Genre:
Fantasy and Historical Fiction
Publisher:
Harper Voyager
Publication
Date: 14th November 2017
Rating:
5/5
The
City of Brass was the best book I have read so far this year. It had everything
I needed in a fantasy book: mystical beings, ghouls, flying carpets, swords
that catch on fire and so much more.
We
are introduced to Nahri who is a street savvy swindler saving up money to
escape Cairo as she yearns to become a physician in Istanbul. Her dreams
crumble when she accidentally performs an exorcism which awakens a centuries
old djinn, Dara. He is stunned by her ability to speak his language and the
fact that she can heal instantly from injuries. This makes him think that she
could be related to the Nahids who were a respectable clan of healers that reigned
his land before the current rulers. Dara takes Nahri on an epic journey to
Deavabad where his people are from to make sense of her existence and keep her
safe from the Ifrit (rogue demonised djinns) who want to kill her.
Upon
arriving in Deavabad Nahri soon realises that she is a pawn in the King’s
palace and that she can never let her guard down because everyone has their own
crafty agenda. She struggles with wanting back her freedom and her need to know
her origins because she never felt like she belonged anywhere before.
The
story is written from Nahri’s perspective and that of Prince
Alizayd. He is a genuine and virtuous character who tries to do the right
thing even if it means going against his father’s directions as king. We see
him struggling to understand the prejudices against the Shafit (mixed blood
djinn) and where he fits in with all the court politics.
We
also get to see Dara through Nahri’s and Ali’s perspectives where we get glimpses
of his dark and violent past. He is a character you kind of hate to love because
he is introduced as a brute who has done a lot of bad things which were out of
his control and he just wants to protect his people. Thus, he is a revered warrior
to some and the great scourge to others and you find yourself being enthralled
by him alongside Nahri. Since we did not get to learn a lot about him in this
book I am looking forward to see where S.A.Chakraborty goes with his story.
At
first, I was unsure of how Nahri and Ali would meet but their plot lines
converged beautifully. Each setting was very descriptive as we get to see Deavabad
in fascination as Nahri experiences it - with lush colours, strange creatures and
bustling bazaars and you can just imagine a great cityscape.
The
way Chakraborty explored the racial dynamics was intense because the clashes of
the different kinds of djinn were at times very brutal. We understand from the
get-go that Deavabad is in a state of turmoil and unrest with rebellious groups
vying for power. The history of these mystical beings was so well written that
at times it read like a mythology.
The
writing style was flawless, so much so that I cannot believe that this is the
author’s debut novel because once again – this book was amazing. ‘The City of Brass’ might look intimidating
because it is over 500 pages, but it did not disappoint. The only quibble I had
with the book was that I would sometimes get confused as to who the other
characters were but that was because I didn’t bother looking for the glossary
in the back.
The
book ends in such a way that just makes you want to pick up the next one immediately
which is impossible because it gets released in January 2019. I think that readers
can take out different things from this book. You can read it on a surface
level and just enjoy the story but if you pay attention you can see how it
mirrors our society in places. My little
heart was just so happy to have read this book.
Favourite
quote:
“Greatness
takes time. Often the mightiest things have the humblest beginnings.”
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