The City of Brass by Shannon Chakraborty Series: The Daevabad Trilogy #1
Published by Harper Voyager on 14 November 2017
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Buy on Waterstones
Among the bustling markets of eighteenth century Cairo, the city's outcasts eke out a living swindling rich Ottoman nobles and foreign invaders alike.
But alongside this new world the old stories linger. Tales of djinn and spirits. Of cities hidden among the swirling sands of the desert, full of enchantment, desire and riches. Where magic pours down every street, hanging in the air like dust.
Many wish their lives could be filled with such wonder, but not Nahri. She knows the trades she uses to get by are just tricks and sleights of hand: there's nothing magical about them. She only wishes to one day leave Cairo, but as the saying goes...
Be careful what you wish for.
I’ve reread The City of Brass four times now, and every time I appreciate it more and more. It truly is the perfect book (and series) for me. I adore everything about it.
Chakraborty’s writing is absolutely stunning, and when I first read this I found it hard to believe it was a debut. After having read it again – and again and again – I am still in awe of how well crafted this book is and how Chakraborty sets up the series for the characters.
I have always loved desert fantasy and the mythology surrounding the djinn and the ifrit, and Chakraborty crafts all of it so well in this book. I loved reading the backstory about all the different mythological creatures.
Nahri is one of my all time favourite characters because I love watching her grow from a con artist to something truly wonderful as the series goes on. She gets so much development and growth in just this first book alone as she learns more about her background and heritage. I think the second book is where Nahri really starts to shine, but you can see so many elements of what makes her amazing in this first one.
I also have to give shoutouts to Dara and Ali, who I love more and more each time. I can’t believe that on my first read I wasn’t sure about Ali, but actually he is an adorable little cupcake.
Alsoooo, massive shoutout to Muntadhir for not only being my favourite character of the series, but the best brother ever. I feel like he is so underrated and everyone needs to stan him forever. I can’t wait to read the rest of his story!
The ending shattered me, as it always does. It’s high stakes, fast paced, and extremely emotional. I remember the first time I read it I couldn’t believe what was happening and I had to go back and reread while I tried to stop sobbing.
I feel so connected to these characters and I can’t wait to continue on with my reread. They are really some of my favourites and as always I’m just in awe of the author’s talent. If you’re going to take just one recommendation from me, let it be The City of Brass! It’s truly entrancing from the very beginning and it keeps you hooked until the very end.
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