Series profile
The Great Cities
A completed urban-fantasy duology in which living cities defend their identities through human avatars.
- Status
- Complete series
- Published
- 2
- Commitment
- Short series
- Audience
- Adult
Reading route
Start with the profiled opening volume.
1 of 2 volumes profiled
- 1Fantasy CompassThe City We BecameBook profile
The City We Became
New York's boroughs become human avatars and must unite against an enemy attacking the city itself.
The duology compresses a planned larger arc into two books, making it complete but structurally dense.
Series intelligence
Before you start the series.
Where to begin, how much the complete reading path asks of you, and whether the central story has an ending.
- Linear reading order
- Complete
- 2 published books
Where to start
Start with The City We Became and continue in series order. The central story is designed to be read linearly.
- The City We Became
The intended starting point for the continuous central story.
The central series is complete at 2 books.
The full published path is a short series spanning 2 books.
Best if you want
- Urban fantasy where the city is the magic system.
- A diverse ensemble and overt political themes.
Think twice if you need
- Subtle allegory or a traditional medieval setting.
- A single protagonist and restrained magical spectacle.
Outside the score
Reader context
Series information guides suitability and commitment. Matrix scores remain attached to individual books.
Reader advisories
- Violence
- Strong language
- Horror elements
Editorial record
Sources and review
Matrix v1.0 / calibrated / high confidence / reviewed 2026-07-23