I've reviewed the book on my blog and on my Booktube channel.

The Empire of Gold is, without a doubt, one of the best conclusions I’ve ever read. The City of Brass is one of the best series I’ve ever read, and I’m very glad that Chakraborty wrapped it up in this way. It’s full on perfection, so read my review below to hear my somewhat rambly thoughts on it.

If you’re interested, I’ve also uploaded a video review on Booktube, in which I almost cry on camera, get really protective of Nahri, and gush about how proud I am of everyone.

I can’t promise this review is going to be any good because since finishing The Empire of Gold yesterday I’ve been a bit emotiona and unable to put my thoughts together. Sorry everyone. But I also really need to talk about this book! So here I am.

So, let’s start off with the basics. The Empire of Gold is the third book in the City of Brass series, based on Middle Eastern mythology that involves djinn. And various other creatures, but that’s for later.

Unlike The Kingdom of Copper, there’s no time jump in this book. The Empire of Gold picks up with Nahri and Ali in Egypt, having accidentally fled Daevabad to escape Manizheh. Dara, meanwhile, is still wreaking havoc in the city as the djinn go into what is essentially lockdown. Muntadhir is imprisoned, and Jamshid is missing.

I’m not even sure where to start with my thoughts on this series, because it completely blew me away and mangled my brain. Will anything else ever live up to this? Probably not.

Okay so the plot. SO MUCH HAPPENS. You’ve got the three POV characters doing their own thing, mostly, and I loved how Chakraborty managed to split them up. Ali and Nahri were together for a lot of the book, but they both added to their storylines and having them together didn’t make any of their bits redundant.

Seeing Daevabad fall to Manizheh was soul destroying. You really get to know the city along with Nahri in the previous two books, and I was so attached to it. So seeing the way the djinn had to protect themselves and how they were treated by Manizheh and her people was awful. It really pulled on my heartstrings.

The plot moved along really nicely because Ali and Nahri were travelling a lot. It didn’t stagnate at any point, although I will say it started to almost (ALMOST, but not quite) drag for me in the middle because I kept wanting to go back to Daevabad to make sure my faves were okay. They were also discovering more things about the world(s) they live in, which was fascinating. The balance between new information and the old stuff was perfect, and a lot of the new stuff had been hinted at before so seeing it all come to fruition was beautiful.

The characters…. oh boy. Nahri continues to be an absolute boss. She’s gone from being a con artist in Cairo to a future queen in Daevabad, to embracing both sides of herself. There’s one part in the book where she realises she needs her con artist side to pull her through and win, so f*ck all the people who put her down for that.

Seeing her open up was wonderful. She’s always been on her own and fending for herself but now she slowly trusts people and stops lying to them and lets them in. Nahri is the most precious and I stan.

Ali has never really been my favourite character, but I’ve always really enjoyed his POV as wel as his character growth, especially from The Kingdom of Copper onwards. He also goes through a lot of growth in The Empire of Goldd. He stops acting so irrationally and impulsively, and uses his head a bit more. He also spends a lot of time figuring out his feelings for Nahri, which is fine, I guess. I don’t ship them together, but I do love their relationship.

Dara… is just f*cking tragic. Just when you think he’s going to realise what he’s doing and turn on Manizheh, he goes and does something even worse. He’s loyal to the Nahids and doesn’t know how to stop. I was honestly disgusted with his actions and the things he did in this book, and you’re supposed to be. But there’s also a small part of him that you hope will step up and change his course.

Chakraborty has done an INCREDIBLE job with developing these characters and giving them three separate and distinct storylines. She’s a very talented writer to get all of this so write.

And Muntadhir! <3 He could have been in this more to be honest. The book would have been even longer, and at 750 pages it’s already huge, but I wouldn’t have cared. He’s got a lot of potential if Chakraborty wants to write some short stories about him, iajs.

Manizheh is TERRIFYING. And super villainous. But you get it. There’s no redemption for her, but Chakraborty makes sure you understand why she is the way she is. She’s such a well written villain, and she puts a lot of other fictional villains to shame.

And the world building! If you thought you had a solid grasp on the worldbuilding in this trilofy and in The Kingdom of Copper then you are so wrong. Things that were hinted at in the previous books in the series were brought to light, touched upon, and expanded in The Empire of Gold. This world is so vast and complex that even the characters don’t know it that well.

I loved how Chakraborty brought back parts of the previous books. I’d strongly recommend rereading them if you can because you’re going to want to remember even little details. (LIKE THE CHEF).

Ultimately, I think the message to take away from The Empire of Gold and the Daevabad series as a whole is to show compassion. The villains in this series became villains because they stopped thinking about others. They only focused on the select lucky few instead of extending that compassion to everyone around them. So, like Nahri, be compassionate. Be kind. Be inclusive. And be understanding.

I think it’s a really beautiful message from a truly incredible series, and I’m so thankful that S. A. Chakraborty wrote this and shared it with the world.

This is the third in the trilogy and as I had a significant gap between the books I struggled at first to get into the groove but I am so glad I did.
The third book completes the story of Nahri, Ali and Dara as they struggle to save Daevebad, the city of Djinns that they all love for very different reasons.

Much which is a mystery in the first 2 books is explained and the characters have evolved and matured and are more explicable. I was so gripped I re read the trilogy through in its entirety again.
It is a fantasy worthy of the Arabian nights and I suspect the door is open for sequels but although this book really needs you to read the first parts of the trilogy to make sense, it neatly finishes the stories without leaving the reader hanging. Five stars.

Writing this review is hard. It marks the end of one of my favourite series. And I loved it so much, I really struggle to put all those emotions into words. Words that are not just me rambling about how much I fell in love with the Daevabad trilogy. Words that are supposed to make actual sense. Believe me, if a review could just be a series of „aaaaaaah“s and some crying, this review would contain not much else. But words are needed. And I shall try my best.

Empire of Gold starts off right where book 2 ended. Ali and Nahri are literally stranded in Egypt, with Suleiman’s seal but no power. They are both struggling with their situation, the loss of magic and how they feel about returning to Daevabad. They need plans and allies. But they also have inner demons and own memories to deal with.
I loved how their relationship has developed over the first two books and it continues to do so beautifully in this one. They care deeply for each other, they already went through so much and they know that they might not survive what’s going to come. But they know, despite the enmities between their families and the differences between them, that they can count on each other. Their relationship is so wonderfully written, growing over a large amount of time, having its ups and downs. The two of them just share so much, their bond going so deep, uniting them in trauma and a strong friendship.

But I also loved Nahri and Ali individually. I wasn’t Ali’s biggest fan in the first book, but he really grew on me in Kingdom of Copper and I fell more and more in love with him while reading this one. He is a cinnamon roll, always trying to see the best in people and I am soft. How could I be dumb and not like him in City of Brass? Why?

And Nahri, my fierce Nahid. She’s still so stubborn and never holds back with her opinion. I love that so much about her. She’s so strong, getting back up when she’s down, and even when she has doubts, she usually does the right thing for everyone while still looking out for herself and caring for her own wants and needs, too. I loved reading both PoVs.

The third narrator of the story is Dara. Oh, Dara. My poor, poor, heart. While I love all of the protagonists in this series, if I had to pick a favourite, it would be Dara. Where Ali and Nahri’s chapter felt a bit like an adventure story, Dara’s chapters were dark and lanced with conflict. Dara is an incredibly complex character, constantly torn between what’s right for his rulers and what’s right for everyone else, between his guilt and conscience and the wish to finally end this war at all costs. Torn between living and dying. And that tore me apart, too. His emotions and feelings were described in such raw, sometimes hopeless ways, my heart broke and broke and broke for him. The things he had to go through in his long, long life. Nevertheless, his whole character arc was so well written and developed, it made sense. Even though he hurt and I hurt too.

I quite liked the contrast of Dara’s chapters and those of Nahri and Ali. This way, it was a good mixture of heavy content, a bit of fun, some romance, some friendship, light and dark and hope balancing each other wonderfully.

In my opinion, Empire of Gold was the perfect last book for this series. It did a great job of finding solutions for every character and beautifully enough, those solutions fit. While my heart wasn’t exactly happy with the outcome of everything, my rational mind surely is. The characters got the endings they deserved, and more, they got the endings that fit them. I felt both content and like nothing will ever fill that Daevabad shaped hole in my chest. I’m still not over it and it’s been a week. The whole series is just so good, so wonderful and each book has something unique with this one rounding it up perfectly. And I might reread the series soon because ugh, I just love it so much.

Thank you to HarperVoyager UK and Netgalley for an early copy of this book!

Please be warned that as this is the final book in a trilogy, the review will contain SPOILERS for the first two books: The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper.

Appropriate to how The Kingdom of Copper left off, The Empire of Gold starts with a brutal, dark time for all our characters as a brutal coup had just fractured many alliances and factions on top of many innocents lives lost. While the Daevabad trilogy has been a dark series from the beginning, The Empire of Gold is a much grimmer book compared to its predecessors as it dives in the full depth of the darkest desires one may have that result from circumstances or in some instances, ones regardless of them. Dara's chapters embody more of this raw journey while Nahri and Ali's reflect more of the hopeful adventure to end the bloodshed in Daevabad.

As a result, however, some chapter transitions come a bit jarring due to the contrasting tone of these two paths that occur in the book. While the author never lets us forget the dire stakes of our heroes' journey in form of Dara's perspective inside conquered Daevabad, Nahri and Ali's chapters are slower in pace as they have more obstacles that are more political in nature which may result in some readers' frustration knowing fully well how high the stakes are. Regardless, however, the political nature of this book helps to develop the stakes as the author masterfully recreates all the nuances and complexities of real-world societies in the world of Daevabad. As such, we get to see how political failure after failure descends to horrific violence as we reach the climax of the book.

A major strength that has been true for all books in this trilogy is that the characters have rich and complex layers that are so well-developed one can easily understand and empathize with *any* character in the book, even the villains while never devolving to romanticizing or excusing their actions.

A thrilling finale to the Daevabad trilogy, The Empire of Gold could not have ended more perfectly as each character gets an ending they deserve, and long-spanning threads planted in previous books are brought together seamlessly. This series has been amazing throughout its run, and its conclusion The Empire of Gold has solidified its excellence.

It was ok and far better than the first book is the series.

An every read and felt rushed in places

After reading the first two books in this trilogy in mere days a few months ago and adoring them, I was highly anticipating this final part. And this novel didn’t disappoint.

It’s been so refreshing to have a fantasy series that doesn’t fall back on the ‘medieval European’ style that so many use. The Arabian Nights and Arabic/Middle Eastern influences made this a truly special series. The mythology blends beautifully with the characters, and the way that was expanded in this final book was magical without being overwhelming.

Following the events of Kingdom of Copper, Nahri and Ali need to find a way back to Daevabad, while Dara starts to question his allegiance to Manizheh after her destructive actions. As the pair travel back to their beloved city, gathering alliances along the way, things take a turn for the worst in the city at the heart of it all.

Looking back over the entire series, it’s lovely to see how the characters have changed while each change has seemed entirely natural. You can see who they were at the start, and how they have grown, how their flaws held them back and their strengths helped them move forward. Nahri is a shining star in this sense: she isn’t a perfect person, which makes her — to me — a perfect character. There are times she wants to turn back and give up, which is incredibly believable. Ali is one of my favourite characters I’ve ever read, after being ambivalent about him at the start. Dara commits some terrible acts, and yet I am thrilled with his ending.

As a final book, I loved it. Everything was wrapped up, questions were answered, but there were still some things left to the readers’ imaginations. Seeing the main conflict/action ending at 91% in my version made me so happy, because it was plenty of time to wrap things up for all of the characters I’d invested my time into.

Overall, the writing was gorgeous, and unafraid to go to dark places. I can’t wait to reread when I get the chance, and to find a nice boxset of the series to have on my all time favourites shelf.

The Empire of Gold was everything I wanted and more. It was full of action, had an amazing plot and a fantastic cast of characters. The story has so many twists and turns and it culminates into an awesome and highly satisfying conclusion to the series. I don’t really have a bad word to say about it.
The story picks up immediately from the end of the second book and what follows is fantastic (no spoilers). The characters and how they interact with each other are a joy to read, they all work well together. I’ve grown to love Nahri, Ali, Muntadhir and the other characters over the course of the trilogy. Every character has their moments. I’ve loved reading the highs and the lows and I felt all the happiness, anguish, pain and grief alongside them. I even didn’t mind Dara in this novel. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t always been his biggest fan but Chakraborty really puts him through the wringer, both physically and emotionally and, being the sort of person who loves that sort of thing, it really helped me to enjoy reading his chapters. I liked how his story ended, it was emotional and very fitting for his character. His last meeting with Nahri was beautiful to read.
I love the story that Chakraborty has created. It’s set in a beautiful and very rich world which she writes in a vivid and evocative way. I loved everything about this book and the trilogy as a whole was fantastic.
The Empire of Gold concludes the trilogy in a satisfying way. Chakraborty brings together the various threads set up in the first two books and brings them altogether into a thrilling conclusion that has both action and some really nice character moments. I looked forward to picking up the book everyday to find out what was going to happen next and I was not disappointed in the slightest. It’s one of the best books that I have read so far this year and a fantastic conclusion to the series. I loved every minute of it.

As unputdownable as the two books before it, The Empire of Gold remains faithful to the core values of kindness, justice and acceptance as it brings the story to the closure through fabulous new adventures. Every page spent with my favourite nerdy princes and pragmatic conwomen has been a delight, the richness of the tapestry of the world surrounding them a treat. I am so here for the Al Qahtani Family Circus and the worldbuilding of Daevastan.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

Empire of Gold picks up minutes after the ending of The Kingdom of Copper. Banu Manizheh and Dara have taken Daevabad, Muntadhir is alive and imprisoned and Nahri and Ali have somehow been transported to Cairo. Nahri, at first afraid of what would await her in her old haunting ground, finds comfort in the human world. Knowing what is awaiting her if she returns to Daevabad, a mother who tried to kill her and the man she thought she loved who betrayed her, she is reluctant to return to that world. It is only when Ali chooses to leave by himself that Nahri realises that she can't and doesn't want to let him risk his life alone. On their journey back to their home they make enemies and find the unlikeliest of allies. They will need all the help they can get if they are to take back the city they both love, even if it means killing those they love in the process.

I can honestly say that this is one of the best endings to a trilogy I have ever read. The author took her time, there was no rushing, trying to make the characters come to realisations before they should. It was brilliantly paced and even though I wanted to fly thought it, i had to take my time, reading bit by bit, taking pleasure in every chapter, knowing this was likely the last time I would have the pleasure to enter this magical world.

Nahri became a favourite character of mine from her first introduction in City of Brass, and my love for her has only grown over the books. Despite being out of her depth in a world full of magical beings she could only dreamed of existing, she falls into the roll of Banu Nahri with an ease, while never loosing the essence of who she is. She fights for the rights of all, no matter their station and is willing to put up a fight, and trust me she fights dirty, if that is what it takes. She is an amazingly complex character, fighting against the things she wants because she believe she doesn't deserve them.

Ali, my little cinnamon roll, does not quite know how his life turned out this way. He keeps his feelings for the Banu Nahri deep down, knowing that showing them will do him no good whilst she is married to his brother. He feels greatly changed now that he has started to embrace the Narid power that flows through him and feels like he is not worthy, not of the crown, of his life or of Nahri's love. His character growth in Empire of Gold is truly impressive and I loved seeing him embrace himself as whole, good and bad.

Dara, poor poor Dara. I think the only goof choice that man ever made was loving Nahri. But now under Banu Manizheh's control that bit of him has to stay silent. He may not agree with everything she does, but he is hers to command. It is only when Banu Manizheh starts unravelling that Dara realises he may have been on the wrong side of this fight all along. I love him so much and his parts in Empire of Gold were so heartbreaking. He is doing what he believes is the right thing, what he is supposed to do and seeing his inner turmoil and some of the decisions the Banu made had me heartbroken.

Talk about twists and turns, this book had plenty of them. Everything gets tied up in a neat bow at the end, but there are plenty of revelations throughout this book that I really struggled to find good places to stop reading. I would finish a chapter and just be like:

What Have I just read!!!

And I had to instantly dive into the next chapter. In fact it was pretty much just work and sleep that kept me from reading. When I say things get wrapped up, I don't want you to think its an easy journey, there is more than enough heartbreak and Chakraborty managed to give us everything we didn't realise we needed, without having to change anything about the characters. She kept them true to their former selves and the story true to the rest of the trilogy.

Chakrabortys writing style and world building is something that every author should hope to attain. To say that this is her first series is kind of mind blowing. The Daevabad series has made me a life long fan and I will be eagerly awaiting anything else she graces us with. This was a spectacular read, and you know that because its taken me over a week to manage to semi-coherently write down my thoughts and that never happens. I love everything about this series from the characters to the world she builds and I will certainly be re-visiting from time to time.

Felt like the series lost its charm sooner than its supposed to. Overall the series was a good read. Things could've been better

I have been anticipating the conclusion to this trilogy since the moment I read the last word in Kingdom of Copper, I kept opening and closing the book hoping that more would just appear, but unlike the magic that fills the pages none did, instead I had to wait impatiently. But not as long as I had thought….. my wish was granted when Netgalley so kindly sent an e-copy to read before release.

The Empire of Gold was everything I didn’t know I needed it to be. It starts exactly where the other one left off. A country that survives on magic and is also torn apart by it no longer has magic. Everything is chaos. Narhri and Ali have left Daevabad, not entirely on purpose, Muntadhir is a prisoner of war, Jamshid and Zaynab are still missing Dara is still Dara torn between his head and heart…. literally anything could happen!

The characters I have laughed and cried with have their beliefs and loyalties tested to the extreme. Exactly how far will they go to do the right thing? It’s been a long journey for all of them, but the character development is amazing and I love how we get to see how they all become better versions of themselves. This doesn’t mean they are perfect, because throughout the series they make mistakes and dubious decisions but that is how people learn and grow.

We get introduced to new mythical, magic creatures as well as some we haven’t seen in a while and we get to visit places that have been hinted at. This is all very vague because I don’t want to spoil anything. If you have been waiting for this then you won’t be disappointed. If you haven’t read the series go read The City of Brass right this minute and then The Kingdom of Copper so you can be as excited as I was for The Empire of Gold.

All I can say is that I absolutely loved this book, this series and I think everyone should read it so we can all talk about it.

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

I’ll keep this fairly brief for fear of spoiling anything. Because trust me, going into this without any inclination of what is to come, with all your hopes and dreams for these truly wonderful characters, will mean you can fully immerse yourself on the rollercoaster that is sure to follow.

I will however say this. Wow! What a story! The whole trilogy was wonderfully wild and woeful. I was captivated by the vivid and whimsical world of Daevabad from the very start, back in City of Brass. As soon as I met Dara, that was it, I knew I was a goner. He was without doubt my favourite character and his story arc alone made this a worthy read, but then there’s just so, SO much more.

I will also add that I actually found the politics complex and sometimes confusing (which is probably the closest I’ll get to a criticism). Daevabad’s history and cycle of violence and vengeance meant that it was difficult to see clearly who were the heroes and who were the villains. I think it even makes you question your own moral compass at times. But honestly it probably just made everything that bit more intriguing. The pages practically turned themselves!

And whilst I really don’t want to give anything away, I must just finish with the ending. It wasn’t what I wanted, but then it was also the perfect ending ;) And that’s it, that’s all I’m prepared to write. Other than I obviously loved it and you should absolutely go read it!

If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would.

This trilogy has fast become one of my favourites of all time, and I don't say that lightly.

The characters, the plot, the relationships, the world building, the magic system - absolutely everything is *chefs kiss* and I can't wait to see what SA Chakraborty comes out with next.

Actual rating: a gazillion stars

Given that I loved first two books, it seemed impossible for this book to surpass my expectations. But somehow it did. This final instalment was pure perfection for me. Everything from plot to characterisation to world building really shines here. All the threads in this story, all the foreshadowing, it all comes together here and it's fantastic. I never thought I'd love a series as much as Mistborn, but somehow this series managed to do that.

Right from the beginning, there's a strong emotional pull that was absent from previous books. In Dara's opening chapter we follow him in Nahri's room, reminiscing all the things he'd done wrong in their relationship. There is such a strong sense of loss and regret in that scene that it sets the tone for the rest of the novel. It gives the feeling that even though they'd won, he'd lost something precious. That sense of loss is so prominent throughout the novel that I could swear I was hearing some tragic music in the background.

One of my favourite elements about this story is the tone. To be more specific, I love how the tone gradually changes. Specially in this book, author's mastery of tone really shines. The story start from a very bad place, and it gets darker and darker from there.
I don't think I've ever congratulated a book about violence, but there's something incredibly magnetic about Daevabad's descent into violence. It's dark and it's bloody but it's also fucking brilliant. From the brutal coup, they start from at a bad place but they get worse and worse at each step as Manizhe tries to establish her rule. And the saddest thing was that at some point I wanted, I hoped, as much as Dara did, that Manizhe get what she wants. Because the opposite meant just more death and destruction for people of Daevabad. This book is really horrifying in the way that the brutal world of Hunger Games or The Broken Empire can never be. Most of this violent worlds exist in a safe space in my mind where I know everything is fiction.
But with recreating all the nuances and complexities of real-world societies, Chakraborty managed to build a society that is incredibly believable and thus, its violence is much more terrifying than anything else I've read in fiction.

What I've written so far seems pretty dark. But there's actually a sweet love story here that really tones down some of the darkness. The heart-wrenching romance that started out in the kingdom of copper gets more page time here, and I loved it. I loved every second of it. All the shyness, all the side glances, all the lust, all the internal reservations that either one of them had, it's SO incredibly well-done. Nahri's fear to ever love again, Ali's insecurity, it all made me FEEL for them so much.
There are two romantic stories in this series and I'm amazed at how well the author handles them both. One is immature, controlling, selfish, borderline abusive, and the other is mature, slow, subtle, beautiful and at times a little bit sad. And I love them both. To be more specific, I love how the author writes them. It would be so easy for her to start romanticising the controlling, genocidal maniac in this book, but she never goes to that route, and that alone is enough to earn my respect.

My absolute favourite thing about this story has always been the world-building. And here Chakraborty continues with fantastic world-building. So far we've only got some mythologies about the marid but in this book we finally get some actual history about them. Their past is so skilfully woven into narrative that I just couldn't get enough of it. The peris also get more page time here. I was afraid that some of elements of this fantastical world would get left behind without author explaining them. But thankfully everything came together here, and it was fantastic.
Lastly, this book has my favourite last line. Like, I'd read that last line and I just knew my babies would be alright.

Okay I just have to stop myself here because if I want to write all of my thoughts about this book and series it'll become an incoherent mess. I don't think I can ever properly explain what this series mean to me. I can only tell you all that this is a fantastic conclusion to a brilliant series. And that it's amazing peace of fantasy fiction. And that you all should read this.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

How can I even start? What a ride! The Daevabad trilogy is one of the best series I read in these years and this book only confirms my thoughts. It was unpredictable (so many twists, until the very end) full of action and emotions!
It's not perfect but It's very near to a perfect ending for me, I would a prefered a different path for a thing or two but the choices made by the author were very fitting.

I loved how we get to discover new things in this already very complex world, how she deepens our knowledge chapter after chapter.

Every single character had a story to tell (and I actually would love to have more content about the ones without a pov) and they were coherent with themselves. They make mistakes, they grieve, they grow and they become the best version of themselves. They're so realistic and relatable, it could have been a person in blood and bone making those decisions. I'm so proud! I'm definitely getting emotional now.

Another thing I was really struck by was the romance and how well it was handled, not rushed at all like I read in so many other books, it builds interaction after interaction and it's so interesting to see the characters have doubts and fears. Also it was not at the center of the plot, it seems obvious but it's not.

To conclude, if you still need to read this series and you're looking for an exciting, action packed fantasy with Aladdin vibes definitely give it chance (be warned, you will suffer, A LOT). If you're a big fan of the first two book you will not be disappointed, I promise!

SA Chakraborty's sweeping tale of a young thief who gets swept away to a magical kingdom with characters and creatures straight out of your most fantastical dreams and worst nightmares comes to an end with the dazzling and triumphant Empire of Gold.

Picking up where the Kingdom of Copper left off, the Empire of Gold carries the reader from Daevabad to Cairo, from Ta Ntry to the dark depths of the ocean itself. Chakraborty's impressive writing makes you feel as if you're right there alongside Ali and Nahri fighting for a better world. The characters are complex and the world is vibrant and alive.

The story of the Daevabad trilogy is a once in a lifetime journey that luckily you'll be able to visit again and again.

Umm...it was glorious . A great end to one of my favourite series ever. There is not many ways one can review the last book in a series . If you are interested in it , you obviously have read the previous two and believe me you are going to love it.

The Empire of Gold was one of my most anticipated releases for this year and I am happy to report that it more than met my expectations. It wrenched on my heartstrings. It made me laugh. It made me tear at my hair. It made me smile with delight and then with a bittersweet kind of pain. Suffice to say, it hooked me with every line.

It was such a thrill to be back among the characters that I adore for all of their strengths and flaws, and even the few new faces who make their introduction in this book were engaging and memorable. The lore grew richer than ever as we got to see more of the world outside Daevabad and the different kinds of magical peoples who inhabit it. The peris and especially the marid feature once again in larger roles, and some of the burning questions I had about their agendas and motivations were certainly answered.

I also love the way this book continues to explore all the difficult complexities and moral dilemmas that has always made this series so intriguing. What can be done to end a cycle of violence and vengeance that has lasted hundreds of years? What could possibly constitute justice when all parties have committed their own share of offenses? Is any one tribe’s view of righteousness truly just if it only subjugates another and propagates further hate? Do any of the families who supposedly have a claim to Daevabad truly deserve a chance to rule it?

Our ever-distressed characters, too, are still grappling with these questions. They also find themselves struggling with their own identities as new realizations come to light, and it does not make it easy for them to determine what their place should be (if any!) in Daevabad. Nahri, Alizayd and Dara all have fascinating arcs in this book as they are forced to evaluate their own choices and justifications. This book more than ever finds them questioning what they are expected to be, what they believe they should be, and ultimately who they truly want to be.

As much as I loved EOG as it is, I do wish we could have seen more of Zaynab and Muntadhir! I love seeing all sides of a conflict, so personally I think it would have been great to have had additional viewpoint chapters from one of these two. A POV of someone in Daevabad with a view into the resistance to contrast with Dara’s would have been wonderful. But given that this book is already a good 750 pages, I understand why the perspectives were limited to only our three main characters. (Not that I would have the slightest issue reading this even if it were 1,000+ pages, though!)

There’s still so much more I’d like to add to this review, but it may veer into spoilerly territory so I will hold off for now. But I promise that Daevabad fans are in for an intense treat and that the ending to this series will leave readers simultaneously satisfied and yearning for more.

First of all, I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review.

(I've read this book in a couple of days when I have a dissertation project to write, so I think I can safely say this was AMAZING.)

This review contains spoilers (but they are minimal).

The Empire of Gold is the concluding volume in The Daevabad Trilogy, and unlike some other conclusions of fantasy trilogies I've read in the past year, Chakraborty excels in giving a satisfactory and well-deserved ending for all her characters. One of the things that always fascinated me in the trilogy is how believable the characters are - the author manages to make all of them three dimensional, with goals and ambitions and fears that are extremely relatable. Especially Nahri, and especially in this book - she's more vulnerable, even though she wouldn't freely admit it, and she's also more open to admitting she has a family she built in Daevabad. Nahri really is an exceptional protagonist, and her emotional journey in this book was delightful to read (not to live through - poor Nahri has been put through hell since the beginning of her journey in the magical world).

The book is divided in 3 POVs: those of Nahri, Ali and Dara. Dara has had POVs in the second book, but they were more sparsed then they were in The Empire of Gold. (If you love Dara, that's fantastic news - I don't care much for him and struggled a bit during his chapters, but I really do believe he added a lot to the storytelling.) I completely understand why those three were the chosen ones to tell this story; I just wished we could see a little bit of Daevabad through other characters, such as Muntadhir, Zaynab, or even Kaveh. (I would have loved a Jamshid POV as well!!!)

I'm aware that my criticisim of the number of Dara chapters is not really fair - he's an interesting character, clearly conflicted and up to his neck in moral dilemmas. He's our way into an Nahid-occupied Daevabad, and I appreciated his attempts to bring a peaceful resolution to the city itself. I think his ending was bittersweet and therefore exactly what he deserved - he's got a lot of penance to do, and he won't shirk from it. He's realized he's done horrible things and is willing to atone for it, which I think is the most appropriate end for him, since the rest of the djinn world moved on and changed drastically from his time and he simply did not fit in anymore.

Ali is my baby. I cried multiple times during his chapters - I just love how much he loves his siblings, his relationship with his faith and how he feels about Nahri. I think one of the greatest things Chakraborty achieved in this series is how faith is portrayed: Ali and Nahri come from different traditions and both of them respect each other, and find comfort in praying and strenghten themselves from it. Ali was, as always, a delight: a flustered, awkward and self-sacrificing delight, who was willing to do anything to protect and preserve Daevabad. I have no words for Ali, because I love his character deeply - I think Chakraborty has built him with so many contradictions that work and enrichen him; his one of the most interesting characters I have ever read, period. (And he's an accountant. This woman is a sorcerer.)

My only drawback in this book (and I guess in the trilogy as a whole, because this perpasses the three books) is the whole deal with the marids. I get the message - we can only build lasting peace if we address and try to correct all the hurt and injustice that everyone suffered, and given the fact that the marid suffered with the creation of Daevabad, they should be included - I just wasn't completely sold on this storyline. The marid are important and add up to Daevabad's last stand against Manizheh, but something about it irked me, so I thought it fair to mention in this review.

Lastly, the solution Nahri and Ali came up with in regards to the ruling of Daevabad made my heart sing. I'm just in awe of such deep problems like intergenerational trauma, questions of justice and even genocide were approached in this series. Chakraborty did not shy away from some thorny issues, calling out on the bigotry of her characters in a way we should do in the real world.

The Daevabad Trilogy is, quite frankly, one of my favourite fantasy stories ever. I feel honoured for been given the opportunity to see Nahri and Ali grow as characters and people. If you read thus far, thank you! And thank you to S.A. Chakraborty for such an incredible, complex and touching story. :)

With this final book in the trilogy, has the series lost it's magic for readers?

The story has grown from an orphaned thief's adventures navigating and exploring an amazing, magical, Arabic fantasy land to focus on rebellion and change through revolution. Chakraborty is very sneaky and clever and knows exactly how to push your buttons and feed your anger and hate. It is easy to grow increasingly bitter and resentful towards the crowing conquerors whose excuses for genocide and ethnic cleansing is rooted in a thousand year cycle of hate, fueled by their dogmatic religious fanaticism.

"You might remember it is my family that our creed elevates - it's we who are to lead you, not the other way around." "The Nahids were tasked with caring for this city and it's people, all of them. It's a responsibility, Banu Nahida. Not a right."

By destorying the magic system in this fantasy world, readers are no longer distracted by shiny, dazzling, glittery djinn magic and Chakraborty's message is crystal clear and relevant beyond these pages: people shouldn't be subject to violent 'rulers' who are out of touch with peoples needs; people should have a choice; there is a path towards change; there is hope. Unfortunately, in this case, the path is not one of non-violence and peaceful protesting. It is vicious, violent and littered with casualties.

"If you rule by violence, you should expect to be removed by violence."

I cursed this book many many times. Chakraborty adds layer after layer of warring tribes and stubborn fanatics who refuse to listen to logic or reason and conveniently contradict themselves when confronted with their rational for genocide. It's insane troll logic.

"She and Ali were trying something different, a small way to make peace before you destroyed any hope of that in our time." "That peace was ended by the shafit attack on the Navasatem parade, as much as it was by our conquest." "I'm sure it's comforting for you to believe that. What a relief after you'd already plotted the slaughter of my people to learn you had a new justification to cling to."

It goes on and on and on and you become jaded, exhausted, frustrated and find yourself constantly yelling at characters to pull their heads out of the... sand! Yes, the sand, they're near the desert, that must be where their heads are. [Mental note: stop being a swear-bear and keep it PG-13.]

But preserve and trawl through the vitriol. It is definitely worth your reading time to join this little thief, her friends, the non-psychotic family members, and a giant flying mythological creature who eats all the apricots, on their final stand to save their world all because they have a glimmer of hope that things could be better.

"I want to fix this and maybe one day see a world where it's normal to pick sides based on what's right rather than on whose family or tribe we belong to."

Recommended for fans of The Hunger Games, Throne of Glass, Rebel of the Sands

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.