'He's (Bennett) said that he hopes that his readers learn something definite about the world from his books; he's succeeded in his aim. Verdict: A murder mystery, spy thriller, fantasy adventure and philosophical treatise rolled into one. Highly recommended. 9/10' Sci-Fi Bulletin. 'This book is the overwhelming fantasy favorite for 2014 and all others will have a hard time to eclipse it in my list. I'm glad Robert J. Bennett is also writing a sequel to this, because I truly can't wait to read more about this strange world and the three-dimensional characters that inhabit it' Fantasy Book Critic. 'A smooth novel of near perfection and the best Epic Fantasy novel I've read this year. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough' SFF World. '[Robert Jackson Bennett's] clever selection of detail, the honesty and depth with which he describes his characters, and his ability to use so many disparate elements to transcend genre set him apart from the crowd. 9/10' Fantasy Faction. 'With nods to Neil Gaiman's slumbering deities, Ursula K. Le Guin's two-faced political schemers and China Mieville's labyrinthine worlds, City Of Stairs is a compulsively readable and thought-provoking tale that confirms the author as one of the genre's most exciting talents. 4/5' SciFi Now. 'Well-written throughout and deeply evocative, City of Stairs is an intriguing and clever fantasy adventure. Beginning as a murder mystery, it expands into a novel with as many layers as can be found within the towers and stairwells of Bukilov' For Winter Nights - A Bookish Blog. 'A remarkable book ... Fantasy has painted itself into a corner with its retread of the same tired tropes on one hand and its retreat into nihilistic 'grimdark' on the other. City of Stairs is the antidote to that conundrum: It is fantasy's way forward. City of Stairs is highly recommended and not to be missed' Books, Brains and Beer. 'Complex, ever evocative, this is the novel as fireworks. Seductively addictive' Lovereading.co.uk. 'I'm honestly not sure I have anything to criticise, or even nitpick over. From start to finish, this is tightly written, expertly plotted, marvellously paced and just plain fun to read. 5/5' Over the Effing Rainbow.

Robert Jackson Bennett's 2010 debut Mr. Shivers won the Shirley Jackson award as well as the Sydney J Bounds Newcomer Award and his second novel, The Company Man, won a Special Citation of Excellence from the Philip K Dick Award, as well as an Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original. He lives in Austin with his wife and son.