Review:
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review.*
It is such a treat to find books that are this detailed and nuanced and feel so real. The writing, the characters, the story, the world building, it all came together so perfectly and was so well done that it felt like I was reading about real people. This was one of those books that legitimately made me forget I was reading. I was just there, fully immersed in the story.
Much like in the first book, the characters were so complex and believably flawed. I feel like I can’t talk about them individually without spoilers, but gosh, they were all so well-written, and I had such mixed feelings about some of them because I liked them and wanted them to be ok, yet it also felt wrong to just let slide some of the things they’ve done. I felt terrible for so many of them though. All the main characters were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Some of the supporting characters were in tough positions too. And as things got worse and worse, I felt terrible for everyone for other reasons as well. There was just so much betrayal and heartache and shock and guilt and grief and confusion among them.
That brings me to another thing I yet again loved: The author did such a great job of showing the complexity of conflict, and because I got to see POVs on multiple sides, I didn’t even know who to root for. All sides were right in some ways. All were wrong in some ways. I didn’t want to see any lives lost, but there was no easy fix, not when so many of players on the board wanted vengeance and power and were all too happy to resort to violence to get it or keep it.
But it wasn’t just the big conflict this author portrayed well. There was conflict among family, and the author really captured how complicated feelings for family members can be. There was also conflict within characters, when they had to make decisions with no easy answers.
Another thing this book did brilliantly was that it kept building the tension higher and higher and higher as it went on. Things kept getting more and more complicated and tangled and messed up in that way where you just know bad things are gonna happen, but you don’t yet know what. It was unpredictable and gripping. At times it was dark and full of violence and chaos. And when everything did start crashing, it was intense. This is a 600+ page book, but I wasn’t bored for even a single moment.
There’s also a surprising amount of humor in these books. I wouldn’t classify them as funny books because that’s not the main point, but there are little bits of humor sprinkled throughout, and I really love them.
Last but not least, I want to yet again mention how much I love this portrayal of djinn. They’re so detailed and interesting with their powers and their hidden city and their history and their society.
Overall, this was an amazing book with a gripping plot, complex characters and relationships, so much tension, and such a great portrayal of djinn, and it completely sucked me in!
Recommended For:
Fans of Book 1 in S.A. Chakraborty's Daevabad Trilogy. Anyone who likes djinn, detailed worlds, complex characters, and royal court politics.
More Books in the Series:
Book Review: The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy Book 1) by S. A. Chakraborty
Book Review: The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy Book 2) by S. A. Chakraborty
Book Review: The Empire of Gold (The Daevabad Trilogy Book 3) by S. A. Chakraborty
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Wow this sounds great. I remember being super intrigued by City of Brass (heck, I still am) and now this one sounds amazing too. I love it when characters feel so real and you root for them even though they do things that are repellent or just sketchy. Sounds like the characters are wonderfully done.
And hey djinn too lol.
It was! It’s really amazing when authors can write characters that realistically and also make you care about them even when they’ve done crappy things.
Lol the characters are so good, the fact that they’re djinn is almost like an afterthought in my review even though I love djinn.
I really need to start this series! I have not read many stories about djinn and they fascinate me😁 Glad you loved this!
You should! They are such fascinating creatures, I agree, and this series is just great. Thanks!
this series has the best covers ever! It’s great you are enjoying the whole series! And keeping the tension level is a hard thing to do I think! I’m super curious about this series because you are so enthusiastic about it! Too bad it is too long for me. 🙁 Maybe in the summer! 🙂
Lol you do love these covers! Thanks! The tension was perfect. I did not want to stop reading for all 600+ pages. I was thinking it seems kind of long for your taste, but maybe you’ll get a chance at some point!
Fantastic review!!!!
Thanks!
Wow, that cover is amazing. This is a series that I really want to read. It sounds so interesting and I’m right there with you on loving books that can infuse a little humor in to offset some of the more serious matters taking place. I love that balance.
Great review!
It’s even prettier in person! It’s a fantastic series, and it really is great when books have a touch of humor in them. Like you said, it’s a great balance. Thanks!
I want to read this series so badly!! I am so glad you were able to love the sequel pretty much just as much as book one. Perfectly flawed and believable characters are really nice and so necessary to make a good book. Surprise humor is so great and always makes me want to read more of those kind of books ^.^ I also really love books which shows the complexity in different situations, and when it comes to conflict it sounds like this one handles it so well. Brilliant review, Kristen. You have me drooling for this series even more 😀
It’s sooo good! Surprise humor is great because it feels so organic and just kind of slips in there all the sudden. If you like all those things, I think you’re gonna like this series!
Since I’ve not read this and totally intend on getting my own copy I’ve only skimmed over this but your high rating and positive comments are making me make grabby hands and are also making me want to reread the first book since I’ve not read since before it was released. I am forever sad I didn’t get EW approval but can’t wait to get a copy in my hands.
I’m sad for you that you didn’t get approved 🙁 But it’ll be worth the wait! This one was even better than the first!
Wow I’m so happy that you loved this and now I can’t wait to get my hands on book 2. Awesome review and I’m glad the author continues to keep the tension high.
Tori @ In Tori Lex
It really is amazing! You’re gonna love it!