The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks

Posted April 5, 2016 by shooting in Uncategorized / 9 Comments

The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks


Review by Lauren


Source: copy for review; all opinions are my own


Official SummaryEvery nation that invades the City gives it a new name. But before long, new invaders arrive and the City changes hands once again. The natives don’t let themselves get caught up in the unending wars. To them, their home is the Nameless City, and those who try to name it are forever outsiders.


Kaidu is one such outsider. He’s a Dao born and bred–a member of the latest occupying nation. Rat is a native of the Nameless City. At first, she hates Kai for everything he stands for, but his love of his new home may be the one thing that can bring these two unlikely friends together. Let’s hope so, because the fate of the Nameless City rests in their hands.

Review: The Nameless City is such a well-done, beautifully rendered graphic novel. The book takes place within The Nameless City, where outsiders are often coming in and conquering the city, giving it their own name. Those that live within the city, though, know it as the Nameless City and they are the Named. They want to rule themselves, but they do not have that power. Instead, they keep their head down and go about their business in order to not cause too much trouble. A Named who goes by Rat has lived in the city her whole life, but she soon befriends Kaidu. He grew up outside of the city, but he has arrived to train to be a soldier in order to get to know the father he’s never met.

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Kaidu (or Kai) and Rat start off with a beneficial relationship. Kai sneaks Rat food and she tries her best to teach him how to run as fast as she can, especially on top of the city’s roofs. There is a lot going on in this book from the main character’s burgeoning friendship, to Rat learning to trust some of the outsiders, to Kai realizing that not all of his people are trustworthy, and finally, the readers get to see the politics that surround The Nameless City. It might sound like a heavy book, but it’s not!

Hicks makes it really easy to understand the plot, with her words and beautiful artwork. I didn’t know if this was a standalone or part of a series while reading, but I’m happy to report that the story continues on! I can’t wait to see more of Kai and Rat and how The Nameless City will continue to grow. It ends in a nice spot, but there is definitely more to happen in the future.

The Nameless City came out today, so get your copy now!

9 responses to “The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks

  1. I very rarely get interested by the plot of graphic novels but I love the premise of this one because of the political element. I'm adding this one to my wishlist. Thanks for the recommendation, Lauren!

  2. Oh, I recognized the specific style of illustrations right away! This is the same author of Friends With Boys, which I enjoyed 🙂 And it's so good to hear you you enjoyed this one too! I'm quite keen on that premise – very creative! I'll have to request this one from my library now – thanks for featuring it 🙂

  3. I've been trying to find some more graphic novels to read, and this one sounds really interesting! Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

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