The Hidden City
core novel 2008 Essalieyan
Record
| First published | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.10 (2,137 ratings, collected 2026-11-02) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780756404703 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Jewel Markess, called Jay, is an orphan who survives in the slums of Averalaan, the capital of the Essalieyan Empire. She is rescued by Rath, a man who scavenges the ruins of the undercity beneath the capital, and he takes her in. Jay gathers other rescued children and street orphans in his home, and they begin to form a family of their own. But the ancient demons that once nearly destroyed the Empire begin to stir in the undercity. They threaten Rath, and they threaten Jay and the children who depend on her. The book is the first of the House War series, which begins at the close of The Sun Sword.
Where it sits
- Universe: Essalieyan
- Series: The House War core; position 1 of 8 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Michelle West
Notes
- From the series record (The House War): Eight novels following the orphan Jewel as she rises in House Terafin while ancient demons and sleeping powers wake.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series The House War: position 1 of 8: next City of Night (2010)
- Internal chronology, within Essalieyan: position 3 of 18: previous The Broken Crown (1997) · next Hunter's Redoubt (2023)
Sources
← Essalieyan dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.