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lesliehirgelt'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Slavery and Classism
scrubsandbooks'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
Graphic: Death, Blood, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia
mariazen'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Child death
singalana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Minor: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
embee3'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? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Blood and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Sexism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
My one criticism was the pacing seemed to be quite slow in the beginning and quite fast-paced at the end. But though it started out a little slow, I understand where Chakraborty was going with the placement of each character and where they ended up when the book was over. The last 100 pages takes the reader on a journey at break-neck speed! It drew me in so fully that I couldn't stop reading.
I absolutely loved the second installment in this trilogy. It was a delight to learn more about the different tribes, the history of Daevebad, the true story of the marid, and the ifrit. I can't wait to see how it all plays out in the final book, but I'm also going to be quite sad to leave this world as it has me enraptured.
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Medical content, and Death of parent
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book finally sees people talking about what happens when the heir to the kingdom, Muntadhir, falls in love with a man art arms. Dammit why can't you all just let them be happy! And wait, in the last book didn't we find out that Jamshid has even more secrets about his person that even he is probably unaware of...? I had to find out more, and I do wish it took less that 20 chapters to unfold! But there is so much to unfold in a place where you arrange marriages for political reasons, and when everyone is lying to each other - things get messy in a great bit hurry.
Meanwhile back in the small desert town of Bir Nabat, the exiled prince finally seems to have stopped getting regular visits from assassins. He's knuckled down in serious service to the community as an irrigator and well builder and is starting to bring prosperity to a place that was dwindling into the dust. Less said about magical water powers the better, but everyone close to him knows that he doesn't come up for air nearly enough to seem.. normal, and he's awfully good at falling asleep in random places and accidentally waking up having "found" a brand new spring.
And then one of his rich cousins turns up with a year's worth of taxes in cursed salt, that only someone with their bloodline can return to Daevabad, and if it doesn't get there then there might be military retribution so .. he's wrangled back to his home city, consequences be damned.
Seems that everyone is preparing for the biggest festival in decades, and also that everyone who ever wanted to attack anyone is waiting for that time to do all their "plans".
Nahri petitions her father-in-law Ghassan, to bankroll a rebuild of the hospital her people once used, and to be able to treat the half-blood Shafit there as well as anybody else. She and Ali are working to try and patch up relations within the city, but their idealism can only get people so far..
Civil unrest is at an all time high, and meanwhile, plotting in the background Manizheh has her own plans, and central to them is re-re-resurrecting Darayavahoush. Again. Poor b*stard. We get to find a bit more about the history and magic of the land, the nature of Ifrits and the Marid.
Oooh this gets messy. I'm not a super fan of battles, but I do like big reveals. It's tense and frustrating when you have enough information to cobble together what's going on, but the characters haven't been told yet. Why do revolutions have to be so messy!!? That poor library. That tower... hey people were using that! I might ned a bit of a break before I delve into future volumes.
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
rinku's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Misogyny and Sexual harassment
renpuspita'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
The Kingdom of Copper is the second installment of The Daevabad Trilogy and the event in this book is happened 5 years after The City of Brass with the exception of the prologue that told days after the event that decide our protagonist's fate, Nahri, Alizayd and Dara. Nahri is now fully embraced her role as Daeva's healer, Banu Nahida, while constantly under King Ghassan's watchful eyes and constant pressure. Ali was banished from his Princely duty and must go to Am Gezira to avoid assassination attempt to his life while try to mastering his new ability that connected to the Marid. However, Dara find himself changed entirely, and must serve another Banu Nahida, Manizheh that plan to seize Daevabad when they celebrate Navasatem, Djinn celebration for their ending service to Prophet Suleiman. The book told form those 3 PoVs, Nahri, Ali and Dara respectively, but don't worry, you will not get confused because Nahri and Ali's PoV often overlapping especially when Ali finally come back to Daevabad, while Dara's will offer reader a glimpse into his new form and also Manizheh.
I found myself keep holding my breath while reading this. The political intrigue, the family drama, especially Qahtani's family! I found myself warming toward Zaynab that at first I think as spoiled princess, but in this book she's matured and somehow become Nahri's ally. We also will get introduced to Ghassan's second wife, Queen Hatset. I'm almost afraid that, being Ayanlee, Hatset will be as cunning and ruthless as her husband. Imagine my surprise when yes, Hatset is cunning, but she's also a loving mother to Ali and reasonable mother in law to Nahri. She will do anything to keep her children alive, including bring Ali to Ayanlee scholar in regard to Ali's forbidden Marid ability. I'm become thoroughly disgusted with the way Ghassan treat his objects, his tyranny is so apparent compared to book 1 in which he will not hesitate to execute the shafit over one or two rebellion to teach them a lesson. Completely different from his ancestor, Zaydi Al Qahtani that decide to rebel againts Nahid Council because of their treatment to the shafit. I'm sometimes wondering, why Ghassan rule the shafit with iron fist and in the other side he easily threatened Daeva if Nahri dare to defy him. He always said that Daevabad come first, so from where all this obsession about Daevabad come? I can's see him as a wise king, because just like Ali, what Ghassan did to shafit is beyond horrible. Meanwhile, I'm also not impressed with Muntadhir, especially with his treatment to Ali. Gone the Big Brother that always protect Ali in book 1, Muntadhir in this book is despicable. I got that he's worried about Jamshid and with their forbidden feeling to each other, but I feel like Muntadhir is so pathetic in this one. Muntadhir did get his redemption arc, albeit too late, so right now he's my least favorite character. However, Jamshid (beside Ali) become my favorite character. He's so preciousss and I pray that he will come alive unscathed, especially after his unknown fate when Daevabad got sacked.
Some events that happen in The Kingdom of Copper are mirroring the event in real life, I found myself to take a breath and closed my eyes, try to not crying because of the unfairness that happen in Daevabad. I feel like history always repeat itself. The shafit, the Daeva, the Gezziri, and many others. How I can totally see the conflict and the conspiracy in this book can totally happen in real life. How for the interest for their tribe, the Daeva is willing to sacrifice theirs and blamed the shafit for that. How the Daeva's view about shafit, dirt blood, lower caste and all make me sick to the stomach. Reading this book is not easy. I praise for Chakraborty's ability to wring my emotions, to feel what her characters feel, the injustice, the despair, but also cheer when they finally triumphs againts their adversaries and then succumb again to despair reading their fate, lol. I also like that bit by bit, Chakraborty reveal the truth behind Suleiman's seal. The cause about why Prophet Suleiman punish the daevas, their connection with marid and ifrit. There's also a glimpse in how Anahid cross the marid lake and build Daevabad.
I would not discuss about the world building, since its already established in book 1. I also liked how Chakraborty write, simple yet engaging. I said that in book 1, she write many compelling male characters, but in book 2, the girls is shine through. Nahri, pragmatist as she is, finally decide enough is enough with Ghassan and openly defied him while still maintain her wits. Her friendship with Ali is still raw after what Ali did to Dara, but I liked that they try to make amend eventhough Nahri is still sore about the past. It's also seems that she still care about Dara and maybe Dara too have feeling for her, if only his emotional baggage not that big as the Sahara. But I'm surprised to see Nahri and Muntadhir's marriage is... well put. I'm expect they will hate each other and become grumpy, but to see that they act civilized to each other and Nahri still visit Muntadhir's bed despite she know about Muntadhir's feeling to Jamshid, is speak volume. I dislike Muntadhir, yes, but I can see that both Nahri and Muntadhir are victim to Ghassan's many schemes. The other female characters is pretty much well written, like Zaynab, Queen Hatset, the shafit doctor, Sen, that Nahri befriend in order to help her in the Nahid hospital, Razu and, even Manizheh. I think that there's something sketchy about Manizheh and her connection to Nahri.
One of my favorite narrative is Ali's and I have heart for this guy, maybe because he's idealistic, he's remind me of myself back then. He's also underdog, getting hate from his own family, punished for his vision to see the wellness of the shafit. I want to said "OMG, please stop torturing him, already!". While I know many prefer Dara, I think Ali is more suitable for Nahri compared to the Afshin. Yeah, Dara and Nahri has history, but I hope the platonic relationship between Nahri and Ali can develop more. I'm smiling when see Ali's reaction to Nahri's wardrobe or when they become close because it's apparent that he's smitten by her while Nahri is still oblivious not mention still seethe to Ali because Ali's role in Dara's demise. But seeing they cooperate with each other, like when building the hospital and when Daevabad's got attacked, make me giddy, lel.
The Kingdom of Copper make me lose my sleeping time, and I will said, it's worth it. The book's climax is very much well written, intense and full of action, wits and revelation (not mention, some of characters end up dead :') ). The story end with a cliffhanger and I'm glad that I decide to wait until The Empire of Gold released, so I don't need to wait that long! I'm very much recommend to start with The City of Brass and be prepared to swept away in the world of the Djinn that full of wonder but also political intrigue!
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, and Blood
Moderate: Child death and Death of parent
blubonby'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: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Slavery, and Death of parent