The Empire of Gold: A Novel

The Daevabad Trilogy, Book 3

By: S. A. Chakraborty

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani

Length: 28 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's Summary

"No series since George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire has quite captured both palace intrigue and the way that tribal infighting and war hurt the vulnerable the most." (Paste Magazine)

The final chapter in the best-selling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.

Daevabad has fallen.

After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people. 

But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara's dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.

Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad's deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother’s homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith. 

As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved...and take a stand for those they once hurt.

©2020 S. A. Chakraborty (P)2020 HarperAudio

Ecumenical. Exquisite. Exemplary.

Once in a lifetime we are graced by an author who writes as naturally as we breath. Who can cross borders and boundaries through the merely stoke of own. S. A. Chakraborty is such an author.

⚖️ Plot: Being the final installment of the trilogy, I was expecting one big twist. Instead, we enjoyed a plethora of them, all seamlessly woven in and timed to perfection. And talking about giving us closure, we were gifted not with one epilogue but an entire Part of the book of what ensues after the inciting event.

🗺 World: I cannot impress upon you enough how enchanting the world of Daevabad is... You don’t only get one set of mythical beings but entire tribes of Daeva, Djinn, Ifrits, Marids, Shedu and Peris. I can confidently say that you have never read anything like it your life!

💑 Characters: As with her encapsulating story, Chakraborty never gives us anything cliche or sappy. From Dara to Nahri to Ali, each gets their just deserves and yet the characters and readers are empowered to imagine their futures as they would wish from there on out. I could not have asked for a better end to this sensational trilogy.

91 hours to get my heart broken

The story was written very well. Narrator did a great job. I do feel some injustice for my favorite character. The past three books tell a story of suffering and redemption. He was given power he never wanted when all he desired was connection. His fate at the end left me in tears. I know the world is cruel and unfair but I wanted a happy ending for for this character and I felt he was robbed.

I found all the princes unlikable which is an unpopular opinion. They felt like entitled rich kids who end up getting everything they want. I guess that's how the world works?

I love the main female character. She is head strong and made the best choices she could. I love her story. Fantastic character development and unique.

Disappointed Fan

After reading the first two books in this trilogy I was anxious and excited to begin the Empire of Gold.

I persevered for more than half of the book and gave up. The joy and magic of the first two intriguing books was lost in anger and mean behavior by the characters which was uncharacteristic. The relationships between the characters no longer seem to hold together. I became disinterested.

Maybe it was a desire to get lost in the fantasy that propelled my interest in the previous books and the lack of magic in the last book that destroyed my commitment to completing the book. I rarely abandon books partway through. After the beautiful language and complexity of the first two Books, this one seemed redundant and as I said mean spirited. I hope for future novels of the caliber of the first two from this author.

I was disappointed and sorry to say goodbye to all of the wonderful characters after struggling with them for two long stories.

A fantastic finish to the trilogy!

The Empire of Gold picks up where the second book left off and tells its story from the PoVs of Nahri, Ali, and Dara. There are enough reminders that even if it’s been a hot minute since you read the second book you’ll understand what’s happening here.
I loved the first two books and the third does not disappoint. It is filled with action, intrigue, and Nahri’s cleverness. All plot points are resolved and questions answered. I would read anything else Shannon Chakraborty cares to write!
Soneela Nankani does a terrific job of voicing these characters. There was never a point at which I confused two people; everyone had a unique voice and I thought she did both men and women well.
I loved these books so much that I bought the hardbacks for a friend. How about a movie and a graphic novel? I’d devour those, too!

Great series for your Bookclub

I’ve been recommending this series to all my girlfriends.

4.5/5 - Pure 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

The fires burned so brightly for this series, there isn’t any oxygen left in the room. Whew.

ME: I like to read/listen to multiple books at a time.
THIS STORY: I’m an exception.

Great book

I enjoyed this book overall. The narrator did an awesome job. It definitely makes a difference when you listen to a book. I would definitely recommend this series.

Simply incredible

A perfect capstone to a spellbinding trilogy. One of those tales you wish you could read anew again and again. I highly recommend listening to this trilogy.

1/4 of this book needed to be edited out

First, Soneela Nankani did a fantastic job of narration. The shifts in characters from male to female, Daeva, Djinn and Marid were all handled flawlessly The story itself had some great moments, some very interesting intrigue etc. however it was far too “angsty” - waaayy too much internal guilt, moaning, complaining, and whining from several characters. I really could see 25% of this book chopped away by a good editor. Towards the end, after the climax, I thought the dénouement was excessively long. I enjoyed parts of the book, but really I was kind of relieved when it was over

Meh

My take is that one annoying and whiny character ruin the whole series for me. Forced myself to finish and the ending was disappointing. Meh.

Narrator was great though.

Great Finish!

Solid finale to the Trilogy. The author remains amazing at setting up plot points where you think you know what will happen, then going a completely different direction that is both believable but very unexpected. I loved the character growth, and while nobody gets a completely happy ending, the book ends in a very satisfying and appropriate way.