Empire of Gold eARC Review

GoodReads:

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.

Book Details
Title: The Empire of Gold [Daevabad Trilogy #3]
By: S.A. Chakraborty
Publication Date: June 11, 2020
Published By: Harper Voyager UK
Page Count: 750
Format: Kindle, Hardcover

My Review

The City of Brass Review is here
The Kingdom of Copper Review is here

I don’t think I have adequate or even coherent words to say just how much I adored this book.

750 pages that somehow feels like maybe 400, perfect pacing, perfect conclusion, and Chakraborty broke and mended my heart multiple times.

Honestly, guys, I’m struggling to write this review. My notes just say ‘I loved it, it’s amazing, why didn’t I take better notes’ so you know, that’s that…and those notes aren’t very helpful.

So let’s see what I can crank out.

From the very first page,  just as in The Kingdom of Copper, Chakraborty dunks back into the lush world and mythos of Daevabad. It felt like coming home and it was an amazing feeling, of course, it’s not just Daevabad in this book, with where book two left off, Nahri and Ali are somewhere very different from the city of Daevabad.

I was really excited because we did get to know more of the cultures of other tribes between Copper and this one, Ayaanle for life by the way if you’re wondering which one is my favourite.

Ali had so much character growth in the last two books that you would have thought he was done, but, NOOOOPE. He advances even more in this book, his character growth reaching such a peak, and Chakraborty does not hesitate to put him and our hearts through the wringer in doing so.

Nahri has a lot of ‘soul searching’ in this you could say, she knows more about who she is each book, but now she’s also learning who she wants to be and what she wants to do, where she really didn’t get those chances before.

Dara.

Oh, Dara.

He finally is transforming as well, and let me just say, his ending was like 500% satisfying to me. But, I won’t say more than that.

Once more this is a buildup of events, but this time it’s the build-up of the other books as well, and the apex is AMAZING. Seriously! Chakraborty rocked my literary world with how she threaded everything together and gave such a beautiful ending to this gorgeous trilogy.

I loved seeing more of Dhiru, of understanding the complexities of the love of family whether it’s parents or siblings, watching Jamshid just like own who he is in this book gives me life.

Also.

Sobek was basically stealing all the scenes he appeared in, I mean, he may need books of his own..*HINT HINT*

Anyway, again, despite its size, it didn’t feel like a slow read, it was perfectly paced and divided up with so much action that it went quickly, too quickly if you ask me, haha.

Epic battles, lore and mythos that goes deeper than the Marianas Trench, characters showing penultimate growth and development, and a satisfying ending are what make up The Empire of Gold. So, I’m definitely a fan and would recommend this trilogy to like so many people lol.

This book was perfection and I thank the publishers and Netgalley for the eARC I read in exchange for my honest, but very fangirl-ish, review.