tinybluepixel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/injury detail, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Death, War, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Murder, Grief, and Genocide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Slavery, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Child death, Child abuse, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, and Rape
dealingwithdragons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Slavery, Body horror, Animal death, Xenophobia, Medical content, Hate crime, Death, Confinement, Blood, Gun violence, War, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Death of parent
While Chakraborty's characters are djinn from fantasy tribes, the tribes they are from correspond to real world ethnic groups. The narrative is clearly against racism and xenophobia, but the depictions could potentially be triggering.pvbobrien's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Death, Body horror, and Police brutality
Moderate: Genocide, Chronic illness, Torture, Alcohol, Slavery, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore
claudiamacpherson's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Minor: Gun violence, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
eeeeva's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Cursing
Minor: Gun violence
redthistle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have finished the entire series and I believe that this book was my favorite of the trilogy.
I loved the development of all of the characters throughout this book. Every character has both lovable traits and flaws. The development of the world, its politics and social justice issues in particular, are incredibly interesting and complex. The magic of the world is engrossing and continues to be a delight.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Islamophobia, Medical content, and Racial slurs
hanarama's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
- Expanded world building
- Tense political intrigue
- Good use of dramatic irony
- Character motivations expanded and explored more closely
- Intense final act.
- Some character's decisions feel contrived/convenient
- Complicate characters
- Opposing POVs
- Political intrigue
- Looming threats
A massive improvement over City of Brass. I really fell in love with this book and I was lukewarm on CoB, which felt very slow and many characters felt unsympathetic.
Chakraborty has fixed many of these issues with KoC. She takes greater care to make all of her characters feel more sympathetic in this book, while keeping their moral complexities in tact. And she again delivers an absolute gut punch of an ending.
KoC takes place five years after the events of CoB. Even as Ali is exiled, Daevabad seems intent on drawing him back into its political machinations. Nahri has taken her place as Banu Nahida and struggles against the yoke of King Ghassan's rule. With a once-in-a-century celebration looming and an unseen enemy plotting revenge on the city, the characters' lives weave together as everyone angles to achieve their own goals.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, and Police brutality