I’m not sure what got me to pick up City of Brass and take it on vacation, but whatever it was, thank you! Besides having to leave that copy at the beach (Sand, so much sand, and it dried two times its thickness), that was one of the best reads I’ve had in a while, then of course enters book two! If you have yet to read the first book there will be spoilers ahead, please check out instead the City of Brass Book Review here. There may still be spoilers for Kingdom of Copper, but I’ll keep them to a minimum.
Kingdom of Copper picks up after the events of City of Brass, with Dara dead, Nahri married off, and Ali on the run for his life. The King has essentially won, leaving Nahri to work through the chaos and prison that has become her life. Daevabad though, has gotten much worse, with Dara’s arrival and slaying, the different Djinn that live there no longer trust each other or tolerate one another. Will Nahri be able to help her people and herself? Will Ali make it through the desert without his father’s men getting to him first?
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!
To start this off, this was one of the hardest books to put down, making it really hard to get through workdays when I’d rather find out what happened next. It about killed me as I got towards the end and everything was happening. There’s always a part of me that wants to just read, but this was harder than usual, so Chakraborty got me there.
The characters in particular in this novel made the story. City of Brass felt like it was a mix between world building, history, and the characters. It still had some amazing character building, but Kingdom of Copper was focused more heavily on character growth as each of them have to make tough decisions that change their moral perspectives. For some its small, and others it’s a nice leap across to the other side. It definitely took us from the typical good guy versus bad guy concept with the white and black approach that is present in a lot of novels. Instead we have the tables turned as heroes make dark decisions, and those that were toeing the line have to choose from different evils. I still think I’m backing a couple/ship that may not be canon but honestly, I’m all for Ali and Nahri, anyone else? After book one the two seemed to have a real connection, barring the whole him killing Dara, and then in this book we get some more interaction. I think what makes this novel so great though, was that there wasn’t a focus on who Nahri would end up with as much as there was an emphasis on her growing and figuring out what she wanted even as she’s being controlled by the King.
I am ready for the finale, Empire of Gold, which comes out in June!!! I didn’t wait long enough to binge read this series, but I’m somehow okay with that! Have you read Kingdom of Copper yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!
A Writer Can Dream 