Author S.A. Chakraborty brings her epic Daevabad Trilogy to an end with The Empire of Gold.

In the last book, we saw the fall of Daevabad and a new powerful leader, Manizheh, taking the throne with Dara, the ancient daeva, at her side.

“Dara was so sick of despairing over his fate, of guilt eating him alive. Now he was just furious. Furious at being used, at letting himself be used again and again.” pg 105, ebook

Meanwhile, Nahri and the prince Ali found themselves magically transported to the human realm of Cairo. Nahri knows they have to go back to the magical world to save not just their friends and family, but also the city of Daevabad itself. However, the charms of her old life make her want to stay and live as a healer.

She enjoys the peace while she can.

Ali is racked with guilt about the fall of his city and the loss of magic throughout the djinn’s world. He’s still struggling to learn how to control his strange new water magic. How can he use it to help save his people?

“How much of his life, all their lives and their histories, unraveled the more it was examined?” pg 392, ebook

I thought the conclusion to this series was magical. Chakraborty gives her huge cast of characters not only beautiful but fitting endings. She ties up every thread she’s woven through the story to give the reader a satisfactory experience.

I liked how the endings weren’t necessarily happy or perfect. Throughout her books, Chakraborty has painted a complex world where the characters aren’t all good or bad, but some mix of each. The conclusion stays with this method of storytelling and manages to feel somewhat real, despite all of the fantasy elements it contains.

“There is a time to fight, and you are all fierce warriors, students I am deeply proud of. But there is also a time to put down your weapons and make peace.” pg 701, ebook

Not only are these books morally complex, the cultures she’s created feel deep and true. In this book, readers get to enjoy the culture of Ali’s mother and learn much more about the prince’s special abilities.

I don’t want to say much more about it because discovering this storyline is so much fun. It was my favorite part of the book, which had so many wonderful moments to it.

Very highly recommended for fantasy readers. Thanks for reading!

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