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betris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
angry_fruit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
saprat's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
milliei's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
wouterk's review against another edition
3.0
A fun and interesting story about Nahri who enters the mysterious world of Djinn, Ifrit, Deva and many more creatures grounded in middle eastern mythology. The story is set in our world, as the story starts in Caïro but soon moves to the desert and mythical places.
I feel Chakraborty created a really unique world with an interesting soft magic system based in mythology. The plotline is very interesting with both the political intrigue in Daevabad (the city of Brass) and the mysteries in Nahri's history and the history of the Deva and how they intertwine. The characters are generally well written but I can see that it is also aimed at a YA audience. I would not say the characters lack depth but they can be somewhat one-dimensional in their goals and considerations. That being said, I think the book is very fun and interesting for adults like myself as well. It delves into themes such as heritage, multiculturalism, discrimination and inequality.
I think generally that Chakraborty's writing style has much to offer. One thing that did get to me after a while, was the amount of times that some expression did not quite meet the eyes (although as the book progresses this did lessen a bit).
Another thing that I found personally annoying was in the dynamic between Nahri and some of the men. Given that the audience is also YA, I don't see the need to already condition them into a silly line of reasoning that it is never the girls/woman's fault and it is always the man who is inconsiderate. She is constantly only arguing about her future and situation with the different men around her. Especially when the arguments focus only on her well-being I'd say she could be less reactive and pointlessly blaming....ah well. It is understandable and probably realistic for a young person being swept from her normal life to go into arguments like that. But I personally did not think it was contributing to empowering the girl as the autonomous protagonist I think was aimed for in this book. Actually, thinking back, I think Dara was not an inch better at navigating feelings and arguments even though he is centuries older than Nahri and Ali. Who knows in the second book, which I will definitely watch.
I feel Chakraborty created a really unique world with an interesting soft magic system based in mythology. The plotline is very interesting with both the political intrigue in Daevabad (the city of Brass) and the mysteries in Nahri's history and the history of the Deva and how they intertwine. The characters are generally well written but I can see that it is also aimed at a YA audience. I would not say the characters lack depth but they can be somewhat one-dimensional in their goals and considerations. That being said, I think the book is very fun and interesting for adults like myself as well. It delves into themes such as heritage, multiculturalism, discrimination and inequality.
I think generally that Chakraborty's writing style has much to offer. One thing that did get to me after a while, was the amount of times that some expression did not quite meet the eyes (although as the book progresses this did lessen a bit).
Another thing that I found personally annoying was in the dynamic between Nahri and some of the men. Given that the audience is also YA, I don't see the need to already condition them into a silly line of reasoning that it is never the girls/woman's fault and it is always the man who is inconsiderate. She is constantly only arguing about her future and situation with the different men around her. Especially when the arguments focus only on her well-being I'd say she could be less reactive and pointlessly blaming....ah well. It is understandable and probably realistic for a young person being swept from her normal life to go into arguments like that. But I personally did not think it was contributing to empowering the girl as the autonomous protagonist I think was aimed for in this book. Actually, thinking back, I think Dara was not an inch better at navigating feelings and arguments even though he is centuries older than Nahri and Ali. Who knows in the second book, which I will definitely watch.
paigegale's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
slow-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
5.0
_ottavia_'s review against another edition
3.0
Ho evitato per un annetto questa nuova uscita perchè, come sempre, guardo con sospetto a qualsiasi cosa si attiri l'etichetta di YA. Ora, riguardo a quest'etichetta, ecco che si ritorna nel vecchio e sempre discusso punto di discordia: lo YA è un genere o solo un target? Perchè se è un genere, e ne conosciamo alcuni elementi spesso utilizzati, allora La Città di Ottone non è esattamente un YA. Certo ha una brevissima e poco esplorata storia d'amore (seriamente, le ho contate, le scene al riguardo sono forse quattro) ma per il resto tratta più di politica, razzismo e colonialismo che non d'altro.
Se invece partiamo dal presupposto che quando parliamo di YA parliamo di un target allora forse sì, questo libro è più indirizzato ai giovani che non a un pubblico adulto; ma comunque non credo che la categorizzazione sia così netta. L'ambientazione fresca e nuova, la sottigliezza con cui vengono trattati i temi politici, e il tono generale lo rendono un libro adatto a un pubblico ampio e che per questo mi ha molto sorpresa.
Una lieve critica, secondo me, può essere fatta nel modo un po' confuso di spiegare la storia e la divisione in tribù della popolazione. Per il resto davvero un debutto ottimo e interessante.
Se invece partiamo dal presupposto che quando parliamo di YA parliamo di un target allora forse sì, questo libro è più indirizzato ai giovani che non a un pubblico adulto; ma comunque non credo che la categorizzazione sia così netta. L'ambientazione fresca e nuova, la sottigliezza con cui vengono trattati i temi politici, e il tono generale lo rendono un libro adatto a un pubblico ampio e che per questo mi ha molto sorpresa.
Una lieve critica, secondo me, può essere fatta nel modo un po' confuso di spiegare la storia e la divisione in tribù della popolazione. Per il resto davvero un debutto ottimo e interessante.
raekynnes's review against another edition
Just not quite in the mood for this right now - might try again later
classy4116's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-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? No
4.0