg’s world-building grows not from dense exposition but from the characters’ reactions to their circumstances. The City of Arches, introduced as a half-mythic cautionary tale told by a mother at bedtime, gains credibility piece by piece, not through heavy explanation but through emotional history. The fable-like origins of the cursed arches, the wizard’s evasive respect for his father’s legacy, and the political unease surrounding Colonodona form a backdrop that feels organic rather than constructed.
Who will enjoy this book? Readers who relish character-centered fantasy, journeys that deepen relationships, and stories that balance warmth with danger. It will resonate with those who enjoy authors like Shannon Hale or Tamora Pierce, where adventure is enriched by emotional stakes. Who may not? Those who prefer relentless action, dark gritty tones, or highly technical magic systems may find the book’s quieter strengths outside their usual taste.
Ultimately, The City of Arches is a story that understands that adventure is not only about where you go, but who you become on the way. Its charm rests in its blend of heart, mystery, and courage—folded together like the red-mended cloak that begins the tale, restored stitch by stitch until it becomes something new.
Content Note: Contains themes of peril, parental loss, and magical conflict appropriate for typical fantasy adventure stories.
About the Author:
Alisse Lee Goldenberg writes works for children, horror stories, young adult paranormal romance, and young adult fantasy. She develops four ongoing series, co-writes one with An Tran, holds degrees in education and fine arts, writes for stage and screen, and lives in Toronto with her family, hedgehog, and Aussiedoodle.
- Listing ID: 37699
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