The Golden City is the climax to John Twelve Hawks sci-fi Fourth Realm trilogy. The first book is easily the stand out of the three but The Golden City is a serviceable enough sci-fi romp. It delves much more into the other realms than the first two books, which may be why this is the most divisive of the three. The turn from semi-political thrillers to out-and-out sci-fi fantasy may turn some readers off.

The focus is also much more on the two brothers than on Maya, the lynchpin of the earlier novels. Maya was my favourite of the characters, which might be why this didn't stick with me as much. Anyway, all that said, it is still a fast-paced thriller with a strong message and some great lines. For what it is worth, I liked the other realms, particularly the demigods, and I thought Michael was a strong antagonist throughout.

If you enjoyed the first two, you'll enjoy tying up the loose ends, but if you weren't a fan of book two, I don't think this one will be for you. I'd certainly read more from the author.