The story centers around Kaidu, a boy from the occupying Dao empire who has recently arrived in the city to meet his estranged father, and Rat, a girl native to the city who despises the Dao occupation for killing her parents, as they form an unlikely friendship, leading them both to get wrapped up in the conflicts over the fate of the city and the Dao empire’s hold on it.
- The first volume, The Nameless City, was published in 2016.
- The second volume, The Stone Heart, was published in 2017.
- The third volume, The Divided Earth, was published in 2018.
The Trilogy Contains examples of
- Child of Two Worlds: Erzi struggles with the two sides of himself, as he feels distant from the Dao as someone who was born in The City and lived there his entire life, but doesn't feel welcome among the Named because he's also part of the occupation force.
- Fast-Forward to Reunion: After Kai and Rat say goodbye before the Dao occupation leaves The City, the epilogue skips ahead three years later when Kai returns as part of the Dao delegation for the council of nations, and Rat welcomes him back.
- Given Name Reveal: The Divided Earth reveals that Rat's real name is Setu.
- Heel Realization: Erzi has one at the end of ‘’The Divided Earth’’.
- I Have Many Names: Invoked with The City itself, which has so many names due to each new conqueror renaming it that the original name has been lost, so the natives simply call it The Nameless City.
- Lost Superweapon: Napatha, the weapon used by the builders of the Nameless City to create the mountain pass that connects the city to the ocean.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: The General of All Blades takes Andren’s idea for a joint council between all three nearby nations to lead the city instead of having it constantly change hands every few years seriously, and listens when Rat expresses that the Named should get a say in governing their home.
- Space-Filling Empire: There are three nations that surround the Nameless City: the Dao, Liao, and Yisun empires.
