About the Novel
After the events of The Kingdom Thief, Sitnalta explores her reclaimed home, looking for adventure, and discovering a mystery that spans generations. Upon discovering a letter in which her mother writes to the Wizard Kralc, Sitnalta unearths long buried secrets, and a connection to the magical coin she couldn't have possibly anticipated. Sitnalta continues to read, taking the readers on a journey into the past to learn the true history of Queen Learsi: a lost princess in hiding, and her strong connection to the enigmatic wizard.
In the buried past, Kralc finds a ragged Learsi living on the streets after her home kingdom’s destruction and presents an offer: help him set things right with the mysterious City of Arches and he will give her back her family and birthright. With her parents murdered and her kingdom in ruins, she doesn’t know how he can achieve such a thing. All she knows is that she has nothing to lose.
In the buried past, Kralc finds a ragged Learsi living on the streets after her home kingdom’s destruction and presents an offer: help him set things right with the mysterious City of Arches and he will give her back her family and birthright. With her parents murdered and her kingdom in ruins, she doesn’t know how he can achieve such a thing. All she knows is that she has nothing to lose.
Recognition
Preview Excerpt
Sitnalta carefully put the cloak aside and looked into the trunk to see what else there was. She pulled out a pair of brown leather breeches, a green tunic, and a wickedly sharp silver dagger. She frowned as she looked at these items, wondering what they were doing in a room filled with gowns and jewels, then grinned as she saw a stack of parchment held together with wide red ribbons. For her, this was real treasure. Words held real meaning. Words could tell a story, and through the lines on these pages, she would learn whose things these were.
She picked up the stack, untied the ribbon, and unfolded the top piece of parchment. Sitnalta realized she was looking at a long letter. It had not been sealed and she furrowed her brow in thought, coming to the conclusion that it had never been sent. Who would write such a long letter and not send it? This made no sense for someone to take the time to commit so much to so many pages and leave it unsaid. She knew that she had to find out what had happened, and why the letter was never sent.
Holding the letter, Sitnalta moved to the corner of the room and made herself comfortable, the rainy day forgotten. She would solve this mystery no matter how long it took. She scanned the first few lines under the greeting, taking in the delicate cursive of the unfamiliar handwriting, before going back to the top of the page to start at the beginning. Her eyes went wide as she saw who the letter was addressed to:
My dearest Kralc,
Sitnalta’s mind filled with hundreds of questions. She remembered the wizard and his thunderous moods. Her last meeting with him had ended cordially, but it had nearly resulted in disaster for those she cared about. For anyone to address him as “dearest” boggled the mind. She briefly thought that there might be another with that name, but a quick read of the next few lines mentioned the use of magic, and she quickly dismissed that idea. She looked at the next few pages, and saw that they contained the details of a story.
Sitnalta saw the name of the City of Arches written further down the page. Seeing the mention of that place caused her pulse to quicken. Someone had actually known what had happened there and had written about it to the wizard. She wondered who that could be and, without a second thought, she flipped to the last page of the letter. Her mouth went dry, and her heart hammered loudly in her chest as she read the signature at the bottom of the page:
Do not forget me. I remain always yours,
Learsi
Sitnalta held the letter in shaking hands, feeling the room spin around her. Her mother had been the writer. She felt goose bumps crawl up her arms as the papers fell from her fingers. She looked around her, feeling an irrational certainty that Kralc himself would appear and rip the letter from her, but she quashed that thought as soon as it had formed. She picked the letter up once more and drew a steadying breath. She looked down at the first page and began to read…
She picked up the stack, untied the ribbon, and unfolded the top piece of parchment. Sitnalta realized she was looking at a long letter. It had not been sealed and she furrowed her brow in thought, coming to the conclusion that it had never been sent. Who would write such a long letter and not send it? This made no sense for someone to take the time to commit so much to so many pages and leave it unsaid. She knew that she had to find out what had happened, and why the letter was never sent.
Holding the letter, Sitnalta moved to the corner of the room and made herself comfortable, the rainy day forgotten. She would solve this mystery no matter how long it took. She scanned the first few lines under the greeting, taking in the delicate cursive of the unfamiliar handwriting, before going back to the top of the page to start at the beginning. Her eyes went wide as she saw who the letter was addressed to:
My dearest Kralc,
Sitnalta’s mind filled with hundreds of questions. She remembered the wizard and his thunderous moods. Her last meeting with him had ended cordially, but it had nearly resulted in disaster for those she cared about. For anyone to address him as “dearest” boggled the mind. She briefly thought that there might be another with that name, but a quick read of the next few lines mentioned the use of magic, and she quickly dismissed that idea. She looked at the next few pages, and saw that they contained the details of a story.
Sitnalta saw the name of the City of Arches written further down the page. Seeing the mention of that place caused her pulse to quicken. Someone had actually known what had happened there and had written about it to the wizard. She wondered who that could be and, without a second thought, she flipped to the last page of the letter. Her mouth went dry, and her heart hammered loudly in her chest as she read the signature at the bottom of the page:
Do not forget me. I remain always yours,
Learsi
Sitnalta held the letter in shaking hands, feeling the room spin around her. Her mother had been the writer. She felt goose bumps crawl up her arms as the papers fell from her fingers. She looked around her, feeling an irrational certainty that Kralc himself would appear and rip the letter from her, but she quashed that thought as soon as it had formed. She picked the letter up once more and drew a steadying breath. She looked down at the first page and began to read…
Praise for The City of Arches
NewinBooks.com says:
The City of Arches expands the Sitnalta world with depth and heart, drawing readers into a mystery. As Sitnalta investigates her mother’s past, the story journeys backward to reveal Queen Learsi’s fall, survival, and fateful alliance with the wizard Kralc. Goldenberg’s elegant storytelling blends myth, magic, and loss into a compelling continuation of the series.
Secrets buried for generations rise again in The City of Arches, a powerful continuation of the Sitnalta series.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5 Stars from Literary Titan:
The fantasy elements are threaded in with a kind of quiet confidence. The legend of the City of Arches, for example, is both eerie and oddly beautiful: enchanted arches emitting a soothing song that masks the slow decay of a cursed people. ...
I’d say The City of Arches is best suited for readers who enjoy character-driven fantasy: people who like quests but care more about the companions on the road than the monsters in the woods. If you want something gentle yet still full of secrets, something that balances fairy-tale simplicity with emotional weight, then you’ll heartily enjoy this book.
The Chrysalis Brew Project says:
Goldenberg’s world-building grows not from dense exposition but from the characters’ reactions to their circumstances. The City of Arches, introduced as a half-mythic cautionary tale told by a mother at bedtime, gains credibility piece by piece, not through heavy explanation but through emotional history. The fable-like origins of the cursed arches, the wizard’s evasive respect for his father’s legacy, and the political unease surrounding Colonodona form a backdrop that feels organic rather than constructed...
Ultimately, The City of Arches is a story that understands that adventure is not only about where you go, but who you become on the way. Its charm rests in its blend of heart, mystery, and courage—folded together like the red-mended cloak that begins the tale, restored stitch by stitch until it becomes something new.
More Praise:
Goldenberg's The City of Arches is a charming take on the traditional fantasy offering just enough differences (such as the protagonist's disability) to keep even a jaded reader intrigued.
- Charles De Lint, award winning author of The Newford Series
Alisse Lee-Goldenberg's imagination and storytelling is absolutely superb. She had me turning pages well past my bedtime and I don't regret it in the least. Fantastic and fabulous, a story for everyone to fall in love with.
- Karen Dales, best selling author of The Chosen Chronicles
This series is awesome and this book might just be my new favorite of the bunch! Goldenberg is an amazing storyteller and even though this is book 3, the characters and story feel fresh, vibrant and original.
- Meg Bonney, best selling and award winning author of Everly
The City of Arches expands the Sitnalta world with depth and heart, drawing readers into a mystery. As Sitnalta investigates her mother’s past, the story journeys backward to reveal Queen Learsi’s fall, survival, and fateful alliance with the wizard Kralc. Goldenberg’s elegant storytelling blends myth, magic, and loss into a compelling continuation of the series.
Secrets buried for generations rise again in The City of Arches, a powerful continuation of the Sitnalta series.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5 Stars from Literary Titan:
The fantasy elements are threaded in with a kind of quiet confidence. The legend of the City of Arches, for example, is both eerie and oddly beautiful: enchanted arches emitting a soothing song that masks the slow decay of a cursed people. ...
I’d say The City of Arches is best suited for readers who enjoy character-driven fantasy: people who like quests but care more about the companions on the road than the monsters in the woods. If you want something gentle yet still full of secrets, something that balances fairy-tale simplicity with emotional weight, then you’ll heartily enjoy this book.
The Chrysalis Brew Project says:
Goldenberg’s world-building grows not from dense exposition but from the characters’ reactions to their circumstances. The City of Arches, introduced as a half-mythic cautionary tale told by a mother at bedtime, gains credibility piece by piece, not through heavy explanation but through emotional history. The fable-like origins of the cursed arches, the wizard’s evasive respect for his father’s legacy, and the political unease surrounding Colonodona form a backdrop that feels organic rather than constructed...
Ultimately, The City of Arches is a story that understands that adventure is not only about where you go, but who you become on the way. Its charm rests in its blend of heart, mystery, and courage—folded together like the red-mended cloak that begins the tale, restored stitch by stitch until it becomes something new.
More Praise:
Goldenberg's The City of Arches is a charming take on the traditional fantasy offering just enough differences (such as the protagonist's disability) to keep even a jaded reader intrigued.
- Charles De Lint, award winning author of The Newford Series
Alisse Lee-Goldenberg's imagination and storytelling is absolutely superb. She had me turning pages well past my bedtime and I don't regret it in the least. Fantastic and fabulous, a story for everyone to fall in love with.
- Karen Dales, best selling author of The Chosen Chronicles
This series is awesome and this book might just be my new favorite of the bunch! Goldenberg is an amazing storyteller and even though this is book 3, the characters and story feel fresh, vibrant and original.
- Meg Bonney, best selling and award winning author of Everly