Lucas Blogs About Books

Shiny! So, that's this book's deal? Well, Hypothetical Reader, The Empire of Gold  is the conclusion to S.A. Chakraborty's Daevabad Trilogy that began in The City of Brass and continued with The Kingdom of Copper . Oh, yeah, it's that series about genies! Djinn. They prefer to be called djinn. Most of them, some of them prefer to be called daevas. Hence Daevabad. And that's where the SPOILER free portion of this post ends. If you haven't read the first two books, go back and read those. Anyway, here's a quick recap of the story so far: Nahri is a conwoman in Egypt during the Napoleonic Wars who longs to become a doctor. One day she accidentally summons an ifrit but is saved by a dashing daeva named Dara who reveals that she's a shafit (that is to say, someone of mixed human and djinn heritage). He takes her to the city of Daevabad which was once ruled by her ancestors, the Nahid clan. That is, until they got a little too genocide-y and were overthrown b...

Shiny! So, what's this book's dea—wait a minute, isn't this the sequel to that one book? I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. You know, that one where you spent a not insignificant portion of the review complaining about the fact that it didn't say that it was the first entry in a series? Oh. That. Yes, this is the sequel to that book. Specifically, this is The Kingdom of Copper  by S.A. Chakraborty. The follow up to The City of Brass , and, as pointed out on the title page, the second book in the Daevabad trilogy. Depicted: A common courtesy. You're not going to harp on that again, are you? Not any more than I already have. So, this book's deal is that it's a historical fantasy set in a kingdom of djinn (also daevas). Here's a quick refresher: back in the day, these fire elemental beings called daevas used to prey on humans. That is until the prophet Suleiman forced them to submit to his will throug...

Not pictured: any indication that this book is the first in a series. So, what's this book's deal? Oh? You mean besides being a book of lies? More so than any other work of fiction? I'll say. When a book is the first entry in a series that information should be clearly communicated on the cover, spine, or title pa- Wait, you're getting all bent out of shape over the fact that a fantasy  novel is the first book in a series? No. I'm getting all bent out of shape because the publisher (Harper Voyager) failed to mention this fact. If I'd known that ahead of time, it might have affected my purchasing decision. It's just common curtesy. Hmm. I'll bet you're just mad because it took you an embarrassingly long time to figure out that this wouldn't be a standalone novel, aren't you? What? No! Maybe! Shut up! This book's deal is that it's a fantasy novel by S.A. Chakraborty. Our protagonist, Nahri, uses her innate healing ab...