City of Stairs vs Smoky Mountain investigation: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Investigation, Crime, Murder, Fiction
City of Stairs
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The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions — until its divine protectors were killed. Now, Bulikov’s history has been censored and erased, its…
Smoky Mountain investigation
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A mysterious caller taunts journalist Kylie Harper with details about a decade-old death, leading her to a new trail of murder. Who is this deranged person and what does he want from her? Ex-Delta Force captain and…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Smoky Mountain investigation is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 8 for City of Stairs.
- City of Stairs has the widest readership — 409 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| City of Stairs | Smoky Mountain investigation | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.4 (218) |
| Hardcover | 4.1 (409) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (257) | 4.5 (16) |
Reception
| City of Stairs | Smoky Mountain investigation | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 409 | 218 |
| Editions | 1 | 5 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 1864 | — |
| Pages | 452 | 224 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: City of Stairs or Smoky Mountain investigation?
Smoky Mountain investigation has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Smoky Mountain investigation 4.3/5, City of Stairs 4.3/5).
Which is shorter to read: City of Stairs or Smoky Mountain investigation?
Smoky Mountain investigation is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Smoky Mountain investigation (224 pages, ≈ 4 h 09 m); City of Stairs (452 pages, ≈ 8 h 22 m).
Which is harder to read: City of Stairs or Smoky Mountain investigation?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — City of Stairs: Moderate; Smoky Mountain investigation: Moderate.