The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1)

by S. A. Chakraborty

Discover this spellbinding debut from S.A. Chakraborty.

'An extravagant feast of a book - spicy and bloody, dizzyingly magical, and still, somehow, utterly believable' Laini Taylor, Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author

Among the bustling markets of eighteenth century Cairo, the city's outcasts eke out a living swindling rich Ottoman nobles and foreign invaders alike.

But alongside this new world the old stories linger. Tales of djinn and spirits. Of cities hidden among the swirling sands of the desert, full of enchantment, desire and riches. Where magic pours down every street, hanging in the air like dust.

Many wish their lives could be filled with such wonder, but not Nahri. She knows the trades she uses to get by are just tricks and sleights of hand: there's nothing magical about them. She only wishes to one day leave Cairo, but as the saying goes...

Be careful what you wish for.

Reviewed by roundtableknight on

5 of 5 stars

Share
“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.”
~
Review 4.5 stars (read May 27th, 2020)

This book. Wow.

If your looking for a rich and intricately woven Middle Eastern inspired story, this is it. When I started this book, I knew next to nothing about it. I had seen other people raving and suggesting it to read, so I thought I would check it out. I'm not disappointed. The story starts in 18th century Cairo, and what I love is that it mixes fantasy with history; the Ottoman empire, the oppression of the people down there. It weaves a tale that made it almost impossible to put down. The only thing that I had trouble with was the amount of information and backstory of the characters and their clans, but I know that as I read the next story it will get easier to understand.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 26 May, 2020: Finished reading
  • 26 May, 2020: Reviewed