The first part of this new graphic novel fantasy series is a fun, quick read. The art is colorful and full of movement; combined with the story it is wholly engrossing. Kaidu is a 13-year-old boy who meets a girl named Rat, who must be around the same age as him, in a city he calls Dandao but that Rat and the other natives know as The Nameless City. There are a lot of lessons and messages to be gleaned from this story; Kaidu's people, the Dao, look down on the natives of the city and believe them to not even be "real people" like themselves, and the indigenous people hate them for it. Yet Kaidu is different, and is interested in the people of the city. In spite of the odds, Rat and Kaidu manage to form a friendship, and it's a good thing, too, for they are going to need to work together to save the city from danger. The characters are all diverse, and one of the early scenes is slightly reminiscent of Mulan and "I'll make a man out of you." This author can hardly wait for the second installment, due to be released in April 2017.
