The City of Brass

Over the past year, I have read several impressive debut novels (Katherine Arden and Ruth Emmie Lang specifically come to mind) where authors have built unique and magical worlds in which the reader can lose themselves. S. A. Chakraborty joins this group with a novel that is mesmerizing and steeped in Arabic and Persian folklore. The City of Brass takes its title from a less well-known tale in A Thousand and One Nights/"The Arabian Nights". As in The Arabian Nights, Chakraborty's City of Brass is set in a world of djinn, ifrits, marids, and daevas* - ancient Avestan/Persian creatures that were considered chaos-promoting and deemed false gods by the Zoroastrians. Here, we travel the paths of the legendary Silk Road and Spice Route, from the bazaars of Cairo to the foothills of the Hindu Kush, Ancient Persia and the legendary City of Brass, Daevabad.

Equal parts fantasy and political intrigue, the first book of The Daevabad trilogy gives us alternating chapters about two main characters, Nahri, a girl with a mysterious history, and Ali, a djinn prince, in a story arc that brings them steadily closer to meeting one another. The inscrutable daeva Dara, a third main character, who rescues and protects Nahri, provides a vivid and visceral presence and has a recent past as mysterious as Nahri's. Chakraborty manages to make what becomes a love triangle an enjoyable read and everyone knows how I loathe love triangles. Nahri's relationship with Dara, grounded in emotion versus that with Ali, grounded in intellectual companionship, forms one of many interesting elements of the book. The misfortunes of being an idealistic second son, and the political implications of racism and slavery figure prominently in this tale. After the rather stunning last few chapters, I am eagerly awaiting The Kingdom of Copper. Although...

"Be careful what you wish for..."

Just terrific to bring the great Arabic story telling tradition into the modern fantasy world. I loved the dryail, the bisuals. Spent the night thinking if a 3 part movie or a TV series would be better!

I loved this book! The world was different than the usual fantasy world. I rooted for the characters - even when they were at odds with each other. I will miss them! Please write book 2! I assume there will be a book 2?

This is really a great story. Extremely well written with engaging dialogue and marvelous pacing. Absolutely refreshing subject matter, both politically and mythologically. Harsh and beautiful. Read it is my recommendation.

Fun setting but where's the action? Our street-wise heroine gets transported by a genie (or efreet, or equivalent) and various situations follow each other but it's not clear where all this is headed. I put down the book a while ago and haven't resumed it.

Fun setting but where's the action? Our street-wise heroine gets transported by a genie (or efreet, or equivalent) and various situations follow each other but it's not clear where all this is headed. I put down the book a while ago and haven't resumed it.

ARC provided by Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.

The City of Brass was unlike any Fantasy novel I’ve read before, and I completely adored it. This debut novel is easily one of the best books I’ve read in 2017, and I will sing its praises even after its release on November 14th, 2017. Please guys, don’t sleep on this story, because it has not received the hype it deserves.

This is the first book in an own voices Muslim Fantasy series, that walks the line between Young Adult and Adult, and switches between two very different points of view. One point of view is a girl in her early twenties, who remembers nothing of her childhood, and is living near Cairo, Egypt. Her name is Nahri and she is a street healer by day, and a con-woman and thief by night. Nahri has a natural affinity for healing people, and can magically see what the problem is. Sometimes she can wish it away, other times it is not so easy. Many people realize Nahri’s talents and believe her magic to also work spiritually, which is why she gets hired a lot to cleanse and heal people at Zar Ceremonies, where she leads dances and prayers to be rid of demons/ifrits, which she doesn't believe in.

Our story truly starts at a Zar Ceremony where Nahri is doing the steps she normally does while really just putting on a show to get paid at the end of the night, except this time she actually does feel something after an old song is sung. After a turn of events, Nahri ends up in a cemetery where she begins to pray and accidentally summons a djinn daeva warrior.

And Dara isn’t just any daeva warrior. He is the best warrior to have ever lived, and he has a very tormented past, because, let’s be real, what brooding male protagonist doesn’t? Dara soon realizes that Nahri isn’t completely human, and that ifrits will soon be after both of them. He then tells her about a city that is hidden behind brass walls, that will completely keep them safe from said ifrits.

We get to see our second point of view, which is from a young djinn prince named Ali, who lives in the magical hidden city of Daevabad. In Daevabad Ali’s brother, Muntadhir, is the promised king, even though their father, Ghassan, currently rules, and Ali is training to become what his brother needs him to be once he takes the throne. I loved Ali’s selflessness and his unconditional love for his family, because in this world, Ali will never marry or have children, but will be groomed to serve and protect Muntadhir with his life. Ali is completely okay with what is promised of his life, and he completely dedicates his life to God. Yet, with devoting his life to God, he starts to see the unfair treatment among the citizens.

People in this world can use magic, including humans, even though there are different ways, kinds, and extremes. This is a historical novel set in our time in the early 1800s, which barely touches upon the Ottoman Empire. Yet, we do get to briefly see how some of the Turkish people treated the Egyptians, and we even get to see some French Soldiers. I’m getting off topic, but basically what I’m trying to say is that even though this is for sure a fantasy novel, it ties in with our real world, and this makes humans a key part of this story.

➽Beings of Earth - Humans.
➽Beings of Water - Marid (water elementals).
➽Beings of Air - Peri, Rukh, Shedu (all flying creatures).
➽Beings of Fire - Daevas, Djinns, Ifrit.

With all these beings, come different powers and abilities. I loved this fantastical element and it truly made this story feel so whimsical. Also, Dijnns and daevas are the same, but “daeva” is an ancient term that means fire elementals, and after a war was over, everyone started calling themselves the human word for “daeva” which is “djinn”. But many people hold on to their daeva roots, since they have very different roles in Daevabad. Also, there are six tribes. But our dear Nahri though, is something completely different, very rare, and very sought after.

But ultimately this is a story about oppression, and what it means to believe that your blood is more pure than someone else. The mixed bloods in this world, shafits, are treated horribly and without a second thought. They are killed for crimes they didn’t commit, just to make the pure bloods feel safer. They aren’t allowed even close to the same luxuries pure bloods are, but they aren’t even allowed significant food or any medical treatment. Their children are stolen and sold away, most the time time as working slaves or pleasure slaves. This story can feel so very real at times and, in my opinion, S.A. Chakraborty writes this systemic oppression beautifully to mirror our world today.

“It’s not just a word […] That slur has been used to demonize our tribe for centuries. It’s what people spit when they rip off our women’s veils and beat our men. It’s what the authorities charge us with whenever they want to raid our homes and seize our property.”

Besides that, this is such a beautiful Middle Eastern story, that ties in so much of the culture’s folklore in an absolutely beautiful and seamless way. I completely recommend with my whole heart. I loved it and I couldn’t put it down. And the cover? Goosebumps.

This is the diverse fantasy novel I’ve been searching for. The fantasy world needs more diverse stories like this, and the world needs to see the diverse stories can be easily consumed and loved and, most importantly, worth buying. Everyone in this story is beautifully brown, we get to see some of these characters interact in mosques, we get to see our main character wearing a headscarf. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever read a fantasy novel with these minor elements that are real life for so many readers. And this story is so amazing and so very beautifully written, too. I cannot wait to get my hands on The Kingdom of Copper in 2018!

I loved The City of Brass and it is one of the best author debuts I’ve ever read in my entire life. But I will say, the ending of this book ripped my heart out three times, so be prepared for that. This story was amazing, the characters are beyond words, the prose is exceptional, and the messages and representation are so very important. This book is heartfelt and powerful. Please give this a try come November 14th, 2017.

Trigger Warnings for graphic violence, human trafficking, rape, slavery, and war.

This book had so much potential but ultimately was a let down. The narrative jumps around, and is a bit hard to follow because things happen so fast there was no build up to understand what is going on, things just happen and the reader is left with questions that never get answered. It started off that I was really interested in Nahri and her hidden past then the story just became nothing but the two main characters arguing with each other all the time, which to me is really tiresome, but,yes,of course they are becoming romantically attracted!.. and never get to really show it because a mythical creature attacks or a love triangle is thrown in with Ali the prince. If you add a djinn and a magic carpet to a mediocre story it becomes a wonderful fantasy? (not really). Then it turns into a bunch of political intrigue and tribal fighting and I am no longer interested. Because the author did not know where to then go with the story a main character is killed off and the book suddenly ends leaving the reader with no doubt that they are being set up for a sequel (or trilogy in this case) which I have no desire to read. It is the first work of an author that should have had more story and character development and editing before being lauded as a great fantasy. A nice try but it never actually gets off the ground.

Started promising. The free preview drew me in with the promise of strong writing and an exotic, romantic location. However, the author has no idea how to add sexual tension to a scene because it's thrown in inappropriately at odd times, and it's boxy and awkward. So annoying, in fact, that I can't make it past Chapter 5. Waste of $12!!

The City of Brass,  S. A. Chakraborty

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy

I was so excited to get this book, I'd read the the store sample and it seemed a fun and unusual read. Thankfully there's a glossary included because its full of new and curious people and creatures.
I loved the world the author has created, I could feel the heat, the hustle and bustle and that was really well done. I liked the different beings too, felt very magical, almost reminded me of the old Sinbad et al films my kids used to love.
I started off liking Nahri, but as the story grew she seemed to lose that spark of independence, that charisma that drew me to her, and by the second half just seemed a whiny girl. I loved Dara, honest in as far as a Daeva is honest, like so many of their type they often circumvent the truth and talk in riddles almost. It's clear he doesn't like Nahri, and they scratch up against one another, both full of distrust. Nahri has no choice though, you can't go home as they say, so she has to go forward with him. She also wants to know more about her past, and hopefully a better future. When we first meet him Dara seems jaded, tired of his life, of all the things he's done, many of which weigh heavily on him. He seems to view taking Nahri as a chore almost, something he has to do but doesn't want to. Then we meet Ali, second son of the king. I wanted to like him but though he seemed to have a good heart he was very naive for his position and I didn't see him as being a strong character when it was needed, in contrast to Dara who would do what was needed without hesitation. Ali didn't like the way things were run, could have stopped up, could have tried to right things but seemed too apathetic really, content to fund small changes and quiet his conscience that way.
The story though seemed to meander, little interludes of drama breaking it, but I never really understood the point, didn't see where it was going, what was the aim. It just seemed to drift, Dara, Nehru and Ali seemed to react only to events, never had any real plans, were never working towards a purpose, it felt like they were just drifting towards the city, fighting through minor mishaps and skirmishes but no actual plan other than to get there. I couldn't help feeling “and then what will they do?”
Then the ending – and to be fair I skim read from about 40% as I was bored but wanted to see how it ended. I hate it when that happens, when someone major is lost, and I just have the horrible feeling that its going to be one of those rabbit out of the hat successes, where that character isn't lost, returns despite all appearances, and I just don't like that. (Think Dallas in the early 1980's for those of you old enough to remember!) I didn't want them to go, but hate that kind of comeback. I'm sort of talking in riddles here, but trying not to give anything away as of course there are many readers for whom this is the perfect novel. Sadly I'm not one of them. With a few changes I could have loved this, more direction and planning, some shaping of key characters, it's so full of potential, such a unique and fascinating world, but as it is is a series I'll pass.

Stars: Two and a half. So much I could have loved, but the story itself let it down.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

The City of Brass is S.A. Chakraborty’s absolutely spellbinding debut novel, an epic fantasy set in Cairo and the Middle East.
I came across Chakraborty’s Twitter feed about two months before the book came out and found her tweet-thread about just how much she nerded out over ancient Egyptian and Middle Eastern history and mythology while she wrote The City of Brass and her enthusiasm just oozed out of my screen. I had seen a mention of the book earlier in the day, but after seeing her tweets, I just had to read it. So, I requested and was granted an ARC by the publisher.

I was absolutely transported by Chakraborty’s descriptive storytelling. She sets the scene so completely that I could hear the noises of bazaars and mobs. I could feel the heat of Cairo on my skin – quite the feat since Seattle has been chilly and damp lately. I could clearly picture the scenes she set and in those scenes, she brings Nahri, Ali, and Dara to life.

Nahri is the magical, unbelieving thief at the center of City of Brass though she doesn’t know it at the start. She’s motivated not by greed, but by a necessary selfishness that comes from scraping out a living on the streets from a very young age. Nahri is Nahri’s number one, and she’s not going to apologize for who and what she is. She felt believable and even when her actions surprised me, ultimately they make sense for her character.

Dara is a broken Daeva man from a broken clan, broken past, and broken family. Just about the only thing unbroken about him is his fierce spirit – but even that fierce spirit is tested. He is untamed fire, a hero and a horror. But Dara is driven by loyalty and duty, which is where he finds his strength.

Ali is the second son of the king in Daevabad, raised in The Citadel in order to become his brother’s security minister when his brother ascends the throne. Ali finds himself at the center of a tangled web he helped others weave around him by playing upon his good intentions, naivete, and religious zeal. Ali was the character I had the hardest time with. For someone raised from childhood in a military setting, he was surprisingly soft-hearted. As someone to be a fixture at court he was surprisingly naive.

Nahri, Dara, and Ali are at the center of the war for the soul of Daevabad, the City of Brass. Battles are fought in a swirling, fast-paced plot that kept me turning the pages until I reached the dreaded end of the novel. Thankfully, The City of Brass is the first book in the Daevabad trilogy, so I have two more novels packed full of their adventures to look forward to. I can only hope Chakraborty takes us to new locations. I’m just aching for new places for her to describe.

**Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy**

If I was rating the first half of THE CITY OF BRASS, it wouldn't get very many stars. I nearly put the book down at 25% and never picked it up again - but this book has received a lot of love lately, and I wanted so very much to like it that I pushed through. And I am so glad I did. By the end of THE CITY OF BRASS, I understood the hype and I was reading this book like it was the air I need to live.

THE CITY OF BRASS is fantasy straight up, with a ton of political intrigue, complicated relationships, and ambiguously moral characters. The reason the first half dragged for me (once you get past the first three chapters or so, which are pretty engaging and action-packed) was there is a lot of world-building. As it switched back and forth between the two main narrators, there is a lot of information given to the reader. As I got more drawn in, I compared it to a very rich chocolate cake. It's delicious, and you really want to eat it, but you know you can't in large quantities. That's how I felt about the book - in order to absorb all the information I was being given, it was important that I didn't try to overindulge.

But the second half of the book - oh, the second half. This is where all the set up pays off. Even somebody who didn't totally understand all the political machinations (me) was able to feel the emotions and enjoy the action and drama that ensued. Fight scenes and sly remarks and secret friendships abound! And the ending - I was gutted. For a book I felt like I almost had to force myself to get into, I am desperate for book two, and am dying to know what is going to happen next.

I'm not sure I can say too many good things about this book, especially the characters. The complex characters - including those who seemed terrible - were able to elicit my sympathy because of the situations they were in. Chakraborty never gave any of them an easy out. Nahri, one of the main narrators, is one of my new favorite heroines. She is a strong, amazing woman who starts to come into her own by the end of the book (the last line before the epilogue!). I absolutely could not get enough of her point of view chapters. Even Ali, the other narrator, who grated on my nerves a bit in the beginning, had me falling so hard for him by the end. The transitions and growth of the various characters was amazing and definitely the strongest part of THE CITY OF BRASS.

My advice - use the glossary at the back if you get a little confused (maybe take some notes of which character is which tribe, that kind of thing). But definitely do not miss this masterpiece of a fantasy book - a beautiful, Middle Eastern inspired piece of writing that is both delightful and devastating (in the best possible way). The only reason this book didn't get five bats from me was the beginning, but in the end, it is totally worth it.

My favorite book series is Iain M. Banks’s Culture. Each book offers a self-contained story of its own time and place within the vast universe of the Culture. Sure, it’s helpful to have the incremental, accumulated knowledge of the Culture that comes from reading multiple books, but you don’t have to keep track of characters and timelines. I also appreciate series like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Vandermeer’s Southern Reach that are really just one long book broken into smaller volumes. I like the idea of these long-scale, cohesive works that can be consumed all at once.

I’m more hesitant with series like S.A. Chakraborty’s planned Daevabad Trilogy that kicks off with The City of Brass. As is often the case, this first book is not self-contained, instead establishing the foundation for what comes next. As a result, there’s a lot of exposition here. A LOT. I’ll commend Chakraborty in that it didn’t feel like exposition until near the end when I realized the whole book was merely setup. It’s all questions and no answers.

Starting in pre-industrial Cairo, we meet Nahri, a grifter with secret abilities to heal herself and detect illness in others. While running one of her scams, she accidentally summons Dara, a djinn being pursued by ghouls. They escape Cairo, and before long, Dara realizes Nahri might be not only part djinn but also descended from a family of healers previously thought to be extinct. They head to the safest place Dara can think of: Daevabad, the city of brass, for thousands of years the seat of power within the invisible world of the djinn. Once there, the current ruler accepts Nahri’s claim as a healer, giving her a place of honor within the palace and putting her to work. Of course, nothing is what it seems, and everyone has secrets and schemes that threaten the fragile peace within Daevabad and the greater society of the djinn.

Chakraborty’s prose is beautiful and flows really well. This is a compulsively readable book. However, the story itself feels very old-fashioned. It’s all kings and princes and soldiers and palace intrigue, and I mean that literally. This book is mostly about men: the king, his sons, their buddies. I can think of only two female characters that aren’t completely disposable, and one of them is Nahri. I guess I expected better since the author is a woman. There’s also a fair amount of religion, particularly of the Middle Eastern, monotheistic variety, and I found it tiresome and distracting.

However, because this story isn’t self-contained, I feel like I don’t have enough information to have a firm opinion. Maybe those traditional tropes will be turned on their heads; maybe not. I have to say that the ending was spectacular, the last 40 or 50 pages so intense that I couldn't put the book down, but now I have to wait another year to see where it goes. I know that’s not an issue for other people, but I’m kind of annoyed by how incomplete it feels. That said, the ending was compelling enough that I feel (tentatively) positive about this book and really do want to read the next to find out how Chakraborty plays the long game.

(This review was originally posted as part of Cannonball Read 10: Sticking It to Cancer, One Book at a Time.)

The adventure was fun and the tribes of people and the different types of magical creatures were all creative. But, it had plenty of flaws. It was never explained how Dara’s initial opinion of Nahri changed and developed from finding her an obnoxious brat (which she was) to respecting and liking her. Yes, she did get less annoying later but the reader never benefited from seeing the gradual change. Instead, she was suddenly treated differently and acting differently with the change of a chapter and without explanation. Additionally, the politics were often difficult to follow and understand. People’s opinions and actions were inconsistent. There were too many tribes to keep track of. And, events would sometimes happen quickly without any explanation or follow-up later. As a reader, I just had to accept the current situation even though I didn’t really understand what was happening. Oh, and then there were a couple conveniences where characters shared information from the past about which the reader and other characters did not previously know but which should have been introduced sooner. It sometimes felt like the writer had realized she was in a hole and needed to create some sort of back-story to make the current situation work so she just declared that something had happened earlier without actually taking the time and making the effort to weave that circumstance into the previous storyline. However, despite its flaws, I enjoyed the ride overall and hope the sequel will be less clunky and the characters better developed. I also liked the exposure to Egypt and learning a little about the culture and belief systems.

***THIS BOOK WAS RECEIVED FROM A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY***

In S.A. Chakraborty’s debut novel, The City of Brass, we find some of the standard tropes that seem to be the foundation of the Young Adult genre. There are snippets of works like Harry Potter and Twilight that seem to leak through, their influences helping to shape the world that the author has created. However, while some of these tropes might be tired in any other setting, they are used to great effect here, as the author has created something grounded in culture and traditions that helps to enhance the fantasy world that lies just beyond our own.

While I did enjoy reading this book overall, there were a few weaknesses. The start of the story was action-packed and hooked me right from the get-go, but then the section leading up to the second half of the plot seemed to be bogged down with lots of exposition and world-building. It also wasn’t necessarily clear to me why the main character needed to go to the titular “City of Brass,” other than her brief hope that she’d be trained there. I also didn’t get the sense that the journey took months, as the traveling companions didn’t seem to be as exhausted from the trek as I thought they should be.

Despite this semi-minor weakness, the characters and the world were well developed and well thought out. I had to roll my eyes at the “love triangle,” mostly because it’s a cliché of the genre, but the three main characters involved in such romantic entanglements were unique and interesting individuals that made me want to keep reading. This book uses a lot of specific terminologies that took a little bit to pick up, especially from the perspective of a reader who isn’t as familiar with Middle Eastern languages. I was still able to pick it up via context, only needing the glossary at the end to confirm my suspicions.

An excellent debut that pulls from a rich and unique culture to create its fantasy, I give The City of Brass 4.0 stars out of 5.

pooled ink Reviews:
3.5 Stars

Well first of all it’s an impressive debut novel to be sure! The imagery, the plot, the writing, it unfolds with such unique flavor and grandeur that it’s to be commended. I certainly enjoyed the fresh take on this fantasy tale as it not only is inspired by Middle Eastern culture but is actually rooted and suffused with it. Egypt, Islam, and Middle Eastern myths are not mere facets to the story but are the story’s heart from whence the story blooms.

That being said it was easy to enjoy while reading but just as easy to put down and step away. My favorite aspect of this book was the world-building however it could admittedly become quite dense and overly-detailed in the writing, but the imagery and concepts were breathtaking. If you're able to persevere and utilize a determined imagination then you'll likely get swept away by it all.

THE CITY OF BRASS is a novel proud with magic, myths, and destiny. Spun together with an expert pen, adventure and politics whisk the reader away in this desert tale of family, oppression, fate, and love. Boldly told and adorned by a delicate hand, this historical fantasy deserves the praise it receives.

I am beside myself with how beautiful and complex this book was. What a brilliant piece of fiction. If you like complicated characters -- like you, b/c we all are, right? -- and a plot-line that goads you along with action and suspense and a yearning for what the hell is going to happen next, then you need to read this. The OMG moments literally made me say them out loud. My husband was like, "Guess you're liking that book?" I'm deeply jealous that this is this writer's first book, and I can't even keep my kitchen clean (much less finish any written thing). I can't wait to see the next book.

Oy, if you buy this or borrow or whatever, and you find yourself thinking, "I can't keep up with the histories and the different peoples, and the betrayals, etc," just hang in there. You'll get it, pieces will fall into place. And when they do, your head will spin lovely.

Book: The City of Brass
Author: S.A. Chakraborty
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

This book has been on my to read list for awhile now. Sabaa Tahir has been talking about this book on her Facebook page for awhile now and I thought it showed a lot of promise. I will say that this is unlike any book that I’ve read before.

First off, this is a Muslim fantasy. I have never read a strictly Muslim fantasy before. I have read all kinds of Middle Eastern fantasies, but never anything like this. The world building and writing was just so well done. I don’t know, but I do think that this is one of the best world building books that I have read in a long time. I have never read anything like this-yeah, I’m probably going to be saying that a lot.

I really do feel like this is an under hyped book. I think it is not being the attention it deserves. The writing is beautiful and the amount of detail that goes into the writing is just amazing. I can tell that S.A has done a ton of research and put a lot of thought into creating this wonderful world. There are so just many elements and layers into the world.

I loved all of the characters and thought they were so well rounded. Nahri is one of our main characters. She is a twenty something healer and con on the streets. She lives in Egypt and knows nothing of her childhood. She can speak almost every language that she hears. She has an ability to heal almost everyone-by a magic that only she can sense. Someone realizes her talents and puts her work. Well, to make a long story short, she ends up summoning a daeva warrior.

So, Dara now enters the story. He is brooding with a tormented past. He’s also a good warrior, which makes him kind of dangerous. Still, he makes for a great character. He is the one who realizes that Nahri isn’t human and they start on a quest.

Ali is a young djinn prince, who lives in a magical city. He is selfless, loyal, and not afraid to do what he thinks is right. I loved him and just how long he is. He will never marry or have children, which just shows how loyal he is. Now, he kind of sounds like a boring character, but he’s not. I thought that these dynamics really made him stand out and I found him to be the most interesting character in the whole book.
There is also more going on here than what first meets the eye. There is a lot of oppression and emphasize on pureblood. If you aren’t pureblood, then you are treated horribly. Now, I know a lot of other books are exploring this right now, but I do think this is one of the best ones. I like how it’s not preaching at us, like so many seem to be doing, but is instead showing us in a very creative why what oppression does and what it can cause.

With all of this being saved, this is one of the best debuts that I have read in a long time and I am looking forward to more from this series and author. This is truly a must read book!

Nahri grew up in Cairo , Egypt almost dirt poor. Surviving by wits, she makes a living as a healer and a thief. She recently discovers Zar dancing as a way to Exorcise jinn. Her latest dance attracts the attention of the vile ifrit, evil demon like Jinn. Arriving at the city of the dead in Cairo and looking for way to escape the evil Ifrit she accidentally summons a warrior deva, who fought in the Jinn Deava wars of long ago.

At first Dara is rather disgusted to be dealing with a human, later he thinks she is shafit, half jinn and half human. Her Jinn blood is royal, descended from a line of strong Jinn healers her Dara vows to protect her but in order to protect her they must get to daevabad. There she will be safe from the jinn. There is but one problem, Dara is an outlaw there.

Arriving in the city after battling Ifrit and dragon in the desert they cross the Marid cursed lake. Once they get their the King of the city reveals that Nahri is full jinn. She is the last of healers. Once she gets to the city that is when the intrigue begins.

Daevabad is a city in turmoil. It used to belong to the Fire Worshipping Daeva but the Quatanis took it over. The remaining Daeva live in a state of privilege and discrimination at the same time. The other group is the shafit, half jinn half human they face constant discrimination and they live in poverty. The Tanzeem is an organization that’s helps them /but also plots terrorist attacks. Ali the King Ghassans youngest son from an Ayanle wife helps the shafit .Ayanle are another tribe of Jinn.

Plenty of conflict as King Ghassan tries to get Nahri to/marry Mutandir his oldest son. Yet Ali becomes friends with her and starts to develop a real affection for her. In the end crossed loyalties spark a confrontation of unreal proportion. THe Quatanis may have thee city but the Daeva want their city back and they are tired of being pushed around.

This book is a wonderful escape during a very cold, dreary January, but I'm sure I would welcome it as much any time of the year. Nahri is a strong female protagonist who discovers why she hasn't ever quite fit in when she accidentally conjures a djinn. This starts in 17th century Cairo but becomes a journey to Daevabad, the City of Brass, weaving a magical action tale. It's exotic and provides a 'safe' setting of dealing with racial tensions and issues cloaked in the mythical races/groups of Daevabad. Nahri is street wise and finds herself tested with her new acquaintances and learning that things she never believed in before are real. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the trilogy. This book has a dash of romance but is more about setting up things to come I suspect. The interrelationships were fun to read. I was a bit disappointed with the cover information (which I suppose the author has no or little control over) which called her a writer of speculative fiction. This is a work of fantasy and there's not a thing wrong with that. Speculative fiction seems a label for those who perceive their writing as 'serious' and can't stoop to fantasy and/or science fiction. I guess if one wants to get down to it, all fiction is speculative. However, none of that spoils the sheer pleasure of reading this book.

Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

The City of Brass is a Middle Eastern Fantasy that I didn’t know I was looking for. This book was beyond amazing. The characters are extremely complex, the world-building rich, vibrant and multifaceted and the writing impeccable. A wondrous book to start out the new year, not bad if I say so myself.

The book is narrated from two different point-of-views; Nahri a con-artist living in Cairo and Ali, a Daeva (Djinn) prince of Daevabad whom are both young adults (18-20s). Nahri never really believed in magic, sure she has heard tales of evil Djinns but they were just that, tales. Even with healing abilities and her knowledge of most, if not all languages still made her a skeptic of all things magic. However, one night while trying to exorcise a demon from a child; Nahri sang in a foreign tongue even she wasn’t aware of and woke ifrit demons and a long forgotten warrior. From there Nahri is thrown head first into the world of Daevabad, caught between the different tribes of Djinns, elemental creatures hunting her, and a dangerous game of politics as everyone is trying to make her their pawn.

Ali is the younger and second of two princes. He is training to be Qaid, the head of Djinn Royal Guard and to be his brother’s protector. Ali is a well-educated, passionate, kind hearted prince and one of the best swordsman Daevabad has seen since it’s last ruler, Zaydi was alive 1400 years ago. He would be the perfect son and prince if it wasn’t for his secret, or not so secret views of the Shafit people, those of mixed blood of Djinn and Humans. Ali believes the Shafit should have equals rights as the other tribes, but his father and the nobleman think otherwise.Being known as a Shafit sympathizer has damming consequences but Ali had a bigger secret that could condemn him to death if his father ever found out.

I’ve always found tales of Djinn fascinating but it wasn’t as prominent as other supernatural beings and it’s almost nonexistent on the literary front not counting the famous Arabian Nights Tales. Not only did Chakraborty put Djinn on the map but she also put Middle Eastern Fantasy at the forefront; bringing something fresh, new and unique to the Fantasy genre. After reading The City of Brass and being so enamored by the world and characters Chakraborty created, I did some research on Djinn mythology. I saw the basis of Djinn mythology and where she incorporated it into the story but she took the idea and completely made it her own; heavily expanding it to create a world that felt so realistic that one can’t resist the urge to go to Daevabad. I’m pretty sure anyone who has already read The City of Brass, wished Dara was real. Yes, please!

I absolutely loved The City of Brass! It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel because Chakraborty writes like a seasoned author. If you want to be swept away on a magic carpet and go on an unforgettable adventure\; then you’ll want to read this book! The City of Brass will captivate you from the first page and have you begging for the sequel when you turn the last page. The City of Brass is wholly originally but it also reminded me of Disney’s Aladdin…but for adults! There’s a thief, a prince, a djinn and a magic carpet…need I say more? If you haven’t checked out this first in a new series then you need to hightail to the nearest bookstore, online retailer or library A.S.A.P. This is a book you don’t want to miss!

"Find out what you really are, what really exists in this world. Come to Daevabad where even a drop of Nahid blood will bring you honor and wealth beyond your imagining...Respect."

The City of Brass is a powerful #ownvoices debut novel people. S.A. Chakraborty’s debut novel follows the story of Nahri. She is an orphaned con artist living in eighteenth-century Cairo. She doesn’t know who she is, who her parents are, or how she is able to heal people. She also can understand and respond to seemingly any language without prior knowledge of the said language including a strange tongue she somehow knows even though she’s never heard anyone else speak it. Nahri is a 20 something young woman with no hope and does tons of swindling activities in order to survive. She has dreams of one day going to Istanbul to learn to heal properly. While executing a phony healing ceremony, she accidentally calls on Dara, a powerful djinn with a violent past and reveals that Nahri is part djinn, descended from a long line of healers. To be safe she must flee Cairo as she is a target for ifrit (evil djinn with no souls who are her family’s enemies). We then follow her and Dara as they make their way to Daevebad where only those with djinn blood can enter.  Daevabad is far from perfect the rulers oppress the shafit (half-djinn) and there is always the threat of rebellion and war. Nahri is actually part of the tribe that conflicted with the current ruling tribe. She swapped the oppressive powers of France and the Ottoman Empire in her native Egypt for a new set of injustices and oppression. 

1) Characters

"But terrified as she was, the sound of her native language was intoxicating, and she didn't want the mysterious stranger to stop speaking."

Nahri is a smart young woman with incredible healing abilities and a master of languages. I love how real she was we got to see her be confident and sarcastic but also very scared and make decisions that weren't always the best. We learn that she is a very powerful being from the Nahid tribe and the last of her kind. Her gifts are apart of Nahid culture. I want to see her really understand her people and not be swayed by the royals. Dara is a powerful Afshin that are connected to the Nahid. He sounds sexy and wonderful. I love how complex he is without even getting his point of view. But, I didn't like how some characters spoke of him but we didn't get to hear his POV. Ali was interesting but also a little insufferable. I want to see how far he will go and if he will actually do something about his corrupt family. The side characters were all very complex and a lot were morally grey and touched on real things.

2) Plot

"Go," he urged. "I promise not to go to war without your permission," he added with a sharp smile at the Qahtanis.

The plot of this story was exceptional and it beautifully highlighted Middle Eastern culture. The pace was amazing and picked up right away. There were many plot twists and I won't spoil them but just know that even if things appear gone I think the author is setting us up for something amazing in book two. 

3) Writing/World Building

"Because on the day of your judgment, Alizayd...when you're asked why you didn't stand up for what you knew was just..." He paused, his next words finding Ali's heart like an arrow. "Loyalty to your family won't excuse you."

The story is rich in Egyptian and Middle Eastern culture and history. As a PageHabit book, we got annotations from the author throughout the book which gives us the authors personal touch and feelings in the story. Since she has been to many of the places and I think part of the culture this really elevated the story. The dialogue is very well done as well. The City of Brass (Daevabad) sounds gorgeous and is a place of different tribes and people. The description that the author writes really transports you to this world.

4) Romance

But Dara went no further—though there was no denying the flash of regret in his eyes as his thumb lightly brushed her lower lip. "I'm coming back, Nahri," he promised. "You're my Banu Nahida. This is my city." His expression was defiant. "Nothing will keep me from either of you."

I really love Nahri and Dara and the relationship brewing. I don't know what will happen in book two but I know it will only get better. It was sexy and their banter was so fun.

This book was recommended to me as a "romance" novel, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it a much more complex fantasy novel with plenty of magic, action, and world building. And some romance thrown in the mix, too!

First, it has a unique setting for a fantasy novel and is based in the middle east, not in a generic European medieval setting. There are also heavy Islamic roots rather than Christian ones, something that stands out as extremely odd in the beginning of the book and fades to normalcy as you adjust. Overall I found that very refreshing and interesting. Obvious care has been put into creating a fully developed fantasy world with different species who have their own rich and complex histories, religions, and traditions. It touches on just enough mythology to seem familiar while simultaneously giving everything a good shaking up. I think this world building is the absolute strongest aspect of the book and it was completely fascinating to learn about the different cultures.

While we are quickly introduced to "the romantic interest" it is a slow burn. For being introduced to me as a romance novel, there is surprisingly little romance going on. Except a few brief sparks, the romance plays second fiddle to the complex world the author has built and the personal growth of the main characters. The romantic subplot is rather predictable, but in a way that is almost a relief as it allows the reader to focus on the more complex court intrigue and world politics. I was constantly worried that the "action" would be thrown aside in favor of the characters getting some action as so many books with romance seem to do, but it stayed subdued. I suspect it will play a larger role as the series progresses and the characters form deeper bonds.

The character growth was about what you'd expect from a first book in a series. Each character starts out very flat, able to be described in just a few words, but they each grow in depth as the story progresses and we learn more about them. Just when you think you have a character pegged, they turn around and surprise. That surprise leads to further understanding of the hidden depth of the characters. Perhaps this is a bit too heavy handed with so many "gotcha" moments sprinkled throughout that they stop being surprising, but several instances were particularly subtle and well done and they were very enjoyable to read even when I started to expect them.

I think the biggest con in The City of Brass is probably the dialogue. It tends to feel a bit immature, reducing otherwise mature characters to speaking like young children with a limited vocabulary. At times it loses its impact by breaking up text too often with "he said" "she said" "she gasped" "he blinked". Listening to it on audiobook made a world of difference, adding a great deal of nuance to otherwise flat statements, to the point where I preferred to finish with the audiobook instead of the book and I will probably pick up the next one as an audiobook only.

Some readers will likely find this book overly simple, while otherwise may find it unnecessarily complex, but for me it struck a nice middle ground. It was easy to make my way through this over a single holiday break and it left me feeling like I had explored a new and magical world. I absolutely cannot wait to see where the story goes from here and would absolutely recommend The City of Brass as a good palette cleanser if you're getting tired of reading the same rehashed fantasy story. It's definitely going on my list to re-read later and I'm eagerly awaiting the next book.

Basic Keywords and Intro:

-Own Voices: Muslim debut Novel
-New Adult Fantasy Novel
-Dual Narrative : Nahri & Ali
-Nahri lives in Cairo, and remembers nothing about her past.
-She is a 20 something  street healer by day, and con person & thief by night.
-Gets hired to host Zar parties, which is a spiritual method of cleansing, healing, and getting rid of evil spirits.
-Doesn’t believe in Magic, but people believe in her powers, so hello money!
-Summons Dara, the greatest djinn Daeva warrior with a tormented past, by mistake.
-Dara protects Nahri from Ifrits, and takes her to a hidden city.
-Ali is the prince of a hidden city called Daevabad.
-Has a spoiled Brother who is going to be the promised king.
-Ali is selfless. But when what he believes in and what his family wants him to believe  become opposing poles of beliefs and motives, he is left confused and conflicted.

Points to address:

-Accurate representation of thoughts and mythical believes that Egyptian Citizens had believed in the past ( and might still have) .
-DARA! DARA! DARA! DARA!. LOVE HIM! LOVE HIM! LOVE HIM! LOVE HIM!
-The author managed to capture the fact that sometimes 2 opposing political parties, aren’t actually different sides of the same coin. Nope, they are simply the same side of 2 different coins. 
-The History that Dara was familiar with wasn’t the same one that Ali learned about from historical books. Through out the story, we get to see the sad truth that no-one wants to acknowledge in real life. Which is “ No two politically opposed Parties are 100%  completely honest .

-It is easier for us humans “ though the book is about djinns, but you know what I mean” to identify humans, believes, and events as black and white. I think the S.A, Chakraborty has managed to perfectly sum up how political parties run the system, so Kudos to her. 

-She shows us that life isn't Black & Whit; it is Black & Blue.

“You won’t be able to continue like this, Alizayd,” he warned. “ To keep walking a path between loyalty to your family and loyalty to what you know is right. One of these days, you’re going to have to make a choice.”

Things I liked:

-I really liked how the characters and politics were perfectly flawed.
-There hasn’t been a single boring chapter in this book.
-This story is soooooooooo good. No seriously, it is an amazing, kick ass, awesome sauce , magnificent book.

Things I didn’t like:

-The time I have to wait until the 2nd book, The Kingdom of Copper, is released.
-How Under-Hyped this book is!!!!!

I received an eARC in exchange with an honest review

The City of Brass is a fantastic and delightful new Fantasy series with phenomenal world-building, complex characters, a fast pace, and incredible twists. Told in dual POV, the story beautifully showcases Middle Eastern mythology and delivers a tale that is all kinds of enchanting.

S.A. Chakraborty’s writing is striking and it grasps your attention right away. The novel is rich in cultural and historical influences that only add depth to the already amazing world-building. There is a bit of humor, a lot of political intrigue, and quite a few mysteries to be solved. Combining all of that, Chakraborty writes what is certainly one of the best Fantasy novels of the year.

I loved this book so so so much I want to cry. The pace and plot development hold steady throughout all the book, making it super difficult to put this down. Chakraborty knows how to write conflict, and her words really translate emotion to the page. The reveals are also very well-done and pretty much all of them manage to surprise you.

The characters are all amazing, oh my god. This is told in dual POV: Nahri and Ali. They both have very distinct narrative voices and the shifts between their POVs flows smoothly. It is fun, at the beginning of the book, getting glimpses of the different places they find themselves in and, later on, how they come together.

Not all characters are likable, but they are developed all the same. They are all layered and contribute to moving the plot forward, as each have their own agendas. A few twists and very interesting revelations actually come from these side characters, which only makes this even better.

There’s only a very light romance in the book. The focus is very much on the political aspect of it, as well as the discovery of this new world Nahri finds herself in. There is action and death and so so so many questions left unanswered, but in a way that ties well with this first arc and leaves you wanting more.

The City of Brass just might be one of my favorite Fantasy novels ever. The world-building is amazing, the characters are intriguing and very well-developed, and the writing is beautiful. This is an enchanting new world that I can’t wait to get to know more. Recommended to all Fantasy fans!

The City of Brass is an enjoyable fantasy book with excellently described world. This book is full of politics and oppression. It felt very slow for most of the book and it mainly just felt like an introduction to the next book. While I loved the Daevabad, I wish we had spent more time in Cairo as I wanted to see and learn more. Action-packed and with a bit of romance but it didn’t take over the plot.

Nahri was a brilliant character to being with as she was very independent and resourceful, with an amazing ability, however, when she got to Daevabad is really regressed and didn’t make any decisions and just lost her spark. Ali is very devout and knows his own mind, even if he is influenced by those near him. Dara was the most interesting character as he has a dark past and was very intriguing, I just think this book would have been better if we had had his point of view.

While this book didn’t live up to the hype for me, I plan on reading the next book The Kingdom of Cooper, as I feel the next book will be better without having to explain everything. I would recommend The City of Brass to fans of The Hundredth Queen series and Rebel of the Sands series.

Based on review copy

4.5 stars

Plot: In 18th century Cairo, Nahri was an orphan con-woman with a knack for healing. One day, she unknowingly unleashed a long-forgotten djinn and forged on a journey to rediscover her past and serve her people.

And I loved every minute of Nahri's journey with Dara and how complex the djinn rivalries were. The City of Brass was told from the perspective of both Nahri and Ali, the prince to the current djinn royalty, so we got to see both sides of the story and understand why each side might see the other as the "enemy". There was a lot of cat-and-mouse play and new discoveries by the chapter, but I was intimidated in the beginning. There was a lot of djinn terminology that I didn't understand and I'm still a bit confused with the complex relationships between with djinn tribe, and I'm sure I'll have to give this one a reread before the sequel is released. And can we talk about that ending? The City of Brass had one of the most intense-showdowns I've read in a while and the cliffhanger was just cruel.

Characters: Nahri was just as you would expect: she was stubborn and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. I especially loved how she handled herself when presented with vipers wanting to see her fail. Dara, the mysterious djinn warrior, had a questionable past, and I think was the love interest? I'm unsure; while the romance was hinted at, it was nowhere near a focal point of the City of Brass. Ali, the second prince of the current royal family, was also a contender. Regardless of who romanced who, they were each interesting characters that I wanted to get to know more.

Worldbuilding: The amount of detail that went into The City of Brass was astounding, and I'm thankful for the glossary that Chakraborty included at the end; I highly recommend that readers utilize it since there was a lot of information to digest. I mentioned that it was overwhelming for me, but I wholly appreciate the amount of detail that the author poured into the City of Brass.

Short N Sweet: The City of Brass is imaginative and addictive; you'll want to pre-order the sequel as soon as you finish!

Intricate fantasy, frenetic romance, political intrigue, bloodthirsty violence. If you’re a fan of a story steeped in all four, you need to pick up this book. S. A. Chakraborty’s debut, THE CITY OF BRASS, kicks off an upcoming trilogy. There are parts of the work that stumble with certain common first-novel hitches, but overall, she brings to life a thrilling, page-turning adventure.

Eighteenth-century Cairo. Nahri is a young swindler with no known family and powers she doesn’t understand. She ekes out a living as a small-time con woman, healing small injuries and tricking the foolish. Except there’s something else to her talents --- something far more potent than she’d realized. The discovery introduces her to a mysterious djinn warrior, Dara, who recognizes the truth of her powers and identity. Together they journey to Daevabad, the city of brass, alit with djinn, turmoil and magic. The city opens up exciting possibilities for Nahri, but also unimaginable danger. Nahri and Dara cross paths with Prince Alizayd al Qahtani, the younger son of the Daevabad king, and the king has his own complicated plans for both of them, based on a centuries-old divide. While Nahri struggles to understand her place in this new world --- which is as dangerous as it is enchanting --- Alizayd must navigate his place within the deadly divide between the pure-blooded Daeva (djinn) and mixed-blooded.

The recap alone leaves me a bit breathless, and I’m leaving out quite a few details. Another reviewer has called this book syncretic, and it is that --- there’s a lot going on here, and it borrows inspiration from a bevy of places. She herself identified that the book began as something of “historical fanfiction.” Chakraborty is a history enthusiast with a scholar’s background as well as a convert to Islam, and it’s clear that she is deeply personally invested in the intricacies and intersections of Middle Eastern history, faith and folklore. As a reader, I adore epic fantasy and generally hold the belief that if the story can grip you and speak to you, can broaden your horizons and immerse you in a world you enjoy, you can do the work of learning its history. For me, this book did all four, and the task of following along was highly rewarding.

Still, for readers who aren’t necessarily accustomed to higher fantasy, there are parts of THE CITY OF BRASS that might overwhelm or blur together. Chakraborty has created such an immense world, with a painful, complex history that the characters are constantly learning more about, and sometimes it can be hard to keep track. However, the author’s enthusiasm is palpable and predominantly contagious. If readers get a bit lost, they can catch on again easily. Epic fantasy fans do it for Tolkien and George R. R. Martin. Ultimately, her sparkling, shifting plot propels the reader through the narrative.

As impressively immersive as this novel is, there were moments that stumbled and anachronistic language that distracted. I personally don’t often enjoy the “chosen one” narrative, as it doesn’t give me much to lean on to relate to the characters. There were times when, while I could still feel Chakraborty’s love and affection for her characters, I just didn’t connect on quite that level, even though I wished I could. I wanted more friendships developing. I wanted more to the romance, to feel it build and grow instead of showing up rather suddenly and predictably, though perhaps that just wasn’t my particular cup of tea. And I couldn’t help but notice moments in this 500+ page book --- which spans centuries and faiths and magical races --- that overtly danced around queerness, but never took the step to explore it even a little, which felt a bit disappointing.

That said, THE CITY OF BRASS is a debut and book one of a trilogy. And as a non-Muslim, I’m sure there are parts of the novel that may resonate more with other readers, and that’s not only entirely fine, but pretty great. I’m glad this book exists. What Chakraborty gives us is truly beautiful. And it’s complex because the real-life situations that inspired her are complex, and she has woven in --- very fluidly --- some seriously cool, grown-up magic. What I did take from it was simply marvelous, and I’m grateful that she has written such an expansive work of fantasy in this setting. I could feel the love she poured onto the page, and with it she created a very special, sparkling novel. And I absolutely devoured it. I am willing to reserve judgment on my above criticisms until I get to read book two, which I am eagerly looking forward to and imagine will smooth out some concerns.

Overall, this is a masterful debut. There were moments that gave me pause, but Chakraborty’s world washed over me. Her writing is excellent, lush and detailed. She illuminates sights, sounds and smells, and intricacies of magic, while also packing in page-turning action. I would definitely recommend it to fantasy fans.

Reviewed by Maya Gittelman