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A review by anonymous_blobfish
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
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? No
5.0
This book might be in the contest for my favourite book of the year (she says in April)!!
City of Brass is a Middle Eastern inspired high fantasy (yes yes yes!) that follows 2 main POVs: Ali – the ferociously devout crown prince of the djinn, and Nahri – the long lost daughter of the Nahids, famous djinn healers. Much of the story also focuses on Dara – a Daeva slave, forced to commit atrocities at the hands of humans for hundreds of years – and the part he plays upon returning to the city of Daevebad. Rich and complex, this story is about Nahri’s attempt to find her place amidst a centuries long power struggle, Dara journey to find out how he was freed, and Ali’s fight to find his path.
The undeniable powerhouse of this book was the world building, both the political/magic system, and the environment in which it was set. I felt like I could feel the heat from the desert the whole time I was reading this, when I wasn’t so caught up in the story that is! I can see where the story might feel slightly formulaic at times but I personally didn’t feel that way, so immersive did I find both characters and setting.
I took a gamble with this book before even starting it and purchased the rest of the series, something I have not done often the last few years, and boy am I glad I did! The ending is immense and explosive and ohmygodicannotbelievetheydidmelikethat!!! I have already started book 2 and cannot wait for my quiet weekend to sink my teeth into the rest of this series!!
City of Brass is a Middle Eastern inspired high fantasy (yes yes yes!) that follows 2 main POVs: Ali – the ferociously devout crown prince of the djinn, and Nahri – the long lost daughter of the Nahids, famous djinn healers. Much of the story also focuses on Dara – a Daeva slave, forced to commit atrocities at the hands of humans for hundreds of years – and the part he plays upon returning to the city of Daevebad. Rich and complex, this story is about Nahri’s attempt to find her place amidst a centuries long power struggle, Dara journey to find out how he was freed, and Ali’s fight to find his path.
The undeniable powerhouse of this book was the world building, both the political/magic system, and the environment in which it was set. I felt like I could feel the heat from the desert the whole time I was reading this, when I wasn’t so caught up in the story that is! I can see where the story might feel slightly formulaic at times but I personally didn’t feel that way, so immersive did I find both characters and setting.
I took a gamble with this book before even starting it and purchased the rest of the series, something I have not done often the last few years, and boy am I glad I did! The ending is immense and explosive and ohmygodicannotbelievetheydidmelikethat!!! I have already started book 2 and cannot wait for my quiet weekend to sink my teeth into the rest of this series!!