Series by Faith Erin Hicks. New York, NY: First Second, 2016
The Nameless City (given different names by countless invaders) is now under control of the Dao. Kaidu, born of nobility and raised outside the city by his mother (now Chief of her tribe) comes there to train as a warrior. There, he meets Rat, a city native, orphan who’s always hungry. While cynical at first, Rat teaches Kai how to run like her (over rooftops jumping from structure to structure) in exchange for food. In the process, they come to respect and trust each other - working together to save a coup of the ruling General.
Starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, and VOYA Magazine.
Grades 4-8