Empire of Gold by S.A Chakraborty
Genres: Historical fiction, fantasy
Pages: 784
Cover: Paperback
Age rating: 14+
Buy on: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
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Daevabad is no more.Banu Manizheh, the leader of the Nahids, and her revived commander, Dara, must attempt to mend their deteriorating relationship and bring peace to a fighting, contentious populace after a violent conquest robbed the city of its enchantment.
However, Dara's dark past's deadliest demons have been let loose by the bloodletting and the death of his beloved Nahri. He must confront some unpleasant realities about his past and surrender to people he once viewed as adversaries in order to defeat them.Now safe in Cairo after barely escaping their violent families and Daevabad's lethal politics, Nahri and Ali must make their own tough decisions.
The idea that the loved ones she left behind and those who saw her as a savior are in danger from a new tyrant haunts Nahri, even as she takes solace in the comforts and routines of her human home.
Ali is also compelled to look back and is resolved to go back and save his city and the remaining family. He finds that his bond with the married runs much deeper than he anticipated and jeopardizes not just his relationship with Nahri but also his faith while seeking assistance in his mother's native country.As peace becomes increasingly difficult and former players reappear, Nahri, Ali, and Dara realize that in order to change the world,
SPOILS ALERT!
General Opinion
The Empire of Gold is the third and final book in the Daevabad trilogy, a must-read series. This book shows how the world isn't just black and white but also a shade of grey, where I understand the motive of the villains better, how they thought they were doing the right thing but were instead causing horror for other citizens.
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Characters
The character's journey through the book was truly beautiful to see, yet also tragic. One in particular is Dara, a Daeva who holds hatred for the Djinn for killing his family and his people all years back. Because of that, he follows the order of Manizeh, a woman thirsting for revenge against the Djinn. Despite Manizeh's cruel act against innocents, Dara keeps reminding himself that this is for the greater future and that some sacrifice must be made. But as the story progressed, even Dara couldn't stand the violence and horror that he and Manizeh had bred on to the Daevabad, a city that was once filled with life. In the end, Dara rebels, redeeming himself. I love Dara's character development through this book, yet I also sympathize with the life that he had; because of his past and his training, he had blindly followed a monster in lead. ​
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I also enjoy the character arc of Nahri, who starts off as a con artist in Cairo, but they grow into a strong, badass, brave woman who willingly puts other's lives before hers. Her bond with prince Ali was also a splendid read—how they started off as strangers to become friends, always having each other back.
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Cons
However, I would prefer it if the chapters were a bit shorter, as most of them are 20 pages long, making it a tiring read sometimes. I think it would also add more depth to the story if we got Manizeh's point of view and what she was thinking the whole time while committing a horrendous act. As it was clear that Manizeh could become a great woman if it wasn't for her past and surroundings.
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Conclusion
I also love how the book tackles the issue of corrupt government and racism, which was realistic and meaningful, as a lot of people could relate to it. Overall, I love this book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for political books with a mix of fantasy in them. Keep in mind that there would be a lot of violence and blood.