---
product_id: 140602934
title: "The City of Brass: A Novel"
price: "₨268"
currency: SCR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 7
url: https://www.desertcart.sc/products/140602934-the-city-of-brass-a-novel
store_origin: SC
region: Seychelles
---

# The City of Brass: A Novel

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- **What is this?** The City of Brass: A Novel
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## Description

desertcart.com: The City of Brass: A Novel (Audible Audio Edition): S. A. Chakraborty, Soneela Nankani, Harper Voyager: Books

Review: Gloriously compelling and magical story! - Wow! This book completely had be captivated from start to finish! Summary : A Middle Eastern influenced epic Fantasy that starts with Nahri, a cunning thief in Cairo, with hidden healing abilities who (while pretending to heal a possessed girl) accidentally awakens the evil spirit in the girl, and also calls upon a mysterious djinn warrior - who then reluctantly (but also insistently) protects her from terrifying creatures like Ifrits and ghouls, and takes her to the hidden and magnificent City of Brass, Daevabad. Our second point of view is through Ali, the passionate and kind hearted second prince of a Daevabad - a city with 6 diverse tribes of djinn barely holding on to peace after a centuries’ old war. His secret sympathies for the ill-treated mixed blood Shafit (half human/half djinn) put him in a conflicting position with his father, brother and other tribes. * Actually, there is no way to even scratch the surface with a summary on this book! The reimagined history and vast world-building, the deeply complex conflicts where no one is completely right or wrong, deep and compelling characters characters, incredible twists and revelations that will make your heart pound - this book has it all and more! Characters: I absolutely loved the characters! Nahri and Ali (total cinnamon roll, this one) were main characters that made me completely root for and feel for them. And then there’s Dara... the moody and haunted ‘Daeva’ warrior with a seriously complicated past - I can’t even begin to describe him. I think the book itself needs more pages (where is the sequel?? I need it!) for me to wrap my head around this one! Wow. But they were all so amazingly developed, and I loved the dynamics between them so much! And I really liked that there was romance (no triangle) - it’s not the main focus but it’s the kind that makes things more interesting, and I’m really really curious about what’ll happen with that in the next book! The supporting characters are also so well written and complex too! Even the tyrant king so that sometimes you forget he’s not a good guy! The very complicated but deeply loving sibling relationship between Ali and his brother (the crown prince) Muntadhir really tugged on my heart. Actually everyone and everything in this book took turns squeezing my poor heart and even crushing it a few times! And also, as an Arab woman and muslim, it felt amazing to read a book like this - which is so well researched and written (recognizing correct and well used terminology was a delight!). And I really appreciated the positive portrayal of Islam through the character of Ali - whose faith urges him to be more compassionate and fair. But even he is a flawed character, torn and conflicted. It is a world where everyone has their own views, beliefs, and way of looking at events - there is no clear right or wrong side, everything is multilayered, and the book is never biased with the conflicts it presents. That just creates and builds a really compelling story. * I really appreciated the diversity within this world! It’s set in one city that encompasses a variety of cultures inspired by African, Arabian, Chinese, Persian and South Asian! It’s in the characters’ appearances, languages, but also in the magical creatures in the story! Most (the main ones like the types of djinn - with every facet of folklore explored!) I’ve grown up hearing stories about, but then there were also new creatures from Persian, Egyptian, and Greek (I think?) mythology! It was so fascinating and a lot of fun! Oh, and there are magic carpet rides - what more can I want? Overall , this book had me completely enthralled! If you like rich worldbuilding, gray and multilayered characters, epic and complex story telling that will make you question everything in it and blow your mind, scenes that will make your heart pound, and unique and marvelous settings - you don’t want to miss this book! I didn’t want it to end! And now I’m desperate for the sequel and have no clue what to do with this massive book hangover! Also, if you enjoyed The Grisha Trilogy, Throne of Glass series, An Ember in the Ashes, The Wrath and the Dawn — this book has everything you loved in those, but it’s also refreshingly unique at the same time!
Review: An enjoyable adventure through a culturally rich and exciting new world - I loved... Seeing fantasy in a non-Eurocentric world, with different mythologies, peoples, and cultures. The settings in The City of Brass range from Egypt to Anatolia, the fertile crescent to the edges of India. And that’s just visited locations. The story references a far more expansive world with numerous locations I’d love to learn more about. It's clear the author knows what she's doing here. Her research translates well to making the world of her story feel real. It was an absolute joy to experience. I liked… How I wasn't sure who to root for. Honestly, I'm still not entirely convinced the "big, bad guys" are the bad guys. I also have ever-changing opinions on the politics between the various tribes of djinn. All parties in the conflict are multifaceted and, aside from the "big, bad guys," have a chance to show their good sides. I appreciate that the author isn't trying to force us to cheer for any one side. I also appreciate that entire races of creatures are touched on, but not fully explored. It makes the world feel vast. That being said, I wish we'd seen a bit more of the "big, bad guys," but I suspect they'll be an overarching enemy for the duration of the trilogy. I also didn't mind the light romance subplot -- which is saying something as I normally quite dislike romance. (Something about the scars from having to churn out romance novellas as a burgeoning ghostwriter) In this story, though, I think the light romance worked. I didn't love the idea that the main character started to fall for literally the first person she meets of this new world (disregarding the demon who tries to kill her) -- but somehow, it still worked. I think the author handled things well here, despite my initial concerns. I didn’t love… That the main character was a bit too passive at times. She was dragged along by the story a bit too often for my tastes. There's a point in a story's structure where the characters need to shift from reactive to proactive. It's okay to be dragged along for the beginning of the book -- it's a common part of reluctant hero stories -- but for the readers to feel that the character has risen to the challenge, they have to step up and take the initiative. I felt a bit of that was lacking in this story. The ending seems to hint at more of that happening in book two. I'm hoping to see a great deal of that from the main protagonist. I disliked… That, come the end of the story, I didn't feel the readers were given enough answers. Too many questions were left unanswered. The reader should feel a certain satisfaction at the end of a book, then be left with new questions. Instead, I felt like only some of the story's questions were answered, while new ones were introduced. I certainly like the new questions, but would have enjoyed having a few more answers first. I think both this and the slightly too passive main character can both be chalked up to inexperience. The author shows great promise and I think her future offerings will be forces to be reckoned with. All in all… I found this book to be enjoyable, but not enough to warrant 5 stars. It gained a lot of favor from its world-building and unique setting. Those aspects were exceptional. In other areas, it still felt above average. In even fewer, it felt average. All that being said, I enjoyed this read and look forward to more from the author. I'll buy book two as soon as its out and dive on in.

## Images

![The City of Brass: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91sMY-jgHQL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gloriously compelling and magical story!
*by K***R on November 22, 2017*

Wow! This book completely had be captivated from start to finish! Summary : A Middle Eastern influenced epic Fantasy that starts with Nahri, a cunning thief in Cairo, with hidden healing abilities who (while pretending to heal a possessed girl) accidentally awakens the evil spirit in the girl, and also calls upon a mysterious djinn warrior - who then reluctantly (but also insistently) protects her from terrifying creatures like Ifrits and ghouls, and takes her to the hidden and magnificent City of Brass, Daevabad. Our second point of view is through Ali, the passionate and kind hearted second prince of a Daevabad - a city with 6 diverse tribes of djinn barely holding on to peace after a centuries’ old war. His secret sympathies for the ill-treated mixed blood Shafit (half human/half djinn) put him in a conflicting position with his father, brother and other tribes. * Actually, there is no way to even scratch the surface with a summary on this book! The reimagined history and vast world-building, the deeply complex conflicts where no one is completely right or wrong, deep and compelling characters characters, incredible twists and revelations that will make your heart pound - this book has it all and more! Characters: I absolutely loved the characters! Nahri and Ali (total cinnamon roll, this one) were main characters that made me completely root for and feel for them. And then there’s Dara... the moody and haunted ‘Daeva’ warrior with a seriously complicated past - I can’t even begin to describe him. I think the book itself needs more pages (where is the sequel?? I need it!) for me to wrap my head around this one! Wow. But they were all so amazingly developed, and I loved the dynamics between them so much! And I really liked that there was romance (no triangle) - it’s not the main focus but it’s the kind that makes things more interesting, and I’m really really curious about what’ll happen with that in the next book! The supporting characters are also so well written and complex too! Even the tyrant king so that sometimes you forget he’s not a good guy! The very complicated but deeply loving sibling relationship between Ali and his brother (the crown prince) Muntadhir really tugged on my heart. Actually everyone and everything in this book took turns squeezing my poor heart and even crushing it a few times! And also, as an Arab woman and muslim, it felt amazing to read a book like this - which is so well researched and written (recognizing correct and well used terminology was a delight!). And I really appreciated the positive portrayal of Islam through the character of Ali - whose faith urges him to be more compassionate and fair. But even he is a flawed character, torn and conflicted. It is a world where everyone has their own views, beliefs, and way of looking at events - there is no clear right or wrong side, everything is multilayered, and the book is never biased with the conflicts it presents. That just creates and builds a really compelling story. * I really appreciated the diversity within this world! It’s set in one city that encompasses a variety of cultures inspired by African, Arabian, Chinese, Persian and South Asian! It’s in the characters’ appearances, languages, but also in the magical creatures in the story! Most (the main ones like the types of djinn - with every facet of folklore explored!) I’ve grown up hearing stories about, but then there were also new creatures from Persian, Egyptian, and Greek (I think?) mythology! It was so fascinating and a lot of fun! Oh, and there are magic carpet rides - what more can I want? Overall , this book had me completely enthralled! If you like rich worldbuilding, gray and multilayered characters, epic and complex story telling that will make you question everything in it and blow your mind, scenes that will make your heart pound, and unique and marvelous settings - you don’t want to miss this book! I didn’t want it to end! And now I’m desperate for the sequel and have no clue what to do with this massive book hangover! Also, if you enjoyed The Grisha Trilogy, Throne of Glass series, An Ember in the Ashes, The Wrath and the Dawn — this book has everything you loved in those, but it’s also refreshingly unique at the same time!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An enjoyable adventure through a culturally rich and exciting new world
*by A***T on October 16, 2018*

I loved... Seeing fantasy in a non-Eurocentric world, with different mythologies, peoples, and cultures. The settings in The City of Brass range from Egypt to Anatolia, the fertile crescent to the edges of India. And that’s just visited locations. The story references a far more expansive world with numerous locations I’d love to learn more about. It's clear the author knows what she's doing here. Her research translates well to making the world of her story feel real. It was an absolute joy to experience. I liked… How I wasn't sure who to root for. Honestly, I'm still not entirely convinced the "big, bad guys" are the bad guys. I also have ever-changing opinions on the politics between the various tribes of djinn. All parties in the conflict are multifaceted and, aside from the "big, bad guys," have a chance to show their good sides. I appreciate that the author isn't trying to force us to cheer for any one side. I also appreciate that entire races of creatures are touched on, but not fully explored. It makes the world feel vast. That being said, I wish we'd seen a bit more of the "big, bad guys," but I suspect they'll be an overarching enemy for the duration of the trilogy. I also didn't mind the light romance subplot -- which is saying something as I normally quite dislike romance. (Something about the scars from having to churn out romance novellas as a burgeoning ghostwriter) In this story, though, I think the light romance worked. I didn't love the idea that the main character started to fall for literally the first person she meets of this new world (disregarding the demon who tries to kill her) -- but somehow, it still worked. I think the author handled things well here, despite my initial concerns. I didn’t love… That the main character was a bit too passive at times. She was dragged along by the story a bit too often for my tastes. There's a point in a story's structure where the characters need to shift from reactive to proactive. It's okay to be dragged along for the beginning of the book -- it's a common part of reluctant hero stories -- but for the readers to feel that the character has risen to the challenge, they have to step up and take the initiative. I felt a bit of that was lacking in this story. The ending seems to hint at more of that happening in book two. I'm hoping to see a great deal of that from the main protagonist. I disliked… That, come the end of the story, I didn't feel the readers were given enough answers. Too many questions were left unanswered. The reader should feel a certain satisfaction at the end of a book, then be left with new questions. Instead, I felt like only some of the story's questions were answered, while new ones were introduced. I certainly like the new questions, but would have enjoyed having a few more answers first. I think both this and the slightly too passive main character can both be chalked up to inexperience. The author shows great promise and I think her future offerings will be forces to be reckoned with. All in all… I found this book to be enjoyable, but not enough to warrant 5 stars. It gained a lot of favor from its world-building and unique setting. Those aspects were exceptional. In other areas, it still felt above average. In even fewer, it felt average. All that being said, I enjoyed this read and look forward to more from the author. I'll buy book two as soon as its out and dive on in.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by G***R on December 1, 2020*

There has been a recent slur of books especially YA that really lacked quality. Don't get me wrong easy reads are ok but the same story girl discovers strength , love story blah and some magic on top is getting VERY old. Some can deliver better than others. obviously writing style can potentially make a weak story better. When I read the synopsis of this I was like hmmm not another girl magic story paleeese but I promised a friend I read it. This book completely blew me out of the sky. Writing style: MATURE, intricate, definitly Adult. Story: AAAA++++ Reading a book is different than a movie, shallow entertainment rushing over you CAN be fun. Books however should engage you and boy this one does. There is SO much going on storywise you really have to think, imagine and anticipate. I don't get this very often in this intensity but this book was gripping. There is a lot of story threads to observe and keep in the back of your mind, they all come together though and none is just a filler, amazing really. The point of view story telling does work well in this book. One story line feels very much like GOT style, don't get me wrong this has nothing to do with GOT but the quality of writing is on par, honestly. This is about politics and gray characters, history past and how the future can develop because of it. Someone REALLY researched where this story was going before writing it down. Kudos to the author. The other story line does have that girl/magic element I have come to detest from the gray mass of books all following the same recipe BUT but but but...this is told in a much more adult, rational way, also touching history and political aspects of the world around, making it fun to read and wonder where this is going Worldbuilding: GRAND In the sense of it. I always detested the word worldbuilding, since im reading a book about characters not a world. So my personal opinion is the world builds around the characters, since this is what carries the story and not the other way around. I hate books where the author clearly constructed a world and then put some characters in it the actual story suffering. Here the sense of the story creating the world is strong and superbly executed. It is lush and rich you can imagine the surroundings so well. The world does build around the characters easily by itself ( guess that goes to writing style ) just as it should be and every now and then some extra bits of information are mixed in without creating the feeling of unnecessary information. It sure feels like the author had a plan beforehand but the creation of her wold comes naturally with the story and it is a fantastic world on top of that. Overall I can't stress enough what a GEM of a book this is if you are willing to be lead in this story. Sure there is a lot of terminology ( also explained at the end ) but this is just one of those books that's not like yeah I can skip 2,3 pages fast read and it doesn't hurt my understanding of the story. Im still ..amazed at this, such a clever clever well written book that completely engrossed me. if you are tired of FAE fantasy stories and incompetent stereotype heroines..this is for you.

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