The Summary

Nahri is an expert con artist on Cairo's streets in the eighteenth century. She makes a livelihood defrauding Ottoman aristocrats in the hopes of making enough money to turn her life around someday. However, during one of her heists, Nahri unintentionally summons Dara, a wily, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, and discovers that even the most cunning plans can have fatal repercussions.

After being forced to leave Cairo, Dara and Nahri travel together through hot, windswept sands filled with fire-breathing creatures and rivers where mythical marid sleep, past the ruins of once-impressive human metropolises and mountains where circling raptors are more than they seem, to Daevabad, the fabled city of brass.

It's a city engulfed in magic and fire, where blood can be just as dangerous as any spell; a city where long-standing grudges fester and the royal court holds sway only loosely; a city to which Nahri is inescapably tied and where her very presence threatens to fling open a conflict that has been simmering for centuries.

My Review

What a great way to start a series! I really enjoyed reading this book. It is fascinating and odd, loaded with knowledge and mythology, and just so beautifully written. Despite how exquisite they are, the small nuances never overwhelm the story.

I was absolutely engaged by the world-building and cultural allusions, and I'm impressed by how skillfully Chakraborty blends the past of our own world into such a fully realized Middle Eastern fantasy scenario. This book is essential when it comes to "parallel history" storytelling.

Even though the politics were once more a little challenging to comprehend, I still found the plot to be enjoyable. This environment and everything about it captured my heart completely. I was on high alert the whole time!

The personalities are all so detailed that it was difficult for me to pick a favorite. They all possess so many intricate and fascinating characteristics. They captivate us with their vast cast of characters just to pit them against one another. Even though I want to, it's difficult to support them all when they're constantly butting heads.

The way it is worded is a masterpiece. It's stunning and incredible. It genuinely helps the reader to weigh all viewpoints and form their own opinions, which is quite challenging to do yet is expertly written.

All in all, I'm overjoyed that I found this book and that it met my expectations. I'll probably read the following installment to see how this tale ends.

If you like fantasy and want something with an Arabian touch, you must read this!

My ratings score:

★★★★★ Fantastic! Made me go through a lot of emotions & the entire book is incredibly beautifully done! 

★★★★ Memorable! Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredible and taught us a lot. 

★★★ Good work! Nothing particularly remarkable, but still nice.

★★ Meh... Mediocre with great room for improvement.

★ Extremely Poor.