History Literature / CityOfNoEnd

* CuckooSnarker: Samael Animus.

* ArrangedMarriage: As to be expected in a feudal culture, this happens in this world sometimes, such as when [[spoiler:Setheus drops by at Smelted Keep to arrange a marriage for Sibyl.]]

* CreepyUncle: Celvyn has made advances on Sibyl in the past, to the point of her becoming automatically uncomfortable at the mention of his name.

* AntiHumanAlliance: The Lowlands Horde is a union of several diverse tribes of mutants who are organized against pureblood humans in revenge for centuries of Fantastic Racism.
* TheAntiNihilist: Setheus, as demonstrated in his encyclical Niriseb Vaha.

* CreepyUncle: Celvyn tends to hit on Sibyl, a habit which she is very uncomfortable with.

* OrderedApology: Odham sends Roman to meet Setheus and apologize for going hunting in Dorith’s End.

* EvilIsNotWellLit: [[spoiler:The throne room of the King of the Depths is described as quite dark, lit only by a few braziers of blue flame, with most of the place shrouded in shadows.]] Averted, however, with House Kendar, who conduct their business under bright electric lamps as befits their Light Is Not Good theme.

* HordesFromTheEast: The Wraiths in House Redmond’s backstory are a literal example. Zvarak’s horde, which features much more prominently in the books, is an aversion since it comes from the west. However, the {{FantasyCounterpartCulture}}s of the Realm have a bit of an east-west inversion going on: the Wastes are a kind of WildWest populated by {{ViolentGlaswegian}}s, and Mold Marsh draws on Japan, Vietnam, and the Middle East; so this would make the Lowlands Horde fits squarely into the “Asia” of this world. Zvarak’s lieutenant Saloth is even named after Pol Pot’s real name.

* House '''Kendar''', who rules the vast and imposing [[Arcology arcologies]] of [[StarScraper Hab Spire Rise]], the only part of the City known to be both well-lit and well-fed. They have the most powerful army and are known for brutal aggression against the Norns... but recently, a feud has broken out between Lord Odham Kendar and his idealistic heir apparent.

[[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVH52PFS City of No End]] is a 2024 ScienceFiction novel by Nathan Karnes and the first of a planned series. Set millions of years into a FeudalFuture, in the ruins of a endless city that was once so advanced that mankind lost control of its technology, the book follows the schemes and ambitions of six noble houses who are trying to control the election of a new Receiver -- an ElectiveMonarchy which is the only institution that has succeeded at maintaining at least some peace among the squabbling remnants of humanity.

* House '''Norn''', the house of the most recent Receiver. They rule the Depths below the crust of the City, living in massive fortresses amidst vast caverns. They maintain the hydraulic systems that facilitate transportation and keep everyone alive and oppose the Ascensionist religion of the surface peoples in favor of traditional hydraulic shamanism. However, Aldrich Norn, heir to the Seer's Throne, has recently converted to Ascensionism, alarming his family...
* House '''Kendar''', who rules the vast and imposing arcologies of Hab Spire Rise, the only part of the City known to be both well-lit and well-fed. They have the most powerful army and are known for brutal aggression against the Norns... but recently, a feud has broken out between Lord Odham Kendar and his idealistic heir apparent.

* House '''Djevak''', who rules the toxic land of Mold Marsh, a region afflicted by chemical spills and fungal infestations so potent that only highly evolved mutants can venture outside without protection. From their hidden lair in the uncharted mists of the Marsh, House Djevak has built a reputation for espionage and blackmail, and their hidden hand is suspected in most affairs throughout the Realm.
* House '''Arktentek,''' the guardians of Fibre Tower, the last known repository of the ancient advanced technologies. Their guilds of Sorcerers keep many carefully guarded trade secrets which make the Arktenteks critical allies in any conflict between the other houses.
* House '''Redmond''', the newest of the Great Houses. Once mere mercenary nomads, they made their name and were granted nobility for pacifying the eastern frozen Wastelands and annexing that region under the Receiver. Experts in defeating mutant barbarians, they have recently been contracted by House Djevak against a mysterious threat emerging in Mold Marsh.

The six houses are:

''City of No End'' is a 2024 ScienceFiction novel by Nathan Karnes and the first of a planned series. Set millions of years into a FeudalFuture, in the ruins of a endless city that was once so advanced that mankind lost control of its technology, the book follows the schemes and ambitions of six noble houses who are trying to control the election of a new Receiver -- an ElectiveMonarchy which is the only institution that has succeeded at maintaining at least some peace among the squabbling remnants of humanity.

* FingerInTheMail: Djevak informs Norn of Dreir’s capture by this method, with no further elaboration. Dreir himself is never mutilated, however, so perhaps the finger comes from Tawad’s corpse.

''City of No End'' is a 2024 Science Fiction novel by Nathan Karnes and the first of a planned series. Set millions of years into a FeudalFuture, in the ruins of a endless city that was once so advanced that mankind lost control of its technology, the book follows the schemes and ambitions of six noble houses who are trying to control the election of a new Receiver -- an ElectiveMonarchy which is the only institution that has succeeded at maintaining at least some peace among the squabbling remnants of humanity.

* FourPhilosophyEnsemble: House Norn has this dynamic in Book 1, with Kavin as the Optimist, Aldrich as the Cynic, Yene as the Realist, and Ulrich as the Apathetic. [[spoiler:Their dynamic changes abruptly after Kavin dies and Ulrich is thrust into power.]]