The Stone Heart builds upon the fabulous and intricate world building of the first volume, The Nameless City, and provides an action-packed sequel that focuses on intrigue and politics. Unlike the first volume that discussed prejudices and history with a more upbeat tone, this second volume is darker with lots of bloodshed.
After thwarting an assassination, Kai and Rat's friendship has inspired the General of All Blades to change his politics. Instead of reinforcing the strong discrepancies and inequalities of the many citizens in the Nameless City, the General of All Blades moves forward with Kai’s father’s unprecedented plan for a council to give all that city’s peoples, natives and conquerors alike, a say in its governance and future. Many Dao conservatives, especially Erzi who feels ruling the Nameless City as his birthright, strongly objects to the creation of this council and takes drastic actions to prevent it from happening. With the Dao Empire suddenly thrown into chaos and with their lives in danger, Kai, Rat, and Kai’s injured father seek refuge among the monks of the Stone Heart, but Erzi finds them soon enough as we learn that he is indirectly being steered by the enigmatic, stealth Mura’s quest for vengeance against the monks. The monks hold a powerful weapon and whoever welds it will seal the fate of the Nameless City.
Those who enjoyed the first volume of this series will not be disappointed with this sequel. The plenty of action sequences and plot twists had me turning the pages quickly. There are some lighter moments in the book that balance the darker tones. I appreciated the addition of new characters and I can't wait to learn more about them in the final volume of this graphic novel series. An author's note clears up the confusion regarding the author's inspiration is welcomed and a great addition to the volume.

The Stone Heart is the second graphic novel in the Nameless City series by Faith Erin Hicks. It is currently scheduled for release on April 4 2017. Kaidu and Rat have only just recovered from the assassination attempt on the General of All Blades when more chaos breaks loose in the Nameless City: deep conflicts within the Dao nation are making it impossible to find a political solution for the disputed territory of the City itself. To complicate things further, Kaidu is fairly certain he's stumbled on a formula for the lost weapon of the mysterious founders of the City. But sharing it with the Dao military would be a complete betrayal of his friendship with Rat. Can Kai find the right solution before the Dao find themselves at war?

The Stone Heart is another great graphic novel from Hicks. The Nameless City is in upheaval. Kaidu's father is trying to broker lasting peace for the city, while some of the soldiers, the Dao in particular, are not exactly supporting the possible change. Murder, mayhem, and past hurts are active motivators in the story. I like that readers get more of a look at what happened when the Dao came to the city, and some of the undercurrents between different factions and groups shaped everything. I like the continued character development of our main and secondary characters as we see a little more of the lives of those that live in the city. As usual, I love the artwork and find the details and facial expressions to add both emotion and information into the story, which would be missed with out that careful attention to detail.

The Stone Heart is a good continuation of the original story. My only complaint is that I was left hanging at the end, and am now far too eager for the next installment so I can see where we go from here. Too many unanswered questions and far too much that I need addressed NOW!

I love this graphic novel! I can't wait for more books from Hicks. Highly recommended and I have already purchased this for my library!

Review based on a digital ARC provided by Netgalley

3.5 stars

This second volume in the Nameless City Trilogy takes readers on a journey with Rat and Kaidu as they navigate an increasingly contentious world. Kai’s father continues to work towards building a council that will bring together all of the races who inhabit the city. Erzi, the next Dao in line to rule the city, is becoming restless. Not happy with his father’s position supporting possible peace, which would decrease Erzi’s eventual power, he feels lost. Turning to Mura, a once cast out girl now a strong warrior filled with vengeful thoughts, Erzi seeks a way to cement his power.

Kai and Rat’s characters get a little more fleshed out in this second novel. Readers learn more about how they came to be in the city, along with background on both of their parents. What is revealed about Rat’s parents sets Kai’s head spinning. He continues to be quite a bad student warrior, but is beginning to make sense of where that leaves him in the scheme of things.

This is a story about standing up for what you believe in even when the odds are not in your favor. It is about the long road to growing up, dealing with different thoughts and emotions and beginning to understand that one’s parents have lives of their own. It is also a story about a hope for peace in a multicultural city, a city that has not truly known peace or equality for all of its years. Is that peace something for which Kai, Rat and others are willing to fight?

The story is interesting and many parallels can be drawn between the Nameless City and our world today. Middle grade readers will be able to find themselves in the characters of Rat and Kai as they navigate their feelings and responsibilities. This story did not seem to have quite as much emotional punch as the first book. Perhaps that’s coming in the final installment. There wasn’t quite as much tense interaction between Kai and Rat, although maybe that is because we already knew the backstory from book one. We didn’t have to witness them deciding if they should trust each other this time, as they so obviously had an established bond. That took away a little of the emotional tension. And the crux of the emotional tension in this story surrounded Erzi, who came off as a bit of a spoiled brat. That is probably exactly how one would be though, if raised to rule a kingdom and faced with the possibility that one may no longer have that power.

I look forward to the conclusion of the trilogy. I hope for peace for the Nameless City.

The Nameless City graphic novels are excellent for kids aged 10 to 14. The Stone Heart like The Nameless City is well drawn with diverse characters and a plot that can be followed by young readers. It presents the difficulties of balancing cultural expectations, politics, and belonging with the natural emotions of friendship and understanding.

Highly recommended for reluctant readers. There's very little downtime in these pages.

Picking up shortly after the events in The Nameless City, The Stone Heart throws readers right back into the turmoil within the Dao as the General of All Blades seeks to form a Council of Nations that will bring peace to the City. The general's son is furious at being denied his perceived birthright to rule. Kaidu, meanwhile, believes he's discovered a text that describes how to create a devastating weapon used by the City's founders. Kept in the archives by the Stone Heart monks - where his friend Rat lives - Kaidu is torn between betraying his friend and bringing the solution to his father's attention, should war break out.

The Stone Heart is one of those sequels that shines just as brightly as the original story. We get more character development, deeper story progression, and an ending that left me with clenched fists, waiting for the next chapter in this series. Kaidu's father and the General of All Blades are tired warriors who just want peace in their time, and both struggle with their relationships to their sons. Where Kaidu's frustration lies with an absentee father, Erzi, the general's son, has been raised in a foreign land, with entitled expectations, and finds his father stripping away everything he's ever known. Rat and Mura are two street urchins, both cared for by the Stone Heart monks at some point in their lives, but have become two very different people. These character parallels add so much more to the overall story and really invest readers. Even seemingly peripheral characters, like Rat's friends from the City, enrich the overall story and illustrate how different Kaidu's life has been thus far.

The Stone Heart is one of the first must-read books of 2017. Add it to your graphic novel collections and booktalk this series hard. Get your copies of Amulet, Avatar, and Legend of Korra back out on display shelves for this one. An author note provides background on the author's influences, and a lovely shout-out to libraries. There's also a great sketchbook at the end.

Check out Faith Erin Hicks’ author webpage for info, including interviews, webcomics, and art.

This book was amazing. Faith Erin Hicks is an excellent writer. Her books attract people of all ages.