City of Roses is a serialized epic firmly set in Portland, Oregon—an urban fantasy mixing magical realism with gonzo noirish prose, where sinister high-rise riverfront condos are fought by a sprawling tea-house constructed from scrap lumber and old windows, and ancient sea-gods retire to close-in Southeast apartments with lovely views. It’s the story of Jo Maguire, a highly strung, underemployed telemarketer, and what happens when she meets Ysabel, a princess of unspecified pedigree. Jo rather unexpectedly becomes Ysabel’s guardian and caretaker, and now must make a place for herself among Ysabel’s decidedly unusual family and friends—which involves rather more sword-play than most of us are used to.

Bookslut calls it an “entire, swirling, beautiful mess.” The Web Fiction Guide says it’s “utterly captivating” and “brilliant.” Felix Gilman has said, “Kip Manley’s City of Roses is the most fun I’ve had with a book in a good while,” and Aishwarya Subramanian says, “If I could illegally download City of Roses I would.” Forty-four chapters of the acclaimed webserial have been bundled together in four convenient volumes (and two omnibuses!), in ebook and paperback formats.