Age of Ash (Amazon) by Daniel Abraham (half of The Expanse writing team James S. A. Corey) takes place almost entirely in a medieval city, on a world that is not our own.
Magic exists, but it is old, powerful, and dangerous. Most people living on the streets and within the walls of Kithamar never experience it. The few who do likely wish they hadn’t.
The city is ruled by a prince, whose family (and persona) have provided stability to the city for years. As the book opens, that stability is at risk. Two princes have died within the last year or so, and they’re about to be replaced by his female successor.
It’s ruling class turmoil and drama, but most of the action happens at the street level with Alys, a teenage girl whose brother is murdered. She sets out to find the murderer, and in the process, finds herself intertwined in a centuries-old mystery of blood and magic.
Back to the Streets
Age of Ash isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s a slow burn, and Abraham tries to make the city as much of a character as the humans, and largely succeeds. He lovingly describes each of its districts, and how they change through the seasons and the calendar year in which the story takes place.
As a dungeon master it made me want to return to my own homegrown city of Obsidian Bay in the World of Greyhawk, and run another urban campaign. Whether it’s a book or a campaign, it can be difficult to tell an urban story. With fantasy, the temptation to venture outside the city walls and find more traditional D&D threats is strong (yet another dragon, anyone?). But if you can stay within the city, and build up the various organizations, people, and relationships, an urban campaign could be hugely rewarding.
The Kithamar series isn’t quite there yet. Despite the high stakes in the city, the narrative is often low-key and focused on minutia. There’s definitely a payoff on the murder/magic angle, and Abraham has me curious about what comes next.