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 epic fantasy 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 supernatural magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of eighteenth-century Cairo, this female protagonist is 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, this portal fantasy adventure catapults her into a world 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 hidden 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 and political intrigue 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 rebellion. All too soon, Nahri learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics in this high fantasy world. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.
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Readers say *The City of Brass* immerses readers in rich Middle Eastern mythology and Islamic culture, featuring intricate world-building and a compel...
Reading this story was a beautiful immersion into a different culture that I had only previous touched upon, but found myself drawn towards. The tale begins with Nahrj as you follow her life as a con artist and “spiritual guide” while reading fortunes and palms of others within the city of Cairo. However, her plans change quickly once she steps into the world of Islamic mythology and begins to discover herself and meets new characters along the way.
One of the drawbacks for me was that it took roughly 350 pages for Nahri to make it to Davebad. However, I absolutely adored the beautifully illustrated imagery that the author chose in order to give us access to her world. I found the definitions in the back of the book helpful to help discern the new verbiage that rang true through it.
The story to me was one of adventure, love, hope, and one of finding your true identity. I really enjoyed reading the book since it was a submersion in a new and wonderful culture! I enjoyed it
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!
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