The Kingdom of Copper

The Daevabad Trilogy #2

by S.A. Chakraborty

Return to Daevabad in the spellbinding sequel to THE CITY OF BRASS.

Nahri’s life changed forever the moment she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Whisked from her home in Cairo, she was thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabad and quickly discovered she would need all her grifter instincts to survive there.

Now, with Daevabad entrenched in the dark aftermath of the battle that saw Dara slain at Prince Ali’s hand, Nahri must forge a new path for herself, without the protection of the guardian who stole her heart or the counsel of the prince she considered a friend. But even as she embraces her heritage and the power it holds, she knows she’s been trapped in a gilded cage, watched by a king who rules from the throne that once belonged to her familyand one misstep will doom her tribe.

Meanwhile, Ali has been exiled for daring to defy his father. Hunted by assassins, adrift on the unforgiving copper sands of his ancestral land, he is forced to rely on the frightening abilities the marid, the unpredictable water spirits, have gifted him. But in doing so, he threatens to unearth a terrible secret his family has long kept buried.

And as a new century approaches and the djinn gather within Daevabad's towering brass walls for celebrations, a threat brews unseen in the desolate north. It’s a force that would bring a storm of fire straight to the city’s gates . . . and one that seeks the aid of a warrior trapped between worlds, torn between a violent duty he can never escape and a peace he fears he will never deserve.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adult, Audiobook, Magic, Mythology

625 pages, Hardcover

First published January 22, 2019

About the author

S. A. Chakraborty is the author of the critically acclaimed and internationally best-selling The Daevabad Trilogy. Her work has been nominated for the Locus, World Fantasy, Crawford, and Astounding awards. When not buried in books about thirteen-century con artists and Abbasid political intrigue, she enjoys hiking, knitting, and re-creating unnecessarily complicated medieval meals. You can find her online at www.sachakraborty.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @SAChakrabooks, where she likes to talk about history, politics, and Islamic art. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, daughter, and an ever-increasing number of cats.

Reviews

[zuza_zaksiazkowane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

1.) The City of Brass ★★★★★

content and trigger warnings for graphic violence, torture, death, murder, slavery, human trafficking, talk of stillbirth, talk of past threat of rape, and war themes.

Buddy read with Jocelyn at Yogi with a Book! ❤

[jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

if i thought ‘the city of brass’ was the start of an enticing and ambitious journey, then this next installment is the part of the trek where you have reached a fork in the road and you discover you have lost your map.

one road leads to a familiar civilisation and old problems. the way is lined with lush history, but requires a steep toll that many people cannot pay. is the guarantee to avoid the unknown worth the price?

the other direction leads to new leadership and the promise of being reunited with your loved one, but paved with violence along the way and the likely loss of your friends. is a possible future with more power and family worth the danger faced?

this installment proves that no matter which route you take, you sure are headed for a surprising destination, but not with sacrifices along the way.

i cant wait to see how this story ends.

↠ 4.5 stars

[Will Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you ever make a new world that properly addresses the wounds of the past? - from Lightspeed interview

The Kingdom of Copper is the second in S.A. Chakraborty’s Daevabad Trilogy, and it must be trying harder, as the first was amazing and this one is at least as good. I suppose you might pick this book up and have an entirely fine time reading it, but I would not advise it. If you have not read the first one, The City of Brass, jump on your flying carpet and dash off to your local bookstore. (Oh, and could you pick up some lamp oil at the bazaar on your way back? Thanks.) I suppose you could use one of your wishes to just make it appear, but really, that would be cheesy. It’s like Game of Thrones. Yeah, you can jump in at some point and catch up bit by bit, but, really, you have to be there from the beginning to get the most from it. Ditto here. Come back after you have read volume one, ok? And if you have already read #1, then Salaam and good evening to you, worthy friend.


Shannon A. Chakraborty - image from her site

So, when we left our heroes, Nahri, an orphan of a hustler from Cairo, who discovered she had skills, is stuck in Daevabad, the nominal city of the series title. Her buddy of a prince, Ali, had been banished from the kingdom for opposing his pop, the ruthless, genocidal, king Ghassan, and Darayavahoush (Dara to you and me), a complicated Djinn sort, monstrous warrior, hottie, and decent guy, was done in by said Prince Ali, although Ali may not have been entirely in charge of himself when it happened.


There is at least one sand ship that flies through the story, and this was the closest image I could find – image from Munin’s sketchblog

We are several years on. Nahri is married to Muntadhir, Ali’s older brother, the heir apparent, handsome, smart, and the epitome of Mr. Wrong. More of a political alliance than a love match. (Marry my son, or I will start slaughtering your people. Well, since you put it that way, sure.) Ali is making a life for himself in a desert town, using his newfound talent for things aqueous to locate underground water, or make it appear, or something. He is reluctant to make too much of a life for himself, as he remains the target of occasional assassins, and would spare potential family members the discomfort of having to plant him, or maybe get caught in the crossfire. Dara, who we thought was gone, is only sort-of gone. He is brought back from some plane of existence where he was wandering by forces that are less than divine, but hey, he gets to live a bit more, so whatev. On the other hand, Dara is enslaved again, made to take on a mission he would probably be happier skipping. (Mass slaughter is sooo last millennium) And he is stuck in a material form he is not thrilled with. So, a mixed bag. All three must contend with not only external hostile forces, but internal moral crossroads. (yeah, like Grand Central Station)

The World of the Daevabad Trilogy – from the author’s site

In book #1 we alternated between Nahri and Ali’s POV. This book adds Dara’s, although for far fewer pages than the other two. There is overlap, of course, as combinations of the three engage at diverse points.

Political intrigue continues to be a major feature here. Very GoT, as sundry tribal groups (even within families) vie for influence, power, and turf. Instead of the Seven Kingdoms with their associated Targarians, Lannisters, and Starks, et al, there are tribes. The Geziri are the current ruling class, to which Ali, Muntadhir, and Ghassan belong. Nahri is of the Daeva group. Her ancestors used to rule in Daevabad, until the Geziris drove them out with extreme prejudice. Since you read the first volume, (you read it, right?) you know, it gets complicated.


The City of Daevabad - image from author’s site

The motive force for the story in Book #2, Nahri has discovered the remnants of an ancient Nahid hospital in less than wonderful shape, and seeks to have it restored so she can expand her work. In addition, she has learned of non-magical healers in the city, and looks to join with them to broaden her knowledge base and treat all the city’s residents. As one might imagine, this notion meets considerable resistance from those in power. (No, not Steve King) But with the help of Ali, whom she hates, by the way, for killing Dara, (Ali had gotten suckered into coming back to the city, wondering if he would be slaughtered when he arrived.) there is some hope of gettin’ ‘er done. It takes a village, though. Others are brought in to the attempt and politics are played. (Can’t we all just get along?)

There is a big centennial event planned for the city, called Novatetem, Mardi Gras on steroids, parades, floats, feasts, competitions, and, well, there are folks who are planning some unpleasantness. The action accelerates as we get closer and closer, the November 1963 moment in Dallas, the coming hurricane, the ticking bomb. You know the deal. Michael Bay cum White Walkers cum ILM magnificence, and great fun. But also, with characters you care about trying to make it through.


Image by Juan De Lara

There are secrets aplenty, double-crosses, and some pretty neat magical tech. Toss in a few nifty large-scale monsters for good measure. One of the really cool things about the fabulous environment Chakraborty has created is that buildings constructed by the Nahid respond to Nahri, who is now the #1 Nahid in the place, so is referred to as Banu Nahri e-Nahid, (aka Banu Nahida) or Lady Nahri of the Nahid people, which comes with perks. Pictures on the walls of Nahid buildings animate when she passes. Things like that, and some that are more substantive. Pretty cool.

In addition to the internal struggles with which each of the characters must cope, there are broader-scale motifs. The notion of Occupied People is a strong one in the book.

[In medieval history] so many of these cities and civilizations were the products of waves of conquest. How does that shape the societies that survive them generations later? How do conqueror and conquered influence each other and how do their stories and legends of what happened get transmitted? Can you ever make a new world that properly addresses the wounds of the past? - from the Lightspeed interview

Image from Shkyscrapercity.com

It is a major challenge trying to figure out how to make peace with the travesties wrought on the Nahid by the Geziri, but also on others by the Nahid. How can you step off the eternal wheel of revenge and retribution, how can you heal the wounds of the past? In a very concrete way, Nahri attempts to do just that. Even though she was an impressive healer in book one, she was largely an uneducated one. But she has been working and studying hard, is learning some new tricks, and now, in a place that seems to act as a booster to her abilities, she is becoming an even better doctor. But can Nahri, in league with others, keep the city from descending into the usual cycle of eternal genocidal violence? Can she forgive Ali? Can she survive her crappy, shotgun marriage and her psycho genocidal father in law? It takes more than an ability to repair bodies to heal a city. Chakraborty’s decision to make Nahri a doctor grew out of her own experience.

I wrote a lot of this while managing a large obstetrics & gynecology practice (while my husband went to medical school), and I really wanted to capture the messy reality of medicine. It’s not always glamourous and noble; it can be exhausting, the work is bloody and tiresome and challenging, and sometimes your patients are terrible. It requires a confidence bordering on arrogance to cut into a person for their own good, and I wanted to show how a character might grow into that. - from the QuilltoLive interview

Image by Juan De Lara

There are bits of humor sprinkled throughout. My favorite is when a shape-shifter with a fondness for turning into a statue, cannot get back to normal, and Nahri is stuck removing pieces of rock from him. “But it’s so peaceful,” he pleads. There is another LOL scene in which Ali is compelled by his father to taste some impressively appalling dishes from around the kingdom. A ref to a hospital room specially designed to keep floating djinn from injuring themselves puts one in mind of a Mary Poppins scene in which characters and furniture dispense with gravity. These were delightful.

There are a lot of details to keep track of, tribes, places, words, characters. Thankfully appendices are provided, as are rather broad view maps, which I included here. My only disappointment with the book was that Dara did not get as much time as the other two, the definition of a quibble.


Image from The Thief of Baghdad

I’ve gotta say that volume 2 was a major page-turner for me. The ARE I read came in at 608 pages and I wished it were longer, really. (oops, there goes another wish. How many do I have left?) The action is almost non-stop. The characters are seriously engaging. There is actual character development. Moral considerations are treated seriously. There is real content woven into this fantasy world, an appreciation for the literary history of Islamic civilization, and there is wonderful creativity in the details of magic here. The Kingdom of Copper is pretty much all you could possibly wish for in a fantasy read. And you don’t even have to use up the limited supply in your special lamp.


Review first posted – January 18, 2019

Publication date – January 22, 2019

=============================EXTRA STUFF

Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages

Interviews
-----SYFY Wire - S.A. Chakraborty's The City of Brass started out as history fan fiction - by Swapna Krishna

Shannon Chakraborty didn’t want to be a writer when she grew up. “I wanted to be a historian, but I’ve been a bookworm since I was a kid,” she said. She originally wanted to be a historian, with a specialization in the Middle East. “That plan got a bit derailed for a variety of reasons, one of which was graduating in 2008 when the economy collapsed, so I figured I’d work while my husband went to medical school and keep my mind occupied with a little world-building/historical fan fiction,” she explains.

It’s that experience that led Chakraborty, who was born raised in New Jersey by blue-collar Catholic parents, to the seed that became The City of Brass. “It sprouted the day I set foot in the rare books library of the American University of Cairo,” she explains. There she lost herself in the stories and lore around her. “As a homesick, homework-laden, and rather wide-eyed new Muslim myself, I found in these stories a refuge; they spoke of a history that dazzled, a faith of breathtaking diversity in which my weird background was nothing new nor particularly noteworthy.”

-----The Quill to Live - The City of Brass – An Interview With S. A. Chakraborty

I come from a pretty big family and always enjoy seeing well-done portrayals of complicated, messy, exasperating and yet also still loving relatives; I think it’s a thing many of us can relate to. And I’ve always had a particular fascination with rival princes. They’re fairly common in history, and yet I can’t imagine the emotions that go behind making a decision to war against your own brother.
There was certainly some inspiration from my own family. My twin brother and I are very close, and I was very protective of him, especially when we were younger, even when we were fighting. This was definitely an emotion and dynamic that I was trying to capture with Muntadhir and Ali. Though my brother isn’t a wealthy, libertine playboy destined to rule a shaky kingdom so the similarities end there!

-----Pen America - On Magic, History, and Storytelling: The PEN Ten with S. A. Chakraborty by Lily Philpott – an interesting, wide-ranging chat
-----Lightspeed Magazine - Interview: S.S. Chakraborty - by Christian A. Coleman – Lots of excellent information here

Items of Interest
-----The World of Daevabad on the author’s site
-----Barnes & Noble - From City to Kingdom: S.A. Chakraborty on Building the Magical World of the Daevabad Trilogy - this is credited as B&N editors, but seems really the author talking about the development of her magical world
-----My review of Book #1 in the Daevabad Trilogy, The City of Brass

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

WRESZCIE JĄ SKOŃCZYŁAM!
Nie pamiętam kiedy ostatnio czytałam aż tak długo jakąś książkę... ale to naprawdę dobra fantastyka. Momentami trudno się połapać, w innych fragmentach jest może zbyt mozolnie, ale kończy się z poczuciem dobrze spędzonego czasu.

[Aimal (The Devils We Find)]

Clearing my review because if trilogies are so god awful at sticking the landing, the previous books are no longer good in my eyes unforch.

[Charlotte May · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good! Cannot wait for Book 3!!!

“Pragmatic. Heartless. That’s how you survive in this place. It’s how I’ve survived everything.”

What a fantastic sequel! A fantasy full of magic and political intrigue with long held grudges and feuds all coming to a head.

3 POVs. Nahri, Ali and Dara - I didn’t love Dara’s chapters all that much, but I understood they were crucial to the plot.

Nahri is married to Muntadhir and hating life. Meanwhile Ali’s father runs the show like a dictator controlling everyone and everything.

At the same time, ancient enemies are planning an attack on Daevabad and suddenly everyone’s lives are at risk.

There is war and violence, hatred between brothers. This book has pretty much everything you’d need in an epic fantasy novel. If you’ve not picked up this series yet then make sure you do!!

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

$1.99 Kindle sale, Feb. 21, 2020. 4.5 stars! Excellent sequel to The City of Brass, a near-Eastern inspired fantasy. I liked it even better than the first book, but you do need to read The City of Brass before this one.

Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:

The Kingdom of Copper, the second book in S.A. Chakraborty’s DAEVABAD TRILOGY, picks up soon after the ending of the first book, The City of Brass. Alizayd (Ali) al Qahtani, younger son of Ghassan, the king of Daevabad, has been exiled and is fair game for assassins. He's rescued by a raiding party from the drought-ridden area of Bir Nabat, who have noticed Ali’s newly-developed magical ability to summon water. Nahri has been forced by Ghassan into a loveless match with his older son Muntadhir, the pleasure-loving crown prince. Darayavahoush, the powerful djinn with a long and unspeakably violent past, is summoned from his sister’s side in the land of the dead to a new life by Nahri’s outlaw mother Manizheh, who controls Dara’s emerald slave ring and has plans to use him for her political takeover of the djinn's city of Daevabad.

After setting the stage, the story jumps forward five years. Nahri, who has long felt trapped by the royal family, finds new inspiration in her plan to restore a long-ruined hospital, helping the outcast shafit, who are of human/djinn mixed blood, as well as pureblooded djinn, or daeva. Ali’s magical affinity for water has brought new life to Bir Nabat, changing it from a wasteland to a fruitful place where Ali has found safety and respect. But political forces are combining to bring Ali back to Daevabad and into danger. And Dara has become Manizheh’s military advisor, helping her plan an invasion of Daevabad to retake the city from Ghassan and the Geziri tribe, who have controlled it for many years.

It’s always a pleasant surprise for me when the second book of a series isn’t a let-down, and I consider The Kingdom of Copper a better book than The City of Brass. Most of the confusing elements from the first book have been worked out. The plot is far more coherent and focused, and the pacing has noticeably improved. This is just excellent story-telling!

The point of view shifts between Nahri, Ali and Dara, but each of their stories pulled me in, and it was easy to see the connection points between the three plot threads and point-of-view characters. Each of these characters has a distinct challenge to overcome in his or her life, and in the process questions who they really are and what they want to achieve. It’s not a simple answer in any of their cases. Nahri and Ali both have parents who they love, but cannot agree with their actions. Dara is bound to assist Manizheh with her invasion, but has serious reservations about her plans.

This complexity of character extends itself to the secondary characters. It’s refreshing to see characters that I had dismissed as one-dimensional (Nahri’s husband Muntadhir is a good example) begin to display unexpected depths. Ghassan’s tyranny is indisputable, but it’s easy to see how his reign began with good intentions.

The related themes of conquest and oppression, so prevalent in The City of Brass, are explored in some new ways. Manizheh considers the city rightly hers, but her plans for taking it over begin to look suspiciously like the same methods her enemies used long ago. Revenge and violence are poisons that can make you morally indistinguishable from your enemies. Nahri’s efforts to rebuild the hospital and to serve shafit as well as Daeva may hold the seeds for cooperation and peace, but is it too late?

The Kingdom of Copper was both heart-wrenching and a pleasure to read. It’s certainly not all heavy and downbeat; there are doses of humor and enchanting magic, like the palace stairs that rise to help Nahri when she’s fleeing her enemy, along with the passageways that magically brick themselves up behind her. And it’s easy to root for the three main characters ― even Dara, by far the most morally gray of the trio. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book … even without the cliffhanger ending that promises to be a major game-changer!

Initial post: Me at 60%: I think I actually like this sequel better than the first book!
Update: YES. Yes, it is better than the first book! Genie djinni Daeva battles FTW!

I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss. Thank you!!

[Ashley Nuckles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ummm if I thought The City of Brass was good....holy sh*t this sequel blew my MIND. Didn’t even expect to finish this so quickly, but I breezed through the last half of the book in almost one single sitting.

Oh my god. Oh my GOD. I don’t even know what to say. I love this world, these characters, all the crazy crap that’s flying around but makes the story so unbelievably GOOD.

I’m obsesssssssed! Ready for book 3 please :-)

[Peyton Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really think I’m the only one who hates Dara’s guts with a passion and thinks Nahri and Ali are endgame lmao. Once again a really enjoyable book, but I just didn’t have that full 5 star feeling.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

me coming to the realization that I'll have to wait a whole year to know what happens next:



Seriously though! How date this book end like that? Who does it think it is? What right does it have to leave me hanging on that cliff all by myself?!?!?!

On a more composed and serious note, this book was so many times better than its predecessor, The City of Brass, in so many fantastic ways.

I read The City of Brass in February and while I had some problems with it, I actually really enjoyed it. One of my main issues with it was that it read very much like a YA novel at times. And while I do love YA novels, it made these characters seem childish at times. With this novel taking place five years after the end of the first, and with the stakes having been tremendously raised, there was no time for being juvenile here.

This is the book where the characters fully come into themselves and are able to really develop, especially Dara. While at first I was disappointed when I'd heard that Nahri and Dara didn't interact for the first 90% of the novel, I was actually really glad for it. Seeing them focused on things other than each other allowed me to see true character development. Here we also get to read from Dara's point of view for the first time and it was fascinating to see the world and the war and all that was happening through his eyes. His contradicting beliefs and inner conflict when it came to both his and Manizheh's actions definitely added depth to his character.

Also, Ali! You thought I forgot about him, didn't you? Ali has grown so much! While I liked him in book one, his chapters were a bit on the boring and long-winded side, but that was part of his personality in a way. All he ever talked about was politics in book one. In this book, we actually get to see some action and emotion out of him and it was so good!

And all the other characters were great too. I also really enjoyed all the minor charcters and their arcs, especially Ali's siblings, Muntadhir and Zaynab.

Now, there is politics. I really enjoyed them in book one although they oftentimes felt a bit overwhelming. This book had just the right amount of intrigue and family drama and city politics. There was no one right side. Everyone is standing in a morally gray area, doing what they need for what they believe is their right. Everyone believes themselves justified in their cruel actions and their hatred. Everyone was equally wrong, and yet, in a way, I could completely see and understand where each of them was coming from. To manage such a complex system in a book this big is certainly a talent that S. A. Chakraborty has clearly mastered.

And that ending! I was honestly so stressed for the entire last 20% of this book. I was at the edge of my seat, wondering what the heck was going to go down. So many questions have been answered in this book. And now I have even more questions than ever before! I am super excited to see how it's all going to end in Empire of Gold and am only sad that I have to wait a whole year to find out!

(Also, I kinda really ship Dara and Nahri, so something better happen in the next book that brings them back together!)

Overall, I totally recommend this series! But be warned, book one does drag a bit in the middle and is, for the most part, little more than a very long prologue to this novel. And while I clearly suck at convincing you to read it, I promise that it was actually quite good!

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[Kilikina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

The Kingdom of Copper was my most anticipated book of 2019, hands down. Ever since I finished The City of Brass, I couldn’t wait to read this sequel. I was counting down the days; my anticipation for this was so high. I am so upset that I didn’t love this more... :(

The second half, more specifically the last 30% or so, was really the redeeming part of this. I really, really struggled to get through this. That’s something I NEVER anticipated.
I feel like everything I adored in The City of Brass was just nonexistent here. Sometimes it hooked me, but I was never truly transfixed or captivated while reading this. The first book was magical and so engrossing, this was missing that. I kept reading for the sake of my love for the first book, I had to see if this eventually got better. And thankfully it did, but it took so long to get to that point.

I should be dying to read the third book, but instead I’m left feeling sad that I didn’t love this. I’m sincerely hoping the last book turns my feelings for this series around.


Thoughts before reading:
———————
ME AFTER READING THE LAST LINE OF THE DESCRIPTION

________

UPDATE: release date pushed back to January 2019........⚰️⚰️⚰️

Dying for even a SLIVER of info about this! 😩

[Jade Ratley · Rating 5 out of 5]

9.14 on CAWPILE.

I adored this.

[Deborah Obida · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is ten times better than book one. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was hard for me to put down, the writing and characters were more matured than the first book.

This book has a five year time jump, I didn't mind much, it made it easier to understand lots of things. The beginning was quite slow but things picked up later. The fight scenes were perfectly depicted.

World building and Writing
There is a major improvement in the world building department, its way better than that of book one which was none existent. The book is written in third person multiple POVs of Nahri, Ali and Dara.

Characters
Nahri is more matured than before, she is even more cynical than before due to the incidents in the first book. Even at that she a confident young lady, she goes for what she believes in and she is so kind.

Ali managed to survive his exile, just when things started going well for him trouble strikes again. I feel bad for him though. In a way he is still as naive and pious as he once was but now he toned it down a bit.

“You don’t stop fighting a war just because you’re losing battles, Alizayd. You change tactics. Surely, that’s a lesson you learned in the Citadel.”

Dara was an idiot 90% of the book, like how could he that is thousands of years old and be that naive. He lets Manizheh detects his actions, just can't wait for book three.

And he had gone along, had bowed his head in submission to a Nahid again and dismissed the disquiet in his soul. Now it had blown up in his face.
It wasn’t even the first time. His own history had taught him nothing.

I also like Jamshid and Muntadhir even though the later was annoying most of the time but he made up for it at the end of the book.
Jamshid is Nahri's brother, they share a mother.

[Sîvan Sardar · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS INSANE THIS BOOK IS INSANE THIS BOOK IS INSANE THIS BOOK IS INSANE

this is the best MENA Adult fantasy I have ever read in my life. I devoured the first in this trilogy, I dare say the SEVOND is INSANELY better which is in itself crazy to say considering how much I loved it.

I cant, I’m fucking reeling, the politics in this book were the best I’ve ever read, the constant shift in power was addicting at best and so intense at other times - seeing relationships tested as a result of this power shift was KAHSAJEHWKWHAKEHAJSH STOP

so many deaths, it felt like so many characters changed for the worse and i had no idea how they could redeem themselves but my GOD MY STUPID BRAIN COULDN’T CONJURE UP THE EVENTS OF THIS BOOK IT WAS JUST INSANITY, PURE FRICKING INSANITY

ALIZAYD AL QAHTANI IS MY ULTIMATE BOOK BOY, I HAVE SAID IT AND I SHALL REPEAT IT AGAIN

muslim, on deen, justice seeker who holds a warmth and kindness within his heart for all? babe pass me the marriage certificate, i’m about to have a spring wedding

cant recommend this series enough i want to cry akshakehwjsh

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[✨ A ✨]

Okay no. Sorry, but not even Ali could get me through this 😩

DNF
___
I'm continuing this series for Alizayd alone

[Katie Colson · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf @ 67%

Listen, I read the first half of this TWICE. And while I understand what's going on now, I just don't care. I took a step back and realized that if I am over halfway through the series and still don't care, I don't think I am going to magically start caring in the last half. So, unfortunately, this series is a permanent dnf for me.

[Jonathan O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** Major Spoilers***

3.5⭐

‘The Kingdom of Copper’ is S.A. Chakraborty’s sophomore novel but there is no sign of second book syndrome here. It is a firm but subtle step up from its predecessor. Shannon demonstrates a masterful understanding of social and political tension and The City of Daevabad is dripping with it. The book is only let down by a slightly anti-climactic final confrontation following a superb leadup.


As was the case in ‘City of Brass’, Chakraborty’s talent for vivid descriptions of the environment and the objects/people within turns an otherwise mundane picture into a crystal-clear image. It might not seem like much but I felt like more often then not her use of simile hit the nail on the head.

“… he watched the ferry course through the water. Its stern looked like a blunt knife dragged through oil, leaving not a single wave in its wake.”

“He and Manizeh flew East, traveling across a stunning landscape that spread before them like crumpled silk…”

As I said, not exactly poetic or anything, but paints the picture remarkably well.

By the same token, she does have a tendency to use the same phrases with regards to character’s mannerisms enough that it’s definitely noticeable. My “jerked back like he/she had been slapped” counter is off the richter.


I also have to praise the all-consuming tension weaved into The City of Daevabad throughout these pages. There is so much distrust, paranoia, resentment and open hatred bottled up in these pages that it was only a matter of time before these feelings manifested themselves in bloodshed. Up until about 300 pages through the book, the situation looked truly hopeless.
At some point, Nahri decides she wants to rebuild an old hospital and, with the help of a shafit healer, intends to heal anyone who requires attention, regardless of race or tribe. This was like a beacon of hope amongst all the negativity within the book.
There is a conversation between Nahri and Jamshid which makes it clear how deeply the Djinn’s (particularly the Daevas) prejudice against the Shafit is embedded in the psyche of their people. Nahri is trying to convince Jamshid, an otherwise kind and thoughtful individual, that the hospital should be available to all those in need and he strongly resists before being persuaded by the idea that peace is earned by coming together, not by separating ourselves. It’s unfortunate that despite the strong, positive message that this scene holds, Nahri has largely chosen Jamshid to convince as a means of upsetting Muntadhir.

“I’m tired of everyone in this city feeding on vengeance. I’m tired of teaching our children to hate and fear other children because their parents are our enemies.”

Amen Ali, Amen.


The characters are expanded upon well. They follow well established tropes but definitely have attributes all their own.

Nahri and Ali are both coming to grips with their newly developing powers. Ali, due to his seeming possession by one of the fabled Marid and Nahri due to her inherent Nahid connection to the city of Daevabad. Nahri grows in confidence and capability throughout this book and begins to take her situation by the balls as opposed to ‘City of Brass’ where she had no idea what she was doing and was just going with the flow. These two seem to be the only main characters truly sympathetic to the Shafit’s plight.

“I renounced my Afshin. I married your son. I bow my head while you sit on a shedu throne. But if you try to take this from me, I will rip this city and your family apart.”

Muntadhir cranks the asshole level up to 11. He believes that Ali wants to take both Nahri and his promised throne from him. He feels both insulted and embarrassed with the amount of time that Ali and Nahri spend together and threatened by the fact that Ghassan has a great fondness for his brother despite his constant disobedience. We see him spiralling into alcoholism and most likely depression. He makes some awful choices which will be hard to come back from.

Dara is frustrating. There are several times throughout the book where he redeems himself and doesn’t look entirely like the monster painted in the first novel that just blindly hates on every Shafit and Geziri that ever lived. The first is when he sees Kaveh for the first time since gravely injuring Jamshid. He shows true remorse here. The second is when he begins to question Manizeh’s tactics after witnessing the true effect of the copper vapour that she intends to use on the geziri and openly confronting her about it. The problem is that regardless of how much compassion he shows through his words, he never has the conviction to follow through on them. He seems a mentally weak character, easily manipulated and coerced into taking part in unspeakable things even after reflecting on the exact same mistakes that he made in the past. I mean, he’s working with the Ifrit! It was an Ifrit that enslaved him for 1400 years! I suppose you could argue that being enslaved for 1400 years has made it impossible for him to act on his own wishes. That is a hell of a long time!

We’re also introduced to Hatset, Ali and Zaynab’s mother, who I think has the potential to be a really strong character. She reminds me of Olenna Tyrell, grandmother of Queen Margaery from GOT, and she was a boss.


At this point, it doesn’t seem fair to have Nahri end up with any of the guys in this series.
Muntadhir is not a genuine option. She was coerced into marrying him and essentially blackmailed into having sex with him. On top of this physical abuse was the emotional, relentlessly belittling her and turning a blind eye when his soldiers referred to her as his Nahid whore. Make no mistake, he’s a fucker. Side note: It’s beyond messed up that she found any pleasure in that setup whatsoever.
Ali and her have a great friendship that has stood up through some testing circumstances. He’s definitely the most likely of the three but despite what Ali would like, I don’t think it fits.
The third option is Dara… Nope. There’s no coming back from the shit that he’s done. Holy shit, that guy is mentally unstable. I don’t “ship it” or “stan it” or whatever else the kids are saying these days (Stop saying that kids, you sound ridiculous).

The book ended on a massive cliffhanger so needless to say there are a lot of loose ends to be resolved. I have high hopes for a strong ending to this compelling trilogy.

[Twins.reading.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

S. A. Chakraborty didn't disappoint us again, she's a freaking professional writer, her World she has created is magnificent and we've never read such a well written structure within a book! She really keeps enchanting us with her very beautiful stories, original and interesting topics!
The whole concept of the book is intense and while reading this will be very stressful and intriguing, but in a kind of way you'll love it!
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The book is told from three different point of views, Nahri, Ali and Dara! The whole book is packed and sorted very well and it makes it such a fun road to know the characters stories! Their journey is merged in different problems, and drama doesn't miss either! As a muslim I enjoyed how the Author portrays the Islamic Culture within the book, it really makes it pure and true!
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The details of the book are very interesting and unique each page is rich with amazing words! The Kingdom of Copper is filled with betrayal, shock scenes and grief and also the setting of the background is outstanding beautiful, I'd love to see this in a major picture it deserves it so much!
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The tensions were going just higher and higher making this a fast pace and page-turner, the chaos and the dark acts were all unpredictable and complicated but in the end everything was incredible like I never loved an ending in a book more than this! ( of course it's not the ending of the series, we need to wait for book no 3 to see the ending of all)!
The Kingdom of Copper is very magnificent politically attractive sequel which will blow your mind with the perfect writings of Chakraborty!

[Kitty G Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Reread in 2021 and the thoughts below are still very much true. Still a solid 4*s and excited to now finish up the series and see where it ends as that one is new to me!**

I really enjoyed this one and I am super glad that I have audiobooked both of these as I think the narrator gives a more immersive look at the Egyptian-inspired culture of this world. This is a sequel so I cannot say too much about the plot, but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the direction this book took, and although I have some small quibbles with some of the ways that the author acted, I think it's a whole lot of fun to read through too.

Nahri is our main character throughout the series, but we also follow Dara and Ali who have become very key players in the world of Daevabad too. I think that they all have something unique to bring, Ali is overly caring, sometimes too much; Nahri is a character trapped by others but determined to do good and use what power she does have; Dara is a character whose story has taken quite a few meandering turns, but he now serves a woman with the potential to destroy a lot of people.
I like each of them in their own way and they also all frustrate me at times, but I think this makes them realistic and I think that the politics and crazy manoeuvring of these characters keeps you on your toes :)

I definitely recommend it and I think that this is a series a lot of people who want a new setting for fantasy would enjoy. 4*s from me.

[clem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instagram | youtube

4/5 shook Stars

Instagram | blog



WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR TO READ THE SEQUEL?!

RTC.

[Grace A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! The second book was even better than the first. The tension between the royals, suffering among the masses, and power-struggle between ancient magical beings. It got ugly pretty quickly.
Nahri has seen more pain, suffering and death as a young healer than most trained soldiers, and as if the pressure was not enough, she was forced to dance to the tune of the king, or it is death for the people she cared for. All of that combined was nothing compared to what happened when war finally broke out, and the mastermind turned out to be the least people Nahri expected.
I also enjoyed seeing the love triangle between Nahri, and the two major players, from opposing sides of the war. I can't wait to see how it is resolved in the last book in the series.
So far, so great. I am moving on to the last book in the series. 5 Stars.

[Gamar ❤ [updated] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome back to the Zaydi show ! Where I mostly showcase Ali’s amazing features (I swear even his flaws are attractive ) and drone on and on about how much I love him . But that aside , I read this book so fast I can barely remember it’s contents ! I’m gonna take that as an excuse to reread it . From what i do remember though , this was a whirlwind of emotions ; from despair and hate to anger to love , resulting in something bittersweet and passionate . The characters have come to mean a lot more to me and this book just feels like a homecoming . I am absolutely smitten with this triology.

He kept his gaze on the floor as he passed her( she was uncovered)"In peace" , he said softly .
"Go jump in the lake",she returned under her breath in arabic . She saw him tense but he didn't stop.

I know -oooomphhh . see what i mean ?so unecessary but we'll just let that slide .
Lets begin with Nahri this time . I came to like her a lot more in this book than the one before , maybe coz she opened her eyes to the light of our lives Alizayd *swoons* ahem ahem , sorry back to Nahri .Its the independance , strength and wisdom of the females this time round . From Nahri trying to make life better for those in Daevabad , refusing to be controlled and opening her own hospital with an awareness that ensures safety , to the sceptic doctor Subha and her modern , genius methods and ideas , to the queen Hatset ruling Ta Ntry and seizing up Ghassan ( i swear he holds so much power that it feels wrong to not have his name in full caps ) and lets not forget Nisreen I like when ppl die in books coz it makes it more realistic . Nahri is determined after being thrust into a whole new world ( excuse the unintentional aladdin pun😂 ) , she remained strong and and adapted to her surroundings and situation . You gotta give it to her , girls been through a lot .

"Nothing we cant fix " Nahri plastered a grin on her face . She was determined to win over the other healer today . "Would you like some refreshments before we take a tour ? tea?
"Im fine", Subha replied , her expression displeased. "Lets get this over with"
The blunt refusal of her hospitality ruffled something very deep in the egyptian part of her heart , but Nahri stayed polite. "Certainly "

Applause , truly . Lets all clap for Nahri please . Babes just witheld her Arabness AND was civil? wow . Think of it like this : She DIDNT make tea or kahwa BEFORE her guest arrived and accepted her refusal without insisting ATLEAST 100 times? Yall should know when youre offered 'just a lil dessert' which is really a whole tableful, you just SUCK it up wallah . THEN LATER is when you can go throw up the ridiculous amount you were made to eat . Trust me thats choosing the easy way out. Not to mention this girls name is Subha ? as in 'the morning after '? After as in...after...👀 . I loved these CULTURAL references with some of the arabic thrown in...it just made me feel so warm inside.Nahri wanting so desperately to be of egyptian lineage as well ... everyone knows arabs are hella proud and boy was she💕

"Dont be ridiculous", Jamshid touched Muntadhirs cheek."I want you to come to me with things like this",he smiled."To be honest...the rest of your companions are fairly useless sychophants"
That drew a laugh from her husband."Whereas I can always rely on you to honestly insult me"
"And keep you safe"

Jamshid and Muntadhir- The ship lives on !!! c'mon theyr too cute. They've got this forbidden/secret romance thing going on . With Muntadhir being the easygoing , charming and fun crown prince and Jamshid ,his sweet ,caring 'best friend' at his side . I absolutely love Jamshid if you didnt know. throughout . Muntadhir and I...half half , hes way too comfortable as he is and idk . lemme give u a lil extra jamshid scene u might remember. eh? eh?

Jamshid shifted in his saddle , looking pleased with himself. "This should do nicely . oh what? "He asked when i glared at him . "Your not my mother . I dont need your permission" . He brought his hand together as if holding imaginary reins . "Im your elder anyway"

"Im your Banu Nahida! " , she argued back."I could...I could...", she trailed off,thiniking fast.
Jamshid , the former priest in training turned to face her ."You could do what?" , he asked her politely.

:))))))))
Because a lost little girl from Cairo thought she was living in some sort of fairytale and because for all of her supposed cleverness , she couldnt see that the dashing hero who saved her was its monster

Dara- At first i was intrigued to see that Dara would be getting his own POV . I wanted to hear his thoughts , understand him a lil more , maybe explore ideas of morality .I expected too much tho bcz boy was his POV BORING . I wasn't even the slightest bit surprised when he died and was brought back to life, like god , how many times has he been revived ?! The poor lad just cant catch a break . Complex ideas about sense of duty WERE included but i couldn't help disliking Dara here . its like this whole chain ; he suffers , he makes others suffer , he's manipulated over and over and over again... we should just leave him alone. Let him ride out his old age peacefully .

But then...she became so much more . He had felt shockingly free with her - to be a normal man and not the celebrated Afshin or the despised scourge , free to exchange flirtatious barbs with a quick witted beautiful woman and delight in the unexpected stirring her magnetic,mocking grin caused in his shuttered heart . All because Nahri hadn't known their history . She was the first person Dara had spoken to in centuries who knew nothing of his past-so he'd been able to leave it behind

sighhh . I mean its great that Dara wants to change , it gives him some chance of redemption and yes- it makes sense that he would like to leave behind his past and horrid memories . But he cant . Honestly i see reason he shouldn't end up with Nahri from this ( no I'm not just focusing on the romance but cmon! i had to decide my ship before the final book!) He's only listed that he likes how she makes him feel-normal . Nahri could only do so before she learnt more about him , it changed things . Dara needs someone who make shim feel that way regardless of his past , him wholly. But before that he needs to work on himself , his mental health , mindset and surroundings.

"Because my brother is coming back to Daevabad"
The moment i was waiting for . My hands went up in the air as i swayed to the sweet tune those word evoked . My love returns!

"Take your fathers offer"She said firmly. "You can help people in Am Gezira without getting killed . Marry some woman who will love to hear you ramble about canals ( i cant believe she forgot economics *eye roll* the incompetence Nahri ) and have a whole band of children you'll undoubtedly be too strict with" . she cupped his cheek , her thumb brushing his beard . She didn't miss the sudden racing of his heart nor the sadness rising in her own.

Ali seemed speechless, his eyes flickering nervously across her face. It would have to do. she stood up , dropping her hand and stepping away . The sudden sting in her eyes "Go steal some happiness for yourself , my friend" she said softly " Trust me when i say the chance doesn't always come back"

This book is mainly where i developed my love for Ali from . He's still so unexpected and keeps surprising me , serious character growth . from being his brothers heartfelt sword to a coupe d'etate . Bruh! Its also where my ship began . THE YEARNING

It terrified her . Because whatever history was between them , Nahri did not think she had it in her to watch the kind man who'd built her this office , this quiet homage to the home she still loved- the man who'd taught her to read and helped her summon flames for the first time- to be executed in the arena.

Ali has always been there for her whereas Dara was just there in brief moments of fleeting passion . Ali wrote her letters from Am Gezira when she wouldn't even reply ! Letters ! I could cry from how much i wish Alizayd was mine.

Its our only hope of defeating them , are you with me ?"
Ali took a deep breath but then clasped her hand and climbed to his feet "Until the end"

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3,5 stars)

"Get out. You want to avoid a war? Then get out of my garden before I bury this in your heart."

This is a three POV book, told by the POVs of Nahri, Ali and Dara.

I really liked Nahri´s independence in this book. She is so stubborn that it sometimes almost bothered my a little, but she stayed true to herself and to her path the whole book long. As to who is the love interest, I am honestly a little bit confused. At this point I don´t know if it is Dara or Ali anymore and I don´t even know if this will be a love triangle incoming, but I guess I´ll have to wait and see for the third book.

I really liked that this book has a lot of strong women and that it is filled with women power (however morally grey that might be). I liked loads of the side characters, although I would have loved to see more of the newly added ones. They felt like they barely had any backstory or depth to them.

The world building and the magic systems and everything in this book is so rich and it really is a lot, which I loved. The book is really politcially driven, there is a lot of talking politics, a lot of political schemes etc etc, which normally isn´t really for me. I enjoyed parts while others felt a bit long and slow to me. But if you are somebody who enjoys a fantasy book with lots of politics, I feel like you would love that aspect about the book. Overall the pacing seems fine, some parts seem a lot slower than others, and to be honest I feel like this book could do with a few less pages and bit faster pace.

Overall it was a good read that I enjoyed and I am looking forward to reading the third and final book.

trigger warnings: war, executions, rebellion, trauma, terror attack

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers for the first book in the series.

Pros:
- Nahri being a badass
- Dara being a badass
- Muntadhir being unexpectedly sweet
- Ali being an idiot

Cons:
- Ghassan being a jerk
- Dara being a jerk
- Muntadhir being a jerk
- Ali being an idiot

Also there was so much more hatred and pain and death and scheming characters and my heart just couldn't. handle. it.

The pace is a little uneven compared to The City of Brass so I was worried from the slower start that I might not like it as much. But once Ali and Nahri were reunited, I was happy again. It's very dynamic and by the end it devolves into absolute chaos which was a lot of fun but also nearly stopped my heart from fear and pain. So ... yay?

The politics still confuse me, as well as who is in what tribe and who has what magic and why things are scandalous etc. so that got a bit frustrating, but there is a glossary and cast of characters at the back which helps a little.

There was not nearly enough Dara for my liking, but I like how powerful he is. I did NOT like him being M's lapdog, though. I just did not like her one bit at all. Dara belongs with Nahri and if you disagree with me on this I will fight you.

I also liked Ali's new friends. They seem nice.

The whole persecution of the shafit really made me sad, and I got so frustrated at how people were just constantly jerks to others. It's part of why I love Ali so much, even if he's an idealistic idiot sometimes. He's just so honest and raw and there's no faking from him. He's such a pure soul.

I really love this world, but DAMN does it have some issues.

Very much looking forward to the next (and final, I believe) book in the series where hopefully everyone will sort their sh*t out.

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilfe, war das gut!! Ich bin fix und fertig und kann es kaum erwarten, den dritten und letzten Teil zu lesen. Was für ein Meisterwerk!!

[hiba · Rating 4 out of 5]

CWs: violence, mass murder, torture, mention of self-harm, mention of implied rape, mentions of past genocide, racism

Rep: all-POC cast, Middle Eastern setting, Egyptian-raised MC, Muslim MC, side mlm characters, minor wlw characters

I have to say this is the most unexpected fave I’ve had in a long while, especially since I wasn’t a fan of the first book. While I liked City of Brass, I also had quite a few issues with it. But most of those problems get fixed in this sequel, plus the things I liked about the first book – the political intrigue, the worldbuilding, the action – are expanded here in ways I didn't predict.

- The worldbuilding – I think the author did a great job of further developing an already well-established world. We have three POVs this time around and all three of our main characters are separated for a large part of the book; thus, we get a more in-depth look at the places around Daevabad (e.g. Am Gezira) as well as more of the separate djinn quarters and the internal politics dividing them within Daevabad. I also liked how the lore and the mysteries surrounding the original daevas and the marid were expanded, alongside the historical events behind the main conflict.

- The writing – I continue to be impressed with just how beautifully immersive Chakraborty’s writing is. The descriptions are so vivid and magical, they really make you feel like you’re experiencing everything right beside the characters – and it’s all balanced quite nicely with the dialogues. The action scenes are also really well-written and easy to picture.

- The plot + pacing – Just perfect this time. Compared to the first book, Kingdom of Copper is even more of a slow burn but actually done well. Unlike in the first book, I was hardly bored. While this sequel is comparatively lighter on the action, it goes all out when it comes to political machinations, betrayals, manipulations, scheming – which I was so here for. The pacing is more even and there is a carefully maintained, steady rise in tension and intrigue that all comes together amazingly by the end. Also, I feel like the plot is way more intricate and tighter this time; I could actually see all the pieces slowly fitting together, which made my reading experience that much more satisfying.

- The themes of bigotry and discrimination are as strong as ever here – I appreciate how the author really goes deep in her exploration of racial segregation and “blood purity” and how it creates a rot in society – she doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable consequences of this kind of prejudice. Plus the way the escalating violence between the daevas and the shafit was exploited by certain people in power is pretty reflective of our current world.

But of course none of this would mean as much if the novel didn’t have strong protagonists to hold it all together (and by protagonists I mean Ali):

- Alizayd – *deep breath* I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM WITH EVERY PART OF MY BEING. Objectivity? What’s that?? Don’t you dare say anything against him, I will not hear it!! Okay, in all seriousness, his development is fantastic. He’s just as much of the stubborn impulsive brat that we know of but I feel like he’s slightly more jaded this time. Along with his struggles to choose between his loyalty to his family and his morals, he also has to grapple with leaving behind a relatively peaceful life to willingly throw himself into danger. He’s more aware than ever of the messy politics within Daevabad and how much trouble he could get himself into, but that still doesn’t stop him from doing the right thing – and THIS is why I love him. Despite all his faults – his stubbornness, his rigid views, his recklessness – he’s an inherently kind, empathetic and selfless person. He always puts others before himself and is forever ready to sacrifice his own peace and safety to stand up for the poor and the oppressed.

- Nahri - She’s still somewhat selfish and self-preservative but in this book, she opens her eyes to all the cruelties happening in Daevabad beyond her own tribe (even if it's kinda late in my opinion), and takes risks to stand by her values. She’s determined to regain the agency she’s lost to all the men around her trying to control her life (about damn time).

- Even the characters I strongly disliked in this book – aka Dara and Muntadhir – were complex enough for me to appreciate their roles in the story (just kidding, Dara is an absolutely abhorrent waste of a character and I wish I never had the misfortune to come across him).

But what this author does best is endings. Those last 100 pages destroyed my nerves and had me shaking. Seriously, Chakraborty has a gift for writing the most action packed climaxes and endings ever. My mind will not be at peace until I get my hands on Empire of Gold.

[Fadwa (Word Wonders) · Rating 5 out of 5]

CW: Violence, murder, excessive drinking/alcoholism, mention of self-harm, death of a few side characters, mass murder, segregation, racism, gore.

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review*

Full review originally posted on my blog: Word Wonders

Question: What do you do when you read your most anticipated book ever and it turns out to be your favourite book ever?
Answer: You cry. You just cry and cry and cry.
Seriously , it’s almost been a month since I’ve finished The Kingdom of Copper at the time where I’m writing this review, and it’s still consuming my every thought. HOW DO I MOVE ON FROM A BOOK THAT’S RUINED ME? I still don’t compute how it managed to surpass my expectations by so much when they were already through the roof and I have no clue how to write this review.

The writing is absolutely exquisite just like in The City of Brass. It immersed me right back into the story and the world from the very first few sentences, that’s just how atmospheric and magical it is. The description are also incredibly immersive, they feel like a living thing, a character of their own, I could easily imagine myself in every scene of the book, feeling myself between its pages, so much so that I found myself thinking “I need to go back and finish the movie…oh…wait no, it’s a book”. It’s my favourite book. It’s the book that’s caused my downfall. *cries*.

The Kingdom of Copper picks up five years after the end of The City of Brass which I didn’t expect and shook me when I started reading but it worked so wonderfully for the story. It gave time to things that needed to happen and develop and would’ve made for boring storytelling and taken up unnecessary page space to happen organically and for the story to pick up at a point where more crucial-to-the-plot things happen. And that is an incredibly smart move on the author’s part if you ask me. Because it made this book the strongest, mind-blowing sequel I’ve ever read. It made it the best book I’ve ever read, period.

Starting my read I thought I knew everything there was to know about the world, that I was well armed to face anything Chakraborty decides to throw at me because it doesn’t get any worse than the first book, and well… I’M BOO BOO THE FOOL! The world is complex and so deeply studied and detailed that the more I read the more I learned and the more I realized how little I actually knew. There are so many layers to the world, the history, the plot, the characters, the politics, the secrets, that I just kept flipping page after page desperate to know more, to know everything.

What I loved most is that this book expanded outside Daevabad. And I know what you’re going to say, the first book did as well. But not in the same way. Whereas that one was a journey book, this one scattered our main characters and we got to see other places as more than a passing by scenery. And we also see more of Daevabad, learn more about each specific quarters and their inhabitants as well as the flimzy relationships and shaky peace between all of them.

The plot of The Kingdom of Copper is a lot more intricate and fast paced than that of The City of Brass and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. It’s just so heart stopping, head spinning and I honest to God did not catch a break for the whole 600+ pages. And I don’t mean that every second of it is a battle, not at all, but there’s this tension and sense of urgency through it all that made me feel like something would go wrong in the next page, the next sentence I read. It’s still highly relying on the politics and scheming and if you ask me, that’s the best thing. Because every character is calculating, not knowing who to really trust, always watching their backs and OOF the stress.

While being a high fantasy story, The Kingdom of Copper also manages to tackle some very human, very timely topics and that’s reason #57583292 it’s my favourite book. First off, we have racism and segregation, the Shafit who are mixed between Jinn and humans are treated like dirt by most “pureblood” Jinns and the author doesn’t just mention that in surface level, she also digs deep and explores in gritty detail the workings and repercussions of such discrimination in that Jinn society. Don’t get me wrong, this is a thing in the first book as well, but with the political climate changing, bigots start getting louder and more violent, which… is a horrifying mirror copy of our current world.

Then at the center of the book is an incredible exploration of human motivations, especially revenge, and how far people who are consumed by it can be willing to go to achieve their plot, even if their purpose starts off noble, it twists it and turns it until they’re willing to go to any lengths, even the most obscure ones to get their vengeance. In addition to that, it talks and shows extensively how people’s actions don’t exist inside a vacuum and can and do affect other people, even those who seem far away and removed from a situation as first glance.

In this second installment of The Daevabad trilogy, we have an additional point of view, which you might or might know who it is (you should know, it’s obvious), and having that was definitely…enlightening. With three point of views, all of them scattered in different places, at least at first, we get a much wider look at what’s happening as well as a more rounded backstory of the characters as well as the historical events that led to the world to being what it is in the story.

As I said, this is a five year jump into the future, so naturally characters have changed and matured (while still being the lovable messy dumbasses we know and love), they’re so three dimensional and well crafted that you can see that time has passed through their actions, while still being the same at their core. They’re more guarded, more jaded, less naive, and have a bit of wisdom about them.

And at the center of all this growth is Nahri. I am thoroughly, hopelessly and irrevocably in love with her. I did love her in the first book but if you’ve read my review of that one, she wasn’t my favourite character, now she is, my favourite in this series and hands down my favourite female character of all time. She’s just a phenomenal character. Still the pragmatic sometimes selfish girl we met and loved in book one but in this one she understands that her purpose is bigger than she is and acts accordingly. She’s strong and grows confident and comfortable in her powers while still acknowledging her weaknesses and that she still has a lot to learn. She’s also SO DONE with the men all around her trying to make decisions for her and I LIVED for that, she was so fierce in the face of that and knew when to defend herself and when to hold back. She still miscalculated and made mistakes though.

Ali on the other hand is the exact same fool. While he’s grown too and became less preachy and sees the world as more than his previous black/white dichotomy, but if anything he’s just grown more set in his ways and convictions, but he lost his idealism. Eventhough he still struggles taming down his views when all they do is create more trouble for him, something about the way he approached them was different, in The City of Brass he spoke a lot because he had a bit of aloofness to him whereas in this one he has more of “I have nothing to lose and this cause it bigger than I am” to his actions. And I adored him more as well.

Dara is one I…have more of a complicated relationship with. OF COURSE, I still love him because I’m trash, but I didn’t love his actions and the way he lost what drove him in the first book. But the thing is it was the perfect thing for his character at this point in the story, with how things progressed, his belief system and undying devotion to the Nahids, every single one of his actions made sense. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. So I couldn’t even hate what was done to his character, because it was right and anything else would’ve been off. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t get frustrated with him and the fact that he lost his fire, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t yell at him to square up both internally ande externally. I still love him though. I still love him. *cries*

And that ending? THAT ENDING? I’M SUPPOSED TO BE OKAY AFTER THE AUTHOR PULLED THAT STUNT? I’M JUST SUPPOSED TO LIVE ON AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED? I’M SUPPOSED TO WAIT OVER A YEAR FOR THE NEXT BOOK AND TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO MY FAVOURITES? *takes deep breath* It’s fine. It’s okay. I’m okay. (narrator: she was not okay)

[Nastassja · Rating 3 out of 5]

**This review now posted on my blog**

May I present you my first disappointment of 2019!

I don't know how but everything went wrong in this book. When I first read The City of Brass I was enchanted by its magical atmosphere and characters who swept me away into the world of djinn, flying carpets, giant water serpents and enormous talking birds. I loved everything about that world! I had zero doubt The Kingdom of Copper would deliver the same level of grandeur and will, once more, sweep me off my feet. At the end of the day it kind of did sweep me off, lending me on my back hard with an enormous bruise to nurse until the year of 2021 - this is when book 3 will be out, and my hope of ever redeeming The Daevabad Trilogy.

What landed me the most painful downfall in a while is the fact that probably 'it's not you it's me' syndrome that I hate because it leaves me undecided and torn between loving and hating something.

So, what I didn't like in The Kingdom of copper, but which is not considered to be an actual flaw of the story but only a failure of my expectations which are biased, of course.

🔥 The Kingdom of Copper is in no way young adult. In book one characters were 20 something years old already (and older), in book two the plot picks up after five years later from the book's one events. Which was a bummer if you ask me! I am opposed to big-time jumps in my books because I feel disconnected from the storyline and frightened of the things that might've happened during those five years we - readers- missed. And here we: a lot of considerable changes happened, one of the important ones: the heroine got married! Now, I get that it was an inevitable move in five years time, but I hate it with my whole heart!

🔥 The Kingdom of Copper is really hard on politics. Now, I don't read a lot of adult fantasy because of the hard intricacies of politics and the world. Yes, I prefer my books to be harder on a fantasy aspect and less hard on the political aspect. Don't get me wrong, I love me good political intrigue in a book, but when you have to read almost 700 pages of politics you kind of get bored or annoyed or both. It felt like the story lost its magic and charm. The characters hardened so much I didn't recognize them! And I hated those five years gape which disconnected me from my beloved characters.

🔥 The Kingdom of Copper turned from star-crossed lovers to four-sides-lovers (it's my fancy way to announce a love square). It's a mess and I want to make a facepalm every time I think about the romance part. I hate Nahri's husband because he's a despicable sand fly who uses Nahri but loves another man. I would forgive him that - because I get that he didn't have a say in this marriage - if he wasn't also a palace-slut who sleeps with any skirt he can find. The situation is worsened by the fact that Nahri kind of likes her husband and tries really hard to find common ground with him, and he always shuts her out. So yeah, I am sorry-not-sorry for my slut-shaming of that characters. Then there's Ali who had a beautiful friendship with Nahri but now we find out that he actually feels more? And it's thrown in our faces like the fact we have to accept. Why the fuck can't we have a normal woman-man friendship without turning it into a fucking romance?!

These are the three enormous pillars of destruction and ruination of my fascination with this series. Of course, things are complicated (when they are not?!) and the last 20% of the book make me hopefull things might get better? Doubtful but hopeful? I am in a state when I am torn between loving and hating the series. So I will let book 3 be the judge and prosecutor of my final decision.