City of Light (Outcast #1) by Keri Arthur

Futuristic Fantasy

From Goodreads:

The first in an all-new futuristic fantasy series from Keri Arthur—the New York Times bestselling author of the Souls of Fire novels.

When the bombs that stopped the species war tore holes in the veil between this world and the next, they allowed entry to the Others—demons, wraiths, and death spirits who turned the shadows into their hunting grounds. Now, a hundred years later, humans and shifters alike live in artificially lit cities designed to keep the darkness at bay....

As a déchet—a breed of humanoid super-soldiers almost eradicated by the war—Tiger has spent her life in hiding. But when she risks her life to save a little girl on the outskirts of Central City, she discovers that the child is one of many abducted in broad daylight by a wraith-like being—an impossibility with dangerous implications for everyone on earth.

Because if the light is no longer enough to protect them, nowhere is safe.

City of Light is full of very interesting world building.  This is a world like no other I have seen.  There are shape shifters, but Arthur has given them a new twist.  The same is true with the dechet, a created breed of super-soldiers.  There are also ghosts, vampires and others.

Tiger is a dechet who has lived alone with the ghost of children she could not save.  While I liked Tiger my favorites characters were Cat and Bear, two of the ghosts she protected.  I did not like many of the other characters but they fit the story and kept the plot moving.

There is a lot of tension in the story.  Tiger has trouble turning her back on any child in danger and that is used against her throughout out the story.  She is the strongest character in the book and without her there would be no plot.  The others cannot forget what she is and no matter what she does she stays in danger from those she is helping.

I loved the ending.  Tiger makes sure everyone knows that she will do what even to protect her own.  Great start to an interesting new series in a very different world.

Piatkus Books published City of Light by Keri Arthur in 2016.

I received an ARC of City of Light from Netgalley in return for an honest review.