maggiefan
Written on Aug 3, 2022
I liked the conclusion slightly less than the rest of the series, but it was still good.
The final chapter in the bestselling, 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 death of his people 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. Though Nahri is finding peace in the rhythms of her old 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.
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.
- ISBN13 9780008239534
- Publish Date 11 June 2020
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
- Imprint HarperCollins
- Edition Unabridged edition
- Format Audiobook (WAV)
- Duration 28 hours and 37 minutes
- Language English
- URL http://harpercollins.co.uk
Reviews
I liked the conclusion slightly less than the rest of the series, but it was still good.
Martha G
Written on Apr 19, 2021
Jo
Written on Nov 27, 2020
alindstadtcorbeax
Written on Aug 26, 2020
No words...
this series made me feel so very deeply... can’t believe it’s overrrr...
tweetybugshouse
Written on Jul 31, 2020
Quirky Cat
Written on Jun 22, 2020
The Empire of Gold is the third and final novel in S.A. Chakraborty's Daevabad Trilogy. All things considered – I am not emotionally prepared to see this series end. Yet all good things must come to an end, yes?
After the events of The Kingdom of Copper, it is safe to assume that Daevabad is fallen. Yet there's still a chance that it can be saved. Especially if Nahri, Ali, and Dara all work to achieve exactly that.
Unfortunately, the battles have only truly begun, with new (older) players entering the field, and long-held prejudices and pain taking dominance over everything else, including common sense and decency.
This should probably go without saying, but if you haven't read the first two books in the Daevabad Trilogy, you should do so first. You should also probably avoid all reviews of the final book in the series until you've done so – just in case.
“The storybook world of Daevabad was gone, replaced, and Cairo's mosques and fortresses and old brick buildings were hazy in the distance, heat shimmering off the surrounding desert and flooded fields.”
I can't believe this is it. The final novel in a beautiful series – arguably one of the best in recent times. I don't want to see Daevabad go. Nor do I want to let go of all the characters I've fallen in love with.
Honestly, after finishing The Empire of Gold, I think I stared down at the pages (well, ereader) for a good ten minutes before even attempting to move on with my life. I'm even being a little generous there. Likewise, I found myself staring at the screen for a while before diving into this review.
You see, the Daevabad Trilogy was so much more than three books to me. It really was an exquisite reading experience, one full lush descriptions, driven characters, and terrifying plot points. I fell for this world – hard. So naturally, the conclusion was bound to hit me harder than ever, regardless of how things worked out for Nahri, Ali, and Dara.
The Empire of Gold is an interesting novel, partially due to how the story was told. There were two main perspectives, and each chapter would rotate back and forth. I personally have always enjoyed this method of showing what is happening, but I also know that not everybody loves it. That being said, I really do think it was vital here. Tension had to be carefully built on both sides so that we all ended up at the same point.
One thing I have always found fascinating about this series is how extensive the worldbuilding is. Between that and the plot, this series has always had so much going for it. Yet there's no doubt that the fans all had their own preferred relationship endings – ones they felt VERY strongly about. Myself included. I had no idea how that was going to get resolved going into this book. I have to say (avoiding spoilers), I'm okay with what was done here. Justice was done to all of the characters involved.
Speaking of justice, that ending! That is an ending the series and fans deserved. It made sense, it was poetic, and it carried with it so much emphasis and importance. It was perfect, in that it was everything needed to wrap up the series and any loose ends.
I'm still incredibly sad to see this series go, but at least I know it was the right thing for the series. The right ending, for the fans and for the characters. I'll be interested in seeing what other fans thought of the conclusion, so if you've read it, feel free to PM me so we can talk about it more.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
cornerfolds
Written on May 21, 2020
Amber
Written on May 8, 2020
The Empire of Gold is, without a doubt, one of the best conclusions I’ve ever read. The City of Brass is one of the best series I’ve ever read, and I’m very glad that Chakraborty wrapped it up in this way. It’s full on perfection, so read my review below to hear my somewhat rambly thoughts on it.
If you’re interested, I’ve also uploaded a video review on Booktube, in which I almost cry on camera, get really protective of Nahri, and gush about how proud I am of everyone.
I can’t promise this review is going to be any good because since finishing The Empire of Gold yesterday I’ve been a bit emotiona and unable to put my thoughts together. Sorry everyone. But I also really need to talk about this book! So here I am.
So, let’s start off with the basics. The Empire of Gold is the third book in the City of Brass series, based on Middle Eastern mythology that involves djinn. And various other creatures, but that’s for later.
Unlike The Kingdom of Copper, there’s no time jump in this book. The Empire of Gold picks up with Nahri and Ali in Egypt, having accidentally fled Daevabad to escape Manizheh. Dara, meanwhile, is still wreaking havoc in the city as the djinn go into what is essentially lockdown. Muntadhir is imprisoned, and Jamshid is missing.
I’m not even sure where to start with my thoughts on this series, because it completely blew me away and mangled my brain. Will anything else ever live up to this? Probably not.
Okay so the plot. SO MUCH HAPPENS. You’ve got the three POV characters doing their own thing, mostly, and I loved how Chakraborty managed to split them up. Ali and Nahri were together for a lot of the book, but they both added to their storylines and having them together didn’t make any of their bits redundant.
Seeing Daevabad fall to Manizheh was soul destroying. You really get to know the city along with Nahri in the previous two books, and I was so attached to it. So seeing the way the djinn had to protect themselves and how they were treated by Manizheh and her people was awful. It really pulled on my heartstrings.
The plot moved along really nicely because Ali and Nahri were travelling a lot. It didn’t stagnate at any point, although I will say it started to almost (ALMOST, but not quite) drag for me in the middle because I kept wanting to go back to Daevabad to make sure my faves were okay. They were also discovering more things about the world(s) they live in, which was fascinating. The balance between new information and the old stuff was perfect, and a lot of the new stuff had been hinted at before so seeing it all come to fruition was beautiful.
The characters…. oh boy. Nahri continues to be an absolute boss. She’s gone from being a con artist in Cairo to a future queen in Daevabad, to embracing both sides of herself. There’s one part in the book where she realises she needs her con artist side to pull her through and win, so f*ck all the people who put her down for that.
Seeing her open up was wonderful. She’s always been on her own and fending for herself but now she slowly trusts people and stops lying to them and lets them in. Nahri is the most precious and I stan.
Ali has never really been my favourite character, but I’ve always really enjoyed his POV as wel as his character growth, especially from The Kingdom of Copper onwards. He also goes through a lot of growth in The Empire of Goldd. He stops acting so irrationally and impulsively, and uses his head a bit more. He also spends a lot of time figuring out his feelings for Nahri, which is fine, I guess. I don’t ship them together, but I do love their relationship.
Dara… is just f*cking tragic. Just when you think he’s going to realise what he’s doing and turn on Manizheh, he goes and does something even worse. He’s loyal to the Nahids and doesn’t know how to stop. I was honestly disgusted with his actions and the things he did in this book, and you’re supposed to be. But there’s also a small part of him that you hope will step up and change his course.
Chakraborty has done an INCREDIBLE job with developing these characters and giving them three separate and distinct storylines. She’s a very talented writer to get all of this so write.
And Muntadhir! 3 He could have been in this more to be honest. The book would have been even longer, and at 750 pages it’s already huge, but I wouldn’t have cared. He’s got a lot of potential if Chakraborty wants to write some short stories about him, iajs.
Manizheh is TERRIFYING. And super villainous. But you get it. There’s no redemption for her, but Chakraborty makes sure you understand why she is the way she is. She’s such a well written villain, and she puts a lot of other fictional villains to shame.
And the world building! If you thought you had a solid grasp on the worldbuilding in this trilofy and in The Kingdom of Copper then you are so wrong. Things that were hinted at in the previous books in the series were brought to light, touched upon, and expanded in The Empire of Gold. This world is so vast and complex that even the characters don’t know it that well.
I loved how Chakraborty brought back parts of the previous books. I’d strongly recommend rereading them if you can because you’re going to want to remember even little details. (LIKE THE CHEF).
Ultimately, I think the message to take away from The Empire of Gold and the Daevabad series as a whole is to show compassion. The villains in this series became villains because they stopped thinking about others. They only focused on the select lucky few instead of extending that compassion to everyone around them. So, like Nahri, be compassionate. Be kind. Be inclusive. And be understanding.
I think it’s a really beautiful message from a truly incredible series, and I’m so thankful that S. A. Chakraborty wrote this and shared it with the world.