Faith Erin Hicks’s The Nameless City (The Nameless City #1)
Description
A city of many cultures, a city at the crux of all international trade, a city endlessly fought over – a city with no name.
Kaidu grew up in the Dao homelands, now he is to be trained as a soldier of the Dao nation, and has traveled to the great city currently under Dao rule. Because of its long line of conquerors and rulers, the city is bustling with more things, people, and ideals than Kaidu could ever imagine.
But where cultures clash, long-held expectations, assumptions, and biases only make matters worse. And with eyes in both the Dao palace and the city streets, Kaidu soon learns that tension has been brewing amid the city’s past 30 years of peace. Brewing almost to boiling.
Disclosure
I borrowed this book for free from our library system, it was provided for my personal use. There was no agreement with the author, publisher, or any third party that I would publish a review. The following review is unsolicited, unbiased, and all opinions are my own.
Review – Spoiler Free
I picked up Faith Erin Hicks’s The Nameless City at our library from the cover art. It passed a quick flip through and we brought it home where it sat for a good few months before we read it in one sitting.
The Nameless City’s immediate story is about Kaidu, a boy finding his place in a new world. It’s not quite him coming-of-age, but more him realizing that the world is a lot more complex and nuanced while also learning that he needs his determination to succeed. It is wrapped up by the end and could easily be read as a standalone, but Hicks has artfully woven all sorts of themes and strings through it, setting an amazing stage for the remainder of the three-book series.
Kaidu’s innocent wonder and learning gives a very interesting backdrop to the bigger story that Hicks is beginning with The Nameless City. There are big politics wrapped up in a child-like point of view (POV), making it easy to see the sad realities of things like xenophobia and governmental control, as well as the complexities of peace and the weight of leadership.
Illustrated by Hicks and colored by Jordie Bellaire, the artwork had such a sense of movement to it that added to the innocent, playful POV and gave itself well to some sweet, funny moments between characters. Facial expressions were wonderful and easy to read, whether from a main character in the foreground, or a crowd member in the back.
While reading this with our kids, I found that very little needed explaining – which is a testament to how well the information in the story flows. We got a little confused about which nation was which and who had what title, but it all got sorted out easily.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Faith Erin Hicks’s The Nameless City, and both the kids and I are looking forward to reading books two and three. I would recommend The Nameless City to anyone looking for a good, fictional graphic novel. It is a fun, fast read that offers the option of layers and nuance if you want to lean into it.
Quote
Don’t waste your time with small-minded people who would look down on someone not like them.
Erzi (The Nameless City, Faith Erin Hicks)
Ratings
- Quality of Writing – 5
- Plot – 5
- World Building – 4
- Characters – 4
- Ease of Reading – 5
- Pictures/ Illustrations – 4
- Overall Enjoyment – 4
- Final Rating – 4.5 (Actual: 4.43) – Really Liked It / It Was Amazing
Want to learn more about the numbers I use for rating, and the qualities I’m thinking about when writing a book review? Check out my post How I Rate and Review.