DEVOURED this book in a day. As soon as I read about Stan, a cat, pulling out a gun on someone and shooting them for disagreeing with him I was sold. The story is complex and winding and I loved every minute. Eleanor and Stan's dynamic was hilarious and the concept so unique. One of my favourite reads this year. I will be preordering this book as a birthday gift so I can annotate it in person. Anyway 5/5 stars, I want more.

The Splendid City is the story of Eleanor, a young witch who, along with an unfortunate man she'd recently turned into a cat, is exiled to Liberty. Liberty encompasses the territory that was once Texas. The government of Liberty is vaguely reminiscent of recent administrations - that is, doing whatever they can to make a spectacle of things to distract from the fact that water has gone missing. During her exile, Eleanor is tasked with searching for Daria, a missing witch with the ability to locate water.

I enjoyed reading The Splendid City. Eleanor's banter with Stan was funny. Stan's exploits were cringeworthy in the best way possible. Additionally, I think Heuler did an excellent job of showing how incompetent people can be taken advantage of by bad actors. Eleanor was incredibly relatable. I'm sure every woman who reads this will commiserate with Eleanor's experience with her boss at the gift shop and her infuriating struggles with Stan.

I didn't like the narrative structure of this book. I was incredibly confused during the first third. I spent more time trying to parse out what was going on than actually getting to know the characters. In fact, I almost DNF'd this book several times during the first third because I was so confused, but I made myself push further. I really didn't care about Eleanor until the end of the book, after we had her backstory. I found myself rooting for Stan's demise after I got his backstory. I would've given this book 4-stars if the story was chronological - otherwise, this creative choice is just jarring for the reader.

All in all, I think this was an interesting book, and certainly a fun reaction to recent political times. It's giving vague notes of Kafka and Orwell, and I will certainly recommend this to fans of dystopian novels and political satire.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for this complimentary copy of The Splendid City in exchange for an honest review***

This particular book was not quite for me unfortunately, although that's not to say I won't be recommending it to people I think will enjoy it. It just isn't to my current tastes.

Eleanor is an exiled witch, and Stan the Cat is her grumpy, gunslinging fellow in exile. What happened? Why have they been sent to Liberty, the strange city with talking heads in the street and flying nougat?!

I enjoyed the contemporary witchcraft spin. Big tick from me there. This book plays with the 'witch/black cat' setup, switching it into a more surrealist, fun dynamic. Stan the Cat and Eleanor the Witch are very cool, and I'm a fan of how drastically different people (cats) they are. The opening scene is excellent - a bit jarring, but really plunges you into the world: you meet a talking cat, he shoots somebody, goes home and complains they were annoying him. Consider me hooked.

What I wasn't such a fan of was the dystopia. Again, this is my taste, but the weirdness of the city felt a little bit too...plastic? Is that the word I want? There are talking heads and weird sweets and a van with a big chicken on that takes people away, and it felt a little bit too randomly selected for me. I couldn't see how the different facets of the dystopia worked to make a bigger picture or aesthetic. Perhaps they aren't supposed to?

However! I will be seeking more Angry Robot books in future, and will definitely recommend this one to anybody who likes dystopia, witches and who is after a fun, light read.

THE SPLENDID CITY by Karen Heuler is a standalone novel about modern practices of witchcraft, Texas becoming its own country and a talking cat who came to drink beer, eat fish tacos, shoot people and chew bubblegum.

Except he's all out of bubblegum.

I must be honest with you, my friends. I saw that one line about the cat in the blurb for this book and it is 100% the reason I requested the ARC. I felt that while it explored some tricky societal topics, I just knew the cat would deliver on the comedic relief. I WAS NOT WRONG! I wasn't even a full page in and the cat (Stan) had already shot someone. I laughed and laughed and laughed reading this novel. Between Stan the Cat, Eleanor the White-Witch-In-Training and the zany way Texas, now known as Liberty, was conducting government practices, I had a great time.

So what IS this book about? Eleanor, a young witch...well half-witch, has been sent to Liberty to investigate the disappearance of another witch, Daria. Stan the Cat accompanies Eleanor, not because he wants to, you understand, because he HAS to. Stan is a man whom Eleanor transformed into a cat and they are both to remain together until they've learned their lessons about why what they did to each other was wrong that led to the transformation. Basically, they're 5 year olds being made to hug it out. (I am laughing as I write this - it is too funny!!)
Liberty is full of paranoia. The president has taken to rationing water by charging high prices, that keep rising with almost each passing day. There's no such thing as free speech with all the animatronic heads stationed throughout, either. With this paranoia, people would rather judge you than help you, so the landscape is a tricky one for our Eleanor.

I am a huge fan of this story, as well as a new fan of Heuler. I was happy to see she has several other pieces available to read, so I look forward to reading more of her work and her easy flowing writing style. I love the way she developed and shaped her characters and crafted their personalities!

I really wanted to like this, but I found myself having a hard time getting into it.

I think I have similar issues to some of the other readers, where the structure of the book is part of the issue. I mean the premise is amazing. But to start with a cat shoot people,,, with zero explanation until much later... and without the synopsis, it's like being dropped off in a city you don't know with a $20.00 bill and someone saying "Good luck, baby duck!"

But besides the structure of the book, where all of the worldbuilding, and flashbacks happen near the end of the novel, it's the point of view of the cat that made me want to stop reading. No offense to Stan, but he's hard to read from at the beginning and so it's really hard to care why he's a cat. Especially if he's being such a twat most of the time. Not that I don't believe that these asshats exist, I just choose to protect my peace by not reading of them.

Anyways, I would definitely read something else that Karen Heuler puts out, but this one was unfortunately not for me.

Fascinating, and really quite odd. It weaves together magic and a kind of silly dystopia, and an objectionable man turned into a cat...

First off, this book cover is really pretty and eye-catching. (I am still trying to find the artist so will update this once I find them.)
A bit of a spoiler but this book is separated into 3 parts - in which it made the progression of the story, as well as the timeline, a lot easier to understand.
We have our two main characters: Eleanor, our novice witch; and Stan, Eleanor’s coworker who is now a cat. At first, I wasn’t too keen on Eleanor. That is until I get to the part where it was made clear why. In which case, I really commend the author because for one, I find that surprising and two, actually good storytelling.
This story was written in a whimsical, light hearted, unassuming way yet it makes one think of a potential future where everything might seem great but completely rotten underneath. This book gives a Studio Ghibli version of Handmaid's Tale and with that imagery, I highly recommend it.

Book out on 14 June 2022.

A genre-blending story of modern witchcraft, a police state and unique characters The perfect book to wrap yourself around on a dark night! This book needs to be on your radar! I enjoyed it.

Eleanor as a character was engaging and intriguing to follow along. This feels like it could go to The big screen as an indie film, that’s the way it read to me. Very quick and to the point.

Beautifully strange and reminiscent of the classic The Master and Margherita (see the opening epigraph!) this book was an excellent escape. While there is no shortage of dystopia American novels, I’ve never read one quite like this. Eleanor and Stan the cat are the kind of zany duo that I love headlining my sci-fi mysteries. The story was inventive and once I understood the world building and gave into the sarcastic voice of the characters, I flew through this novel.

This book had the potential to be something great with its well written characters and a great idea of a plot but lacks something that I can't well point out.
I completed the book though and found some parts engaging.

If you love genre-blending stories that are thought-provoking, hilarious, and filled with unique characters then check out The Splendid City. In the fictional police state of Liberty, there is no free-speech or affordable water. However, you’ll find there witchcraft and talking cats. We follow Eleanor who is learning about her new magical gifts with the support of her coven. Even though Eleanor is a white witch her life is not easy. She gets placed under house arrest and she has to share the space with a previous coworker who now exists in the form of a cat. Eleanor’s resources are limited she wants to help her coven find a missing witch whose disappearance could be linked to the water shortages in Liberty. The Splendid City will be one of the weirdest and most hilarious new funny fantasy books you’ll read in 2022.

*Thank you for the ARC.

Very random and attempting to be surrealist and satirical but I just didn't really get it and didn't gel with it in the slightest! Fans of hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy may like the randomness though! Just a little bit too random for me and I didn't quite get how it wrapped up at the end. Think this kind of genre just isn't for me but I can see how others will love it

This has potential but sadly falter at every hurdle. The concept was intriguing and the characters interesting but the consistency was off and revelations were resolved too easily. This was unsatisfying.

This book was not what I expected but in a fun and interesting way.
A very strange but enjoyable read.

4.5 stars

Working in a museum gift shop, Eleanor is well aware that her boss and her lecherous co-worker, Stan, see her as a meek and pliable target for their advances. What they don’t know is that she has a gift: she can often think things into being, whether it be injuring others who have wronged her or stopping rain from falling. With her talents, Eleanor finds community through a local coven who offer to help her hone her skills, so long as she adheres to their most sacred rule: do no harm. New to the craft, she is eager to prove herself and make new friends, all of which seems promised until she impulsively and inadvertently transforms Stan into a cat.

As a result, the two are sent out to Liberty, a “country” seceded from the greater United States. Liberty is lauded as a paradise, at least by its residents and benevolent-presenting leader. The streets are decorated with animatronic presidential heads ensuring its citizens are living their best lives, parades are thrown every day, and a group of messengers roam the streets, either abducting citizens arbitrarily or else surprising them with gifts. The only recognized flaw is the water shortage, although they are assured the Easterners are to blame.

While a punishment of sorts, Eleanor recognizes her rehabitation to Liberty is also meant for her to keep an eye on another coven who seem to have dissolved shortly after one of their own went missing, an incident which may be linked to the water shortage…

The Splendid City was a really fun and eccentric novel to pore over for the last few days. It’s equal parts fantasy, humor, and political and social commentary all while remaining light and whimsical. Many of my favourite characters were very well established and filled with personality. As slimy as Stan’s character is portrayed (exceedingly arrogant, self-important and chauvinistic), the way he comes across both internally and in dialogue with others pulls so cleverly from real life in a way that makes it difficult to take his egotism seriously.

Counterposed to Stan’s amusingly one-dimensional character is Eleanor’s authentic interest in bettering herself and becoming part of a greater purpose, something she grows towards despite her prior impetuous and self-interested motives. I’m also always interested in how novels philosophize magic within their own narrative and thought this was a very balanced and thoughtful approach to practical magic use in a somewhat current world.

The Splendid City draws attention to the absurdity of everyday life while keeping its distance through the urban fantasy genre. This was such a fun, singular read that surprises you with moments of profound insight. I highly recommend it for fantasy readers who enjoy a comical lean (think: Drew Magary or A. Lee Martinez).

Thanks to Angry Robot and NetGalley for this quirky read!

This book could have been an instant classic, but I couldn't help getting more and more disappointed as I kept reading.

Part 1 of The Splendid City does everything a literary masterpiece should and more. It throws you straight into the grotesque world of Liberty (former Texas) and the story told from two different perspectives: a half-witch and a talking cat. As I sped through the first few chapters, I was certain I stumbled upon a brilliant social commentary exposing the faults of our society through this Orwellian anti-utopia. The satirical writing of that first part is clearly inspired by Bulgakov and very much lives up to his standards as we watch Eleanor and Stan explore Liberty and its bizarre ways.

However, Part 2 left me in utter disappointment with it's lengthy throwbacks to the main character's past and an unnecessarily detailed account of how she became a witch. I couldn't believe this was written by the same author, but as I powered through it, I got a glimpse of hope when Heuler shifted focus once again to give us insight into the relationship between the two main characters, which turned out to be full of abuse and casual workplace harassment.

Unfortunately, the further we advance into the story, the less interesting it gets. At a certain point, it becomes painfully obvious where the plot is taking us, and that direction is void of any purpose you might have been expecting from earlier chapters. It almost feels as if the author took up the task that turned out to be beyond what she could accomplish. Perhaps, she never wanted to accomplish anything of the sort at all, and it's just me looking too deep into the first part of the novel. I can only say that this could have been the next Master and Margarita, but at the end of the day it's just another witchy novel.

I'm sure it will be enjoyed by people expecting exactly that and reading it as an adventure book showing the characters' personal journeys to find themselves. Read this if you like witchy novels, feminist reads and appreciate satire.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @AngryRobotBooks for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What do you get when you mix witches, nougats, talking cats, and liberty? An awesome story! This is the story of Eleanor, a witch whose punishment was to live in Liberty with a talking cat - the coolest new country - after she makes a mistake out of anger. Liberty has messengers! Protests! Nougats! A president that loves them! A water shortage (those damn Easterners!)! Who wouldn't want to live there? The book does go into a couple of dark topics (misogyny, stalking) and I do wish one of the characters wasn't '"redeemed" but up until that moment I enjoyed the book. Highly recommend to everyone who is looking for a surreal story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for this ARC!

The Splendid City is a satirical, fantastical take on America in the future. Our main characters Stan the cat-man and Eleanor the witch are strange and mysterious, having a less-than-amicable relationship and a muddled past that is only revealed deeper into the story. Water is disappearing in the state of Liberty, and both Eleanor and Stan become wrapped up in conspiracies and politics in pursuit of truth (and possible treasure).

I loved the mix of fantasy and hyperreality. Our protagonists are interesting, but the real gem of The Splendid City was the setting. Liberty has consistent surveillance, despite the populace being rather happy. The satire plays the line between the absurdity of a technological world so fine-tuned we receive what we want before we even know it, and people's desire to be content, to live without worry. While Stan is easy-going, Eleanor is wound tight, adding to the layers of humor as they interact with this strange and somewhat familiar version of Western reality.

What did not work for me what how our protagonists backgrounds were told. A bulk of it is told late into the story. I had begun to lose interest in their histories, and by that point was more interested in where the mystery was going to end up. The utter strangeness of Liberty and its residents kept me going!

The Splendid City was a fun place to visit. If you want to read something a little wacky and a bit fantastical, give this a try. Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Angry Robot for an advanced copy of this magical view of the future.

The problem with being a speculative fiction writer trying to stay ahead of an America with it's pedal to the metal rush to being a full blown Idiocracy, have to be to numerous to count. How do you write a satire about a future America when you have protesters today driving huge fuel consuming vehicles in a circle, in traffic wasting huge amounts of the product they are protesting is just to high, and how can they possibly afford it. Or a political dinner celebrating a political party's cosy relationship with the press where half the people get sick from COVID just days after lifting the same COVID restrictions that got them sick. To be a writer has to be draining, even more than just living this. In Karen Heuler's case you just go for it, and in the novel The Splendid City the story is kept smart and hopeful, even while all around is dumb and grim.

Eleanor is a witch who has recently arrived in the state of Liberty, one of the many new states that have broke off of America, sometime in the near future. Liberty is a highly surveilled, paranoid, failing state, with protests, droughts, and problems below and above the surface. Eleanor is not alone in Liberty, her companion is a newly transformed into a cat lecherous co-worker by the name of Stan. Stan, has an itchy trigger finger, loves craft beer, fish tacos and scamming people, and causing chaos as much as he can. Eleanor wants to find a witch who has gone missing, who might be the reason why the water rationing program is not working. However Stan is not to be trusted and she is under house arrest, among other things.

Liberty is every city and state, or FOX news blaming everything on Northerners, outsiders, for stealing, cheating, lying and not being nice to them, basically snowflake nation. The book has a lot of great ideas, and the characters are interesting, thought Stan is a tad grosser than he seems, and Eleanor allows quite a bit, but I am sure that is commentary on the misogyny that is rampant in the society they live in. The idea of the witches was different and played fairly straight. There is humor, but a lot of it is oh wow, that Stan is a jerk. However the story moves well and except for a few sudden stops to explain things, moves well and stays together.

A different look at witches in a future that seems to be racing to find a cliff to careen off of. Not an urban fantasy that some might expect it to be, more a mirror to the sad world that we have allowed this country to become, with a bit of Russian novel tossed in, especially a talking cat. Recommended for people who like their science fiction thoughtful and not easy to categorize, Less Jim Butcher, more Norman Spinrad. A interesting story, full of a lot of thoughtful moments.