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The City of Brass: A Novel (The Daevabad Trilogy) Kindle Edition
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 perfect for fans 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.
On the streets of eighteenth-century Cairo, Nahri is a con woman of unsurpassed skill. She makes her living swindling Ottoman nobles, hoping to one day earn enough to change her fortunes. But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, during one of her cons, she learns that even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.
Forced to flee Cairo, Dara and Nahri journey together 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, to Daevabad, the legendary city of brass.
It’s a city steeped in magic and fire, where blood can be as dangerous as any spell; a city where old resentments run deep and the royal court rules with a tenuous grip; a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound—and where her very presence threatens to ignite a war that has been simmering for centuries.
*Finalist for the World Fantasy Award: Best Novel
*Nominated for the Locus Award: Best First Novel
*Finalist for the British Fantasy Award: Best Newcomer
Featuring a stepback and extra content including a bonus scene and an excerpt from The Kingdom of Copper.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarper Voyager
- Publication dateNovember 14, 2017
- File size3300 KB
- “Greatness takes time, Banu Nahida. Often the mightiest things have the humblest beginnings.”Highlighted by 1,119 Kindle readers
- “That’s a very narrow-minded way of looking at it. I prefer to think of myself as a merchant of delicate tasks.”Highlighted by 806 Kindle readers
- “Daeva who call themselves djinn have no respect for our people. They are traitors, worthy only of annihilation.”Highlighted by 688 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
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The City of Brass | The Kingdom of Copper | The Empire of Gold | The River of Silver | |
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Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars
11,956
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4.6 out of 5 stars
9,180
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4.7 out of 5 stars
8,172
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4.5 out of 5 stars
595
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Price | $12.99$12.99 | $13.79$13.79 | $15.19$15.19 | $15.39$15.39 |
Book 1 | Book 2 | Book 3 | Book 4 |
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
From School Library Journal
Review
“The City of Brass is the best adult fantasy I’ve read since The Name of the Wind. It’s stunning and complex and consuming and fantastic. You must read it.” — Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes
“An opulent masterpiece. Chakraborty’s debut is desire-soaked, intrigue-laced, and rife with so-delicious-you’ll-sink-your-teeth-into-it worldbuilding and equally mesmerizing characters. A must-read.” — Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
“[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
“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
"I loved the protagonist, there was a nice cast of supporting characters, and the plot had some twists and turns that I did not see coming… Her style is vivid and colourful and very readable. The best thing, though, was the setting. Instead of drawing on the European Dark Ages and Middle Ages, Chakraborty evoked the flavours of the Middle East and ARABIAN KNIGHTS and the legends of the djinns. I enjoyed the novel hugely, and I just ordered the second and third books in the trilogy so I may continue the adventure." — George R.R. Martin
“Chakraborty’s debut dazzles...The City of Brass takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster, leaving them with an open ending that will have them desperate for the follow-up. Majestic and magical.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“Against [a] syncretic yet nonderivative and totally credible backdrop, Chakraborty has constructed a compelling yarn...culminating in a cataclysmic showdown that few readers will anticipate....Best of all, the narrative feels rounded and complete yet poised to deliver still more. Highly impressive and exceptionally promising.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This lyrical historical fantasy debut brings to vivid life the ancient mythological traditions of an Islamic world...Chakraborty’s grasp of Middle Eastern history, folklore, and culture inspires a swiftly moving plot, richly drawn characters, and a beautifully constructed world that will entrance fantasy aficionados.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“The City of Brass is more than a promising debut — it beguiles all the way...Chakraborty’s research and imagination are equally strong, and she deftly sets up a rich world — and ample suspense — for the rest of this trilogy.” — Vulture (The Ten Best Fantasy Books of 2017)
“It’s hard to describe just how gorgeous and intricate this fantasy novel is.” — SYFY Wire
“The City of Brass is a mesmerizing fantasy tale of magic and intrigue that showcases the very best that the fantasy genre has to offer...a superbly written, lush fantasy story that deserves to be at the top of your to-read list.” — Hypable
“With this rich and layered novel, Chakraborty builds a fantasy world as intricate and intriguing as its Middle Eastern setting. Following the various subplots is like pondering vibrant Arabic design; readers will lose themselves in the wonder and complexity.” — BookPage
“Vivid descriptions percolate the lush prose, and a final twist leaves room for a sequel. Recommend this scintillating, Middle Eastern fantasy to fans of thoughtful, mystical adventures.” — Booklist
“Chakraborty’s first book in her in Daevabad Trilogy introduces an enchanting world of magic and treachery that will leave you clamoring for book two.” — Paste Magazine
“Chakraborty combines the plot’s many surprises with vivid prose, and leavens the action with wry humor. There is enough material here—a feisty, independent lead searching for answers, reminiscent of Star Wars’s Rey, and a richly imagined alternate world—to support a potential series.” — Publishers Weekly
“An extravagant feast of a book—spicy and bloody, dizzyingly magical, and still, somehow, utterly believable.” — Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer
“Fast-paced, strong characters, and immersive world-building—S. A. Chakraborty debut is a carpet-flying adventure of djinn-filled wonder that leaves you wishing for more.”
— Michael J. Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of the Riyria Revelations
“S. A. Chakraborty’s debut novel is an adventure that sweeps readers through the streets of Cairo and out into a spellbinding landscape of magic, warring clans, sacrifice, and betrayal. Each page reveals a new wonder. Con-woman Nahri, djinn warrior Dara, and the enchanted city that they--and we--are only just beginning to understand, are captivating. What an exciting ride!” — Fran Wilde, award-winning author of Updraft, Cloudbound, and Horizon
“The City of Brass immerses you in a magnificent and vivid world. It’s a thrilling adventure, brimming with fabulous magic, compelling characters, and wonderful intrigue. I can’t wait for book two!” — Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Queen of Blood
“A richly imagined, stunningly immersive book that takes you into a world of darkly alluring djinn and beguiling magic...Peopled with irresistible characters and steeped in the myths of the Middle East, The City of Brass is a dazzlingly inventive tale.” — Ausma Zehanat Khan, award–winning author of the Khattak/Getty mysteries and The Bloodprint
“I particularly love a story of twisty, complex, dangerous, and character-driven family and palace politics, steeped in hidden history, cruel betrayals, and desires that can’t be admitted. The City of Brass delivers on all counts.” — Kate Elliot, New York Times bestselling author of the Court of Fives
“The City of Brass is a true testament to Chakraborty’s writing [...] She has constructed a fantastic and immersive world brimming with Islamic lore, written characters that will stay with you long after the end of the book, and created a plot that will have you on tenterhooks.” — Cultured Vultures
“The City of Brass is fast-paced and totally engrossing. It’s the kind of book you can really immerse yourself in, and I’m so glad I was able to spend some time in this richly-detailed world.” — All About Romance
“The political corkscrews of George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones meets the emotion and imagination of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted in this marvelous debut fantasy.” — The Amazon Book Review
“Even a few pages will enmesh you in its magic.” — Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author
From the Back Cover
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 . . .
About the Author
Shannon Chakraborty is the author of the critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling Daevabad Trilogy. Her work has been translated into over a dozen language and nominated for the Hugo, Locus, World Fantasy, Crawford, and Astounding awards. You can find her online at www.sachakraborty.com or on Instagram and Twitter as @SAChakrabooks.
Product details
- ASIN : B06VXWPMV5
- Publisher : Harper Voyager; Reprint edition (November 14, 2017)
- Publication date : November 14, 2017
- Language : English
- File size : 3300 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 569 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,696 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Shannon Chakraborty is the author of the critically acclaimed and internationally best-selling The Daevabad Trilogy. Her work has been translated into over a dozen languages and nominated for the Hugo, Locus, World Fantasy, Crawford, and Astounding awards. When not buried in books about medieval seafarers and con artists, she enjoys hiking, knitting, and re-creating unnecessarily complicated historical dishes. You can find her online at www.sachakraborty.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @SAChakrabooks, where she likes to talk about history, politics, and Islamic art. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, daughter, and an ever-increasing number of cats.
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Well, I am glad to say that in the case of TCoB, I was not disappointed. Instead, my opinion is that for the most part, this book lives up to the hype. I say "for the most part" because the beginning seemed a bit slow to me, or maybe it just took me awhile to warm up to the story. I'm not sure why, because it didn't take long for things to start happening. The pacing was a bit uneven, at least at first, but I felt like that evened out at the end. The writing was consistent throughout, a third person voice that was straightforward & easy to read while at times also lyrical & poetic.
Chapters bounce between two different characters' stories: a scrappy conwoman called Nahri, & the young, opinionated second son of the current djinn king, Alizayd (Ali). At first I struggled because their stories seemed so far apart, & I had a hard time reseting my brain when switching between them. I warmed up to Ali first, something I attribute to my being a fan of political intrigue, considering that Ali is drowning in court politics. His world was fascinating & damgerous right from the jump. With Nahri... its not that I disliked her, just that at the beginning I kind of found her part of the story slow, as well as a bit formulaic— she accidentally summons an ancient magical being who tells her she is the last member of djinn royalty & whisks her away to a magical city... Pretty typical Chosen One trope.
I was probably a third of the way into the book when I realized that the reservations I'd been having had disappeared. I attribute the skill of Chakraborty's writing for drawing me in. I felt as though each additional chapter pulled layers off of the story, letting me see the world & it's people just a bit more. Soon I could see Nahri's growth arc unfolding, as well as the hints of a bigger story layered beneath the one being told. By the time Nahri & her self-appointed djinn protector, Dara, got to Daevabad, I was all in. This is also the point at which Nahri & Ali's stories began to truly intertwine, & the politics & history of Daevabad combined to make the city a character in its own right.
Without a doubt, the worldbuilding is my favorite aspect of this book. The detailed history of the djinn people, the distinct cultural differences between tribes, the perilous political landscape; all combined to bring Daevabad, the City of Brass, to gorgeous, vivid, three-dimensional life. I have read a couple of fantasy novels with an Arabic-inspired culture, but none of them carried the depth & breadth of realism portrayed in this book. Each successive chapter revealed something new about the city & the djinn way of life. I am a sucker for well-drawn worlds, & the one Chakraborty created here took my breath away. I can't wait to explore more of it in the rest of the trilogy.
Bottom line, The City of Brass is the type of fantasy story all fantasy readers long for. It offers multifaceted characters with realistic hopes & dreams, flaws & failures. It offers organically grown, completely believable relationships between those characters. It offers a vibrant, glittering jewel of a setting, complete with such rich culture & detailed history that it could easily be based on fact. It offers a plot that starts off with a simple Chosen One trope before quickly evolving into something more, a true epic high fantasy replete with action & adventure, political machinations that would make our American government jealous, & twists & turns that come out of nowhere to leave your jaw hanging open in shock. It was worth the (self imposed) wait, & I heartily suggest to fellow readers not to make my mistake & put off reading this beauty of a book!
We are introduced early on to Nahri in as a young Cairo woman making her living as a con artist during the Napoleonic era occupation of Egypt. She gets by pulling little cons, mostly working marks over with fortune-telling scams and the occasional exorcism. He has magical abilities that she uses for her hustles but beyond that she really has no understanding of where they come from. She also does not understand her natural abilities to understand any language she hears. And in true mythological fashion, she is an orphan who has no idea of who her parents are or of anything else about her family.
One day while performing an exorcism of a young girl she interprets as merely mentally ill, she livens it up by incorporating a summons in a language that she thinks she only knows. Little does she know it actually summons a Daeva warrior and awakens the Ifrit Iwithin the girl. That night she is hunted by the fiery Ifrit while Dara, the Daeva rescues her. Realizing that she is at least part Daeva herself (known as a Shafit) and that the Ifrit are now hunting her, they head to Daevabad, a magical city where only Deava's, Djinn, and Shafits may enter.
Things aren't rosy in Daevabad, though as there is growing unrest among the Shafits against the pure blood Djinns. Meanwhile the upper-class nobles who still call themselves Daevas maintain a tribalistic disdain for the Djinn, whom they consider usurpers. The youngest prince of Daevabad, Ali, has sympathy for the Shafits who are treated as second class citizens in the enchanted city. He becomes secretly involved with the Tanzeem, thinking he is contributing to a benevolent organization but his naiveté gets the better of him when they are not what they appear to be.
There is quite a bit of naiveté to go around it seems as Nahri herself gets caught up in the internal politics of Daevabad and its history. She is believed to be the only surviving daughter of Manizeh, a legendary healer who died twenty years ago. She was the last of her kind and it was believed that she had no children. She is named Banu Nahidu, the great healer of the city. Yet she shows herself inept at healing creatures straight out of fairy tales.
Dara, it turns out, is the ancient protector of her family, but with a tainted and bloody past that inspires fear, hatred, and even awe. He is not only secretive of his bloody past, but his memories are foggy as well.
Though the novel is lean on plot development and is a bit of a slow burn as far as narrative action is concerned, the author makes up for it by incorporating middle-eastern myths and modern world building techniques to bring to life an amazing world in her debut novel which is the first in a planned trilogy. There are layers upon layers of internal lore, mixing known myths about Djinns and Ifrits along with the author's own creation. She also mixes in subtle Islamic myths about the prophet Suleiman (Solomon).
Underlying the heavy lore of The City of Brass is subtle and subversive messages of racism, and especially tribalism. The difference between Djinn and Deavas are really in a name. And yet when Narhi calls Dara a Djinn, he is deeply offended by it. He also shows an illogical hatred for those that call themselves Djinn. And then there are the Shafits who are of blood mixed with humans who are treated poorly
This beautiful novel is not without blemishes, however. Some of those are with the way the characters act or react to things, especially that of Nahri. As streetwise as she comes across in the beginning of the book, somewhere in the middle of the book, she seems to become less street smart and spends time having her heart flutter when in the presence of Dara to being extremely naive about the what it will take to survive in her adopted city. She shows little interest in learning about her family history, the history of the Deavas or of her supposed mother and family. This is a little frustrating since a good con artist would learn a few things about their surroundings just by instinct.
Dara, himself does not come across as a very sympathetic character. He is quite short-tempered and bears a centuries old grudge against the al Qahtani, the ruling family of Daevabad. He is also elitist and rather prejudiced against those who have adopted to calling themselves Djinn as opposed to Daevas. And he is especially disdainful of Shafits.
Ali's role comes across later as the good guy, in contrast to Dara's bad boy image. Though he is a competent warrior and member of the city's elite guards, he is also bookish and empathetic to the sufferings about him of the Shafits. He may have the bigger character arc as he will have to deal with his empathy for the suffering against his love and loyalty to his father.
King Ghassan al Qahtani is a surprisingly nuanced character. Not evil, but pragmatic in his rule of Daevabad. He also loves his children dearly, yet will cut will not hesitate to cut ties with them if it became necessary.
This is a very rich and lush book of will engulf you into a world full of Djinn, Ifrits, and many other magical creatures. And yes, there is even a flying carpet. S.A. Chakraborty's website has a helpful guide to the world of the Daevabad Trilogy. The book also has a glossary in the back. It can come in handy because there is a lot to digest in this world.
The novel closes at a cliffhanger and I have the follow-up book The Kingdom of Copper on my too read pile already. This book is Highly Recommended.
Top reviews from other countries
Reviewed in India on June 21, 2022
A pesar de los cientos de nombres de tribus que tuve que aprenderme, de ciudades, de criaturas míticas, de dialectos, de armas, de vestimenta, de palabras que se usan específicamente para algo, sin contar que tenia que estar adivinando si ciertas palabras eran inventadas o las podía traducir, realmente disfruté este libro. No saben lo bien construido que está el mundo en el que se desarrolla, todo es asombroso, quedé maravillada por el world building. La historia es realmente buena, porque en ocasiones se crea un buen universo pero la historia no es convincente, City of brass no es uno de esos libros, los personajes se ganaron mi corazón, la historia me mantuvo súper enganchada de principio a fin, y hace mucho no me pasaba eso, reí, sufrí, gocé, me enamoré. Tienen que leer este libro.
Cabe aclarar que este es un libro introductorio a todo lo demás que sea que vaya a ocurrir, nos ponen en contexto con acontecimientos del pasado y con todo el mundo que conforma está trilogía, eso no quiere decir que sea un libro aburrido donde solo se enseña la historia de Daevabad.
Yo le doy 4.8 de 5 ⭐ porque me hubiera gustado que se desarrollara un poco más la interacción de ciertos personajes antes de crear una amistad, digo, con 4 veces que interactúen no pueden crear un súper vínculo.
La mala noticia es que este libro por ahora solamente está en inglés, si leen en inglés no duden en comprarlo.
I really enjoy the world building here; there's a clear divide between worlds within the book, but their coexistence is explained simply and wonderfully. I found the characters rich and diverse, their motives interesting and less predictable than other novels of the same "found fantasy" genre, and though there IS a romantic subplot, it was not the main focus of the plot itself, and it didn't feel too forced.
Read this book if you enjoy character-based journeys in richly cultured fantasy lands, a little political intrigue, and a lot of magic. If you like other, similar fantasy novels, you will love this one.