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A review by pikachu_in_glasses
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
For me, books get 5 stars when the author writes a successful story within its genre - and certain genres are a bit more complex or have higher standards. Chakraborty is a master at fantasy, and that is no small feat. A dense fantastical world that is so fleshed out it feels too real. Three dimensional characters who are all morally grey as real people are. A plot that continually picks up pace and has you turning the pages as fast as you can.
The three main characters give the reader different sides and views of the conflicts, but each has both valid and invalid points, making it hard to root for any “side” completely. The racism (partially spurred by differing religious beliefs) both outside and within the djinn race is as gruesome and hateful as ours throughout history. Chakraborty makes political intrigue engaging and tense at every turn. Throw in the fantasy elements of magic, mythological creatures, and mystifying powers - plus a dash of romance - and you’ve got an outstanding novel.
Even the side characters pull at your heart and either make you want to cry or scream. Everyone has an agenda, and while you cannot support their actions, they’re understandable. A true testament to the writing. You feel like the main character - lost, confused, frustrated - and while you know there is a better way to handle all this, it’s hard to see with the long history of hate between characters.
It’s not all glum though! There are plenty of moments of witty dialogue, humorous shenanigans, and beautiful descriptions. The pacing and emotional balance is just right.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
I do have a few tiny critiques. The little romance we get in the desert is too shallow and insignificant to warrant the emotional fallout in the third act. Granted, it’s a subplot but the correlation didn’t match up. Yes, Dara is dashing and handsome and is Nahri’s safety. She is his hope. But those elements aren’t quite shown.
The Daeva religion is still a bit murky. They do all the fire praying and darn near worship the Nahids, but they use Creator and God expressions like the other tribes and humans. Since the religion spurs so much of the racism, I would have liked more clarity on that belief system.
Finally, you’re gunna tell me the geniusly devious King didn’t put a tail on Dara? What Dara was able to get away with seems a little far fetched. Sure, maybe he evaded being spied on, but we didn’t see all he did in his time away from Nahri - intentional I’m sure. We’ll learn about it in the future books. But we did get to see how shrewd the King is, and he wouldn’t have let Dara just do as he pleased.
*—*—*—*—*—*—*
If you’re weighing the merits of reading this book, just do it. Even if politically heavy fantasy isn’t your usual cup of tea. This is one is different and you’ll surely enjoy the ride.
The three main characters give the reader different sides and views of the conflicts, but each has both valid and invalid points, making it hard to root for any “side” completely. The racism (partially spurred by differing religious beliefs) both outside and within the djinn race is as gruesome and hateful as ours throughout history. Chakraborty makes political intrigue engaging and tense at every turn. Throw in the fantasy elements of magic, mythological creatures, and mystifying powers - plus a dash of romance - and you’ve got an outstanding novel.
Even the side characters pull at your heart and either make you want to cry or scream. Everyone has an agenda, and while you cannot support their actions, they’re understandable. A true testament to the writing. You feel like the main character - lost, confused, frustrated - and while you know there is a better way to handle all this, it’s hard to see with the long history of hate between characters.
It’s not all glum though! There are plenty of moments of witty dialogue, humorous shenanigans, and beautiful descriptions. The pacing and emotional balance is just right.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
I do have a few tiny critiques. The little romance we get in the desert is too shallow and insignificant to warrant the emotional fallout in the third act. Granted, it’s a subplot but the correlation didn’t match up. Yes, Dara is dashing and handsome and is Nahri’s safety. She is his hope. But those elements aren’t quite shown.
The Daeva religion is still a bit murky. They do all the fire praying and darn near worship the Nahids, but they use Creator and God expressions like the other tribes and humans. Since the religion spurs so much of the racism, I would have liked more clarity on that belief system.
Finally, you’re gunna tell me the geniusly devious King didn’t put a tail on Dara? What Dara was able to get away with seems a little far fetched. Sure, maybe he evaded being spied on, but we didn’t see all he did in his time away from Nahri - intentional I’m sure. We’ll learn about it in the future books. But we did get to see how shrewd the King is, and he wouldn’t have let Dara just do as he pleased.
*—*—*—*—*—*—*
If you’re weighing the merits of reading this book, just do it. Even if politically heavy fantasy isn’t your usual cup of tea. This is one is different and you’ll surely enjoy the ride.