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The City of Brass
(The Daevabad Trilogy #1)
by
Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.
But when Nahri accidentally s ...more
But when Nahri accidentally s ...more
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S.A. Chakraborty
There's a glossary in the back for some of the terms and creatures :)
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
I can tally my life in good days and bad days, and thanks to this book, this turned out to be a very bad day.
I’m less of a person and more of a physical manifestation of how much this book disappointed me. It’s like my personality has been factory reset and all I want now is to go out into an empty field and scream for about an hour and generally just give in to the brief privilege of hating myself for harboring so many expectations.
I really can’t wait to not be let down by every single one of m ...more
I’m less of a person and more of a physical manifestation of how much this book disappointed me. It’s like my personality has been factory reset and all I want now is to go out into an empty field and scream for about an hour and generally just give in to the brief privilege of hating myself for harboring so many expectations.
I really can’t wait to not be let down by every single one of m ...more
It’s time to polish that special lamp gathering webs in the attic, put a fine edge on your bladed weaponry, remind yourself of ancient tribal insults and outrages, dust off that list of wishes that is around here somewhere and vacuum your magic carpet. You are about to be transported.
“The Magic Carpet” (detail), 1880, by Apollinary Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov © State Art Museum, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia/Bridgeman Art Library
Nahri, our Aladdin here, is a twenty-year-old thief and con artist, working ...more
“The Magic Carpet” (detail), 1880, by Apollinary Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov © State Art Museum, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia/Bridgeman Art Library
Nahri, our Aladdin here, is a twenty-year-old thief and con artist, working ...more
4.5
I listened to this on audio as opposed to reading my hardback. I didn't think I would like it but I did and I also liked the narrator!
OMG! I love my stained, numbered, & signed edition of the book! I'm addicted to these kinds of books. Look at the beauty!
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
OMG! I love my stained, numbered, & signed edition of the book! I'm addicted to these kinds of books. Look at the beauty!
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Jun 27, 2017
Melanie
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
arc,
fantasy,
read-in-2017,
historical,
demons,
paranormal,
ghosts,
own-voices,
cover-porn,
magic
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 Adu ...more
3.5⭐
✨ The long-overdue review finally posted.✨
This could and would have been a 5-star read for me had it not been for that incredibly slow start all the way through almost the end of the book.
The first half was very much foundational which introduced us to the world, the characters, as well as the inner workings and machinations of the city of Brass. Obviously, this is highly appreciated but I don’t think we needed to spend the entire three-quarters of the book just getting introduced to things ...more
✨ The long-overdue review finally posted.✨
This could and would have been a 5-star read for me had it not been for that incredibly slow start all the way through almost the end of the book.
The first half was very much foundational which introduced us to the world, the characters, as well as the inner workings and machinations of the city of Brass. Obviously, this is highly appreciated but I don’t think we needed to spend the entire three-quarters of the book just getting introduced to things ...more
Full review FINALLY posted
Every time I think about this book and how excited I was to read it and how it caused me the biggest disappointment of my life I laugh through my tears bc wHY WAS I EXPECTING ANYTHING LESS
Im aware ^ sentence made no sense but im really fragile and vulnerable and sad right now also it took me like 3 weeks to read this book ??? so I also feel scammed. I want a refund my time and tears.
i'm terribly sad to be writing such a review because i had SO MUCH HIGH hopes for this ...more
Every time I think about this book and how excited I was to read it and how it caused me the biggest disappointment of my life I laugh through my tears bc wHY WAS I EXPECTING ANYTHING LESS
Im aware ^ sentence made no sense but im really fragile and vulnerable and sad right now also it took me like 3 weeks to read this book ??? so I also feel scammed. I want a refund my time and tears.
i'm terribly sad to be writing such a review because i had SO MUCH HIGH hopes for this ...more
As always, I want to let others know that I received this book as a gift from my publishers. In this instance, I have not met the author, but hope that at some time I will.
Do you remember the first time a book took you out of your culture? I think for most of us it happens in childhood. For me, my passage to other countries and times came in the form of fairy tales and legends. We had a fat volume of Arabian Nights (most likely edited for kids) with lavish line illustrations. That was my first i ...more
Do you remember the first time a book took you out of your culture? I think for most of us it happens in childhood. For me, my passage to other countries and times came in the form of fairy tales and legends. We had a fat volume of Arabian Nights (most likely edited for kids) with lavish line illustrations. That was my first i ...more
the only way to describe this book is as an enticingly ambitious journey.
one you will need to be prepared to endure, because it is long and somewhat exhausting. as the most rewarding journeys tend to be.
but i assure you, you will experience some of the most magical surprises and adventures, meet some of the most complex and intriguing characters, and devour some of the most deliciously crafted words along the way.
and once you finally reach the destination, well, its a wonder beyond anything y ...more
one you will need to be prepared to endure, because it is long and somewhat exhausting. as the most rewarding journeys tend to be.
but i assure you, you will experience some of the most magical surprises and adventures, meet some of the most complex and intriguing characters, and devour some of the most deliciously crafted words along the way.
and once you finally reach the destination, well, its a wonder beyond anything y ...more
May 16, 2017
Roshani Chokshi
added it
I just finished reading this by the dying light of my cellphone while small, devious looking insects clamored towards the light and attacked my face. I HAVE NO REGRETS. That is how spellbinding this book is...I could not put it down. I haven't had that kind of visceral "No one touch this book, it is actually a clever extension of my hand, and I will BITE you if you come between me and these characters" reaction in awhile. Chakraborty has some truly dazzling workdbuilding skills, but beyond that,
...more
Jan 10, 2018
may ➹
rated it
did not like it
Recommends it for:
people who like to suffer
Shelves:
1-star,
2018-reads,
adult,
boring,
buddy-reads,
disappointing,
diverse,
fantasy,
gifted,
hardcover
The feeling you get when one of your most anticipated books lives up to your expectations is one of the best. It’s the contentment that you feel about not hating everything you read. It’s the peacefulness that you feel knowing that you actually can like books. And most of all, it’s the excited feeling of finally NOT being crushed by overwhelming disappointment that a book turned out to be as good as you thought it was.
Unfortunately, The City of Brass did not give me ANY of those feelings whatsoe ...more
Unfortunately, The City of Brass did not give me ANY of those feelings whatsoe ...more
Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Nahri, a young woman living alone in 18th century Cairo, gets by doing minor cons, fake healing rituals and a little theft. She knows nothing about her parents or heritage but, in addition to being able to diagnose disease in others with a glance and occasionally truly heal them, her own body automatically heals of injuries almost instantly and she has the magical ability to understand ― and speak ― any language.
Nahri’s life gets upended when she ...more
Edit: I've decided to not go back to this book.
For one, I realised how relieved I felt when I decided to quit on it.
Second, I would stop mid-sentence and paragraph several times.
Third, I do not think I'll be missing out on greatness if I don't read it. 🌚
Farewell, book. We broke up for good.
--------------------------------
So, this took a turn. 😬
I want to blame the book. I think I will blame the book. But this could also very well be that I haven't been in the mood to read fantasy books in fore ...more
For one, I realised how relieved I felt when I decided to quit on it.
Second, I would stop mid-sentence and paragraph several times.
Third, I do not think I'll be missing out on greatness if I don't read it. 🌚
Farewell, book. We broke up for good.
--------------------------------
So, this took a turn. 😬
I want to blame the book. I think I will blame the book. But this could also very well be that I haven't been in the mood to read fantasy books in fore ...more
This is an AMAZING debut and definitely one of the best adult fantasy books I've found. I wish there were more fast-paced, creative, fun stories like this that feature 20-something characters! The world was absolutely gorgeous & vivid, the characters were all strong, and the writing was great... everything flowed so well.
(PS - some readers often ask, so just a heads up that there's a lot about demons & possession in this story).
And this isn't necessarily about the story, but I'm so gla ...more
(PS - some readers often ask, so just a heads up that there's a lot about demons & possession in this story).
And this isn't necessarily about the story, but I'm so gla ...more
It's like the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy.
Aug 08, 2017
Sana
marked it as to-read
on hold, whoops
Feb 13, 2019
Nick
marked it as to-read
I've seen this book all over bookstagram, it;s crazy. Sounds interesting
4.5 stars.
The City of Brass is an adult book.
It doesn't matter how many people will mislabel it as YA (because adult fantasy books written by women always get this treatment...), this is still going to be an adult book. It reads like an adult political fantasy tome because it is an adult political fantasy tome.
Stop labeling all books written by women as YA, then you won't be surprised and bored when the book turns out to have ~too much worldbuilding~. Pick up any random adult high fantasy book ...more
The City of Brass is an adult book.
It doesn't matter how many people will mislabel it as YA (because adult fantasy books written by women always get this treatment...), this is still going to be an adult book. It reads like an adult political fantasy tome because it is an adult political fantasy tome.
Stop labeling all books written by women as YA, then you won't be surprised and bored when the book turns out to have ~too much worldbuilding~. Pick up any random adult high fantasy book ...more
So, I was fairly excited to read a fantasy involving Jinn in both Cairo and Daevabad. I was only slightly worried that it was YA. In the end, I give it more of a 3.5 rating.
BUT WHY? (Says the hoard of YA enthusiasts)
Because while I actually didn't mind the love triangle-ish direction of the tale near the end while Nahri and Dara and Avi have their little intrigue in the famous City of Brass (Daevabad), getting there was something of a slog.
Wait, wait, have you heard this one?
Thief discovers she ...more
BUT WHY? (Says the hoard of YA enthusiasts)
Because while I actually didn't mind the love triangle-ish direction of the tale near the end while Nahri and Dara and Avi have their little intrigue in the famous City of Brass (Daevabad), getting there was something of a slog.
Wait, wait, have you heard this one?
Thief discovers she ...more
Soo.... This book. If you've been following my updates you probably already know I wasn't a huge fan. There are a lot of things The City of Brass does right, and one very important thing it doesn't. I'm also going to cover this review with a disclaimer in saying that I think plenty of readers will enjoy this book. It might just be me.
I really loved Nahri's character from the beginning. She's a thief and a con artist. She has a smart mouth and doesn't really take crap from anyone. If you give her ...more
I really loved Nahri's character from the beginning. She's a thief and a con artist. She has a smart mouth and doesn't really take crap from anyone. If you give her ...more
*Gathers 1 kg of chocalate. Picks up two mugs of coffee. Snuggle in a blanket*
LET'S RANT.
Behold the most dissapointing, the most boring, and the most..dissapointing (one time is not enough) book of my reading carrier. I had never thought that an own voice muslim fantasy novel with djinn politics and a theif as a protaganist could be this much underwhelming, but apparently, it is. This book felt like a 500 pages long prologue. And not the exciting one. There was nothing special here except rich ...more
LET'S RANT.
Behold the most dissapointing, the most boring, and the most..dissapointing (one time is not enough) book of my reading carrier. I had never thought that an own voice muslim fantasy novel with djinn politics and a theif as a protaganist could be this much underwhelming, but apparently, it is. This book felt like a 500 pages long prologue. And not the exciting one. There was nothing special here except rich ...more
I really liked this, though at times it was hard to find the plot. It definitely felt like 500+ pages of exposition, but it had good character and world building that got me invested by the end. I wasn't a fan of one of the POVs at first, but once the characters met I was glad we'd had his insight into the world.
I'll be honest, this is one of those type of epic fantasy series that I enjoy while reading it, but will probably feel too intimidated by the sequel to pick it up right away and then eve ...more
I'll be honest, this is one of those type of epic fantasy series that I enjoy while reading it, but will probably feel too intimidated by the sequel to pick it up right away and then eve ...more
I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.
Full review originally posted on my blog: Word Wonders
Content Warnings: Death, blood, violence, assault, passing mention of rape.
Well. This book was a ride to say the least, a wild ride but a ride that took me forever and it’s not even the book’s fault. I was in the most awful slump while fighting my way through it but I luckily had the good sense to sort that slump out before diving back in, and more seriously thi ...more
Full review originally posted on my blog: Word Wonders
Content Warnings: Death, blood, violence, assault, passing mention of rape.
Well. This book was a ride to say the least, a wild ride but a ride that took me forever and it’s not even the book’s fault. I was in the most awful slump while fighting my way through it but I luckily had the good sense to sort that slump out before diving back in, and more seriously thi ...more
This is one of the books I picked up as part of the BooktubeSFF Awards for 2018 as this is on the debut shortlist. I have to say I am very, very glad that I was able to get to this one because although it was on my radar already, this shortlisting made me get around to reading it a whole lot quicker and I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
This story starts off by following Nahir, a young girl who is able to heal herself instantly. She's a human who lives in Cairo, and she be ...more
This story starts off by following Nahir, a young girl who is able to heal herself instantly. She's a human who lives in Cairo, and she be ...more
1st reread
S. A. Chakraborty can crush my heart any day she likes (but please give a happy ending to Nahri and Dara I’m begging you p l e a s e)
1sr read
*I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
"I promise not to go to war without your permission."
THE PLOT
If you're a fan of Rebel of the sands and An ember in the ashes, this is the book for you.
Nahri is a thief who lives in Cairo and she has a special power, she can heal people and she always knows if a person is sick and w ...more
S. A. Chakraborty can crush my heart any day she likes (but please give a happy ending to Nahri and Dara I’m begging you p l e a s e)
1sr read
*I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
"I promise not to go to war without your permission."
THE PLOT
If you're a fan of Rebel of the sands and An ember in the ashes, this is the book for you.
Nahri is a thief who lives in Cairo and she has a special power, she can heal people and she always knows if a person is sick and w ...more
Jan 22, 2018
Deborah Obida
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
historical-fiction
Buddy read with David, My April tbr twin
This didn't wow me but it was okay.
Its only two things that differentiate this book from other YA books and they are
1.The setting, the Muslim/18th century Cairo made it very interesting.
2.The plot, despite the similarities with other YA cliches, I have to give the author a thumps up for the djinn concept, the portrayal was well done.
Here are a list of stuffs this book have in common with other YA books.
▪ An orphan female protagonist who knows nothing abou ...more
This didn't wow me but it was okay.
Its only two things that differentiate this book from other YA books and they are
1.The setting, the Muslim/18th century Cairo made it very interesting.
2.The plot, despite the similarities with other YA cliches, I have to give the author a thumps up for the djinn concept, the portrayal was well done.
Here are a list of stuffs this book have in common with other YA books.
▪ An orphan female protagonist who knows nothing abou ...more
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/12/14/...
Meet Nahri, a young hustler who makes a living scamming the superstitious and gullible on the streets of 18th century Cairo. Even though she has the uncanny ability to sense illness in a person simply by touching them, she’s never truly believed that what she does is magic. But then one day during a zar ceremony, in which Nahri was just supposed to go through the motions, she accidentally calls forth a daeva warrior. But s ...more
Meet Nahri, a young hustler who makes a living scamming the superstitious and gullible on the streets of 18th century Cairo. Even though she has the uncanny ability to sense illness in a person simply by touching them, she’s never truly believed that what she does is magic. But then one day during a zar ceremony, in which Nahri was just supposed to go through the motions, she accidentally calls forth a daeva warrior. But s ...more
[3.5 Stars] I really enjoyed the world-building of the different castes of djinn/daeva in this. I liked the interesting magic that kept me engaged, and I did really like the ending A LOT. However, I read this as an audiobook, and I really did not enjoy the narration. She makes all the characters sound very whiny and just weak and annoying. I would advise people to read this book physically rather than listen to it.
I was also going into the novel thinking it was going to be an adult novel, but i ...more
I was also going into the novel thinking it was going to be an adult novel, but i ...more
Nov 20, 2017
maram ☂︎
marked it as on-hold-or-dnf
BUDDY READ with ~~ critical reader ~~
The City of Brass is a part of a Muslim Fantasy trilogy??? A combo I definitely didn't see coming but YAASSSS, GIMME THE GOODS. 😍
The City of Brass is a part of a Muslim Fantasy trilogy??? A combo I definitely didn't see coming but YAASSSS, GIMME THE GOODS. 😍
Nov 23, 2017
Jananee (headinherbooks)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2017-reads,
2017-favourites
*screeches until the end of time*
HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ THIS YEAR
HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ THIS YEAR
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /r/Fantasy Discus...: * April 2019: The City of Brass | 2 | 73 | Apr 15, 2019 12:40PM | |
| Fantasy Buddy Reads: The City of Brass [Mar 4, 2019] | 10 | 26 | Mar 20, 2019 08:36AM | |
| All the Books!: The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty | 2 | 17 | Feb 28, 2019 05:57PM | |
| YA Buddy Readers'...: The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty - Starting April 10th 2019 | 1 | 14 | Dec 14, 2018 10:10AM | |
| The Mystery, Crim...: Mystery | 2 | 40 | Dec 06, 2018 10:38AM |
S. A. Chakraborty is a speculative fiction writer from New York City. Her debut, The City of Brass, was the first book in The Daevabad Trilogy and has been short-listed for the Locus, British Fantasy and World Fantasy awards. When not buried in books about Mughal miniatures and Abbasid political intrigue, she enjoys hiking, knitting, and recreating unnecessarily complicated medieval meals for her
...more
Other books in the series
The Daevabad Trilogy
(3 books)
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“You're some kind of thief, then?"
"That a very narrow-minded way of looking at it. I prefer to think of myself as a merchant of delicate tasks.”
—
18 likes
"That a very narrow-minded way of looking at it. I prefer to think of myself as a merchant of delicate tasks.”
“Greatness takes time, Banu Nahida. Often the mightiest things have the humblest beginnings.”
—
11 likes
More quotes…
Apr 18, 2019 05:22AM
Apr 20, 2019 12:51PM