Outstanding modern take on fantasy, with emphasis on the effects massive battles and generational inheritance has on everyday inhabitants. Beautifully cartooned, particularly for the activity of the leads, who are always in motion. I just wish I cared more for this kind of fantasy. I'm not the right reader for "special heir" kinds of stories.

I did not get the chance to read and review this book, but we did get acquire it for our library collection--this series is very. popular!

A smashing addition to a fantastic series, Hicks doesn't disappoint. I especially appreciate the way that she includes colonialist themes in a way that is approachable for young audiences.

This third and final graphic novel is full of action-packed battles, complex fantasy world, and unbreakable friendships.

A satisfying and action-packed ending to a Rat and Kai's amazing adventure and great series. I love recommending this series to Rick Riordan fans and kids who love mythology. The world-building is excellent and the story fast-paced and full of plenty of action and heart.

The Divided Earth is the final book of The Nameless City trilogy, and wraps the narrative up in a thrilling and thoroughly satisfying conclusion.
The story takes place in the fictional city Daidu, named by the Dao’s, the most recent conquering nation. However, due to centuries of conquest, the inhabitants of many different nationalities simply call it The Nameless City. This politically important Asian city, inspired by China, sits alongside a mountain pass and is the only route to the sea, making it a critical location for trade and military movements. An ancient people carved a passageway through the mountain, but the technology they used has been lost to the ages. The first two volumes of this series establish the various groups who plan to take control of The Nameless City for many reasons. This final conclusion shows how desperately one ruler tries to hold his power by an iron fist and justifies his heinous actions. All of the major characters are thoroughly fleshed out and are three dimensional.

This volume is full of action as Kai and Rat play integral roles to prevent war in the Nameless City. We also learn some background information on Mura and realize how similar her story is from Rat though they had two different paths in life: one with love and support and the other the fight for survival by any means necessary. The Nameless trilogy is my favorite Hicks graphic novel series so far. It touches upon many themes such as friendship, the cost of war, and politics. Her artwork is inspired by 13th century China is appealing and her illustrations clearly captures the wide range of emotions experienced by her characters. The panels are fluid and easy to read. This captivating trilogy is a must read for readers who enjoy thought provoking and adventurous stories.

This is a series you can read on two levels. Younger readers will get an exciting adventure story with a touch of social conscience. Older readers can use it as a jumping off point for discussions of colonialism, resistance, and belonging. We have multiple plots exploring these various aspects. Characters are complex and develop as the series progresses. And the art is dynamic. This volume is a satisfying conclusion to a great series.

This was a satisfying conclusion to a great series. The friendship between Kai and Rat has been one of the highlights for me, and without trying to be too spoilery really shines in The Divided Earth. The artwork and storytelling is consistently great, especially during the action sequences. Fans of the first two volumes will enjoy this thrilling conclusion.

The Divided Earth is third in Hick's trilogy The Nameless City, continuing the tale of a besieged city trapped between armies, with traitors on both sides. Erzi, a rogue Dao, still controls the Nameless City. Having uncovered the buried secrets of the ancestors, Erzi creates napatha. This deadly weapon seems a sure thing to secure victory. As Kai and Rat play a cat and mouse game to steal the napatha formula from Erzi, the city is infiltrated by a joint contingent of Yisun and Dao. The final battle for the Nameless City has arrived.

Truth: it didn't register that this was a sequel. When I first read it, I was so confused. After I realised it was the final book in a trilogy, I read the others then skimmed through it again. Things made far more sense after that. I did feel the action jumped back and forth without clear delineation. This caused some confusion at times. I really enjoyed the artwork, and I loved the ancient Chinese feel to the story and characters.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and First Second Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Caro

The Divided Earth begins with people burning evidence of a tool that can serve as a powerful weapon against any war. One woman saves the only instructions left in order to build the weapon, claiming that future generations can protect themselves if they have the knowledge to create it. She writes down the instructions in a book and gives it to the temple monks so they can hide it and keep it safe. Time passes and an imminent war is approaching. It is time to retrieve the tool that will help the city defeat their enemies.

In the present there are still people that believe that the tool is too dangerous and would cause more harm than good. The book is taken from the monks by the new General of Blades and given to his right hand Mura to decipher and recreate. Kai, son of a Dao general, and his friend Rat, a girl living with the monks, plan to steal the book from Mura after seeing what the weapon can do. Meanwhile, Kai’s father searches for allies to help him defeat the General of Blades and take over the Nameless City.

The story has several points of view, but the two most important are Kai and Rat’s, and the Dao general’s. Kai is within the city, which lets the reader view what is going on the inside of the wall, while his father is outside letting the reader view the “enemy army”. The characters that caught more my attention were the monks, they help throughout the conflict between the city and the outsiders even though they are against violence, the monks find the way to help. And there is one more character that was interesting, but that would be a spoiler.

The comic’s design within the city is a combination of vibrant colors such as reds and oranges, with only key characters in blue or dark, while the scenes outside the walls are earthy colors and grays or whites and key characters in reds. The design is detailed and with great backgrounds.

The Divided Earth is a story of friendship and teamwork, and finding your way through war. The story is interesting and nicely paced, the dialogue captures your curiosity to know the outcome and learn more about the characters. From a comic fan to another, I recommend The Divided Earth.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

This book was archived and "expired" from my Adobe Digital Library before I could read it. It probably would have been a good graphic novel for tweens, but I am now unlikely to look further into adding it to library's collection since it was archived.

The Divided Earth is the final book of The Nameless City trilogy, and wraps the narrative up in a thrilling and satisfying conclusion!

Preceded by books The Nameless City and The Stone Heart, the story takes place in the fictional city Daidu, named by the Dao’s, the most recent conquering nation. However, due to centuries of conquest, the inhabitants of many different nationalities simply call it The Nameless City. This politically important Asian city sits alongside a mountain pass and is the only route to the sea, making it a critical location for trade and military movements. An ancient people carved a passageway through the mountain, but the technology they used has been lost to the ages.

The main characters are teen Kaidu, a Dao recently of the distant Homelands who is sent to the city to train as a soldier, a street-wise girl named Rat who has lived in the city her whole life, Ezri, who is the General’s son and who has just taken drastic measures to rule the city and his dangerous bodyguard Mura. These four young people have just discovered a mystical tome in the monastery that they believe has powers to dominate all the surrounding nations.

Ezri and Mura take the book that holds the formula for making Napatha, a powerful fire that can destroy armies and eat through stone, and plan to use it for the Dao nation to remain in control of the city. Both have complex and diverging reasons for wanting this power, and author Faith Erin Hicks deftly weaves in their back stories to explain their viewpoints. We see how Ezri desperately justifies his actions, and his layered portrayal shows that he isn’t crafted to be a pure villain in the story.

Additional characters come into play, as adults from Kai and Rat’s life play integral roles in trying to thwart the war that Ezri and Mura are intent on starting. The conclusion has Ezri and Kai, two young men who come from privileged upbringings, face off. Paired with that, is the poignant confrontation between Mura and Rat whose backgrounds include tragedy and broken homes. These matches between the pairs show how similar starts in life don’t always lead to the same paths; as love and support from others and your own personal integrity can help shape you.

The conclusion is satisfying, with a three year time jump to show a realistic wrap up to the story. A few details were a bit pat, but as the story is geared towards young readers, the arcs for the four main characters ended appropriately. I was invested in the city’s inhabitants and would love to visit them again in a future story by Hicks. As such, I was excited to be approved for this book by NetGalley, so I could get a sneak peek at how the series concludes.

Hicks has crafted a story that tied in adventure, friendship and the cost of war. She creates a believable world inspired by 13th century China and her artwork was wonderful with the precision of her backgrounds and how she captures emotion. The coloring by Jordie Bellaire is lovely- and her work should get a shout out, as a colorist’s work establishes an aesthetic that is a crucial part of the storytelling. This captivating trilogy is a must read, not only to a YA audience, but also with older readers who will enjoy the nuanced tale.

The Nameless city is strategically located between the mountains, and as such is constantly being fought over. The the citizens of the city are tired. They do not want another war. They just want a life of peace and harmony. A city son is currently in charge of the army, but it wont bring lasting peace. And there are two kids, who have been working behind the scenes to make life better for all. I have enjoyed the ride of this GN series. I am sad to see it end, but it is a fitting end. The final fight, the new characters, and the transition from childhood to adult life. This book has action, adventure, and heart perfect for many readers.

I enjoyed this book! this is a favorite genre and the plotline and art did not disappoint! Thank you for the opportunity to review this book

While a lot of reviews state that you need to read the first two titles in the series before this, I disagree. I hadn't read the first two, but still felt that I was able to follow, understand and really enjoy the story line. The relationships between the characters draws you in and the stunning artwork is just a bonus. The artwork and story line combined felt almost cinematic, like something I would pay to see. Hicks includes elements of politics, intrigue, familial loyalty and friendship into this beautiful story.

Faith Erin Hicks brings her nonmagical fantasy trilogy to a close with all the thoughtfulness and heart I've come to expect. There are no easy answers here. The characters must interrogate and defend their positions, and they're all willing to make sacrifices as they fight to create their ideal world. It's beautiful, affecting stuff, shot through with plenty of action and shards of humour.

Y'all want to read it, but start with THE NAMELESS CITY.

The thrilling conclusion to the Nameless City trilogy! As Rat and Kaidu try to figure out how to get back at Erzi and Mura and subvert their plan to destroy the Yisun army with an ancient and powerful weapon, Kai's father and the monk Joah run into old friends...or possibly enemies.

I loved this MG graphic novel trilogy so much. The artwork is absolutely stunning, and the storyline is riveting and doesn't shy away from tough topics like colonialism, the cycles of war and peace, conquering nations, power imbalances, hatred, and how to fight without fighting (and that there is a way to win without death and fighting)—and what it means to sacrifice everything for a place and people that you love.

There were quite a few plots and subplots, which were all wrapped up pretty well. Joah's mysterious origins are revealed, we learn more about Mura's motivations and her manipulation of Erzi (honestly, I wanted to see more of this because Mura is a really fascinating character), and Rat tells Kaidu her real name.

TL;DR: if you enjoyed the first two installments, you'll love this one.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

While I went into this graphic novel blind, I did enjoy the artwork immensely and while I probably should have read the previous two stories, it really wasn't needed. The character relationships drew me in while the artwork had me entranced. Overall a great graphic novel.

Despite the copy I received being extremely blurry (most likely throught the fault of my own technology and not the publisher) I still poured through this graphic novel in a little under an hour.
The art style carries the same gorgeous depth as the other two books, but what stood out to me about this one was the cinematic nature of the action scenes-- absolutely breathtaking. There were times I forgot I was reading a comic and thought I was watching an animated program. It was that phenomenally done.
I love Kai and Rat's friendship and was happy (spoiler) that, though there were hints of a potential romance in their future, that it never became one on the page. Their friendship was perfectly done, with Kai trusting Rat to escape with the book and Rat trusting Kai to tell him her real name.
The political intrigue of the book stayed at the same level of the other two, which is exactly at the level I like it. Hicks does a fantastic job at balancing the high-level political players "screen-time" with Kai and Rat's, making the book well-rounded and keeping the reader informed. I also loved how all the political specificities can be boiled down to "listen to one another." A great, simple, and effective message.
But of course, the very very best part of the book for me was Mura. Her rage was so palpable through the page, her fighting style slowly devolving into her scream that she can't stop fighting. It was beautiful and sad and perfect. A phenomenally done character.
Overall, a fantastic end to a fantastic series. Really really pleased.

The City is once again the crossroads of impending conflict. Erzi has his right hand woman preparing the ancient secret napatha they recovered from the hidden book of the founders of the City. Erzi doesn’t trust anyone with it but the two of them, and he’s none too stable since the coup. Meanwhile Kaidu’s father (the Dao general) and Joah the monk are trying to contact the Yisun army outside the city before the attack to see if a more peaceful solution can be found. They run into another unexpected group on their way. Inside the city, Kaidu and Rat are trying to sneak back into the palace to steal the book that contains the napatha instructions. They both feel that the napatha secrets belong to the City’s true residents instead of the Dao. But the palace isn’t as easy to get into and out of as before, and more is at stake if they are caught.

There are a lot of things to tie up in this final book, but Hicks pulls it off swimmingly. I have several students who have been eagerly waiting for this one ever since book two was devoured. I think they’ll be quite happy with this book too. There’s a good amount of action for everyone. I personally like how Hicks worked in the themes of debating just violence and nonviolent options to peace in her high action tale for readers to chew on. It’s not preachy and it is certainly realistic in that nonviolent attempts don’t always work out. But there’s also hope that nonviolent resolutions are worth working towards and may even be possible on both small and large scales. I think what I like best is looking at the themes of how the City is a melting pot and the debates about who belongs there, and especially the way that is resolved (sorry, no spoilers, just saying I like it). As an expat in a very international community, I SO get that and I know that my students all do too. It is nice for them to have imaginary places that in some ways mirror the complexities of their own lives. And many of them will identify with Kaidu’s feeling that the City and Rat are more home/family to him than any other place he’s lived. Erzi is an interesting contrast to Kaidu in that he also was trying to figure out where he belonged, but went about trying to find a place for himself in all the wrong ways. Both of these fictional third culture kids provide characters real life third culture kids will get. They may not like Erzi, but they will definitely get him. And maybe the TCKs who are struggling to find how they fit will pause a moment to ponder whether they are being a better Kaidu or Erzi. Great stuff. Highly recommended to anyone who likes light fantasy tales of complex locations, high action adventures, and graphic novels that explore deep topics in very entertaining ways.

Notes on content [based on ARC]: No language issues. No sexual content. There are a few battles with several knife/sword wounds, black eyes, and nasty ouchies on page but nothing very gory. An explosion happens and it is suggested that people die because of it, but no bodies are shown.

<i>I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>