The Kingdom of Copper

THE KINGDOM OF COPPER (The Daevabad Trilogy #2)

Written by S.A. Chakraborty

Published by Harper Voyager, January 22, 2019

My star rating – 5 stars

THE SYNOPSIS:

Nahri’s life changed forever the moment she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Whisked from her home in Cairo, she was thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabadand quickly discovered she would need all her grifter instincts to survive there.

Now, with Daevabad entrenched in the dark aftermath of the battle that saw Dara slain at Prince Ali’s hand, Nahri must forge a new path for herself, without the protection of the guardian who stole her heart or the counsel of the prince she considered a friend. But even as she embraces her heritage and the power it holds, she knows she’s been trapped in a gilded cage, watched by a king who rules from the throne that once belonged to her familyand one misstep will doom her tribe.

Meanwhile, Ali has been exiled for daring to defy his father. Hunted by assassins, adrift on the unforgiving copper sands of his ancestral land, he is forced to rely on the frightening abilities the maridthe unpredictable water spiritshave gifted him. But in doing so, he threatens to unearth a terrible secret his family has long kept buried.

And as a new century approaches and the djinn gather within Daevabad’s towering brass walls for celebrations, a threat brews unseen in the desolate north. It’s a force that would bring a storm of fire straight to the city’s gates . . . and one that seeks the aid of a warrior trapped between worlds, torn between a violent duty he can never escape and a peace he fears he will never deserve. Find it on Goodreads

MY REVIEW:

Gah! This book – her writing – I just can’t handle it! I didn’t plan on picking up the first book in the series (The City of Brass) due to a few mixed reviews. But the more I read the synopsis, the more I thought that this book was meant for me. Within the first chapter, I was so in love with the writing style that I just couldn’t stop reading! In fact, I’ve already read it twice! And this book was just as good – but for completely different reasons.

If you’re in this series for the romance, magic, and world building that the first book offered, you might be in for a bit of a shock. All the things that made me fall in love with book one was still in this one. Glorious world building, romantic tensions, and all that, were still a main draw for this one, but this book focused a lot on politics. Not strong politics, but just many different perspectives and views to consider. People were torn in their loyalties, and acting as double agents to keep themselves close to their enemy. The King obviously had his own agenda, but then there was Prince Ali, Prince Muntadhir (Nahri’s husband), and Manizheh (Nahri’s mother). All of these people had an idea of what the kingdom should be doing, and all were taking their steps to carry out their plans. Some other sides were helping in secret, but there wasn’t a whole lot of communication. It allowed a very suspenseful situation as I wondered who’s plans would conflict with the other.

This was more so a book of hope, and the different ways that people can imagine a perfect life. Some were content to keep things the way they were. Others were attempting to take the next steps toward change, realizing that there could be consequences. Those consequences caught me off guard a few times with their brutality and my jaw needed to be picked up off the floor!

Nahri’s character was my absolute FAVOURITE perspective in this one! She was so well developed and realistic. She is no longer the lost human in a magical world, but she’s the wife of the heir to the throne and has embraced her role as the Banu Nahida. She’s had to spend the last 5 years with her loss of Prince Ali and Dara and, in that time, she’s found a way to acclimatize and thrive. Then all of a sudden, she grows tired of being a pawn, and  decides to take matters into her own hands. She no longer allows the men around her to tell her what to do. ** excuse the bad language** She essentially takes the plot and the characters by the balls and makes them her bitch. The person she turned into with a bit of confidence and independence was just amazing!

There were also some different elements in this book that I absolutely loved! First – all the talk of food! I was absolutely starving as I read this book! There was so much mention of food and drinks, all so vivid, and made my mouth water! There was even a food competition scene that was so great to imagine! Speaking of competitions, there was also a weapons competition during a certain celebration. So much fun!

The world building was still fantastic! And the pace of this book was consistent and constant. I absolutely LOVE her writing and pretty much vow to read anything this woman writes! Now I just need to impatiently wait for book 3 lol!

Until next time, happy reading!