The City of Brass
The City of Brass
S.A. Chakraborty
5 out of 5Synopsis
Discover this spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty. Among the bustling markets of 18th 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 wishes only to one day leave Cairo, but as the saying goes.... Be careful what you wish for.
Review
Nahri is a con-woman on the streets of Cairo. She calls on ancient powers to "heal" her marks, playing on their weaknesses. Only, those powers are more real than she could have dreamt, and she is about to be dragged into the deceitful world of the Djinn.
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook, the narrator does an amazing job, and I couldn't wait for an excuse to listen to more.
The story follows Nahri, a woman in her early-twenties, who is living in Cairo in the 18th Century. She knows nothing of her family, and is just another orphan, that grew up on the streets of Cairo, making money where she can. She long to save up enough to get real medical training, and wants so much more from life.
There are a couple of odd things about her - that she can detect illness in people, and can sometimes wish it away. She can also understand every language, which gets her into trouble when she uses a mysterious language that lingers in her memory, and accidentally summons a Deava warrior.
The story really kicks off when Dara appears, and Nahri has to come to terms with magic and the djinn all being real. Oh, and that she is being chased by Ifrit (crazy fire spirits). Her only hope of survival, is to travel to the djinn city of Deavabad.
The plot keeps you guessing throughout, as it weaves together the stories of Nahri and Deavabad's Prince Ali, a young man with strong ideals on how the city should be. His morals are put to the test, when his loyalty to his family is tested, and he has to grow wise and try and see the bigger picture, and play the longer game.
Characters are pulled in and out of this story, sometimes in a brutal way, that is fantastically done.
I loved the whole style of this story. It is colourful, and enchanting, and wonderfully authentic!
I can't wait for the next book!
Comments
Post a Comment