A review by siriusiqa
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

adventurous challenging 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

5.0

This book was an entirely new experience for me and I ended up loving this book more than I thought. The City of Brass was a brilliant Middle Eastern fantasy book that completely captivated me and made me buy the sequel even though I had not finished the first book yet.

 

The world-building is fascinating with the mixture of Middle Eastern culture. However, with so many distinct character names, tribes, and magical creatures at the beginning of the book, it can be a bit overwhelming. But it’s worth it. I was somewhat perplexed by all the many tribes and political systems, but at the same time, I also enjoyed learning about the four elemental creatures.

 

What made this book stand out to me the most was the characters. Nahri, Dara, and Ali were all thoughtful & complicated characters. The author does an outstanding job of making these characters so intriguing and beautifully written. They are flawed, make mistakes & learn as they go. Each had touching stories that made me want to root for them.

 

Nahri has some unique gifts that she doesn’t understand and struggles to learn about her heritage. Dara is the infamous warrior djinn who anguish about the terrible past and takes Nahri away to Daevabad. Ali is the second prince of Daevabad, destined to protect his older brother while upholding laws against less fortunate citizens. When I started the book, I firmly thought that Dara was the character I needed to cheer for while Ali was the obnoxious wealthy prince, but by the end, my view of both had begun to change. It is easily said that Alizayd al Qahtani was my favourite character.

 

The writing style was excellent and engaging. The plot was well-paced and had many twists and turns. Secrets were slowly disclosed just enough to keep you interested and the 20% towards the end was so great and I can’t put it down. And the epilogue leaves me pleading for more and I can’t resist picking up the next installment as soon as possible.

 

This book was easily my 5 stars read. The City of Brass is just incredibly stunning to the point I don’t only want to read this trilogy but also other adult fantasy books. This book is just the beginning to love a fantasy world full of magic.

 
Thank you, Times Reads, for sending me this amazing book!