City of Refuge (The Fifth Sacred Thing) (Volume 3)

this was Such a lovely read.

starhawk creates a future working from threads in our own time, and it's such a compelling place to be that i didn't want to leave. this book picks up right where "the fifth sacred thing" left off, although obviously star's writing craft has evolved in the intervening decades. super exciting, super absorbing, incredibly inspiring.

the one knock on it is its length -- 'cause at 650 pages when it ended i wasn't ready to be parted from the characters.

An exceptional read and an inspiring ending to this series. Though it has been years since the previous novel it was an easy transition to pick up the story as if no time had passed. I appreciated how the plot and ideas evolved over the past 20 years to be relevant and how the characters became more complex and intriguing. I love the blending of activism and realistic violence that comes with revolution. Written from the heart the plot keeps the reader entranced and rooting for a positive end and future. Thank you for writing this masterful series Starhawk. It will be one I will return to again and again. -Anna Mezger-Sieg Bradley

In the era of Trump, reading Starhawk's novels is the perfect antidote to the news. A gripping story, City of Refuge is also a reminder of the choices we all make and how our worldview shapes them. As someone who is also a nonviolent direct action trainer, I particularly appreciated how her characters grapple with violence.

I am savoring Starhawk's sequel to The Fifth Sacred Thing, The City of Refuge. I haven't finished yet and I'm in no hurry. It is absolutely delightful reading. I have no idea what's coming next unlike so much sci-fi that I read. I am enjoying her vision and the community that she has created in this book. It is post apocalyptic but with vision and asks the question, "How do we defend yourselves from conquerors without becoming what we hate most about them?"

This book is important for all of us to understand the potential, both negative and positive, of where we are at in American history right now. We could tip the scales with our daily choices into this reality or another we create that will avoid some of the deep pits that are shown in this book. We have the tools she describes right now in our communities, we can make the choices needed...Come on zombies, wake up!! That said, I really enjoy the character development and the complex emotional situations they are shown in and how they resolve things...learning so much. Thank you, Starhawk, for sharing these stories and visions...

Starhawk’s divided California of the future –with ecotopian North and fascist South—is a land of great contrasts. The egalitarian North protects the four sacred things –air, fire, water, and earth—and values diversity and community. The Southlands are ruled by those who exert economic control, but also breed people to be soldiers and disposable sex toys, and teach rape as a reward. The challenge of inciting revolution in such a society by building a city of refuge within it is a difficult mission for revolutionaries. It is inspiring to all who try to create social change.

This is such an amazing book, especially in light of what's happening in politics right now! I couldn't put it down! Starhawk's writing is a wonderful combination of deeply spiritual and totally exciting. The best book I've read in a very long time!

OMG when I received this book and realized how long it was I had no idea when I would find the time - not having any idea that when I finally picked it up I would not be able to put it down. It's quite phenomenal to me that 20 years have gone by and I am still as enthralled and inspired by starhawks writing. If you've got any ounce of indigo in you, any ounce of hippe this and her first book are a must read.

As a political activist, I find everything I love in this novel: powerful story-telling toward a different and better future, deep respect for the power of gardens, water, and bees, liberated sexual images and identities, and plenty of plot twists to keep my turning the pages!

Delightful, imaginative fictional exploration of relevant themes of authoritarianism/ power-with, violence & trauma/ healing, prisons & debt slaves/ primes & privatization of resources, sexual and financial exploitation/ creative political uprising, and hateful, misogynist, punitive and oppressive religiosity vs reverence for wild nature, permaculture, magic and the basic human right to access freely the elements provided by nature that sustain life such as water.

This book illustrates a dystopian world that we could end up in based on current economic trends where there are Primes who control everyone else's existence, but it also illustrates a utopian city whose citizens fight to create a refuge in the center of the enemy stronghold. The utopian city is based on equality where everyone has a chance to fulfill their purpose and everyone takes care of each other.

Starhawk has created wonderful characters and places and I would like to live there! This is the 3rd book in a series and I have loved all of them. It is futuristic and creates such a beautiful vision of what we can create.

Starhawk has created wonderful characters and places and I would like to live there! This is the 3rd book in a series and I have loved all of them. It is futuristic and creates such a beautiful vision of what we can create.

Got the book through the Kickstarter campaign, finished before it's publicly available. It's a good read, good lessons, and I'd recommend it. Congratulations, Starhawk, on adding a compelling story about our possible future that is neither armageddon or sci-fi wishery to the collection of stories out there, it was sorely lacking.

I gave it four stars because there's just a tad much West Coast culture for my tastes: too much sex, too much religion for my midwestern sensibilities. If you can tolerate the sex and bunch of goddess you'll be fine.The crystal powered iPads and other advanced electronics were a little hokey too. It's set in the dystopian/utopian future, you'd think that things that exploit the earth wouldn't be used by the utopian side. But that's just one small thing.