Hello and welcome back! Or, thanks for welcoming me back? Either way, I’m back. Hello!

I recently read The Kingdom of Copper and I’m currently reading The Empire of Gold and … oh my goodness. I don’t want this series to end! It can’t end!

I read The City of Brass in July 2020 so it’s been a little while since I picked up the books. Even coming in with nothing remembered from book 1, this book still captivated me from the start and I could not wait to find out what happens next…

Reminder: this is a sequel so there may be spoilers for The City of Brass! If you have not read the first book, feel free to check out my spoiler free review here!

This is a spoiler free review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.

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The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
Published: January 22, 2019
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Genre: Historical Fiction Fantasy
Pages: 621
Rating:
Goodreads

S. A. Chakraborty continues the sweeping adventure begun in  The City of Brass conjuring a world where djinn summon flames with the snap of a finger and waters run deep with old magic; where blood can be dangerous as any spell, and a clever con artist from Cairo will alter the fate of a kingdom.

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 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.

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For starters? Alizayd (Ali) is like a gold retriever. Loyal, adorable, could hurt you if he wanted to but chooses not to. And he’s hands down my favorite character! Though Nahri is a close second though.

I went into this book remembering almost nothing from the first book and thankfully, we get a pretty good recap of the previous events. It’s not all encompassing, but enough for me to understand what’s going on and why. And wow there was a lot that I forgot!

One thing that is always annoying though is how dry some sections of these books can be. I mean pages or chapters of nothing really happening. I’m not sure what purpose they have, if any, but it definitely made the book much, much longer. I think that’s always been my big issue with certain fantasy books – the excessive prose that doesn’t really add anything to the story. This book definitely suffers from that some. But, it’s not too much and we’re not stuck with a book that 50% or more unnecessary information (cough cough Grapes of Wrath cough cough).

Once we get down into the story though, things get really intense. We have the threat from the north, marching their way down to take the city. Nahri and Muntadhir’s political marriage. Jamshid still recovering from his dual with Dara. Zaynab continuing to try to keep the peace between everyone. And the King, Ghassan, is working to keep Nahri in her “place” and a tight hand on his rule.

I really found myself obsessed with this story. Yeah the beginning is a bit slow as we ease our way back into the plot, but as we get into the thick of it, it is an intense, political book. I was never a fan of political fantasies but this one refuses to give up your attention and I loved every second of it.

By the end, I was left mouth agape, head spinning off my body, and the next book immediately in my hands.

If you’re looking for a beautiful fantasy world with flawed characters, and even bigger problems, this is a book you need to pick up! And if you’ve read the first book and aren’t sure you want to continue, you really should. I cannot wait to finish the series, even if it hurts me more than I could imagine.

All the stars!

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If you like political fantasy, check out The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang.