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A review by onejadyn
The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty
4.5
This review has spoilers
This was by far the best book in the series. It took everything from the previous books, and went even further.
If you thought we'd fully explored Ali's blooming marid abilities, this story is here to remind you that we hadn't. We get to watch Ali not only learn more about his abilities but also learn more about his ancestors and his history, the culture he was born from. It was devastating to see him give up being a pure blooded Daeva, to lose the fire he held dear. It was also amazing to see him come into himself in a way we'd never expected.
Dara's story escalated to 11. The moral condundrums from the previous book look almost like child's play as he tries to navigate his loyalty to the Banu Nahida, the loyalty to the idealistic Daevabad with a Daeva standing at its head, as well as his growing realization that this isn't the way, and can never be the way. That Manizheh has gone too far, too far to ever be the one to shepherd in the new age they all wanted.
Seeing him fall under the slave ring again was devastating, and watching him break even more so. The love between him and Nahri was done impeccably — it'll forever bind them and simultaneously never, never be enough for her to ever be with him, forgive him, or even look upon him in peace.
Jamshid was just wonderful. I don't have words other than to be so pleased about Jamshid and his relationship with Nahri. It was lovely and wholesome and wow am I so glad that she didn't betray him in the end and leave for Daevabad alone.
For Nahri this was a final goodbye to a lot of what she wanted and what she knew. If you thought her saying goodbye to Cairo was hard, watching her accept that she may very well have to kill Ali, and then let him go? Wow.
Her growth into a true Banu Nahida, capable of remorse, but also knowing exactly when to say no, to let her enemy fall—it was awesome. She was awesome.
I was also stoked to learn more about her family, and I can't believe how quickly I grew to love her true mother in those flashbacks.
Overall, this story was breathtaking. Everything from the slow breaking of Daevabad under Manizheh's unstable hand, Muntadhir's rebellion and its cost, Nahri and Ali growing to care for each other and defend her, Jamshid learning he has family and a new life as a healer, Dara's painful path from one who committed genocide time and time again for his leaders and loyalty, broke under their rule, and is only now able to consider making up for his crimes.
There was a beautiful and tragic moment when Dara made Nahri promise to check the cave they once visited, so long ago. To look for relics in that cave every few years, to teach her children to do the same. For he will live millenia, and she will pass on, but no matter what he will pay his debt.
A near-perfect follow up to the existing trilogy, with perhaps the main caveat that we never truly got to see even the briefest glimpse of the Daevabad Manizheh was hoping to cultivate, for she broke so soon and so quickly, that she had no chance to be anything but the true scourge of Daevabad.
This was by far the best book in the series. It took everything from the previous books, and went even further.
If you thought we'd fully explored Ali's blooming marid abilities, this story is here to remind you that we hadn't. We get to watch Ali not only learn more about his abilities but also learn more about his ancestors and his history, the culture he was born from. It was devastating to see him give up being a pure blooded Daeva, to lose the fire he held dear. It was also amazing to see him come into himself in a way we'd never expected.
Dara's story escalated to 11. The moral condundrums from the previous book look almost like child's play as he tries to navigate his loyalty to the Banu Nahida, the loyalty to the idealistic Daevabad with a Daeva standing at its head, as well as his growing realization that this isn't the way, and can never be the way. That Manizheh has gone too far, too far to ever be the one to shepherd in the new age they all wanted.
Seeing him fall under the slave ring again was devastating, and watching him break even more so. The love between him and Nahri was done impeccably — it'll forever bind them and simultaneously never, never be enough for her to ever be with him, forgive him, or even look upon him in peace.
Jamshid was just wonderful. I don't have words other than to be so pleased about Jamshid and his relationship with Nahri. It was lovely and wholesome and wow am I so glad that she didn't betray him in the end and leave for Daevabad alone.
For Nahri this was a final goodbye to a lot of what she wanted and what she knew. If you thought her saying goodbye to Cairo was hard, watching her accept that she may very well have to kill Ali, and then let him go? Wow.
Her growth into a true Banu Nahida, capable of remorse, but also knowing exactly when to say no, to let her enemy fall—it was awesome. She was awesome.
I was also stoked to learn more about her family, and I can't believe how quickly I grew to love her true mother in those flashbacks.
Overall, this story was breathtaking. Everything from the slow breaking of Daevabad under Manizheh's unstable hand, Muntadhir's rebellion and its cost, Nahri and Ali growing to care for each other and defend her, Jamshid learning he has family and a new life as a healer, Dara's painful path from one who committed genocide time and time again for his leaders and loyalty, broke under their rule, and is only now able to consider making up for his crimes.
There was a beautiful and tragic moment when Dara made Nahri promise to check the cave they once visited, so long ago. To look for relics in that cave every few years, to teach her children to do the same. For he will live millenia, and she will pass on, but no matter what he will pay his debt.
A near-perfect follow up to the existing trilogy, with perhaps the main caveat that we never truly got to see even the briefest glimpse of the Daevabad Manizheh was hoping to cultivate, for she broke so soon and so quickly, that she had no chance to be anything but the true scourge of Daevabad.