Rave Review: "The Kingdom of Copper" by S. A. Chakraborty

Quick Summary

Type: Novel, book 2 of the Daevabad trilogy

Genre: Fantasy, thriller, historical fiction

Back Cover: "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 a devastating battle, Nahri must forge a new path for herself. 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 family - and 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 of 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.

Read Time: 5 days

Rating: 4.75 stars

Review

I really, really enjoyed this book. Again, this is a book with a lot of build-up, but it's all worth it at the climax of the story. All the political tensions and personal tensions all came to a head when Nahri is attacked at the same time as the city is attacked.

The story also leaves just enough questions for the third book to warrant the 700+ pages I can't wait to read. Now that the king is dead, Manizheh is clearly the new villain - but is she so villainous, or does she have a point? Dara is still his charming, very conflicted self - how will he break free of Manizheh, if he even does? Is Nahri really a shafit, or is that just her mother's lie? Even if Nahri is a shafit, I don't trust her mother's claim that she can't wield the seal. What will happen to Jamshid, Zaynab, and Muntadhir? So, so many questions. I really can't wait to read the last book.

I don't have much more to say, except that the world-building and characterization remain excellent. When I read this, I felt fully immersed in the world and its politics, and I was invested in the characters and their journeys.

So far, this has been a terrific, well-written story. I can't stress this enough, but I'm really looking forward to the next book.