A review by hanarama
The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

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 

You Might Like this if You Like:
  • 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. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings