The Empire of Gold: 3 (Daevabad Trilogy)

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After the ultimate cliff-hanger that was THE KINGDOM OF COPPER’s final chapter, THE EMPIRE OF GOLD thankfully picks up immediately where that last book left off, and so begins a compelling story which weaves magic,.

Interspersed with the journeying is aching, heavy sadness as Dara, a hero so fallen he is himself a monster, narrates his own past of manipulation and abuse at the hands of the Nahids and works to puzzle out his own salvation (if any is to be had). I liked that there was more equitable balance between the main characters than there was in volume 2. His brother Muntadhir was also a character I had to warm up to but ended up loving, especially his relationship with Jamshid.Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Harper Voyager and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The thing is, both have their pluses, both have their minuses and it gives a new meaning ‘to the grass always being greener’ – because maybe it isn’t. Even though it's a dangerous job, she teams up with Tae-joo to take down the Choi family and their business empire. I have a minor obsession with getting lost in the pages of a good book, guzzling coffee, and thriving at home. However, saying that I do feel in places, this book was weaker than the previous ones for all that it wove the narrative threads and characters arcs together beautifully.

I finished reading The Kingdom of Copper, the second volume in The Daevabad Trilogy, in December, 2018. Manizheh does remain, mostly, the one dimensional monster, but Dara and the Qahtanis grow into something more, and the complexity of civilization and history, studded as it is with exploitation, abuse, and half-truths, carries through as the characters confront their most emotional, base selves and come out the other end, for better or worse. Overall though, I probably wasn’t that interested in that marid storyline of his, especially not here in the final book. Eons he’ll be out there, generations and generations after Nahri and Ali and Muntadhir and Jamsid and Zaynab are gone, alone. He makes a choice here that can’t be undone, but his choice is a huge component of what eventually saves Daevabad.Among other awards and nominations which will be added here soon, the Daevabad Trilogy was nominated for a Hugo Award, a 2021 Best Series finalist. But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara’s dark past. If there are is any criticism to be made, it’s that some of the rules of the world feel a little contrived to fit the plot beats.

Becky Chambers’ previous Wayfarers books have been an utter delight, and have consistently made me cry at their emotional highpoints. 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. Chakraborty's debut is desire-soaked, intrigue-laced, and ripe with so-delicious-you'll-sink-your-teeth-into-it worldbuilding and equally mesmerizing characters.

Fortunately, I won’t have to begin my grieving process since the author is talking about writing further adventures, her Instagram even showcasing a chapter from Hatset (yessss! She was fierce as hell in the book, took so many risks and chances and laid everything out before her. The Empire of Gold is the third book in the Daevabad Trilogy, and concludes the story of Nahri, Ali, and Dara. Which Nahid should he choose to follow, the one he has sworn allegiance to or the one who holds his corrupted, shuddering heart?