The Madmen's City Review

Today I am reviewing The Madmen’s City by: Cady Vance.

Gwen Kane’s dad is the famous vigilante Phantom and she is training with him. There’s another vigilante around town named Ethos and he isn’t afraid to kill. When Phantom is framed for a murder he didn’t commit, Gwen will do everything she can to prove his innocence, even going out on the streets at night and teaming up with Ethos.

I absolutely loved this book. I am a huge fan of superheroes/vigilantes in stories, but this is actually the first book I’ve read about them. This book reminded me a lot of the feel of the show Arrow, which I love as well.

Cady Vance did an excellent job with writing this book. It played like a movie across my eyes and I could visualize everything. Typically with reading, I visualize it to a point, but this book went way beyond that. Through the descriptions and writing, I could see everything that was going on.

I really liked the characters in this book, especially Silas Snow. His personality really showed through and I’m really glad Cady Vance decided to write the book from both Silas and Gwen’s perspective.

The pacing of this book was perfect. While reading I just kept wishing there would be a sequel. I read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. Nothing felt forced in this book and the things the characters were able to do seemed very true to who they were.

I also really liked the aspects of this book that are focusing on good and evil. Gwen and her father don’t believe in killing the bad guys, they give them to the police to be arrested and put to trial. Ethos isn’t afraid to kill criminals. One of the most interesting parts of this book the whole back and forth debate on whether killing the bad guys was okay. I definitely think this could have been expanded even further in the book, but the tastes of it presented in the book are enough to make you think.

The ending was very satisfying, but maybe a tiny bit rushed. One small thing at the end I felt confused why it happened, but the author acknowledges what she is doing it by having the characters give a reason for it.

This book was amazing and I highly recommend it. This is a book I can totally see myself rereading.

(Spoilers!) Lastly, I am so glad that when Silas wants to kiss Gwen in the middle of the climax of the book, he doesn’t and he acknowledges that it isn’t the time. It’s really refreshing that this book wasn’t ruined by the ‘everything is falling apart around us and we are in a time crunch, but we are just going to stand here and make-out for a bit’ that so many movies have. It’s so unrealistic and stupid when they do that. (End Spoilers.)