"No series since George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire has quite captured both palace intrigue and the way that tribal infighting and war hurt the vulnerable the most." —Paste Magazine
The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.
Daevabad has fallen.
After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.
But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara's dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.
Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad's deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother's homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith.
As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.
"No series since George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire has quite captured both palace intrigue and the way that tribal infighting and war hurt the vulnerable the most." —Paste Magazine
The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.
Daevabad has fallen.
After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.
But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara's dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.
Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad's deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother's homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith.
As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.
Reviews-
-
Starred review from April 1, 2020
Daevabad has fallen to Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her commander Dara, who was resurrected. But he conquest left the city devoid of magic and unstable. Dara's battlefield experiences have him wondering about the truth of what he is doing, facing demons of the past and enemies in the present. Nahri and Ali barely escaped from Daevabad to Cairo, where Nahri finds her human past holds some comfort; she is upset with the knowledge of those she left behind and their suffering. Ali is also determined to rescue his city, turning to his mother's homeland and his connection with the marid. But that connection may cause more upheaval in not only Ali's relationship with Nahri, but his own beliefs. Other connections and truths come to light, forcing Ali, Nahri, and Dara to make choices to determine their futures, along with that of all in Daevabad. VERDICT Chakraborty (The City of Brass) brings her epic fantasy series to a stunning conclusion. Rich details, familial ties, and magical politics sing in this lush world built from Middle Eastern history and imagination. [See Prepub Alert, 12/9/19.]--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
-
June 29, 2020
The centuries-long power struggle for the magical kingdom of Daevabad comes to a head in the marvelous final adventure in Chakraborty’s Daevabad trilogy (after The Kingdom of Copper). Healer Nahri awakens back home in 18th-century Egypt, with no memory of how she got there from Daevabad. The temptation to stay in her comfort zone is nearly impossible to resist when weighed against returning and joining the fight to take back the devastated djinn city. But exiled Daevabad prince Ali is stranded alongside Nahri and will do whatever it takes to find his way back home to avenge his family and restore their rule. Both Nahri and Ali run up against the sins of their ancestors when deeply buried secrets come to light, revealing Nahri’s true parentage and Ali’s family debt. Chakraborty pulls off an astonishing balancing act as her multifaceted characters navigate the complex politics of her beautifully painted world, but she relies on some too-convenient plot devices to tie up all the loose ends, slightly cheapening the otherwise satisfying conclusion. Still, this mammoth finale is a worthy finish to a beloved series. Agent: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary. -
Starred review from July 1, 2020
At the end of Kingdom of Copper (2019), Nahri and Ali fled Daevabad with Suleiman's seal. But with it comes a consequence: magic has all but disappeared. Nahri and Ali plot their quest to return even though that means facing Nahri's mother, a healer-turned-dictator who uses brutality and bloodshed to take over their beloved city. Once again, the chapters switch among Nahri, Ali, and Dara, all of whom realize that there is no such thing as a purely moral choice in an immoral world and that they must face the fates they've been desperately trying to escape. Nahri is no longer Cairo's small-time con artist, instead coming into her own as a true healer and leader. Ali, once overshadowed by his brother, uses his own talents and charisma to sway allies to his cause. The novel also never loses sight of those who are most hurt by war, the shafit, djinn-human subjects who are the first to lose as royals vie for power. With musical prose, majestic settings, and an epic story, Chakraborty's finale to a trilogy will ignite passion in her many fans. Fervidly recommended to all readers of the fantasy genre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.) -
Booklist (starred review)
"With musical prose, majestic settings, and an epic story, Chakraborty's finale to a trilogy will ignite passion in her many fans. Fervidly recommended to all readers of the fantasy genre." — Booklist (starred review)
"Chakraborty (The City of Brass) brings her epic fantasy series to a stunning conclusion. Rich details, familial ties, and magical politics sing in this lush world built from Middle Eastern history and imagination." — Library Journal (starred review)
"The centuries-long power struggle for the magical kingdom of Daevabad comes to a head in this marvelous final adventure in Chakraborty's Daevabad trilogy...This mammoth finale is a worthy finish to a beloved series."
— Publishers Weekly"Chakraborty writes a winning heroine in Nahri — flawed but smart and engaging. And her portrayal of the cultural conflicts in the magical city of Daevabad and of Ali's inner turmoil is compelling and complex, serving as a strong counterpoint to the thrilling action." — Washington Post on The City of Brass
"The City of Brass reads like an invitation for readers from Baghdad to Fairbanks to meet across impossibly divergent worlds through the shared language and images of the fantastical." — New York Times Book Review
