The City of Brass

A Novel

De: S. A. Chakraborty

Narrado por: Soneela Nankani

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Library Journal | Vulture | The Verge | SYFYWire

Read by Audiofile Golden Voice Narrator, Soneela Nankani

Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty perfect for fans of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and Uprooted, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.

Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of eighteenth-century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trades she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, and a mysterious gift for healing—are all tricks, both the means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles and a reliable way to survive.

But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to reconsider her beliefs. For Dara tells Nahri an extraordinary tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire and rivers where the mythical marid sleep, past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises and mountains where the circling birds of prey are more than what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass—a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In Daevabad, within gilded brass walls laced with enchantments and behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments run deep. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, her arrival threatens to ignite a war that has been simmering for centuries.

Spurning Dara’s warning of the treachery surrounding her, she embarks on a hesitant friendship with Alizayd, an idealistic prince who dreams of revolutionizing his father’s corrupt regime. All too soon, Nahri learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

After all, there is a reason they say to be careful what you wish for . . .

This audiobook includes an episode of the Book Club Girl

Podcast, featuring an interview with S. A. Chakraborty about The City of

Brass.

Good story. Annoying narrator.

I think I would have liked the main character if the narrator had not made her sound like a bratty 11-year-old, and use such an insincere voice to portray her. This might not bother some people, but authenticity is important to me.
The cultural mythological and magical aspects of the book come together in pleasing in interesting ways. It has good internal continuity.

Excellent

Any additional comments?

I loved both main characters, and the wold building is great. I love how every character has a different relationship with their tribal identity.

The only problem is that towards the end, Nahri becomes very passive and stops being relevant to the plot except as something for others to fight over. She really needed to interact with the human faction in Daevabad. They are a HUGE part of the story. I kept waiting for it to happen, and it just didn't. She never tries to sneak out and see the city. Ali never takes her to the orphanage to heal that little boy. She doesn't take a stand on anything. She just kind of hangs around the palace and complains.

The result is that Ali becomes a much stronger story line. At the end of the book, I can see lots of things for him to do and accomplish. I see nothing for Nahri. She is even more trapped and helpless than she was before. I have no clue how she is going to effect the plot at all in the next book. Realistically, she did very little at the end of this book. That's why the ending felt disappointing.

Also structurally, it makes a lot more sense to have a romance between Nahri and Ali. They are the two main characters, but they hardly interact. Their friendship at the end is nice, but as I said, Ali is the one moving the plot forward and doing all the important things. Nahri doesn't have a strong enough reason to try and help him, especially since he didn't introduce her to the human underclass.

Come hither?

I would love to finish this book, but I am afraid that the performer's choice to use a weird come hither sexy type tone is just too distracting. Sorry.
Only got about 90 minutes in. Can't carry on.

BEST ALADDIN STORY EVER

pros: qt protagonist, hot chemistry, cool fight scenes, and dark vibes
cons: no genie in a bottle

10/10 would read over and over again.

Full of Wonder

This was a a fantastic story. So intricate and full of great worldbuilding. The Djinn make for a fertile, intriguing story. Ms. Chakraborty has done it masterfully! Can't wait for the next book!