DECEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
An epic fantasy inspired by Middle Eastern mythology and history is brought to life by Soneela Nankani’s expert narration. Human con artist Nahri must flee Cairo for the djinn-populated city of Daevabad, accompanied only by a mysterious warrior she accidentally summoned. Nahri’s utter confusion at the strange new world she finds herself in, as well as her determination to survive, is perfectly portrayed by Nankani. Delight and hope occur less frequently, but Nankani makes them shine when they do. In a parallel storyline, Nankani gives voice to the poisonous world of palace intrigue and political machinations swirling around idealistic Prince Alizayd. When the two finally meet, Nankani ratchets up the tension, pulling the listener along to the inevitable bloody, heartrending conclusion. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
The New York Times Book Review - Suzanne Joinson
…it's clear we're in the hands of a playful writer…The Muslim world is no stranger to speculative fiction, though that label wouldn't be used there. Islamic folklore and narratives are full of flying machines, impossible journeys, skewed time frames and stories that illuminate cultural or scientific theories. It's clear that Chakraborty has great fun alluding to these tales, though in storytelling terms The City of Brass is standard, fast-paced fantasy fare…Most enjoyable is the gusto with which everything is thrown into [Nahri's] story, from massacres to zombies to djinns. If there are stereotypes, they're consciously acknowledged and mischievously inhabited. At the moment, speculative fiction has an exciting relationship with protest fiction and feminist narratives, and while The City of Brass doesn't blow away cultural notions of difference or reconfigure the male-female divide, it does exploit the genre's penchant for inclusion. In fact, the novel feels like a friendly hand held out across the world…It reads like an invitation for readers from Baghdad to Fairbanks to meet across impossibly divergent worlds through the shared language and images of the fantastical.
From the Publisher
The City of Brass is the best adult fantasy I’ve read since The Name of the Wind. It’s stunning and complex and consuming and fantastic. You must read it.” — Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes
“An opulent masterpiece. Chakraborty’s debut is desire-soaked, intrigue-laced, and rife with so-delicious-you’ll-sink-your-teeth-into-it worldbuilding and equally mesmerizing characters. A must-read.” — Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
“[The City of Brass] reads like an invitation for readers from Baghdad to Fairbanks to meet across impossibly divergent worlds through the shared language and images of the fantastical.” — New York Times Book Review
“Chakraborty writes a winning heroine in Nahri — flawed but smart and engaging. And her portrayal of the cultural conflicts in the magical city of Daevabad and of Ali’s inner turmoil is compelling and complex, serving as a strong counterpoint to the thrilling action.” — Washington Post
"I loved the protagonist, there was a nice cast of supporting characters, and the plot had some twists and turns that I did not see coming… Her style is vivid and colourful and very readable. The best thing, though, was the setting. Instead of drawing on the European Dark Ages and Middle Ages, Chakraborty evoked the flavours of the Middle East and ARABIAN KNIGHTS and the legends of the djinns. I enjoyed the novel hugely, and I just ordered the second and third books in the trilogy so I may continue the adventure." — George R.R. Martin
“Chakraborty’s debut dazzles...The City of Brass takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster, leaving them with an open ending that will have them desperate for the follow-up. Majestic and magical.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“Against [a] syncretic yet nonderivative and totally credible backdrop, Chakraborty has constructed a compelling yarn...culminating in a cataclysmic showdown that few readers will anticipate....Best of all, the narrative feels rounded and complete yet poised to deliver still more. Highly impressive and exceptionally promising.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This lyrical historical fantasy debut brings to vivid life the ancient mythological traditions of an Islamic world...Chakraborty’s grasp of Middle Eastern history, folklore, and culture inspires a swiftly moving plot, richly drawn characters, and a beautifully constructed world that will entrance fantasy aficionados.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“The City of Brass is more than a promising debut — it beguiles all the way...Chakraborty’s research and imagination are equally strong, and she deftly sets up a rich world — and ample suspense — for the rest of this trilogy.” — Vulture (The Ten Best Fantasy Books of 2017)
“It’s hard to describe just how gorgeous and intricate this fantasy novel is.” — SYFY Wire
“The City of Brass is a mesmerizing fantasy tale of magic and intrigue that showcases the very best that the fantasy genre has to offer...a superbly written, lush fantasy story that deserves to be at the top of your to-read list.” — Hypable
“With this rich and layered novel, Chakraborty builds a fantasy world as intricate and intriguing as its Middle Eastern setting. Following the various subplots is like pondering vibrant Arabic design; readers will lose themselves in the wonder and complexity.” — BookPage
“Vivid descriptions percolate the lush prose, and a final twist leaves room for a sequel. Recommend this scintillating, Middle Eastern fantasy to fans of thoughtful, mystical adventures.” — Booklist
“Chakraborty’s first book in her in Daevabad Trilogy introduces an enchanting world of magic and treachery that will leave you clamoring for book two.” — Paste Magazine
“Chakraborty combines the plot’s many surprises with vivid prose, and leavens the action with wry humor. There is enough material here—a feisty, independent lead searching for answers, reminiscent of Star Wars’s Rey, and a richly imagined alternate world—to support a potential series.” — Publishers Weekly
“An extravagant feast of a book—spicy and bloody, dizzyingly magical, and still, somehow, utterly believable.” — Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer
“Fast-paced, strong characters, and immersive world-building—S. A. Chakraborty debut is a carpet-flying adventure of djinn-filled wonder that leaves you wishing for more.” — Michael J. Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of the Riyria Revelations
“S. A. Chakraborty’s debut novel is an adventure that sweeps readers through the streets of Cairo and out into a spellbinding landscape of magic, warring clans, sacrifice, and betrayal. Each page reveals a new wonder. Con-woman Nahri, djinn warrior Dara, and the enchanted city that they—and we—are only just beginning to understand, are captivating. What an exciting ride!” — Fran Wilde, award-winning author of Updraft, Cloudbound, and Horizon
“The City of Brass immerses you in a magnificent and vivid world. It’s a thrilling adventure, brimming with fabulous magic, compelling characters, and wonderful intrigue. I can’t wait for book two!” — Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Queen of Blood
“A richly imagined, stunningly immersive book that takes you into a world of darkly alluring djinn and beguiling magic...Peopled with irresistible characters and steeped in the myths of the Middle East, The City of Brass is a dazzlingly inventive tale.” — Ausma Zehanat Khan, award–winning author of the Khattak/Getty mysteries and The Bloodprint
“I particularly love a story of twisty, complex, dangerous, and character-driven family and palace politics, steeped in hidden history, cruel betrayals, and desires that can’t be admitted. The City of Brass delivers on all counts.” — Kate Elliot, New York Times bestselling author of the Court of Fives
“The City of Brass is a true testament to Chakraborty’s writing [...] She has constructed a fantastic and immersive world brimming with Islamic lore, written characters that will stay with you long after the end of the book, and created a plot that will have you on tenterhooks.” — Cultured Vultures
“The City of Brass is fast-paced and totally engrossing. It’s the kind of book you can really immerse yourself in, and I’m so glad I was able to spend some time in this richly-detailed world.” — All About Romance
“The political corkscrews of George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones meets the emotion and imagination of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted in this marvelous debut fantasy.” — The Amazon Book Review
“Even a few pages will enmesh you in its magic.” — Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author
New York Times Book Review
[The City of Brass] reads like an invitation for readers from Baghdad to Fairbanks to meet across impossibly divergent worlds through the shared language and images of the fantastical.
Vulture (The Ten Best Fantasy Books of 2017)
The City of Brass is more than a promising debut — it beguiles all the way...Chakraborty’s research and imagination are equally strong, and she deftly sets up a rich world — and ample suspense — for the rest of this trilogy.
George R. R. Martin
"I loved the protagonist, there was a nice cast of supporting characters, and the plot had some twists and turns that I did not see coming… Her style is vivid and colourful and very readable. The best thing, though, was the setting. Instead of drawing on the European Dark Ages and Middle Ages, Chakraborty evoked the flavours of the Middle East and ARABIAN KNIGHTS and the legends of the djinns. I enjoyed the novel hugely, and I just ordered the second and third books in the trilogy so I may continue the adventure."
SYFY Wire
It’s hard to describe just how gorgeous and intricate this fantasy novel is.
Shelf Awareness (starred review)
Chakraborty’s debut dazzles...The City of Brass takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster, leaving them with an open ending that will have them desperate for the follow-up. Majestic and magical.
Roshani Chokshi
An opulent masterpiece. Chakraborty’s debut is desire-soaked, intrigue-laced, and rife with so-delicious-you’ll-sink-your-teeth-into-it worldbuilding and equally mesmerizing characters. A must-read.
Sabaa Tahir
The City of Brass is the best adult fantasy I’ve read since The Name of the Wind. It’s stunning and complex and consuming and fantastic. You must read it.
Washington Post
Chakraborty writes a winning heroine in Nahri — flawed but smart and engaging. And her portrayal of the cultural conflicts in the magical city of Daevabad and of Ali’s inner turmoil is compelling and complex, serving as a strong counterpoint to the thrilling action.
Washington Post
Chakraborty writes a winning heroine in Nahri — flawed but smart and engaging. And her portrayal of the cultural conflicts in the magical city of Daevabad and of Ali’s inner turmoil is compelling and complex, serving as a strong counterpoint to the thrilling action.
Sarah Beth Durst
The City of Brass immerses you in a magnificent and vivid world. It’s a thrilling adventure, brimming with fabulous magic, compelling characters, and wonderful intrigue. I can’t wait for book two!
Robin Hobb
Even a few pages will enmesh you in its magic.
Ausma Zehanat Khan
A richly imagined, stunningly immersive book that takes you into a world of darkly alluring djinn and beguiling magic...Peopled with irresistible characters and steeped in the myths of the Middle East, The City of Brass is a dazzlingly inventive tale.
Paste Magazine
Chakraborty’s first book in her in Daevabad Trilogy introduces an enchanting world of magic and treachery that will leave you clamoring for book two.
Booklist
Vivid descriptions percolate the lush prose, and a final twist leaves room for a sequel. Recommend this scintillating, Middle Eastern fantasy to fans of thoughtful, mystical adventures.
All About Romance
The City of Brass is fast-paced and totally engrossing. It’s the kind of book you can really immerse yourself in, and I’m so glad I was able to spend some time in this richly-detailed world.
Fran Wilde
S. A. Chakraborty’s debut novel is an adventure that sweeps readers through the streets of Cairo and out into a spellbinding landscape of magic, warring clans, sacrifice, and betrayal. Each page reveals a new wonder. Con-woman Nahri, djinn warrior Dara, and the enchanted city that they—and we—are only just beginning to understand, are captivating. What an exciting ride!
BookPage
With this rich and layered novel, Chakraborty builds a fantasy world as intricate and intriguing as its Middle Eastern setting. Following the various subplots is like pondering vibrant Arabic design; readers will lose themselves in the wonder and complexity.
Michael J. Sullivan
Fast-paced, strong characters, and immersive world-building—S. A. Chakraborty debut is a carpet-flying adventure of djinn-filled wonder that leaves you wishing for more.”
Hypable
The City of Brass is a mesmerizing fantasy tale of magic and intrigue that showcases the very best that the fantasy genre has to offer...a superbly written, lush fantasy story that deserves to be at the top of your to-read list.
Cultured Vultures
The City of Brass is a true testament to Chakraborty’s writing [...] She has constructed a fantastic and immersive world brimming with Islamic lore, written characters that will stay with you long after the end of the book, and created a plot that will have you on tenterhooks.
Laini Taylor
An extravagant feast of a book—spicy and bloody, dizzyingly magical, and still, somehow, utterly believable.
Kate Elliot
I particularly love a story of twisty, complex, dangerous, and character-driven family and palace politics, steeped in hidden history, cruel betrayals, and desires that can’t be admitted. The City of Brass delivers on all counts.
Booklist
Vivid descriptions percolate the lush prose, and a final twist leaves room for a sequel. Recommend this scintillating, Middle Eastern fantasy to fans of thoughtful, mystical adventures.
Vulture (The Ten Best Fantasy Books-of 2017)
The City of Brass is more than a promising debut — it beguiles all the way...Chakraborty’s research and imagination are equally strong, and she deftly sets up a rich world — and ample suspense — for the rest of this trilogy.
Library Journal
06/15/2017
A writer and organizer with the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers' group, Chakraborty sets her debut fantasy in 1700s Cairo, Egypt, where street hustler Nahri cons people with her tricks but rejects the idea that magic really exists until she manages to summon up a dark and wily djinn warrior. The warrior's stories take Nahri to a land she thought lived only in myths and finally to the magnificent City of Brass.
School Library Journal
01/01/2018
Nahri, a common Cairo thief who can sense sickness in others and sometimes heal them, is thrust into a magical world when she accidentally summons a powerful djinn. The handsome Dara insists that he escort Nahri to the magical hidden Daevabad, the City of Brass, where Nahri will be protected by Prince Ali's family, who have the power of Suleiman's seal. Never sure whom to trust, Nahri must rely on her street smarts to survive the dangers of the beguiling city and the duplicitous natures of those who surround her. Chakraborty's compelling debut immerses readers in Middle Eastern folklore and an opulent desert setting while providing a rip-roaring adventure that will please even those who don't read fantasy. Though Nahri is in her early 20s, young adults will recognize themselves in her. The other narrator, Prince Ali, is an 18-year-old second son who doubts the current class structure of his kingdom. Chakraborty's meticulous research about Middle Eastern lore is evident, but readers won't be bogged down by excessive details. VERDICT A must-purchase fantasy for all libraries serving young adults.—Sarah Hill, Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL
DECEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
An epic fantasy inspired by Middle Eastern mythology and history is brought to life by Soneela Nankani’s expert narration. Human con artist Nahri must flee Cairo for the djinn-populated city of Daevabad, accompanied only by a mysterious warrior she accidentally summoned. Nahri’s utter confusion at the strange new world she finds herself in, as well as her determination to survive, is perfectly portrayed by Nankani. Delight and hope occur less frequently, but Nankani makes them shine when they do. In a parallel storyline, Nankani gives voice to the poisonous world of palace intrigue and political machinations swirling around idealistic Prince Alizayd. When the two finally meet, Nankani ratchets up the tension, pulling the listener along to the inevitable bloody, heartrending conclusion. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
