Reviews

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

liroa15's review against another edition

5.0

This book was a rare one that I had trouble putting down, but also that I had trouble picking up because I was terrified to know what was going to happen, which doesn't make much sense, but there it is.

Chakraborty manages to weave together a rich, wonderful world of both commonplace and magic and have it seem entirely believable. I really enjoyed these characters, especially Nahri, although I didn't like some of them very much. (Both Dara and Ali had too much zealot in them for me to actually like them.)

Obviously, this is just the first part of the trilogy, so I'm interested to see where this goes, especially with that ending. No spoilers, but holy shit what a cliffhanger. I'm glad I'm not waiting for Book 2, which is already on my floor, but no doubt I'm going to be anxiously awaiting Book 3.

fatimajj23's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

4.5

shmadsie's review against another edition

5.0

But that ending, broh. I assumed Kaveh was a very two-dimensional I-hate-everybody-because-I-can kind of guy and then to have that twist, I was all kinds of not expecting it. And as if Jamshid and Muntadhir's relationship wasn't already complicated enough!! There's an unknowing double cross in there, like, what the actual eff, friends?? Ugh, I am so into it, so, so, so into it! I cannot wait until my copy of the second book gets here so I can devour it!

zarabalutch's review against another edition

5.0

Such a good book! It took me a while to figure out BUT IT WAS SUCH A GOOD BOOK 5/5

melonpea's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

katatthefarm's review against another edition

5.0

Have read this twice and I love it just as much the 2nd time. Face paced and with a great magic system, I really love this series.

andreacpowers's review against another edition

3.0

3 or 4 stars. A fun, light read that's not perfect. At the moment, I don't think I will read the other books in the series. So many books, so little time.

r_louhi's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

lorenaaszczepanik's review against another edition

DNF niestety
We just didn’t vibe

leahthebooklover's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

4.5

Intricate and absorbing, this first book of an imaginative fantasy trilogy took some time to capture me, but once it did I was glued to the story. Set in the middle east, this tale of magical beings, political intrigue, love, loyalty, and loss was unlike almost anything else I have read. It explores issues of class, racism, and religion in a highly imaginative way. Drawing on middle eastern mythology along the lines of "One Thousand and One Nights" this story creates a dazzling and fierce world. The world building is exceptionally vivid. The plot is filled with action, while at the same time drawing you into the lives, hopes, and fears of its characters. The chapters alternate perspectives. We first meet Nahri, a hardscrabble orphan girl of about 20 years, living on the streets of Cairo, a self described grifter and con artist. She has a peculiar gift of being able to sense disease in others, and a remarkable ability to heal, both herself and others. She knows nothing of her past, having been on her own from a very young age. Our other perspective comes from Alizayd al Qahtani, younger son and prince of the mysterious city of Daevabad. Trained as a warrior and a scholar, his designated role is to become protector and advisor to his older brother, who will one day rule. But Ali has a curiosity about the world beyond the veil that separates his world from the world of humans. In "The City of Brass", we see how Nahri and Ali's worlds collide, and the results are incendiary. 

I started reading this in e-book format from Libby but as the due date was approaching l got concerned that I might not finish it in time so I used one of my Audible credits to get the audio version and started a tandem reading (listening and reading together). I really do like to do this for books with complicated plots, lots of characters, and unfamiliar worlds/cultures. Something about seeing and hearing the words simultaneously helps to cement the different elements in place for me. As I continue forward with the trilogy I may use this technique again.