Review 'The Empire of Gold' by S.A. Chakraborty

"Not wanting to be destroyed by despair doesn't make you a coward. It makes you a survivor."

"Our faith prioritizes justice. It tells us to stand for justice, no matter what. We are to be a community that calls for what is right, that stands as witness."

A masterpiece. That's what this book is. A brilliant masterpiece. Never before have I seen such bold creativity brought to life. Whenever I think about the Daevabad trilogy, I picture a tapestry. The amount of detail that has been threaded through this story is astounding! It's in the description of the food, cities, and creatures. In the careful choice of each scent. It's in the religion, the culture, and the lore. This whole story is a tapestry, woven together with the utmost care for each and every intricate detail. And it is because of this that this series is so mind-blowingly brilliant. I say mind-blowing because, even now, I still can't wrap my head around all the details that are floating through my mind as I desperately try to hold on to every fiber of this story. Because I don't want to let go. I don't want this story to ever end because I'm not good at saying goodbye to characters I've come to love so deeply. But I'm comforted in knowing that this story and its characters will always be a part of me .

Let's talk about the three main characters and how fantastic they are. Because each of them has developed so beautifully that it brings me to tears just thinking about it.

Narhi is a force to be reckoned with. Always has been from the moment she appeared onto the first page. I instantly fell in love with her cunning personality and her ability to take care of herself. I found myself wanting to be more like her. But as the story went on, we saw her get torn down, her hopes and dreams breaking before her eyes. Still, she remained strong until the very last page. Her strength, especially in The Empire of Gold, knows no boundaries. She's not one to give up and bow her head in defeat, which is one of the things I admire most about her. Because, sure, all the bad stuff that gets thrown at her wounds her and tries to bring her down. And, sure, she might physically heal from it all. But her mental wounds stay with her through it all. Which only makes her stronger. She keeps going despite the horrors clawing at her memories. She keeps going despite everything she has been through.

I fell in love with Dara the moment he stepped onto the page-or fell down onto the page more like it. I loved him despite all the atrocities he has done. Because the guilt and the pain he has carried with him since the dawn of time is portrayed so vividly, it makes it impossible for me to not love him. Every time I think about all that's been taken away from him, I want to weep and hug him until he knows he's loved. His character development was no less amazing. He was raised with certain ideals and norms drilled into him, who to worship and who to hate. He's been betrayed, broken, and used to no end. And yet he still managed to turn himself around and fight for what is right rather than give up and know peace. He is misunderstood, made into a monster by the people he was supposed to trust. As I was reading Empire, I could feel his character starting to change as he began to doubt his own morals. I was waiting for that twist I knew was coming where he would do what's right. Because despite everything he has done to be called a monster, his heart is still pure. And he's always been clear about wanting to avoid bloodshed when possible.

Ali is a character who has slowly but surely grown on me. I loved how he always spoke his mind even though it was near treasonous. I loved how he wanted to come up for equality for every race of Djinn. Although he sometimes drove me nuts with his indecisiveness. I knew it was normal for him to be at war with what he'd been taught and what he believed was right. I loved reading his slow but sure character development throughout The Kingdom of Copper. I loved how certain he was of himself at the end of Kingdom and how confident he stayed throughout Empire even while drowning is sorrow from all that he had lost. And my boy still managed to surprise me with another character development by accepting the hidden part of his heritage. My boy did not disappoint. He became so much greater than I ever expected he would, and I'm so proud of him. It's safe to say now, having finished The Empire of Gold, that I love Ali with all my heart. He's so gentle and pure and kind and he needs to be protected at all costs.

Although romance definitely isn't the main focus in these books, I still loved every tidbit. Nahri and Dara's was the first relationship we got that went beyond friendship in The City of Brass. I found myself shipping them the moment they met. Even though I loved the relationship that started forming between Ali and Nahri, in City and Kingdom, I didn't ship them beyond mere friendship. I never thought that I would begin to ship Nahri and Ali romantically until Empire. I admit that part of me was reluctant to because I was so besotted with Dara. But as Ali started to grow on me in Kingdom, and even more so in Empire, I found myself craving for that spark between Nahri and Ali to catch fire. And when it did, I was not disappointed. Because after all the secret pining and the gazing and the slow burn of a deep friendship turning into something more, I finally got what I'd been wanting throughout reading Empire. An epic kiss scene. Oh yeah.

While part of me still shipped Nahri with Dara, another, more rational, part of me knew that too much had happened between the two to make it work again. My heart broke for Dara because I knew how much he loved Nahri and how much he deserved that happiness. But in the end, I knew that Ali was the right choice for her. It doesn't often happen that I stray from my initial ship. Still, Chakraborty proved once again how great she is with words and managed to change my mind and made me jump ships in the middle of a raging ocean.

The other ship I absolutely adored was Jamshid and Munthadir. We didn't get a lot of action between the two, so I found myself craving more scenes with them together. But there were enough descriptions of the two and the love they share for each other to make my imagination work for itself. The undiluted love they have for each other was palpable in every description and every action. I found myself rooting for them the entire time.

The villain aspect of this series is one I have to talk about because it was exceptionally well done. While Ghassan might be the first answer to who the villain was, he was never really the villain to begin with. He was an enemy and a tyrant, cunning until the last moment. But I didn't realize how weak a man he was until Manizeh ascended. I loved Manizeh as a villain because she gave me Azula vibes of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Manizeh's character was turned wicked and broken by the decades she spent trapped under Ghassan's reign. She was forced into obedience and suffered so much, it's no wonder her mind turned corrupt and insane. They say the best-crafted villains are the ones you secretly understand. It was like that with Manizeh for me. I understood her reasoning and her desperation for control over her home no matter the cost. I loved watching her rise to the throne and conquer it all, only to fall back down by her own actions. The actions of a desperate woman who is losing her grip on her sanity. Her demise was so well written and gradually brought in, you could see it coming from miles away. But her desperation to hold on to power-the monstrous sacrifices of anything and everything-was such an intriguing and great addition to the portrait of her villainous character.

The world was a splendid rendition of the brightest colors, rich scents, and dazzling legends. I knew before starting The City of Brass that I would fall in love with it. But I wasn't prepared for the amount of detail that was put into every crevice and every corner. It blew me away page after page. The Empire of Gold was no exception. Chakraborty's gorgeously lush writing brought this entire world to life before my eyes. Even now, I still feel as if I'm wandering the streets of Daevebad. I can smell the markets and feel the ocean breeze. I see the magic every time I close my eyes. I was able to see the wildest imaginations I couldn't believe possible in my mind because of the detailed descriptions. I was in awe of everything that appeared in this book. Every time I thought I couldn't be more awed by Chakraborty's wildly vivid imagination, she proved me wrong, leaving me breathless.

Of course, the action in this book was thrilling from beginning to end. But I had not expected otherwise. However, part of me had expected a few quieter chapters to catch my breath between it all. But did I get those? Oh, definitely not. Whereas The Kingdom of Copper was a page-turner because of the political intrigue and the schemes, The Empire of Gold was a page-turner because of its never-ending action. And I mean that literally. Every time I thought I'd reached a quieter chapter, Chakraborty proved me wrong. I found myself shaking with anxiety during the most intense and stressful parts. I found myself crying during the most heartbreaking ones. And I even found myself laughing during the most inappropriate times because, even in the face of death, my precious characters don't stop mocking each other.

Another aspect I absolutely loved in these books, especially in Empire, was the role of religion. As someone who's not really religious but finds every religion immensely fascinating, I loved learning new things about the Islam and the vital role it played in these characters' lives. I found myself understanding their reason for praying and how it made them feel calm and more grounded within themselves. It is something I've never felt before when reading about religion. The fact that Chakraborty was able to make me understand the importance of religion in someone else's life truly proves how great a writer she is.

Chakraborty has become one of my favorite authors. I will automatically buy anything she writes in the future because I have no doubt it will be fantastic.

The Daevabad trilogy has become one of my favorites series ever. It is truly unlike anything I have ever read, which is why I will recommend it forever. It's a complex story with complicated politics and history. But I believe if you're willing to learn about the different cultures portrayed in these books, and occasional google research while you're reading, you can understand the importance of this story.