Faith Erin Hicks’ artwork is constantly engaging, and frequently funny just on its own merits, and she does a great job of bringing a multi-ethnic cast to life in her drawings without becoming cliched. Definitely a quality read, but make no mistake: this is the third book in a series, and a full understanding of the plot and a full appreciation of the characters require the reader to be familiar with the first two volumes.

I love this comic book series. Faith Erin Hicks is one of my favorite comic creators working today and this series is one of my favorites to recommend.

Picks up where the first book left off and pushes the story along. It is a solid middle book that ramps up the action and keeps you guessing until the end. Book 3 is a must!

I used to say that I didn't really like reading graphic novels, but in recent years, I've come to really and truly appreciate them as books and as art. They're also an extremely popular format for middle grade readers and The Nameless City series is full of adventure and friendship as Kai and Rat deal with political conflict, difficult decisions and danger around every turn. Read the first two in the trilogy back-to-back as the third will be coming soon enough!

The Stone Heart begins with hope of peace and a new era for the many inhabitants of the Nameless City, but new ways of interacting with people not like you threaten the privileged. It only takes one spoiled heir to make things terrible in Faith Erin Hicks’ fantasy adventure.

As can be seen from the description, although the setting of this trilogy is inspired by ancient China, there’s plenty relevant to learn while getting caught up in the events. I found myself nail-biting in fear for the characters, because they’re so real to me, thanks to Hicks’ writing. Kaidu, son of an occupying general, and Rat, scrappy orphan raised by monks, are growing in friendship together. Their willingness to learn about the other’s culture (and perhaps set aside some of the prejudice instilled in them, even when there’s good reason for it) is a harbinger of the bigger political picture, as Kaidu’s father works to create a council of the various nations that interact in the city.

The ruler is open to more diplomatic alternatives, but his son, born to solidify that tribe’s claim to the city, doesn’t like the idea of losing his special status, although he don’t have the wisdom or skills of his father. He’s unwilling to give up his privileges, going to extremes to do what he wants regardless of how horrible the outcome is for many other people. He’s got plenty who agree with him, too, those who don’t want to change the old ways they’re used to.

His bodyguard is another fascinating character, a villain with a more understandable motivation. Mura also took shelter with the monks as a child, as Rat did, but she was thrown out for breaking rules, which grew a bitterness in her that still motivates her.

Hicks’ art is wonderful for capturing the movement language of the characters. I was particularly struck by a scene where Rat and Kaidu dance and play music with two other young people. Aside from the expressions and grace of the motions, I realized that these kids were demonstrating the ability to reach beyond the boundaries of their parents. That’s why their cross-tribe friendships were such a threat to the establishment. Once you see other people are more like you than not, how can you be a willing fighter against those who are being attacked just because they’re different?

I’m pulling out the philosophical parts I liked best about the story, the elements that spoke to me, but there’s also plenty of action, suspense, and world-building, as the two friends visit the monastery and observe the political negotiations. At first, this book, the middle part of an intended trilogy, struck me as slower than the previous, but that’s what’s needed to build the stakes and give everyone more reason to fear for what’s going to happen. It’s breathing room between the introduction of the first volume and the resolution of the third, The Divided Earth. I gain new insight every time I read it.

While I enjoyed The Nameless City, which is the overall name for this trilogy and the first volume in the series, it never grabbed me. I didn’t fall in love with it in the way I have with other works from Faith Erin Hicks. What doesn’t help is that twice now the series has had a quote from an Avatar: The Last Airbender creator on it, which is exactly what this series makes me think about while reading it. The quote amplifies that unfortunately, which may be the reason I’m not in love with this series.

This volume is better than the first is a lot of ways, but then suffers from trilogy syndrome at the same time. Where its better is the characters. The main characters of Kaidu and Rat have built a believable friendship. Not a romance, but a friendship and it feels realistic and natural.

The story focuses on the city of councils that Kaidu’s father wants to build in order to prevent the Dao from being run out of the city like all those before them. His biggest adversary is the son of the ruler of the Dao who has been told all his life that he was born and raise in the city to one day lead the city in a way that no other Dao could. The big mystery this time around is the power of the Northern people that created the city. Is their power gone or simply hidden?

Where the story suffers is the beginning and the end. The beginning relies on you having read the first volume, and the ending sets up the next volume rather than having a rewarding conclusion like the first volume. The story isn’t resolved, but instead, our characters are set out on a path of travel. It’s a cop out. It’s trying to be Empire Strikes Back, but it feels like Matrix 2 instead.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not unreadable, but it’s not nearly as strong as the first volume because it doesn’t stand on its own. In reality, this entire story might read better together since very little time is passing between volumes. The strongest parts end up being the character development between Kaidu and Rat and watching their friendship grow as Kaidu loses his identity and Rat rediscovers hers.

The artwork is, of course, great if you like Hicks’ style. If you don’t, well you’re a bit crazy, but then you’re not going to like The Stone Heart. The art is consistent with the first volume, but you can see growth in the storytelling. Hicks works out some kinks that maybe didn’t work as well in the first volume. There are not nearly as many giant cityscapes to look at this time around which is okay, but it does leave the city feeling a bit lifeless at times. Otherwise, the art is wonderful and some of Jordie Bellaire’s best coloring work.

I’ll be back for the final chapter, but it’s clear to me at this point that I’m just here to be lightly entertained. This isn’t going to go down as a classic for me, nor is it going to change comics in the way that Avatar did. It’s wearing its influences on its sleeve, and that’s okay, but that keeps it from being great.

The Stone Heart, the second installment in Faith Erin Hicks’ The Nameless City trilogy, picks up a few months after the events of the first volume. (Check out my review of The Nameless City, the first volume in The Nameless City trilogy by Faith Erin Hicks.) Rat and Kai are at their leisure in the palace. Rat’s leg is healing, and she’s almost ready to challenge Kai to fresh parkour racing through the city. Kai’s father, Andren, is hard at work negotiating deals to get the Council of Nations up and running. The General of All Blades is grappling with his son’s ambitious nature, and Maru continues to harbor mysterious, manipulative motivations.
Thankfully, while Kai and Rat’s developing friendship is still the obvious center of the story, The Stone Heart spends significantly more time with various other relationships. We delve into Maru and Erzi’s backstory, which starts to shed some light on the motivations behind Maru’s scheming. Kai and Andren are forced to confront their fragile father/son relationship. The General reveals his reasons for not wanting Erzi to succeed him as ruler.

Many of these relationship pairs form intriguing mirrors. The fathers, Andren and The General, claim a similar reason for the troubled nature of their relationships with their respective sons, Kai and Erzi. And while the reason is noble, wanting to protect their sons from a lifetime of war, the result is misunderstanding, distrust, and resentment. Rat and Maru, our two native orphans, also highlight each other, particularly in their very different reactions to the trauma of their childhoods.

The theme we spend the most time on in The Stone Heart, however, is the vast and devastating effects of continual warfare and occupation on both conqueror and victim. Hicks focuses in particular on the Dao conquering nation and their exhausting effort to maintain rule over the city with many other nations and internal factions working against them. Kai, in particular, is deeply affected by the assumption that he is destined to be a “warrior Dao,” and his feeling of responsibility for the suffering the Dao have caused in the city.

While I continue to find the characters engaging, the story interesting, and the artwork beautiful, The Nameless City still feels like “the mostly uninhabited city.” The characters feel isolated from the population at large. Wide views of the city are spectacularly beautiful, but are lacking in a sense of a teeming population. I still do not see the scope of poverty-driven squalor that the story seems to require.

I did, however, appreciate the focus this volume achieved in moving the story forward. Introductions are over and the narrative is moving forward with purpose and more than one shocking turn of event. I am certainly hooked into sticking around for Volume 3 and the conclusion of this story.

Entertainment Weekly reported on April 3rd that The Nameless City saga as been picked up by Frederator Studios who will adapt the trilogy into 12 animated episodes (Each graphic novel will get 4 episodes.) that will start airing in late 2018. I suspect that the animated version of this story will work better for me, as it will be easier to depict the energy and motion of the story, as well as give a better sense of the sprawling metropolis the character’s inhabit.

The Nameless City trilogy continues in the second book, deepening the story of Kaidu and Rat as they recover from the assassination attempt on the General to continue to work on finding a solution to the dispute over the City. The friendship between Kaidu and Rat is probably my favorite part of the story; the art is beautiful and compliments the action very well.

Thank you to Netgalley, First Second Books, and Faith Erin Hicks for the chance to read and review this ARC;

Oh, oh, oh! The Stone Heart continues to be just as good as the breaking The Nameless City was. The art is stellar in tugging at the heartstrings and the main characters continue to drag you on a daring adventure where what you get is going to surprise you in what you get (instead of what you predict is coming, and isn't that a delight to find again!).

The risks of the story are great and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The art itself is a ride, too, of wild, perfect colors and well drawn fast movements, especially in the action scenes. You'll feel your breath caught in your chest all the time. Then, when you least expect it, you'll be swept up in sweet, heart-touching scenes.

If you haven't read this series you need to get on it now! I can't wait for the next one!

http://www.bethfishreads.com/2017/05/stacked-up-book-thoughts-short-reviews.html

Two things stuck out to me when I read the first volume in this trilogy: the dynamic illustrations and a sort of vague parallel to Avatar The Last Airbender. Both of those impressions remain true with this second volume. There is little recap of prior events so a passing familiarity with volume one is helpful. And there isn't a great deal of plot closure here. It's definitely a linking novel more than an independent plot. But, we've got some nice buildup, villains who are increasingly driven, secrets that must come to light, tenuous relationships that will either be cemented or blown apart. If the final volume lives up toe the groundwork that has been laid it should be phenomenal.

I cannot wait for subsequent books in this series. Great for fans of Amulet!

Almost as good as volume 1. I like how the world is becoming more complex. Can't wait for that ending.

Wow! Like the first novel, this second volume was great! I really enjoy Faith Erin Hicks artwork and storytelling. She weaves a fantastic plot of politics, intrigue, and loyalty within friendship and to your birthplace. It leaves you on edge by the time you reach the end of the book. I can't wait to read the next volume!

“The Nameless City” was among my favorite books for 2016, so much so that “The Stone Heart” was my single most anticipated book for 2017. Faith Erin Hicks is one of those creators whose work I always enjoy, and “The Nameless City” was Hicks at her very best. However, that honor now falls to “The Stone Heart.” This book is an incredible work that builds on its predecessor and exceeds it.

If you haven’t read the book yet, I recommend returning to “The Nameless City” first and giving it a reread. The way Hicks tells this story, she puts a lot of weight in the way characters look or don’t look at each other, and the context of each meaningful glance is much more powerful if the various plot threads of “The Nameless City” are still fresh in the reader’s mind.

I’ve seen this book compared to Avatar: The Last Airbender a few times, a similarity the marketing team behind the books is clearly aware of since the first volume bears a quote from Brian Konietzko, co-creator of Avatar and The Legend of Korra, on its cover. It’s easy to find similarities since both are fantasy worlds drawn from Asian cultures, but I find those similarities to be largely superficial. The far more interesting similarity is the way these stories find unexpected complexity in children’s stories, especially in their villains and heroes and the blurry line between.

“The Nameless City” was really good at hinting at the trilogy’s story without overwhelming the story of the individual volume. Hicks could say all she needed with just a scowl on Rat’s scarred face. But these elements weren’t just set dressing. One of the big joys of “The Stone Heart” is the way these details emerge from the periphery of “The Nameless City” and step to the foreground in “The Stone Heart.”

“The Stone Heart” wouldn’t be what it is without “The Nameless City.” While the original story largely stood alone, the sequel is clearly a middle act. In many ways, the quality of “The Stone Heart” speaks to the strength of its foundation, so if you haven’t read the original book, you are going to miss things and your experience will be weaker for it.

Trust me, reading these books back to back is an awesome experience.

Jordie Bellaire returns as the colorist, and the added complexity of the plot is reflected in her work. This story has more flashbacks, more varied points of view, and Bellaire’s work separates these sequences so elegantly. They’re clearly distinct and yet they flow into each other seamlessly. The flashbacks especially take on an almost monochromatic approach, underscoring a specific emotion associated with memory. Hicks is a storyteller that loves the visual aspect of comics storytelling and in Bellaire she’s found a perfect partner.

There’s a sequence in the book with virtually no dialogue where the characters simply travel and look at things. Throughout, Bellaire bleeds reddish-orange into the sequence, giving it a subtle, yet unmistakable note of growing danger.

“The Stone Heart” is not all doom and gloom though. Hicks is knows how to infuse humor, particularly character-based humor, throughout the book without undermining the larger story. In fact, she often uses it as set-up for pay-offs later, and to strengthen character relationships without talking about the plot directly.

There’s a sequence early in “The Stone Heart” in which Rat introduces Kai to her friends, and the relationships between the characters become a kind of microcosm for the relationships between the residents of the city at large. Plus, the sequence was held together by some elegant visuals as Kai plays a song on a Ruan. He’s a little rusty at first, and the notes are jagged and broken, but gradually they take shape and swirl in long lines around the characters, leading the reader’s eye throughout. The music goes from an intrusion on the image to the backbone of it.

This is the sort of idea that I think would find itself cut from other comics to give space for more plot-heavy sequences, but Hicks clearly values the tone of her work, so not only did she keep the scene, but she gave it the space it needed to come to life. Plus it was a nice visual to underscore some of the larger themes of the series, especially the dual nature of things; the music is beautiful and yet it’s a song about a battle. Exploring this sort of subject matter in this way ensures the reader feels these themes on an emotional level, which is vital in a story where emotions can often prevent a character from seeing things objectively.

“The Stone Heart” is a much more introspective book than “The Nameless City.” One of its greatest strengths is the way it takes ideas introduced in the original book and then deconstructs them and even breaks them, yet remains tonally consistent. There’s nothing wasted in its pages. I particularly love the way Hicks and Bellaire use environments to express a character’s inner life. Rat’s room in the Stone Heart has plaster falling away from the walls to reveal bare brickwork, but there are also drawings of trees on the walls. Meanwhile Kai’s room is large and clean and empty, devoid of his character, each panel emphasizing the imposing nature of his environment. He doesn’t fit there and only comes to life when he’s in the palace’s library.

“The Stone Heart” isn’t without its shortcomings though. There were moments of convenience in the plot. A particular moment late in the book felt like events played out the way they did for the sake of simplicity and to keep things moving. It reminded me a little of John McClane’s clairvoyant ability to know Bill Clay was actually Hans Gruber. However, just like in Die Hard, it’s a small sin at best and an easy one to forgive. I was too swept up in the story by that point.

This book hit me harder than “The Nameless City.” I find myself utterly captivated by the world and characters Hicks has created. This truly is her finest work, and I fully expect to be saying the same thing when the final part, “The Divided Earth,” comes out next year.

“The Stone Heart” is a sequel that upstages its predecessor—a truly rewarding reading experience, one I’m already eager to indulge in again.

After preventing the assassination of the General of all Blades, our protagonists are once again poised to become heroes. This time by stopping an upcoming Civil War. I can't wait to read the conclusion once the third book is out!

A REVIEW COPY OF THE STONE HEART WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR A FAIR AND HONEST REVIEW. NERDOPHILES WAS NOT COMPENSATED FOR THIS REVIEW. OUR OPINIONS ARE OURS AND OURS ALONE.

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Title: The Stone Heart
Author: Faith Erin Hicks
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: First Second
Review Spoilers: Low

When The Nameless City came out last year we were completely and totally enamored with the characters and story. It even topped our best graphic novels of 2016 list! So you can probably understand, then, why The Stone Heart - the second book in a planned trilogy - was one of our most anticipated graphic novel releases of this year. After how much I loved The Nameless City I was a little nervous about how the second book would hold up. But while the first book will always be my favorite, The Stone Heart is a really great read that sets up what promises to be an epic finale.

At the end of The Nameless City, Rat and Kai have become heroes after stopping assassins from killing the Dao emperor and his son. In doing so, Rat proves the value of the city's unnamed native population and they inspire the emperor to embrace the idea of a multinational city council.

When we catch up to Rat and Kai in The Stone Heart they have begun to ease back into their daily lives. Rat splits her time between the monks' temple (the titular Stone Heart) and hanging out with Kai while Kai continues his training to become a Dao warrior. They watch from the sidelines as Kai's father and the emperor reach out to the neighboring nations and try to make their council work. But while Rat and Kai are all for it, the same can't be said of everyone else and some people end up making some very devastating decisions.

By the end of the book, everything has changed and Rat and Kai may once again be the only hope the empire - and the city - might have for survival.

In true trilogy fashion, we're left with an Empire Strikes Back-style cliffhanger wondering what will happen next. One of the best things about The Nameless City was that it was it's own, complete story. If there had never been any other books in the series the ending would have been more than satisfying. Unfortunately, while The Stone Heart is full of amazing revelations, dramatic events, and a handful of great new characters it's only half of a story.

The next book is going to have to pick up immediately after this one ended meaning it's going to be a while before we get to see how the story ends.

Still, it's definitely worth reading now if you're not afraid of the wait.

Because along the way to a very dramatic cliffhanger ending, we learn a lot more about our two heroes as well as many of the other characters in the series.

We find out how Rat came to be an orphan and we meet some of her other friends who live in the city. Kai shares with her how his parents met and we discover a bit more about his father, Andren, and his background. Joah and Mura, too, see their histories revealed - and through them we start to unravel some of the secrets of the monks' order and the original founders of the city.

By developing out characters further and revealing some of these secrets, we find a lot of great potential moving into the third book. Faith Erin Hicks is an amazing storyteller and artist - so no matter what comes next I'm sure it'll be amazing. It's just a little frustrating to have The Stone Heart end when it does because you're left with so many questions - not to mention worries about Rat and Kai! But, if we're being honest, that's just a testament to what Faith Erin Hicks has done with this series. You care about the characters. You care about the fate of their world.

So, if you have read The Nameless City then you need to read The Stone Heart. And if you haven't read either of them, you need to read them! This is one of my favorite graphic novel series and I'm sure it will remain one of my favorites for many years to come.

I must admit that this second volume of the series went a completely different way than I was expecting. I say that in the best way possible, though; I like being surprised! Faith Erin Hicks's writing and art are fantastic yet again. We will absolutely be purchasing this for my library!

Review appears in the April 2017 issue of SFRevu.com

The Stone Heart is surrounded in secrets, the search for peace and the search to claim.

Kaidu and Rat are in a little bit of a lull. They helped rescue the General of All Blades from an assassination attempt, but that doesn't mean things are perfect. Kaidu still wonders about the training he and the other Dao children go through every day, how the Dao are trained to be soldiers. But he doesn't really agree. Rat is still skeptical of anyone who isn't part of the monastery that helped raise her after her parents were killed. Except Kaidu, he's earned her trust by saving her. But it makes her forget that he's Dao, that he's part of the people that came and conquered the city. The General of All Blades has promised a that a council be formed, that all cultures and groups that make up the Nameless City be given a chance to have a say in how the city is governed, but not everyone wants this to happen.

The artwork is rather expressive, Kaidu's contemplative face and Rat's urgency. The fight scenes, the running and the searching. The wide landscapes are detailed, highlighting the size of the city. So many people live there, and all will be impacted by certain expected and unexpected events.

I definitely think this book, like its predecesor, say a lot about home and place. What is your home? Where are you from? Is it the place you were born, or your people's place of origin? Especially for Kaidu, who doesn't think he'll ever understand that Dao should be warriors. Especially for Rat, whose parents were killed and was raised an orphan of the city. Especially for Erzi, the son of the General of All Blades, who is Dao but born in the Nameless City. He's always seen the city as his, his to rule. But is the city really his? Can anyone own a city like the Nameless City? Does it belong only to the people who built it, or to all those that call it home?

While this did explore a little more of the city, a little more of Kaidu and Rat, it felt more like a set up to a rather explosive and dangerous final book. It'll be interesting to see what will come next, what Kaidu and Rat will do in order to save the city.