- Paperback: 544 pages
- Publisher: HarperVoyager (7 Feb. 2019)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0008239428
- ISBN-13: 978-0008239428
Synopsis
Among the bustling markets of eighteenth century Cairo, the city’s outcasts eke out a living swindling rich Ottoman nobles and foreign invaders alike.
But alongside this new world the old stories linger. Tales of djinn and spirits. Of cities hidden among the swirling sands of the desert, full of enchantment, desire and riches. Where magic pours down every street, hanging in the air like dust.
Many wish their lives could be filled with such wonder, but not Nahri. She knows the trades she uses to get by are just tricks and sleights of hand: there’s nothing magical about them. She only wishes to one day leave Cairo, but as the saying goes…
Be careful what you wish for.
Review
The City of Brass has been on my shelf for about two years, about the same time I began to read Fantasy Fiction. I have been desperate to read it, but wanted to have enough time as the writing is small and I know it is a detailed book so it would probably take me a bit longer to read. Was it worth the wait? Yes it was, it is a phenomenal read. Set in eighteenth century Cairo, a city now ruled by the French after a war between the French and Ottoman Empire, Nahri is an orphan who lives by her wits. Working as a healer she uses her skills to scam clients with slight of hand and advice so she can rob their homes. She has no belief in the spirit world, but performs Zar ceremonies for money for those who think the are possessed. It is during one of these ceremonies that she accidently calls Dara, a djinn slave, and so begins her story and her journey to the djinn city of Daevabad, the eponymous City od Brass.
The City of Brass made me realise what it is about fantasy fiction that I have fallen in love with, ultimately they are fairytales for adults. This book has so many elements of fairytales in it, the orphan using her wits to survive, a figure that magically appears to help, a magical city, and a Prince at odds whith his father. But, this is no children’s story, there are so many layers to this story that mirror the world we live in, and the intricate plot is intelligent and compelling. Recurrung themes include, prejudice, racism, class in society, and the rich versus the poor within the city of Daevabad. S.A Chakraborty has a wonderous and colourful imagination, the world she creates, its detailed and complex history, the six different tribes that make up this world, the different djinn and their powers and the beautiful setting are all written in fabulous technicolour. The writing is rich and detailed, so much so that I felt this world was real, and the characters utterly believable.
As the central character Nahri is perfect. She has no knowledge of her backgorund, no friends apart from the apocathory so is very much alone except in the world. But she has dreams and ambitions to travel to Istanbul and train as a physician, to escape her life as it is. She may not find herself in Istanbul, but in Daevabad opprotunities await to expand her healing talents and learn more about her family. Nahri is strong, feisty, independent and intelligent, but does not trust easily. Her relationship with Dara is one I enjoyed watching develop, from frosty beginnings to the first spark of trust and amenability to much stronger feelings of love. Even though Dara has a very dark past, leader of a war, Nahri can see good in him.
The other central character is Prince Alizyad al Qahtani, son of the King and leader of the Royal Guard. Ali has lived in the Citadel with the Royal Guard since he was four years old, he thinks differently to his father and elder brother, wants equality rather than the prejudice of his father’s rule. Ali is again a strong character, idealistic and naive in some of his views but willing to fight for what he believes in even if that sets him against his family. He maybe military trained and a hardened soldier but he also has compassion and has a philanthropic attitude. His relationship with Nahri is complicated, they are complete opposites, prejudice against each other, setting them at odds but they also have a lot in common. Ali is the perfect hero, troubled, idealistic, handsome and a force for good.
To say that I enjoyed The City of Brass is an understatement, I thought it an amazing read. S.A Chakraborty has imagined a wonderous new world, with exciting and beievable characters that is rich in its detail. I am a huge fan of historical fiction so the original eighteenth century beginning in Cairo and the djinn city of Daevabad were the perfect setting, and in many ways mirrored each other. I was so captivated by this book I went straight on Amazon and purchased the second book The Kingdom of Copper and the newly released third book The Empire of Gold both of which I can’t wait to read, and will do so as soon as I can. Magical, sensational, and captivating, this is one of the best fantasy books I have read, so get clicking and escape to the magical world of Daevabad.
