Children of Artifice by Danie Ware

An ancient city, sealed in a vast crater. A history of metallurgical magic, and of Builders that could craft the living, breathing stone.

Caphen Talmar is the high-born son of an elite family, descended from the Builders themselves, his artistic career ruined when his ex-lover broke his fingers.

One night, gambling down at the wharfside – somewhere he shouldn’t have been in the first place – he meets Aden. An uncomplicated, rough-edged dockworker, Aden is everything Caph needs to forget the pressures of his father’s constant criticism.

But this isn’t just another one-night stand. Aden is trying to find his sister, and he needs Caph’s help. Soon, they find themselves tangled in a deadly game of trust, lies and political rebellion.

And, as Caph begins to understand the real depth of the horrors they’ve uncovered, he learns that Aden is not what he seems. And Aden knows more about the coming destruction than Caph could ever have guessed.

When your entire world is a single city, no matter how big it is, you are going to feel bound by its limits. Caphen Talmar, Caph to his friends, feels like he is suffocating in his own life. A powerful mother and domineering father try to keep the young man under their control, but this just makes him more determined to be his own man, to forge his own destiny. A chance encounter with free-spirt, Aden, hints at the opportunity of something more.

Now I could wax lyrical about the absorbing plot or the intriguing magic system you’ll discover in this novel, but I’m not going to. For me, Danie Ware’s writing really excels when it comes to her characters. The doubts and indecision that plague Caph feel palpable. He is torn between tradition and a chance at happiness. Caph’s relationship with his father perfectly illustrates this. The older man is unable to connect with his son because he views his son’s sexual identity as just a passing fad. It makes him dismissive of every decision Caph makes. Caph has spent his whole life trying to feel comfortable in his own skin, but he is forced to struggle against his father’s archaic attitudes. There is also a thread to the narrative regarding an abusive ex who is still obsessed with Caph. The scenes between these two are intense, almost uncomfortable to read, but they give you a real sense of the trauma that our protagonist has had to face. There are some deeply personal, emotive moments in Caph’s character evolution that help to make his narrative absolutely riveting.

Meanwhile Aden has problems of his own. He suffers guilt due to the various roles he is forced to adopt. At first glance Aden may appear carefree, unencumbered by having to follow the rules that govern everyone else. Of course, it’s not as simple as all that. Aden has a magical ability that allows him to fit in anywhere, at any given moment he crafts a different life depending on need. If one of his personas has difficulty thats not an issue, he can quickly become someone else. Sounds like that should make everything simple, doesn’t it? The problem is Aden’s skill is far more complex than that. Each time he becomes someone else he risks losing a little bit more of himself. He is beginning to question who and even what he is. Is he an amalgam of all the different lives he is living, has lived, or is he someone else? Can he even trust his own emotions, are they real? Meeting Caph forces Aden to confront all these inner demons that have been bubbling under the surface for years.

The world building is also executed well. The city has an evocative air. From the business districts to the wharfside, the darkest slums to the most extravagant residence, all life is here. Outside the crater where the city sits, as far as anyone knows, there is nothing. The city has become a microcosm of an entire world. All that is left of humanity fits somewhere within the rigid social structure that exists solely to maintain the status quo. Caph and his family are at the very top of the heap, living an idyllic pampered existence. Meanwhile Aden and his friends live hand to mouth, turning to crime when the need arises. The inequality that exists highlights a society that has become stagnant. Change has become an anathema and those at the top want it to remain that way. The conspiracy that Caph and Aden uncover adds a nice backdrop to their burgeoning relationship.

I really enjoyed City of Artifice. At its heart it is the story of two people finding one another and also each discovering their own respective identities. Caph and Aden, are fully realised. Their actions and reactions make them feel alive. The plot has a plenty of fantastical twists and turns and I lost myself in it quickly. I do hope there will be more books with these characters. I was a big fan of Danie Ware’s Ecko trilogy. I’d love to see this new universe expanded upon further. I suspect there is still much to learn about the enigmatic Builders and how their influence directs the course of events. If you are looking for insightful fantasy with bucket loads of heart then look no further, Children of Artifice is the book for you.

After much contemplation my musical recommendation to accompany Children of Artifice is the soundtrack to Emerald City by Trevor Morris. There is a nice steampunky/fantasy vibe that matches the tone of the novel perfectly.

Children of Artifice is published by Fox Spirit Books and is available now. Highly recommended.