The City of Brass: A Novel (The Daevabad Trilogy)

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Library Journal Vulture The Verge SYFYWire

Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty, an imaginative alchemy of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and Uprooted, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.

Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of eighteenth-century Cairo, she's a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trades she uses to get by--palm readings, zars, and a mysterious gift for healing--are all tricks, both the means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles and a reliable way to survive.

But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, to her side during one of her cons, she's forced to reconsider her beliefs. For Dara tells Nahri an extraordinary tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire and rivers where the mythical marid sleep, past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises and mountains where the circling birds of prey are more than what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass--a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In Daevabad, within gilded brass walls laced with enchantments and behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments run deep. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, her arrival threatens to ignite a war that has been simmering for centuries.

Spurning Dara's warning of the treachery surrounding her, she embarks on a hesitant friendship with Alizayd, an idealistic prince who dreams of revolutionizing his father's corrupt regime. All too soon, Nahri learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

After all, there is a reason they say to be careful what you wish for . . .

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576 pages

Average rating: 8.52

118 RATINGS

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8 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

emily_roamswild
Oct 16, 2024
9/10 stars
I adored this book. It was everything I wanted it to be—surprise magic; seriously morally gray characters; Egypt; slow burn with a handful other complicated relationships. I have no idea why this book doesn’t get more hype. I’m reading the 2nd one now and it has a little bit of 2nd book syndrome but I’m still SO INTO it. Read this if you love Egypt documentaries; complicated political and personal relationships and a certain level of creepy, culty religiousness.
The Nerdy Narrative
Jul 19, 2024
8/10 stars
A mythologically-rich Middle Eastern fantasy novel that is perfect for those looking for a fun, light read with a dash of romance included. I will say that nothing I read previously about this novel mentioned the romance aspect, so when I came across it, I was thinking uh-oh - not what I was expecting and I sure hoped it wasn't going to be a big part of the story. Thankfully, it wasn't.

This story is told from the perspectives of Nahri, a con artist from Cairo with an amazing, yet uncanny talent for healing and from Ali, the prince of Daevabad, the second son of the king. From the moment I met Ali, I was fascinated with his story and I felt he had a great character arc ahead of him and I was not disappointed. I also have the feeling I have a lot of what would be considered unpopular opinions concerning him and a djinn warrior, Dara. LOL

Nahri is performing a ceremony as part of a con and accidentally summons Dara - a Daeva warrior who rattles her beliefs (or previous lack of) with outlandish tales of a magical city hidden by a veil from human eyes, wars and mythical creatures. The story starts out very light, but quickly turns dark and brutal once the pair reach Daevabad and become entangled in court politics.

I loved the story of the Daeva people - how djinn slaves were made, the different ins and outs of the magic and the constant unpredictability of where the story went. I started out thinking this would not be a book I would enjoy and ended up eager to read the next book in the series!
Anonymous
Apr 30, 2024
8/10 stars
Firstly, this book transports you. It was so easy to picture this magical place in the Middle East. The sand, the scorching heat, the bustling, colorful city, the combination of foods and incense in the air. It was beautifully depicted. Also, there were literal magic carpets.

To be honest, this book felt slow but somehow also flew by. I was anxious to get back to it when I wasn’t reading it but it felt like it took forever for some real action. And I don’t know if it was by design but I went through the whole book confused as to whose side I was on. Who am I supposed to be rooting for because I kept changing my mind! And I loved that! I finished the book and I’m still not sure!
Anonymous
Mar 13, 2024
8/10 stars
An interesting take on the Prince Ali and Genie story.  Heavy world building, a lot of politics, and a little romance.  It was so slow, and I never connected with any of the characters.  I didn't enjoy the narrator, but I did like the book  more when I read it on my Kindle app.  But when I look back on it, it's overall a good story.  It is not concluded, and I'm not sure I want to spend 40 more hours finding out how it ends.
yenjii
Jan 25, 2024
10/10 stars
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the last quarter of this book had me reading till 2am on a work night

Since reading the [b:The Bartimaeus Trilogy Boxed Set|59268|The Bartimaeus Trilogy Boxed Set (Bartimaeus, #1-3)|Jonathan Stroud|https:i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924135l/59268._SX50_.jpg|10452429] by [a:Jonathan Stroud|33467|Jonathan Stroud|https:images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562922774p2/33467.jpg], djinn have always interested me and I was delighted by Chakraborty's debut novel. It was also so refreshing to see Muslim representation and diversity, which added a depth that I didn't know I wanted to see.

I actually liked all the characters in this, but would be lying if one poor daeva soul wasn't at the forefront of my concerns. I am a sucker for the angst... :')

Despite other reviews, the world building was fine for me, though the magic system slightly less so - this may be in part due to the POVs of the MCs, so I'm hoping the next books will be more illuminating.

Very much looking forward to the subsequent novels!

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