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hanarama's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The Good:
- Expanded world building
- Tense political intrigue
- Good use of dramatic irony
- Character motivations expanded and explored more closely
- Intense final act.
The Bad:
- Some character's decisions feel contrived/convenient
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- Complicate characters
- Opposing POVs
- Political intrigue
- Looming threats
A massive improvement over City of Brass. I really fell in love with this book and I was lukewarm on CoB, which felt very slow and many characters felt unsympathetic.
Chakraborty has fixed many of these issues with KoC. She takes greater care to make all of her characters feel more sympathetic in this book, while keeping their moral complexities in tact. And she again delivers an absolute gut punch of an ending.
KoC takes place five years after the events of CoB. Even as Ali is exiled, Daevabad seems intent on drawing him back into its political machinations. Nahri has taken her place as Banu Nahida and struggles against the yoke of King Ghassan's rule. With a once-in-a-century celebration looming and an unseen enemy plotting revenge on the city, the characters' lives weave together as everyone angles to achieve their own goals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, and Police brutality
debhawkins's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, War, and Slavery
Moderate: Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Medical content
Minor: Rape
achingallover's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
alexandrapaul's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The world that S.A. Chakraborty created is so rich & the characters are so complex & I love that. There is so much going on in this book with all of the politics and history of the world and you can tell that the author did extensive research. It can definitely be hard to follow at times, especially if it’s been awhile since reading the first book. But once getting into the story again though, with all of the Qatani’s drama and Nahri’s family history, I actually ended up enjoying this book a lot more that the first, which is rare for a sequel. I already can’t wait to read the third book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, and Medical content
stormwise's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
4.5
A fantastic sequel to The City of Brass! Taking place five years after the events of the first book, Chakraborty doesn't hesitate to throw us back into the plots and machinations of the djinn. The worldbuilding continues to amaze me - realistic without being "gritty" and still maintaining a wondrous quality that pulls you in.
Nahri and Ali, our POV characters, have matured and grown during the time skip,and Dara is introduced as a third viewpoint. The clashing perspectives allow us to see all sides of the political struggle - and shows how the unending exchange of violence in the name of revenge ultimately prevents Daevabad's society from thriving.
Fantasy fans, please check out the Daevabad trilogy! I can't wait to read the final book.
Nahri and Ali, our POV characters, have matured and grown during the time skip,
Fantasy fans, please check out the Daevabad trilogy! I can't wait to read the final book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Xenophobia and Genocide
Minor: Child death
katrinarose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m not sure when the last time I got so pulled into a book (the last half especially). It was amazing and everything I hoped it would be after reading the first book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, and Medical content
Minor: Alcoholism
contre_qui's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A great follow-up to the first one! I liked the way the plot continued to develop, but it was a little slower than City of Brass. I liked it pretty much all the way through, but I found the epilogue a little confusing in terms of setting up for the final book. It also lost the sense of urgency that had been building in the ending. Right now I'm just a little confused where the overall plot arc is going. Really solid sequel, though, and I still continue to enjoy reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Medical content
Minor: Chronic illness and Violence
allison_21's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As good as the first - can't wait to see the characters again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death, Genocide, Medical content, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Child death
annalisaely's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A bit slow in the middle, and some characters *cough* Dara *cough* are a little hard to listen to winge after a while, but overall I liked seeing the continuous world building and getting to know our characters more and seeing how what has happened to and around them has shaped them. It's definitely interesting to look at the question of how to stop racism when everybody hates everybody and all three groups have done horrible things whenever they have been in power. Usually in books these issues are simplified a lot, so it's nice to see S.A. Chakraborty really going in on them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, and Genocide
ehmannky's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Spectacular. Show stopping. Amazing. I throw all the praise at this book, because it's so beautifully written and it builds so well on the previous book. It dives deeper into the meaninglessness of vengeance vs. the true healing power of justice. Because the shafit aren't wrong and the Daevas aren't wrong and those clamoring for a better life aren't wrong, but since no one can address the pains of the past without murder, no one can devise a way to move forward. Well, Nahri and Ali could, but no one ever listens to the best characters.
This book also skyrocketed Ali to the top of my list of favorite characters. The previous book of "the oppressed can have some rights" is burned away as he gains more confidence in his own moral clarity and is able to see a life outside of the palace (also, Aqisa and Lubayd are the best additions the vast cast of characters). Muntadhir plummeted pretty far down the list with the petty jealousy and the fear his father beat into him taking over his love for his siblings, Jamshid and what he knows is right. Like, the whole lie to embarrass Ali and then causing a massacre and like only realizing after the fact that all this death was his fault? Fuck him. Though the ending reconciliation was pretty damn satisfying. But also, fuck him.
This book also skyrocketed Ali to the top of my list of favorite characters. The previous book of "the oppressed can have some rights" is burned away as he gains more confidence in his own moral clarity and is able to see a life outside of the palace (also, Aqisa and Lubayd are the best additions the vast cast of characters). Muntadhir plummeted pretty far down the list with the petty jealousy and the fear his father beat into him taking over his love for his siblings, Jamshid and what he knows is right. Like, the whole
I empathize with him, but it's also part of the cycle of revenge and status quo and trying to please their abusive father to become an abuser himself. I also liked the expanded role for Zaynab and Hastet, and it was nice seeing Nahri finding female allies. Additionally, Dara (a character I like in spite of my morals) slowly figuring out Just Following Orders is a paltry excuse when he's doing atrocities.
Overall, a stunning sequel. I cannot wait to read the final installment.
Overall, a stunning sequel. I cannot wait to read the final installment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Racism, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Torture, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Miscarriage
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