Die uralte Metropole
#5643.98 adjusted 3.97 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 5 books Status Unfinished 2004–2016 Reading commitment Medium Christoph Marzi Last reviewed 2026-10-30
Overview
Christoph Marzi, a German author from Mayen who teaches economics in Saarbrücken, published the Uralte Metropole novels with Heyne between 2004 and 2016. They are set in London, where a second, magical city, the ancient metropolis, lies hidden beneath the streets in a Victorian-flavoured atmosphere. The first book, Lycidas, introduces the orphan Emily Laing, her talking rat and the alchemist Wittgenstein. Lilith, Lumen and Somnia continue their story and widen it to other hidden cities, including one beneath New York. London, published in 2016, picks up Emily's story again. The five novels are read in order. No further novel in the series has been announced.
Urban fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (5 works) counts toward ranking
Die uralte Metropole Christoph Marzi
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Lycidas | 2004 | 1 | core | 3.84 (1,502 ratings) |
 | Lilith | 2005 | 2 | core | 4.12 (791 ratings) |
 | Lumen | 2006 | 3 | core | 4.20 (654 ratings) |
 | Somnia | 2008 | 4 | core | 3.71 (364 ratings) |
 | London | 2016 | 5 | core | 4.23 (185 ratings) |
Five novels about Emily Laing, the alchemist Wittgenstein and the hidden ancient metropolis beneath London.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Die uralte Metropole? Die uralte Metropole's Core Canon is 5 books.
- What is the reading order for Die uralte Metropole? Publication order, starting with Lycidas. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Die uralte Metropole finished? Unfinished (2004–2016).
- How much reading does Die uralte Metropole take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 5 Core Canon books).
- How is Die uralte Metropole ranked? #564 in this site's official ranking, based on 3,496 reader ratings across 5 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #564?
Ranked #564 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.98 across 5 core books.
- A smaller readership (3,496 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.71 to 4.23.
- 0.10 behind #563, The Book of Wirrun.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 5 books · Unfinished · 3k ratings · Ranks #564 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length urban fantasy universe.
Reading order
Publication order (5 Core Canon books)
- Lycidas (2004)
- Lilith (2005)
- Lumen (2006)
- Somnia (2008)
- London (2016)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- Deutscher Phantastik Preis (Bestes deutschsprachiges Romandebüt), 2005: won: Lycidas
- Deutscher Phantastik Preis (Bester deutschsprachiger Roman), 2007: nominated: Lumen
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.98 across 3,496 ratings on 5 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: Night Huntress, Kitty Norville, Das Geheimnis von Askir, Die uralte Metropole, Le Bâtard de Kosigan, Erdwelt, L'ultimo elfo and Fireborn accepted 2026-10-30
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- German Wikipedia: Christoph Marzi Tier 2
- Phantastik-Couch: Christoph Marzi Tier 2
- LovelyBooks: series list Tier 2
- BücherTreff: Uralte Metropole order Tier 2
- Penguin Random House Germany: Lycidas Tier 2
- Fantasyguide: Memory review Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-10-30
Rule: Core Canon = the five Uralte Metropole novels, Lycidas (2004) to London (2016), all set in the hidden ancient metropolis beneath London; the story collection Nimmermehr (2007/2008) is excluded, as are Marzi's separate series and standalones.