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A review by renpuspita
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
Before I start writing the review, I will state that I'm a Muslim practitioner, although just do a bare minimum, like praying (if I remember), fasting, and giving money to the poor. Unlike many of my Muslim colleague, I don't use hijab. Just preference of mine. Also, usually I avoid reading books with Islamic theme, again just preference, lol. So, The City of Brass is my first foray into fantasy book with Islamic theme and lore, maybe that's why reading this book make me feel nostalgic of sort. Like the prayer, the custom, the language, the laws, I found myself smiling while reading this one. I admit, my faith kinda wavering this day , I'm afraid maybe someday I'll go ashtray. But, eh, enough about that, right? ^_^
The City of Brass is S.A.Chakraborty's debut. It's feel like her debut, but without some of debut weakness, such as confusing world building or wordy sentences and paragraphs. Quite opposite, Chakraborty's writing is pretty much simple and straightforward. Reader that not quite familiar with Islamic or Arabic term might be feel difficult to understand some term, but since I state at the first that I already know them, I can read this one with ease. The City of Brass itself is like a fanfic or retelling of Alf Layla Wa-Layla, or we might know it as One Thousand and One Night. My friend, Raven, also said that The City of Brass is appear in those folktales. I think I will try to read 1001 Nights someday.
However, not only 1001 Nights, because Chakraborty also infused some elements such as the tale of Prophet Suleiman with the Djinn (or you might know Suleiman as Solomon). I feel not only similarity with the terms and lore, but with the setting as well. All Djinn tribes have their hometown similars to our. From Shahrayn that dwell in Sahara Desert. Ayanlee djinn that dwell in Ta Ntry that if I remember correctly located below the Nile river, exactly in Ethiopia and Somalia. The proud Geziri tribe that claim Am Gezira as their own, pretty much Saudi Arabia, and Tukharistani that own Silk Road, so basically they come from Kazakhstan and around. Then we have Agnivanshi tribe, dwell from Agnivansha, if you know that Agni is fire in India, then you know where it is. And lastly, Daeva tribe who lived in Daevastana, with their glimmering city, The City of Brass, the Daevabad, located in what we know today as Iran.
Not only the location, but the faith of Daeva, which the Geziri say with distaste that they are fire worshiper remind me of Majusi (Magush), or Zoroastrianism. And how one of the character practice his religious devoutly, people around him called him religious fanatic. Then, the discord between the Geziri, those who govern Daevabad and Daeva, those who claim that Daevabad is their own. Between of them, there's shafit, mixed blood union between Djinn and human, constantly in lower caste in Daevabad, without justice, only lived because the Geziri somehow try to tolerate them at best. All of it hit too close to home, to reality, but without Chakraborty write it in your face. She's like let her reader guess it of their own, while show that history always repeat itself. No matter who, when and where. There always people suffer under oppression and tyranny, injustice and prejudice. And a character with moral and integrity, full of privilege, but found that he can't do anything to make a better world for those who suffer.
In term of trope and characters, since the premise of City of Brass itself is simple, Chakraborty itself also use trope that fantasy reader already know. We have our heroine Nahri, a con woman and thief of questionable heritage that found herself as a last descendant of Nahid, a djinn healer then swept away to Daevabad by a djinn that she accidentally summoned, Darayavahoush e-Afshin or we may call him Dara. Then, we will introduced to Alizayd al Qahtani, the Geziri-Ayanlee prince of Daevabad that found himself entangled in his effort to give the shafit a better place to live despite his father, King Ghassan barely tolerate them. Told between alternative PoV, Nahri and Ali, Chakraborty bring us into her world, a world that not as simple as it seems, not that mesmerizing like its first glimpse. With Nahri, we got an adventure, for she and Dara flee from the ifrit that chased them, then meet with ruhk bird (or Roc), peri and Marid in their journey to Daevabad. In Ali, we got a glimpse into Daevabad and court machinations in the palace. I think why I never bored while I need a week to finish this because of my busy schedule, it's because this book never let me down. For me, it's never a dull moment. We have adventure, then next we get a political maneuver from inside Daevabad. Also some mystery that surrounding Dara, his enslavement by Ifrit and his dark past that make him known as The Scourge of Qui-zi.
While I enjoy reading about Nahri and her pragmatism and cunning mind, especially about her fortune because of her background as a poor thief in the Cairo street, I admire Chakraborty for her ability to make compelling male characters. From Ali, Dara, even King Ghassan and one of my favorite character, Jamshid. I admit that the female character beside Nahri, only have spoiled brat like Zaynab (Ali's sister), or a mentor figure that sadly not helping Nahri and seems like hiding her own secret. Ali is remind me of myself, despite deemed as a religious fanatic, he has integrity and idealistic to the core. Dara is more like Byronic hero, with a tortured past. What surprised me is King Ghassan, for I despise him but also admire his ruthlessness, cunning and complexity. He's act as a king, a paranoid ones. He can be a loving father to Ali and Muntadhir, his Crown Prince, but he held Daevabad above all he didn't hesitate to use his children as pawn. He also illiterate, because if he have an entire scribes to read for him, why bother. In contrast with Ali that pretty much enthusiastic with book, I think I got why despite his religious upbringing and devotion, he can feel empathy. Book will do that to you, lol. My less favorite male character is might be Muntadhir. I just feel like he's okay, he's doing his brotherly duty to protect Ali, but that's all. My opinion might be differ in the next book, tho.
Although I'm a romance reader, I don't mind if a fantasy book I read didn't have any, and if it's have one or two romantic moment, I want it to well written. Nahri's affection to Dara might be feel sudden, but I see it as a forced proximity trope. Like, if I'm in Nahri's shoes, find myself as an extraordinary person with extraordinary background that got swept away with this dark, lethal but also charming guy, my heart might be skip a beat. I also liked that Chakraborty write Nahri not as shivering lily, despite she don't have experience with men. Nahri do what she want to do to Dara, although the result end up in disaster. I'm myself much invested to Nahri relationship with Ali, despite their first meeting start badly because Ali's hostility, but they become friends afterward. I admit I'm a sucker for friend to lover trope, however I don't search for romance in this book, lol. So, whatever Chakraborty have in the future, I'll accept it.
The City of Brass is a wonderful debut from S.A. Chakraborty with a promising start. Four or five last chapters of this book make me holding my breath since it's change everything and I'm so grateful I have my copy of book 2, The Kingdom of Copper and book 3, The Empire of Gold already in hand. I think if you love epic fantasy with Middle East lore and setting, complete with compelling characters, stubborn and pragmatist heroine, also Machiavellian politic court, I'm
The City of Brass is S.A.Chakraborty's debut. It's feel like her debut, but without some of debut weakness, such as confusing world building or wordy sentences and paragraphs. Quite opposite, Chakraborty's writing is pretty much simple and straightforward. Reader that not quite familiar with Islamic or Arabic term might be feel difficult to understand some term, but since I state at the first that I already know them, I can read this one with ease. The City of Brass itself is like a fanfic or retelling of Alf Layla Wa-Layla, or we might know it as One Thousand and One Night. My friend, Raven, also said that The City of Brass is appear in those folktales. I think I will try to read 1001 Nights someday.
However, not only 1001 Nights, because Chakraborty also infused some elements such as the tale of Prophet Suleiman with the Djinn (or you might know Suleiman as Solomon). I feel not only similarity with the terms and lore, but with the setting as well. All Djinn tribes have their hometown similars to our. From Shahrayn that dwell in Sahara Desert. Ayanlee djinn that dwell in Ta Ntry that if I remember correctly located below the Nile river, exactly in Ethiopia and Somalia. The proud Geziri tribe that claim Am Gezira as their own, pretty much Saudi Arabia, and Tukharistani that own Silk Road, so basically they come from Kazakhstan and around. Then we have Agnivanshi tribe, dwell from Agnivansha, if you know that Agni is fire in India, then you know where it is. And lastly, Daeva tribe who lived in Daevastana, with their glimmering city, The City of Brass, the Daevabad, located in what we know today as Iran.
Not only the location, but the faith of Daeva, which the Geziri say with distaste that they are fire worshiper remind me of Majusi (Magush), or Zoroastrianism. And how one of the character practice his religious devoutly, people around him called him religious fanatic. Then, the discord between the Geziri, those who govern Daevabad and Daeva, those who claim that Daevabad is their own. Between of them, there's shafit, mixed blood union between Djinn and human, constantly in lower caste in Daevabad, without justice, only lived because the Geziri somehow try to tolerate them at best. All of it hit too close to home, to reality, but without Chakraborty write it in your face. She's like let her reader guess it of their own, while show that history always repeat itself. No matter who, when and where. There always people suffer under oppression and tyranny, injustice and prejudice. And a character with moral and integrity, full of privilege, but found that he can't do anything to make a better world for those who suffer.
In term of trope and characters, since the premise of City of Brass itself is simple, Chakraborty itself also use trope that fantasy reader already know. We have our heroine Nahri, a con woman and thief of questionable heritage that found herself as a last descendant of Nahid, a djinn healer then swept away to Daevabad by a djinn that she accidentally summoned, Darayavahoush e-Afshin or we may call him Dara. Then, we will introduced to Alizayd al Qahtani, the Geziri-Ayanlee prince of Daevabad that found himself entangled in his effort to give the shafit a better place to live despite his father, King Ghassan barely tolerate them. Told between alternative PoV, Nahri and Ali, Chakraborty bring us into her world, a world that not as simple as it seems, not that mesmerizing like its first glimpse. With Nahri, we got an adventure, for she and Dara flee from the ifrit that chased them, then meet with ruhk bird (or Roc), peri and Marid in their journey to Daevabad. In Ali, we got a glimpse into Daevabad and court machinations in the palace. I think why I never bored while I need a week to finish this because of my busy schedule, it's because this book never let me down. For me, it's never a dull moment. We have adventure, then next we get a political maneuver from inside Daevabad. Also some mystery that surrounding Dara, his enslavement by Ifrit and his dark past that make him known as The Scourge of Qui-zi.
While I enjoy reading about Nahri and her pragmatism and cunning mind, especially about her fortune because of her background as a poor thief in the Cairo street, I admire Chakraborty for her ability to make compelling male characters. From Ali, Dara, even King Ghassan and one of my favorite character, Jamshid. I admit that the female character beside Nahri, only have spoiled brat like Zaynab (Ali's sister), or a mentor figure that sadly not helping Nahri and seems like hiding her own secret. Ali is remind me of myself, despite deemed as a religious fanatic, he has integrity and idealistic to the core. Dara is more like Byronic hero, with a tortured past. What surprised me is King Ghassan, for I despise him but also admire his ruthlessness, cunning and complexity. He's act as a king, a paranoid ones. He can be a loving father to Ali and Muntadhir, his Crown Prince, but he held Daevabad above all he didn't hesitate to use his children as pawn. He also illiterate, because if he have an entire scribes to read for him, why bother. In contrast with Ali that pretty much enthusiastic with book, I think I got why despite his religious upbringing and devotion, he can feel empathy. Book will do that to you, lol. My less favorite male character is might be Muntadhir. I just feel like he's okay, he's doing his brotherly duty to protect Ali, but that's all. My opinion might be differ in the next book, tho.
Although I'm a romance reader, I don't mind if a fantasy book I read didn't have any, and if it's have one or two romantic moment, I want it to well written. Nahri's affection to Dara might be feel sudden, but I see it as a forced proximity trope. Like, if I'm in Nahri's shoes, find myself as an extraordinary person with extraordinary background that got swept away with this dark, lethal but also charming guy, my heart might be skip a beat. I also liked that Chakraborty write Nahri not as shivering lily, despite she don't have experience with men. Nahri do what she want to do to Dara, although the result end up in disaster. I'm myself much invested to Nahri relationship with Ali, despite their first meeting start badly because Ali's hostility, but they become friends afterward. I admit I'm a sucker for friend to lover trope, however I don't search for romance in this book, lol. So, whatever Chakraborty have in the future, I'll accept it.
The City of Brass is a wonderful debut from S.A. Chakraborty with a promising start. Four or five last chapters of this book make me holding my breath since it's change everything and I'm so grateful I have my copy of book 2, The Kingdom of Copper and book 3, The Empire of Gold already in hand. I think if you love epic fantasy with Middle East lore and setting, complete with compelling characters, stubborn and pragmatist heroine, also Machiavellian politic court, I'm
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Slavery