S.A. Chakraborty
Harper Voyager
November 14th, 2017
Nahri has always had extraordinary healing abilities, but she never really questioned where they came from. Living as a thief in Cairo, she also helped the local apothecary, and hoped to become a physician one day.
Until one day, she drew in someone entirely unexpected.
She was performing an exorcism (which she knew was a total scam), and threw in a bit of the mysterious language only she knew–she called for ‘the warrior’, and he came.
Dara is a Daeva–he’d never call himself anything as lowly as a djinn–who used to be a slave. He tells Nahri that her parents were a rare family of daeva who were prestigious healers, and by going with him she could end up living in luxury for centuries.
Of course, he’s exaggerated.
Nahri must contend with factions of djinn and daeva who don’t get along, and a ruling family that have been enemies of her family for hundreds of years. She’s more like a prisoner in a gilded cage. She also finds herself having to perform feats of healing that don’t even make sense to her, since they’re magical instead of purely physical ailments of the body.
The City of Brass reads like the beginning of a new series–and I really, really hope it is. The characters are fresh and inventive, and the world is one I’d love to see more of. It’s a debut book for Chakraborty, and it’s a strong step into the realm of fiction. Can’t wait to see what’s next.
JL Jamieson is a strange book nerd who writes technical documents by day, and book news, reviews, and other assorted opinions for you by night. She is working on her own fiction, and spends time making jewelry to sell at local conventions, as well as stalking the social media accounts of all your favorite writers.