Enjoyed this but found it too long, and I skipped over quite a bit. I liked the main characters and the lovingly described djinni world(s), but found it dragged a bit in parts hence the skipping. Perhaps it's been padded out as it will be a trilogy? Anyhow I may well read the next book and hopefully it will have been edited down a bit more like this one should have.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

The djinni fantasy I didn't know I'd been waiting for (that's not entirely true: I am always here for excellent djinni fantasy). This is a well-paced, intricate fantasy debut that introduces a glittering world of djinni, where social tensions run high in the eponymous City of Brass. When Egyptian hustler Nahri accidentally summons a daeva - and not just any daeva, but an infamous war criminal to boot - she finds herself pulled into a parallel world she never dreamed of. Her talent for diagnosing illness suggests she may be the last scion of the family who once ruled the daeva, defeated by the desert-born Geziri djinn and hunted down by ifrit. The only way to stay alive is to travel to the City of Brass in the company of its least welcome son - but will the Geziri King really welcome the half-human daughter of the city's former ruling family?

City of Brass tackles questions of racial, gender and religious prejudice with aplomb (and looks set to bring in a view on sexual orientation before it's done). Nahri is a joy and I couldn't possibly resist devout, conflicted Alizayd (although I didn't like Dara as much as I think I was meant to). It introduces its world and then keeps ratcheting the stakes higher and higher until I was squeaking my way through the finale. I'm now on tenterhooks for the sequel! Excellent stuff.

A superb debut that is wonderfully and expertly written with world building and characters that will draw you in and keep you reading until the final page.

I first heard about this book back in January and was looking to buy it for myself, so naturally, I was beyond excited when it was available to request from NetGalley. Overall, this book was seriously good, and I am so happy to have received it.

The best part about this book was without a doubt the world. Incredibly rich and fantastic, it was so interesting to learn more about djinn and the magic that Chakraborty has created. Sometimes the story was a little dense, with some confusing names and references that I did not always understand, but overall, I thought that the magic and the world was incredibly dynamic.

The characters were all really interesting as well, even if I was not a huge fan of the multiple POVs – this is just a personal preference, and I very seldom love novels with more than one POV. I think I would have preferred to just have the story from Nahri’s POV, but I will admit that it was incredibly satisfying when the multiple POVs came together towards the end of the novel.

Another thing that I did not necessarily enjoy was that sometimes some of the characters behaved in awkward ways, and it kind of threw me off- I mean, it makes sense that non-human characters would not necessarily behave in human ways, but sometimes the dialogue felt a bit stilted with these non-human aspects of the characters.

Overall, I thought that this was a really good first novel, I cannot wait for the second book, and if you have any interest in Egyptian folklore, then this is a book for you.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  This is a spoiler-free review.


Ever since catching a glimpse of City of Brass’s gorgeous cover, I knew I needed it.  Something about it caught my eye and I thought, ‘yep, I’m going to love that book’.  I ended up with two copies of this book, my own finished copy and a digital ARC, and I’m not even upset -- it turned out to be the sumptuous, gorgeous fantasy novel I hoped it would be.

To start off, City of Brass is a dense book -- there’s no way around it.  Coming in at 544 pages in hardcover, it’s certainly a hefty tome to carry around.  But packed within the numerous pages is a beautiful and complex fantasy world. The world building in this book is phenomenal.  Apparently Chakraborty is a history buff and it really shows in the world of City of Brass.  I find that the best fantasy worlds have a strong history or mythology behind them and this book had both.  Now, some readers will not like the level of detail she goes into. If you didn’t like the amount of detail George R. R. Martin puts into food in A Song of Ice and Fire, the descriptions of clothing in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time, or the complex cultural structures Brandon Sanderson builds in the Stormlight Archives, this may not be the book for you.  While I enjoyed the plot, my favourite part of this book was picking apart the dense history of Daevabad, the political and religious beliefs, and the varying cultures of the groups of citizens.  I’m always so impressed when an author can skillfully weave this kind of detail into their story and have it feel natural, rather than an info dump. I’ll admit that I got confused and had to have a little help sorting out some of the politics -- shout out to Naima on Twitter for helping me -- but that didn’t detract from my love of the book.  I will say that I wish she had been a little more clear early on when laying out the political tensions that are so key to the plot.

The characters in City of Brass are all complex.  I don’t think there are any truly likeable characters in this book -- everyone has some shades of grey to them.  Our three main characters are Nahri, Dara, and Ali -- Nahri and Ali serve as our points of view. Nahri is our heroine.  She’s young, feisty, prickly, and stubborn to a fault -- did I mention she’s also a con artist swindling the wealthy occupiers of Cairo? I absolutely adored Nahri as a character.  She has a serious backbone, is incredibly intelligent, and her sense of humor carries her through the events of the book. She’s far from perfect, in fact there were moments in which I wanted to shake her, but that’s what I loved about her.

I don’t want to say much about our two male leads, however I really liked them both.  Again, they’re incredibly complex -- Ali has his extreme religious views and Dara has his terrible past and blossoming interest in Nahri -- but that’s what makes them so fascinating and fun to read about.  They’re so different, but also so similar in many ways and I loved the dichotomy they created in their interactions with Nahri. I liked that Chakraborty chose Ali as a POV character rather than Dara, who seemed like the obvious choice to me, because Ali's strict religious convictions and his social status make him an incredibly interesting character.  I have so many questions about both characters and I cannot wait to read more about them.

One final note -- I have heard some people say that this book has instalove in it and I don’t think that’s true.  There’s absolutely instant attraction, but Nahri is rightfully wary of Dara. Trust is a theme in this book and because of that, I don’t think this qualifies as an instalove relationship.

City of Brass is a beautiful, atmospheric novel that will sweep the reader away with its lush storytelling, dense history, and intriguing politics.  If you love non-European settings, political backstabbing, court intrigue, a bit of romance, independent ladies, and lots of magic and magical beings, you’ll adore City of Brass.  It’s not the easiest read and many have said that it’s slow to start, but I think it’s absolutely worth your time. The only thing holding this book back from a five star rating is the fact that I had some confusion about the basic politics and social relationships that are key to the book (probably because I devoured the book instead of savouring it).

It begins relatively slowly but gathers momentum the further you read. It’s an introduction to what I think could be a very good trilogy. The character of Nahri is an excellent choice of character to lead us from the slums of Cairo to a fantastical city. of magic which she never believed existed.
It’s interesting to have a more Arabian take on the fantasy genre without getting too involved in an Arabian nights scenario. The world building is well done with the sights, smells and colours brought to life. The magical creatures and people are well defined. I think this will appeal to young adults rather than older more seasoned fantasy readers . Saying that I have to admit I enjoyed reading it and look forward to finding out what happens next. Will recommend this I’m sure readers of Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton and the like will appreciate this series

Here’s a message I felt compelled to send the author:

Hi - I know you're on a Twitter break but I just had to get in touch and say THANK YOU. I have been a fantasy reader for many years and until I read The City of Brass I hadn't realized how incredibly unrepresentative most of what I read was. I grew up in Jordan to a Palestinian single mother and even though she and her family are catholic my cultural references growing up with Arabic for a mother tongue blurred religious lines. I am now 37 and living in London and I find myself using idioms and phrases that I can't always tell if rooted in Arabic literature and stories or the Quran. Reading your book, I saw those phrases again in my favourite setting of all - a fantasy book - and I cannot describe the pure joy I experienced with the cultural and linguistic references (a personal favourite was the Efl/Qefl scene as I grew up watching Egyptian comedy plays and this made me laugh out loud).

For the first time ever, from the hundreds of fantasy books I've read, I could also emphathise and understand the motives of all the main characters in the book. I saw many aspects from childhood friends mirrored all across Daevabad. Thank you incredibly much for introducing me to Nahri, Ali and Dara. I absolutely cannot wait to read what happens next!

Good luck with the rest of the writing and with the trilogy going forward!

I always love retellings of traditional mythology, and "The City of Brass" was no exception. Beautiful worldbuilding, great explanations so even a novice to djinn legends like me could follow it, and a compelling main character. Enough mysteries left unsolved too that I'm keeping my eye out for the next installment in the series. Definitely pays to binge read this one though: I got confused a few times about different characters' roles in the city, not helped by being unaware of the glossary at the back of the book.

I’m saying it... the best book of the year so far!!

On the streets of 18th century Cairo a 20 year old woman is trying to survive the only way she knows how..
Nahri doesn’t believe in magic. All the charms and chants she uses to trick people into believing she is curing their loved ones of possession and illness, she believes is nonsense. Everything is going well for Nahri she is asked to-do a Zar ceremony for a young woman whose family believe she is possessed by a demon/ifrit. The ceremony goes well until she changes the language of one of the songs she sings and something changes. She brushes it off and continues with the ceremony, collects her payment and goes home. On the way she decides to go through the cemetery, where she meets a Djinn, which isn’t possible is it?!

This story takes you on an adventure, of flying carpets, Djinn, wishes and a whole world hidden from view and creatures you could only imagine. A wonderful world is built here, all the magic and wonder of Aladdin but in a much crueler world, this story doesn’t hold back on the violence of war and what kings will do to ensure their reign and world with conflicting religious beliefs. There is oppression where the pure bloods believe they are better than their half human counterparts and they will kill them for no more than the colour of their blood. Nahri enters a whole she believes is a safe haven, but it is not the case its just another place where she has to survive on a whole new level, she has to play the politics of the kingdom and everyone is lying to everyone.

I loved the characters and the depth we got into with them, although without spoilers I feel some characters were built up and we were expecting so much more from them that didn’t come, I feel that some more romantic action could of taken place instead of teasing us the whole way through, also the possibility of a same sex couple but never confirming (maybe all this will be addressed in book 2?) And some very surprising revelations at the end that just made me full of more question than the answers I was desperately seeking! Hurry up book 2!!

This book had me constantly reading and when I wasn’t I was thinking about it, every spare second it had my attention and to me that is a great book!

Unfortunately this one didn't work for me. I loved the setting of this book and the writing is good, but everything else just fell a little flat. I wasn't invested in the characters and I didn't find the plot particularly compelling. This was very much a case of it's not you, it's me, although I will say I thought the characters were a little under developed. There is quite a lot of overused tropes in this book too, such as the Chosen one and the love triangle, which I found quite frustrating. Overall this one wasn't for me but I have seen a load of great reviews so I think I'm in the minority here. If you enjoy YA fantasy then I would recommend checking this out.

Ultimately, I did not connect with the book as much as I wanted. I had not realised that this was YA and I think for that target group this is a fantastic fantasy novel, but for me it fell a bit flat in some places.

Thank you to Netgalley, SA Chakraborty and Harper Collins for my ARC of City of Brass.

Summary

City of Brass opens in Egypt, Nahri has never believed in the Magic other Egyptians believe in. She doesn't believe in gods and she certainly doesn't believe in Djinn. Working as a healer in the backstreets and bazaars Nahri is just trying to swindle enough people so that she can get enough money to go to Turkey and train as a doctor.

That is until one night when one of her scams goes wrong and she ends up being chased across the world by an evil creature, in the company of a Djinn warrior. Taken to the city of Daevabad Nahri begins to discover secrets about not only herself, but the world of magical creatures too.

Review

City of Brass is easily one of the best books I've read this year. It's the first middle Eastern fantasy I've read and it was everything. How long do I have to wait for the sequel? Another 8 months!!! I'm not sure I can wait that long if I'm honest.

Nahri was a great character, wonderfully feminist and such a cheeky, sarcastic personality. She was perfectly fierce and I loved the banter between her and Daeva.

There was an excellent amount of world building giving me lots of answers which is what I like. Don't get me wrong there was plenty of mystery (particularly that ending!) so it's kept me wanting but it didn't leave me feeling unfulfilled or with more questions than answers. Which for me is what you want in a novel.

If you haven't read this already then you need to do so immediately because you're missing out!

City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty is a captivating read and I cannot wait to read the sequel.

City of Brass heavily reminded me of Helene Wecker’s The Golem and the Djinni in terms of the subject matter but it was also unique.

S.A Chakraborty’s skilful world building enables the reader to immerse themselves in the mysterious Middle Eastern kingdom of Daevabad.

Nahri is a thief and accomplished con artist doing what she can to survive. When we first meet her, she is waiting for a ‘mark’ to arrive. The mark is a rich Turkish man who is convinced he is dying and has heard of Nahri’s healing skills.

The man and his brother arrive talking in Turkish unaware that twenty-year-old Nahri has never come across a language she is unable to immediately understand.

Nahri has the unusual ability to be able to sense sickness in others, a skill she uses to her profit. Where there is no sickness Nahri will invent one in order to get money out of her rich marks for a ‘cure’.

“His breath was clean on sickness, and there was an unmistakable brightness in his dark eyes. Despite the graying hairs in his beard, ill-hidden by henna – and the plumpness in his belly, he suffered from nothing other than an excess of wealth.

She’d be glad to help him with that.”

She convinces him that part of the cure should be to leave his house completely empty for a week. During this time, she will steal some items from his house, items he will believe have been carelessly misplaced and won’t miss to her. The money from them will help to pay her rent though.

Nahri scams people to survive but dreams of a life in Istanbul studying real medicine and leaving her unsavoury life behind her. No matter how much she earns though it never seems to be enough to escape.

Nahri is a bit of a loner in Cairo, her only friend is an elderly Jewish pharmacist named Yaqub who clearly cares about her but knows not to ask her too many questions.

“She didn’t question his background and he didn’t ask why a former pickpocket could diagnose illness better than the sultan’s personal physician. Their strong partnership rested on avoiding those two subjects.”

Yaqub worries about her and frequently tries to convince her she needs to get married or follow through on her plan to study medicine in Istanbul. He is concerned about her doing dangerous things like leading a zars.

“Like belief in magic, belief in possession was widespread in Cairo, blamed for everything from a young bride’s miscarriage to an old woman’s lifelong dementia. Zar ceremonies were held to placate the spirits and heal the afflicted woman. “

Nahri doesn’t like in possession but she recognises the ceremony can be a profitable one, so she spied on one once in order that she could earn some money. On this particular night she decides to alter the ceremony slightly by performing it in her native language, a language no one else has ever heard of. In doing this she summons something without meaning to and changes her life forever.

Nahri becomes lost and finds herself in the middle of Cairo’s city of the dead where she encounters a deadly enemy and the being she summoned accidentally during the Zar.

The being she summons turns out to be something from legends she has grown up and he reluctantly becomes her rescuer.

“And they shall control the winds and be lords of the deserts. And any traitor who strays across their land shall be doomed…There was only once creature that line ever referred to... An ancient being said to live for deceiving and terrorizing mankind. A djinn.

Afshin was a djinn.”

The djinn to tell her anything about himself including his name but he insists on incessantly questioning her about her family and her own history.

City of Brass is a split narrative tale. It is split between Nahri and Prince Alizayd al Qahtani. Ali lives in the city of Daevabad a city ripe with inequalities and petty prejudices, a city where everyone has their own agenda. A city that Nahri is about to enter.

I appreciated the unique mythologies presented in City of Brass and the sense of the foreign this book contained.

I would recommend this book, it is simply incredible.

The City of Brass,  S. A. Chakraborty

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy

I was so excited to get this book, I'd read the amazon sample and it seemed a fun and unusual read. Thankfully there's a glossary included because its full of new and curious people and creatures.
I loved the world the author has created, I could feel the heat, the hustle and bustle and that was really well done. I liked the different beings too, felt very magical, almost reminded me of the old Sinbad et al films my kids used to love.
I started off liking Nahri, but as the story grew she seemed to lose that spark of independence, that charisma that drew me to her, and by the second half just seemed a whiny girl. I loved Dara, honest in as far as a Daeva is honest, like so many of their type they often circumvent the truth and talk in riddles almost. It's clear he doesn't like Nahri, and they scratch up against one another, both full of distrust. Nahri has no choice though, you can't go home as they say, so she has to go forward with him. She also wants to know more about her past, and hopefully a better future. When we first meet him Dara seems jaded, tired of his life, of all the things he's done, many of which weigh heavily on him. He seems to view taking Nahri as a chore almost, something he has to do but doesn't want to. Then we meet Ali, second son of the king. I wanted to like him but though he seemed to have a good heart he was very naive for his position and I didn't see him as being a strong character when it was needed, in contrast to Dara who would do what was needed without hesitation. Ali didn't like the way things were run, could have stopped up, could have tried to right things but seemed too apathetic really, content to fund small changes and quiet his conscience that way.
The story though seemed to meander, little interludes of drama breaking it, but I never really understood the point, didn't see where it was going, what was the aim. It just seemed to drift, Dara, Nehru and Ali seemed to react only to events, never had any real plans, were never working towards a purpose, it felt like they were just drifting towards the city, fighting through minor mishaps and skirmishes but no actual plan other than to get there. I couldn't help feeling “and then what will they do?”
Then the ending – and to be fair I skim read from about 40% as I was bored but wanted to see how it ended. I hate it when that happens, when someone major is lost, and I just have the horrible feeling that its going to be one of those rabbit out of the hat successes, where that character isn't lost, returns despite all appearances, and I just don't like that. (Think Dallas in the early 1980's for those of you old enough to remember!) I didn't want them to go, but hate that kind of comeback. I'm sort of talking in riddles here, but trying not to give anything away as of course there are many readers for whom this is the perfect novel. Sadly I'm not one of them. With a few changes I could have loved this, more direction and planning, some shaping of key characters, it's so full of potential, such a unique and fascinating world, but as it is is a series I'll pass.

Stars: Two and a half. So much I could have loved, but the story itself let it down.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

So, The City of Brass. It’s the story of a young girl who makes her living on the streets, grifting where she can, putting money away for an ambitious future she’s struggling to reach. It’s a story of djinn, those magical creatures at the edge of humanity’s vision, who perform startling deeds for both good and evil ends. It’s a story of giant birds, of fire and water, of hard-faced duels fought for love and honour. It begins in 18th century Cairo, and evokes that place and time wonderfully, cloaking its story in the myths and tales that float through that city’s air like smoke.

We enter this world first through the city of Cairo – or at least partsof it. Not the especially nice parts, either. The slums are thriving places though, in their own way, with an energy and a buzz which leaps off the page. The divide between the rich and poor is here to be seen, as Ottoman rulers stride into darkened alleyways backed up by bands of bodyguards, and those they seek quail at the sight of them. It’s a baroque blend of absolute rule and poverty, mixed with a history of trade, resistance and revolution. As the protagonist cuts deals and navigates the narrow streets, the city comes alive – from the towering palaces, through the humble homes of workers and merchants, to the elaborate, decaying cemeteries gently smouldering in the midday sun.
The rest of the world, as it unfolds during the story, is imagined equally vividly. There’s a sense of the mythic pervading the text which mixes well with a sense of history invoked by some of the characters. This is a world sitting on a solid foundation, and it builds on the myths and legends of the period to create something new, something with wit and sparkle, backed by a sense of honesty in the relationships between the characters.

Which reminds me – the characters. Nahri, our protagonist, is a young woman treading on the poverty line on the streets of Cairo. Nahri is an absolute delight – smart, pragmatic, and unwilling to sacrifice her agency. Watching her play out a con game on her marks, her effortless charm backed with internal caution gave a marvellous perspective. Thrown headlong into a world of the fantastic and magical, she adapts well and swiftly. If out of her depth, she’s nonetheless effective, and determined – a thoroughly sympathetic, if occasionally amoral centrepiece for the text. In this she’s backed by a djinn with a past he’s keeping hidden – a warrior of superlative skill, scarred, enslaved and possibly broken by his experiences. The text gives a nuanced portrayal of a soul in pain, and of a person out of time, struggling to readjust their attitudes with contemporary mores. To be fair, he also hits things very hard with a sword, and occasional magical fire, so it’s not all emotional exploration. Then there’s a prince of this people, a member of the ruling class, wrapped in devotion, of a sort, but with a compassion at odds with the ruthlessness required of a ruling family. As a naïve younger son, with the intelligence and self-awareness to become something more, he’s a masterclass in characterisation, and in walking the delicate path between power and exile, evokes our sympathy along with some disquiet in the acceptance of social mores.

The plot – well, it’s snappy, and diverse. There’s a heck of a lot of political intrigue, and shadowy actions. Mysterious antagonists hunting Nahri down, that sort of thing. Power struggles in palaces, and disruption of established society. Then there’s the history, stories of epic wars in the past, ancestral grudges going back through generations. Personal stories, as Nahri and her entourage try and work out what they value – their goals, each other, or some portion of both. The heart in it is extraordinary – the ties that bind the unlikely groups together, and their reactions to loss, sympathy, victory and sacrifice are likely to bring a tear to the eye. But don’t worry – there’s epic magic and duels aplenty as well – fast paced, kinetic struggles for life and limb, lit by the flames of the occasional fireball. It’s breakneck stuff when the action threatens, laced with thoughtful, nuanced, vital portrayals of the characters which makes you are about them and the stakes – and keeps you turning every page.

On that basis – well drawn characters, original, intriguing world, punchy plot – I’d say this one’s worth a try.

Firstly, I want to talk about the setting(s). This book starts off in Cairo, a place which I rarely read in fantasy novels, at least I rarely read it done well. The Cairo of our main character is described in rich and wonderful detail without feeling like it drags the action down. You get a real sense of the heat and bustle of the city. What I also enjoyed was that Chakraborty decided to set this book in the eighteenth century. It was a wonderful choice of period and, while a lot of this book takes place outside the human world, I’m expecting to see more of this period bleeding through in the later books in the trilogy.

For a fantasy novel of such length, I was surprised that this book only had two points of view. We jump between Nahri and her discovery that the world is far more complicated than she ever realised and Ali, a young ‘prince’ trying to align his conscience with what people tell him is his duty. I was initially worried I would get a bit bored of reading these two perspectives but the story itself is ever changing and wonderfully complex so I felt in the middle of the action the entire time!

Worldbuilding! You can’t write a book this long without some serious worldbuilding. Chakraborty does a phenomenal job of setting up not only the human world but also a kindred fantasy world. I adored the way she described the city and those within it, I thought it made for a rich backdrop on which the story could take place. When I saw how long this book was I was scared I was going to get bogged down in describing the minutia of a fantasy world which is fun for a while but not for over 500 pages. I think this has just the right amount of detail that you can immerse yourself in the world and thus make the story feel so much more real. Top notch worldbuilding.

There is a lot of politics in this book, which is sometimes something that I don’t get on with, I get a bit fed up with all the double talk and trying to seize power and just want to get on with things. In this story, I think the power dynamics are clearly set out in such a way that the politics is easy enough to follow which in turn keeps things interesting for the reader.

There is romance in this story, and yes, it is the forbidden kind. While it does take up quite a bit of the story at times, overall this story is about building relationships, between individuals and between the people of an entire city. There is a theme of trust throughout the novel and I don’t think you can explore that theme fully without also exploring the trust you need to form a romantic attachment.

If you’ve got some time on your hands, or you read incredibly fast, or you just want a challenge I can highly recommend picking up The City of Brass.

My rating: 5/5 stars

I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This was such a drama and action filled story from the very beginning that there is no way that I couldn’t absolutely fall in love with it. The City of Brass is an epic start to what will probably be one of my favourite trilogies. The story begins in 18th Century Cairo with our main character Nahri, a con artist but one with an unusual talent for sensing what ails someone. Quickly into the story she accidentally summons a ‘djinn’ warrior (based on Islamic mythology). He wants to protect her but in doing so kidnaps her from where she calls home. A lot of the book focuses on Nahri finding out who she is and also growing as a person.

We also have a point of view from that of Ali, another djinn and second son to a djinn king. He’s based in the land of Daevabad which is where the djinn warrior, Dara, eventually takes Nahri too. At the beginning Ali’s perspective focuses on showing us inequality which exists in Daevabad, along with a little insight into the politics and his family. By the time Nahri reaches Daevabad the two points of view become far more coherent.

In terms of the characters, I absolutely loved Nahri. She’s such a strong willed female character, and though she has her faults we do see her grow as a person through the story. Initially I wasn’t a fan of Ali, he’s very opinionated and self-righteous at the beginning but as he starts to see the error in his ways (he is young, after all) he definitely grew on me. There are a lot of secondary characters – some of which are highly likeable and others… not so likeable! I loved the complexity of Dara’s character in particular, he’s had such a troubled past but he always tries to do his utmost to protect Nahri.

Pacing wise, there are parts of the story which flow very quickly and then parts which aren’t as fast paced but are riddled in political issues, the drama being kept fairly consistent throughout. Although a brilliant book, I’d definitely recommend it more for older readers due to the swearing, violence and there are also mentions of rape in the story. With the main character being around 20 I’d also say that this certainly reinforces that the reading age should be on the older side.

One thing I really adored about the story was all the secrets and how they were incorporated into the world by Chakraborty. The secrets and complexity of the story just expand throughout and are incredibly intriguing. They build up to a spectacular peak at the end which made me sad that the book was over – I need the sequel as soon as possible!

I first borrowed this from the library when it came out in hardback and immediately returned it after one chapter, knowing this was a book I wanted to read slowly. It's so atmospheric and it was a world I wanted to wallow in. Nahri is such a great character right from the outset - a smart trickster with an unusual skill set which gets her sucked into a mysterious and dangerous world. I do think this is mislabelled as YA and would sit better amongst adult fantasy - it is very involved politically and you need to take lots of time over it. Thankfully it only has two viewpoints, but there is a lot to untangle about various tribes. This does affect the pacing somewhat and it lags in the middle a little. Patience is worth the payoff and I would certainly look for the next in the series.

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

I was having a whale of a time reading City of Brass to begin with, but then it had some wobbles at the midpoint, and by the end I just didn't care. I'm not quite sure what I was supposed to get from reading it since it ended up just being set-up. In all fairness, the rest of the trilogy will probably be great. I'm just tired of saying that for every other book since I've been doing that for about three or four years now.

The idea of Egyptian/Arabian myth/folklore was what really pulled me to this book. I grew up obsessed with ancient Egypt and I'm still a history nerd to this day. Ultimately, the fairytales are only really there for the setting and political system. It could've been any sort of mythology put into those brackets. I wanted to learn specifically about this group of myths, this ancient culture. I don't know if it could've been more visceral descriptions or just the myths being a greater part of the story, but I wanted more. Much more.

As much as Nahri was a great character, she spends a whole lot of her time being led along instead of acting herself, and even more time telling the boys to stop fawning over/protecting her. I'm all for showing women being rebellious against men's expectations but when it takes over a character's plot it's not saying anything anymore. Again, this was mainly a problem because the story was being dragged out so that it could span multiple books. The only action really left was the melodrama.

Which brings me to the two problems with this book, both of which have the cliche of trilogies to blame: first, there's no structure past the midpoint, and then it doesn't deliver on the story that it's promised the reader at the start. We open with the traditional 'chosen one living in ignorance' and proceed to them accidentally discovering their heritage/magic/talents, and thus the adventure begins. Jumping to Daevabad to establish the worldbuilding, politics and other characters was a good call, but it's all pretty familiar. Protagonists being chased; there's a rebellion brewing; political intrigue and alliances being conflicted. You can see what's been promised to the reader already. But you get to the midpoint and suddenly, woah, we're going too fast, we got two more books to fill. The pace disintegrates and we get 250 pages of bickering and wandering around the city. It's engaging, yes, but my expectations have been set up and it now feels like I'm being strung along. I can count at least (at least) three plots that were executed like the main storyline then just disappeared. I'm sure they'll be back full-force in future books, but it left nothing for this book. I really want publishers to learn that I want to enjoy each book, regardless of if it's in a series. I want a story that is more than welcome to be part of something better - but I want a full story please. This book could've established what it needed to and wrapped up at least some things easily. Instead, it started at a normal pace and then did a counter turn before it gave too much away, and that's sad.

I feel like I'm saying I'm conflicted about a lot of books at the moment. I just want to enjoy them all but I'm just... not. And it's pretty much always to do with these little stereotypes that don't need to be there - I don't mind convention, it's something that we all need from time to time and it's effective for a reason. But cliches just throw you out of the story because you know exactly how it's going to work, so what's the point reading it? (There was a moment where I said I was going to throw my kindle across the room if there was a love triangle. It's now dented.) I'm sure there's a lot of people who will enjoy City of Brass - and I did, too - but it didn't match up to all the five-star ratings I've been seeing either.