Thursday, April 11, 2019

The Stone Heart

Hicks, Faith Erin. The Stone Heart. Book 2 of the Nameless City series. 2017. 245p. ISBN 978-1-62672-158-6. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

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In The Nameless City, Kaidu and Rat became fast friends even though they are from opposite ethnic heritage. Having successfully stopped an assassination plot against the General of All Blades, leader of the Dao, Kaidu is now allowed to explore the city, but he must continue his training to become a Dao soldier. Rat, meanwhile, heals the foot she injured, and she looks forward to racing Kaidu again.

Kaidu's father, General Andren, has proposed that the city be governed by an alliance of all tribes, including individuals from the Named, those who were born in the city. The General of All Blades now agrees, but his son, Ezri, is opposed. He has been groomed all of his life to take over the Dao empire and govern the city, and as the first Dao born inside the walls he feels he's the best person to unite the Dao and the Named people. His father's move, however threatens everything Ezri has worked for.

When Rat shares with Kaidu that the monks may know the secret to how the founders of the city carved the hole in the sky linking the city to the ocean beyond, Ezri's bodyguard, who also lived with the monks before being turned out when she was ten, realizes that this secret can become the weapon that will support Ezri in his bid. Armed with this knowledge, she supports Ezri when he assassinates his father, and she leads the troops that attack the monastery.

With a price on their head, Andren, Kaidu and Rat try to escape, but they witness the destruction of the monastery and its vast stores of knowledge, as well as the seizing of the book of the ancients. All seems lost, yet Kaidu and Rat are not willing to give up. Can they find a way to prevent Ezri from getting his hands on knowledge so powerful it could carve a hole in mountains?

The story concludes in The Divided Earth.

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