Meanwhile, Dara explores his new form and its meanings, trying to come to terms with the destiny that has been crafted for him since he was a young man and how all that idealism and all those promises have resulted in monstrosities, culminating in an unsteady alliance with the Ifrit. So, they decide to head back to Daevabad but along the way they encounter a very powerful and ancient Marid. I don’t want to get too far into spoilers, but there are a few moments near the end of The Empire of Gold where other characters that we’ve barely heard from previously step into the story. In all fairness, Chakraborty’s characters seem to feel the same way, but I think this is worth pointing out. A mob boss who is the antagonist to Jang Tae-joo's start-up business, and becomes a friend of Tae-joo later.

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. Forget healing, my specialty should be having my life destroyed and then being forced to rebuild from nothing. Also during those 2 hours of nonstop crying, I started a Pinterest board of Daevabad art and more recently an aesthetic for the book and series! Empire of Gold is beautiful for its wisdom and introspection, its complexity in that heroes and villains alike are flawed and relatable.He makes a choice here that can’t be undone, but his choice is a huge component of what eventually saves Daevabad. The places in which I felt like screaming: when Dara tells Nahri he’s leaving and will never be able to step foot inside Daevabad again while acknowledging the fact that she will never be able to step foot outside of Daevabad ever again and anytime Nahri flirts with or kisses Ali. This is the romance Nahri always deserved, with a man who loves and respects her, who is her friend not just her lover, and who can treat her like an equal. maybe only bad because there’s no sequels yet confirmed :’) There was enough ambiguity in obviously Dara’s storyline but also Nahri’s regarding the new enemies she makes in the climax to have potential for sequels, possibly in another time period?

Well, everyone is back in force and then some and I’m pleased to say that the character growth is great. I know the books aren’t about *romance* but to feature it semi-heavily in all the books, I was just a tad bummed at how the relationships are handled. When all the characters come together at the end for what’s really the Final Showdown, I wasn’t expecting it to play out the way it did. I love the juxtaposition between the everyday world sitting alongside the magical and mythical Daevabad.Subversive and clever in its politics, nothing is quite as it seems in treacherous, seductive Daevabad. When Nahri realizes what has happened to him, why he’s done some of the things he’s done to Daevabad…your heart shatters alongside hers.

Nahri and Ali are recuperating from their battles and recent escape, reconnecting with some old friends and family, including some very unexpected family, and trying to figure out what to do with their lives. The conclusion ends solemnly, with a note of new hope that rings a little false (and too easy), but mostly stays true to the situation and ideals of the characters who are trying not to repeat their own histories. We see hope, but also the inevitability of backsliding and a long lasting culture of mistrust and power playing. This helps you root for them, not that you will need much help, to find their way through the moral mazes that appear, overcome considerable obstacles, and try their damndest to make right what has been made wrong.The ending was ultimately satisfying, without getting into spoilery territory, I appreciated that it fitted with the overall story and there was no everything gets wrapped up in a big neat bow, all the characters end in a good place but it’s clear that there is still a long way to go before Ali and Nahri’s vision for a united Daevabad comes to pass, which I felt was very realistic for this world, the tribes aren’t going to abandon their beliefs about the other tribes overnight. There are reasons why I hate The Red Rising qnd Throne of Glass series so much, and this way of writing plot twists is one of them 😤 So I’m not going to forgive S. Dara isn’t innocent, but what he goes through is cruel, and you can tell that his viewpoints change, but nothing can be done. This means I may earn a commission should you chose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link. This trilogy touches on a lot of themes about racism and discrimination based on religion, skin colour and lineage.

NOTE: This review will contain spoilers for the first two books, City of Brass and Kingdom of Copper.I’ve always thought Dara was the most interesting of the three main characters, in part because we didn’t really get his perspective for quite a while. 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.