The City of Cities (1ST ARC DONE)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

He didn’t ask to be summoned. He didn’t ask to be a warlock. But this city doesn’t care what you asked for.

Eugene Calhoun was just a bitter nobody from Earth—until a burst of impossible magic dropped him into a sprawling, ancient metropolis powered by strange forces and older laws. Now, bound to mysterious spirits called Jennies, he finds himself wielding unpredictable powers in a place where magic, politics, and survival are tangled beyond recognition.

The city is beautiful. The city is broken. Its founders are either missing, dead, or worse—like Krungus, an eccentric wizard who just clawed his way back from exile to find the world has moved on without him. As threats close in and old enemies stir, Eugene is swept into a fight that spans not just streets and towers, but the very meaning of power.

This is a story of conceptual magic and impossible architecture, hidden histories and misfit friendships. A city too big to save, a hero too small to matter—until he does.

Because if you want to change a city like this, you’d better be ready to change yourself.

What to expect:

Probably 1-2 chapters a week while I edit the first arc. (Starts 4/15)

Arguments between an ancient wizard and a man from 1999.

Wizardly intrigue.

No harems or explicit sex stuff.

Non-Euclidean urban planning.

Wizard poetry.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: QMSalami

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.4/ 5.0
Followers: 39
Views: 21,654

Reviews

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Community Reviews(4)

AaathunessaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I appreciate that the main characters aren’t 18 years of age and have some overwhelming advantage by knowing everything about the world they’re in. I also enjoy the twist of an older man seeing how far everything has fallen. I’m curious why he hasn’t just leveled the whole city in a fit of he is as powerful as his pretentious tone suggests. I will keep reading to see where it goes.
readingaddict1717Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The City of Cities delivers some of the most memorable characters I've seen in a while. At its heart is the dynamic between Eugene Calhoun, an unwitting outsider from Earth, and Krungus, a half-mad, half-brilliant archwizard returning from 9,000 years of exile. Eugene's growth from lost everyman to earnest warlock is believable and emotional, anchored in quiet moments of doubt and resilience. Krungus is a standout: funny, volatile, deeply broken, but layered with surprising compassion and depth. The supporting cast is equally rich: Cozimia (a sassy lantern-bound Jennie), Utopianna (a serene anarcho-witch with floral robes and fire in her ideals), and even bizarre comic-relief characters like Bahumbus and Qlaark end up carrying emotional weight. There’s not a single flat personality here, every character feels lived in and alive.
The story deftly blends portal fantasy, post-apocalyptic urban recovery, and metaphysical warlock weirdness. What starts as an accidental teleportation turns into a vast, emotionally textured epic about rebuilding not just a city, but belief itself. In magic, in justice, in potential. There’s a war on the horizon, but the first book wisely focuses on local-scale conflicts, political restoration, and interpersonal trust. This makes the stakes feel grounded even when the lore gets cosmic. The inclusion of non-Weave magic, lost dimensions, and sentient pocket realms like Syzzyzzy gives the world a thrilling mythic pulse. Major arcs (such as Eugene earning the Jennie of Potential’s respect) feel satisfying without rushing. It’s complex without being confusing.
The prose is stylish, sharp, and immersive, infused with equal parts deadpan wit and poetic grandeur. Dialogue crackles with personality, particularly Krungus’s sardonic one-liners and Eugene’s confused midwestern sarcasm. The narration manages to shift tones seamlessly: tender introspection one moment, absurdist magical dinner battles the next, and fierce declarations of purpose when it
FalstaffRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Not breaking any new ground here but this is a solid, cozy, standard fantasy isekai.
The MC Eugene is a hapless everyman who accidentally got summoned into a DnD fantasy world due to a cranky old wizard's miscast spell.
Now Eugene and this unhinged Merlin-lookin dude Krungus (a delightfully stupid name btw) have to save the fantasy kingdom and ruin the business of some random pimp.
It's an absurd, wacky romp, and I'm having a fun time.
The style is clear and the grammar is polished. A few little things slipped through but nothing egregious.
Story structure is an area I think needs a little work, but the bones are all there for a solid opening.
Characters are fine. I was a little disappointed the story began describing a handful of adventurers who (it seems) have no actual relevance to the plot. It was an amusing subversion of expectations but left me feeling a bit time-wasted. Krungus is a curmudgeon and Eugene is an audience stand-in, so again, not groundbreaking, but solid characterization and they're both delightful company with some clever one-liners and insights.
Most importantly, it's funny. There are places the jokes can be sharpened or the tone shifts too abruptly, but it's still early in this story's development, and those can be ironed out over time.
I think this is a solid opening and I look forward to seeing it develop.
Great work!
terryraycRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
This review reflects my impressions after completing the first 18 chapters of the story. At this juncture, the narrative exhibits considerable promise, laying a foundation that hints at a potentially engaging and complex tale. The author's dedication to crafting a rich historical backdrop is particularly commendable; the world-building efforts are evident and contribute significantly to the story's immersive quality. This attention to detail suggests a broader vision for the narrative that is exciting to anticipate.
However, while the overall concept is strong, there are areas where further development could enhance the reader's experience. Specifically, some of the supporting characters, and even a few potentially central figures, feel somewhat underdeveloped at this stage. Their motivations, backstories, and internal conflicts could benefit from more exploration, allowing them to evolve beyond archetypes and become more relatable, three-dimensional individuals. This would not only enrich the character dynamics but also add greater depth to the overall narrative.
Another area for potential improvement lies in the pacing of certain key plot points. While the author's ambition to cover significant ground is understandable, some crucial moments feel as though they are resolved too quickly, without allowing the full weight of the events to resonate with the characters or the reader. Allowing these pivotal scenes more "breathing room"—perhaps through expanded dialogue, internal reflection, or a more gradual unfolding of consequences—would significantly enhance their impact and emotional resonance. It would also enhance the readers ability to follow what is fully going on.
Despite these observations, the story's core premise remains intriguing, and the author's evident commitment to world-building and grammatical correctness is a definite positive. It's clear that considerable effort has been invested in crafting this narrative, and that care bodes well for its future de