Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 19/07/2024
Published by: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780008239435
‘The City of Brass’ had so much promise, but the drawn-out, confusing execution and numerous YA tropes gradually smothered my interest.
Similar read: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Cover:
This pretty design nicely captures aspects of the fantasy world and conveys the story’s genre.
Writing:
The casual, descriptive writing made this an easy read, except when it came to the detailed world-building. Sadly, the information dumps and confusing delivery made it difficult to fully grasp the rich world, filled with various creatures, magic, history, and a brutal social hierarchy.
The best tales always have at least a kernel of truth.
Storyline:
Despite an intriguing start as the main characters and world were introduced, the political intrigue that emerged fell flat as the main characters were clearly in way over their heads. Besides this, I gradually lost interest in the story as the pacing seemed off, and the theme of oppression missed the mark due to the confusing world-building. Even the action-packed climax felt painfully forced and lacked a convincing build-up.
Main character(s):
Nahri’s sharp and sassy characterisation instantly won me over, but I soon became disappointed by her passiveness for most of the story. Alizayd failed to make a better impression, as his naivety and self-righteousness made it difficult for me to connect with his character.
Secondary characters:
Several secondary characters support the scope of world-building, but these generally seemed one-dimensional and failed to make a strong impression on me. Even Dara seemed like a painful combination of young adult fantasy clichés, as his character is yet another incredibly attractive, long-living, mysterious and grumpy male with a tragic backstory.
Greatness takes time… Often the mightiest things have the humblest beginnings.
Romance:
Nahri forms two connections that hint at the possibility of a love triangle. However, her main connection felt rushed and constantly made me cringe, so I found myself rooting for the more natural second connection.
Narration & Audio:
Soneela Nankani gave an impressive and natural performance that captured the nuance of the narrative and enhanced the audiobook with slight character voices.
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