The City of Brass Lib/E
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Library Journal Vulture The Verge SYFYWire
Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty perfect for fans of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and Uprooted, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.
Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of eighteenth-century Cairo, she's a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trades she uses to get by--palm readings, zars, and a mysterious gift for healing--are all tricks, both the means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles and a reliable way to survive.
But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, to her side during one of her cons, she's forced to reconsider her beliefs. For Dara tells Nahri an extraordinary tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire and rivers where the mythical marid sleep, past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises and mountains where the circling birds of prey are more than what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass--a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.
In Daevabad, within gilded brass walls laced with enchantments and behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments run deep. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, her arrival threatens to ignite a war that has been simmering for centuries.
Spurning Dara's warning of the treachery surrounding her, she embarks on a hesitant friendship with Alizayd, an idealistic prince who dreams of revolutionizing his father's corrupt regime. All too soon, Nahri learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.
After all, there is a reason they say to be careful what you wish for . . .
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Shannon Chakraborty is the author of the critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling Daevabad Trilogy. Her work has been translated into over a dozen language and nominated for the Hugo, Locus, World Fantasy, Crawford, and Astounding awards. You can find her online at www.sachakraborty.com or on Instagram and Twitter as @SAChakrabooks.
Soneela Nankani is an award-winning narrator with over three hundred titles in many different genres including Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, and Nonfiction. She has garnered sixteen Earphones Awards, nominations for Audie and SOVAS awards, and was recently awarded AudioFile magazine's Golden Voice Lifetime Achievement Honor. Her audiobooks have been featured in Best Audiobooks lists by AudioFile magazine and the Washington Post, among others. In her spare time, she loves to read (yes, really), learn languages, try new recipes, and travel. She lives in the DC area with her husband and two mischievous daughters.
An epic fantasy inspired by Middle Eastern mythology and history is brought to life by Soneela Nankani's expert narration...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.
-- "AudioFile"[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"Lushly crafted and full of the tantalizing spice of magic...A tense, thrilling ride.
-- "RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars, Top Pick!)"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)"A compelling yarn of personal ambition, power politics, racial and religious tensions, strange magics, and terrifying creatures...Highly impressive and exceptionally promising.
-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"Chakraborty combines the plot's many surprises with vivid prose...and leavens the action with wry humor.
-- "Publishers Weekly"Vivid descriptions-brass buildings, fine fabrics, spicy smells-percolate the lush prose...Recommend this scintillating, Middle Eastern fantasy to fans of thoughtful, mystical adventures.
-- "Booklist"It's stunning and complex and consuming and fantastic. You must read it.
-- "Sabaa Tahir, author of the Ember in the Ashes series"An opulent masterpiece...Desire-soaked, intrigue-laced...world-building and equally mesmerizing characters. A must-read.
-- "Roshani Chokshi, author of A Crown of Wishes"A magnificent and vivid world...A thrilling adventure, brimming with fabulous magic, compelling characters, and wonderful intrigue. I can't wait for book two!
-- "Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Queen of Blood"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, author of The Bloodprint"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.
-- "Fran Wilde, author of Updraft"
