The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty

The Empire of Gold (The Daevabad Trilogy, #3)

by S. A. Chakraborty

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.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

5 of 5 stars

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I received a copy of The Empire of Gold in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 22 June, 2020: Finished reading
  • 22 June, 2020: Reviewed