DE HELIGAS STAD – CITY OF SAINTS
By Steve Sem-Sandberg
“Münster was said to be the New Jerusalem over which the final battle for God’s world domination would soon be fought. Then the earth would open beneath everyone’s feet and the universe would be consumed by the flames of destruction. Only those who sought refuge within the city walls would find that God held his hand of protection over them.”
IN 1534, MÜNSTER becomes the scene of one of the bloodiest and most protracted conflicts of the Reformation. Radical Anabaptists seize power and proclaim a new era and a new world order. Persecution and death await the doubters, and soon the city is surrounded by forces to stop the spread of revolutionary doctrine.
IN THE MASTERFUL City of Saints, as in the broadly conceived novels Emperor of Lies and W., a kind of primal scene is drawn for the European madness that seems doomed to be repeated over the centuries. With epic clarity and historical depth of vision, Steve Sem-Sandberg takes the reader into the heart of this besieged city, which will so brutally experience the lure and ruthlessness of faith.
ABOUT THE BOOK
First published by Albert Bonniers, Sweden 2025
RIGHTS SOLD TO
Swedish, Albert Bonniers
REVIEWS
As a novel, [City of Saints] is incredibly skilfully executed. Sem-Sandberg’s documentary style works well and carries the tragic story all the way through. […] Sem-Sandberg has, as usual, exquisite control over the language, the prose is crystal clear and factual.
– Dagens Nyheter
City of Saints is a harrowing novel. Everyone should read it. Not only for its obvious literary qualities, but also because it is a painful reminder of the potential chaos and barbarism that constantly lurks beneath the thin veneer of civilisation and decency with which we have cloaked our fragile and uncertain existence.
– Svenska Dagbladet
Sem-Sandberg has written a multi-layered, harrowing and linguistically tranquil virtuoso novel. Five years ago, he was awarded the Eyvind Johnson Prize. I would not be surprised if he received it again for this perceptive portrayal of a past tragedy, which is also a poignant portrait of all totalitarian states.
– Sydsvenskan
Sem-Sandberg keeps the reader constantly engaged, knowing exactly when a bloody battle or political intrigue is needed to temporarily transform a profound historical novel into a page-turner.
– Expressen
[Sem-Sandberg] is one of those who [… ] upholds the tradition of the great European novel. He is someone who gives European history a Swedish linguistic guise with what the blurb calls epic storytelling. For this we should be very grateful.
– KULT Magasin
[It is] a use of language that can hardly be attributed to anyone other than Sem-Sandberg, who in several of his previous novels has mixed documentary material with a subtly nuanced prose style: precisely archaic in a way that suits a description of a distant era and at the same time astonishingly contemporary.
– Sydsvenskan
I am filled with almost boundless admiration for Sem-Sandberg’s sense of style. City of Saints is written in a language that exudes the 16th century, but never feels like a pastiche.
– Flamman
The novel has a documentary tone and approach, which brings European history to life and makes it strikingly real. As a reader, you are held in a firm grip, for City of Saints is a novel of rare intensity, in which Sem-Sandberg digs deep into the flesh of Europe. […] When Sem-Sandberg was once asked whether literature can change us, he replied: no. But he added that those who do not read “do not acquire the tools to read themselves – or others”. City of Saints is just such a book. It gives us the tools to read both ourselves and others.
– Gefle Dagblad
I am impressed by this magnificent work. The level of research is admirable, with great attention to detail, and [Sem-Sandberg] has also found a linguistic style that fits perfectly.
– Kapprakt
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