Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Pages: 766
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Haven’t read the previous novels? Check out my reviews of The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper!
The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.
Daevabad has fallen.
After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.
But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara’s dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.
Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother’s homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith.
As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.
The Empire of Gold is a perfect finale to an incredible trilogy. The Daevabad Trilogy is now one of my all time favorites. Chakraborty has created a full and lush world with complex and compelling characters to root for.
Nahri is strong, intelligent, and independent. She’s a rock throughout this whole trilogy and deserves the world.
Dara is easily the most interesting of the characters. Is he a villain or anti-hero? Wherever you put him on the spectrum, he will gut you emotionally. I can’t help wanting the best for him despite the atrocious things he’s done.
Ali. How can you not like Ali? He’s an incredibly fierce warrior, but with a heart of gold. He’s assertive yet vulnerable. He’s entirely too cute.
Chakraborty’s writing is lyrical as it paints this world in incredible detail without ever reading as overdone or overly flowery. The tone and atmosphere are amazing. Daevabad reads like a real city.
The ending of The Empire of Gold bittersweet. It broke my heart, but there was no other way for it to end. I will always be too forgiving to a certain character.
Overall, The Daevabad Trilogy is worth the read and will be featured in my top books of 2020. If you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for?!
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Woot – 5 stars.
I’ve only skimmed this because I want to pick this one up very soon and with as little knowledge as possible going in – but your score is certainly encouraging.
Lynn 😀
That’s for the best! I hope you love it as much as I do! 🙂