I can only hope that there is a second volume to this because the ending is very open, as if there needs to be more. It has stunning artwork, an amazing and detailed story, a great cast of lovable and sympathetic characters, and it just continues to offer so much to the reader. But seriously, I thought Rat and Kaidu were adorable and I wanted to cuddle them every few seconds.īut seriously, you need this book guys. It’s like being given bits and pieces, and that’s what you have to work with, but it’s okay because you know you are being promised more to the story. Furthermore, I love the interactions between these two characters - it’s so genuinely written, and the book goes this amazing job of giving you so much understanding, but also taking that understanding away because of the political strife. I loved Rat’s tenacity, sass and courage, as much as I loved Kaidu’s kind and gentle spirit (a shame he works for the military!). It’s fascinating the way in which this aspect of how the story evolves. The city in this story is constantly being renamed every time a new ruler takes up the reigns, and yet the outcome of each new ruler is the same - citizens are poor to the point where they have to steal to survive, and the military continues to play oblivious for the sake of not getting involved between political conflict, be it dealing with the poor or other surrounding nations.

Hicks’ looks at issues of diversity, poverty, politics, and racism in a way that is accessible to understand, but also heart-wrenching to read about. The Nameless City is a very layered graphic novel experience. I feel like this is Faith Erin Hicks’ greatest work to date, and The Nameless City is going to be one of those graphic novels that will capture the hearts and attention of many. I recognize that it doesn’t realize until April 2016, but you need to start putting this book on your TBR wishlists and Goodreads shelves. Huge thank you to First Second and Netgalley for this ARC! Release Date: April 5th 2016 by First Second

The nameless city graphic novel