At first I was nervous to discover the physical version of this is well over 700 pages but then I just couldn't put this book down! It is such a satisfying end to the Daevabad trilogy and it wraps up all the big questions and plotlines while still providing intensely cool magical worldbuilding and excellent action sequences. The characters are as complex and interesting as ever, though I do think Dara's narrative voice is the weakest of the three in this book. Some of the pacing issues I had with the first two books were much improved here (surprising, given the length) and I am very pleased with how the story wrapped up. So nice in these post-Game of Thrones season eight days to have a series end well, isn't it?

It took me a while to finish with everything going on but the story comes together and ties off well in the end. Revelations, secrets, reunions...emotions are everywhere in this final book and in the end, some character's paths have been chosen while others remain open-ended.

Somehow it’s harder to write a review for a book that ends a series than it is for a series starter. I presume if you’re reading a review for the last book of a trilogy you’ve read the series. If you haven’t and are the sort of reader that waits for a series to be wrapped up then by all means you have my recommendation that you start reading immediately! 🙂 It’s a satisfying read.
I think the author’s strongest two points are her world building and her strong characterizations. The real world parts of her story feel like 18th century Egypt and the magical world parts do feel pulled out of a fairy tale from long ago. Her characters are full fleshed out and interesting to follow.
All in all one of the better fantasy series I’ve read in the last ten years or so. I don’t know if I’d call it the best but it’s easily in the top ten and I wouldn’t argue with someone that wanted to call it the best.

The final chapter in the Daevabad Trilogy will not disappoint for lovers of the first two installments of this series. Coming in a whopping 750 pages, this story is full of adventure, magic, deception, romance and nail biting suspense. Nahid and Ali face their past and families to find their destinies. Nahid dreams of a quiet life with no politics where she can heal her people. Ali faces his fears, learns of his true family heritage, and learns to unite all people and beings in the hostile world of Daevabad. Both their journeys lead them to understand each other and to learn to trust one another; to find love.

This story was epic and each character touched my heart. They will be missed but their adventures inspired me to be more than I can be.

I came into this book having no expectations, having not read the first two books in this series. I have heard nothing but great things about the author, S. A. Chakraborty and I believe I checked City of Brass out from my local library but didn't get to it in time (I am a sucker for a "City of" book from any author). I was intrigued since this is the last book in the series, but I also wanted to know more about the characters as I went in. Through my research, I found that the first two books were incredibly well reviewed and I got the gist of the major plot points, etc. along the way. I also used the author's website for a crash course in the world of Daevabad and it was incredibly helpful!

Although goodreads lists the page count as 400, this is a red herring. This book is a tome at around 800ish pages. I'm not complaining, because the pacing was just right, a credit to the author, their beta readers, and all of those involved in the writing/editing process. The relationships are complex and the characters have a depth that is incredibly hard to achieve, even through three books. You can tell this is a well crafted book by the way the reader (me, in this case) felt the triumphs, the conflicts, the exact emotions with the characters. I was absolutely engrossed in this book and it's many players.

The setting warms my heart, we need more novels set in a fictionalized, but with some elements of the real thing, magical West Asia/North Africa! This was such an interesting setting for a book series. Let's get more representation for cultural elements from this region! I will be picking up physical copies of these books for my collection and for a good, thorough read/re-read!

I received a galley copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This was truly beautifully written and incredibly compelling. This is a world I would love to explore further.

I received an eARC of this book, so I didn't realize right away what a DOORSTOPPER this thing is. At over 750 pages, it took me a while to move through it...but honestly it was all to the good because I just didn't want it to end!

The final pages of The Kingdom of Copper left Daevabad in tatters, with more than one prominent character dead after the Nahid uprising led by Banu Manizheh against the Geziris. Empire of Gold thrusts us right back where we left off...incidentally, you may want to take advantage of these last few weeks and reread the preceding if you haven't done so already--I found myself forgetting quite how much had happened in that last climactic battle!

After poisoning most of the Geziris in Daevabad, Banu Manizheh has reclaimed the city with the help of the ifrit and her loyal Afshin, Darayavahoush--but all has not gone to plan. Not only did some of the Geziris manage to escape the bloodbath (including a few important players), but magic has also fled the city. Only Dara, with his ifrit curse, seems to have retained any ability. This poses a challenge to the band of usurpers struggling to unite the Daevas under the banner of the Nahid once more.

Meanwhile, Nahri has dragged Ali, now in possession of Suleiman's Seal, on a desperate magical flight from the city only to turn up in...Egypt. The two have seemingly been expelled from the magical world and are themselves without powers as well. Almost. Just as Dara's ifrit magic still works, so, too, does Ali's lingering gift from the marid. Water demon magic is not much to work with in the middle of this nonmagical desert land--but the smoothest con artist in Cairo has never depended on magic to survive, and soon Nahri catches up with characters from her past, giving her and Ali a little time to rest and plot their next move.

Of course neither are content resting in relative safety knowing the dangers Daevabad is facing, and so it isn't long before they begin making their way back to the mystic city by boat, leveraging Ali's marid abilities to travel quickly along the Nile. Unfortunately, word of their flight from Daevabad has traveled much further than expected, and soon more than one overly interested party is tailing the two fugitives, many of whom willing to go to great lengths to ensure the pair never make it to the Daeva city.

I won't give away anything about the ending, but what I will say is that--while I did not get the ending I'd been hoping for--Chakraborty delivers a finale that is stunning, both completely inevitable and fully satisfying, and will leave readers drowning in all the feels for a long time to come. (I may have cried.)

I loved everything about this. S. A. Chakraborty's writing is flawless, and even though the book is long, the pace still feels quick. Each character meets a satisfying end, or we can at least see the promise of one, though of course not all those endings are cheery. No threads are left untied. The previous two books of the Daevabad trilogy had put this series in my top five of the past five years, and I'm so pleased that Empire of Gold not only proves a fitting end to a stellar series, but quite honestly blows the other two right out of the water! I anticipate this trilogy will stay high on my list of favorites for a long time and I hope they release a box set soon.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the Advance Reader’s Edition!
I loved the first two books in this trilogy and was so excited (and a little sad) to read the final book. At 764 pages, I devoured it in just a few days. What a wonderful conclusion to an amazing series! So many twists and turns I didn’t expect- yet so satisfying. The fantasy world and characters Chakraborty has created are so rich and well-developed. I highly recommend the Daevabad Trilogy!

Amazing end to a wonderful trilogy. I loved this one and thought the author did a great job. Cool cultural significance and I can’t wait to see more!

I received an electronic advanced read copy from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers in exchange for my review.

Empire of Gold is a satisfying conclusion to the Daevabad Trilogy, which I highly recommend. The Daevabad Trilogy is an epic fantasy set in a magical world inspired by Middle Eastern folklore. It follows the paths of Nahri, a woman who grew up in 18th century Cairo with inexplicable healing powers; Ali, a reckless young prince with strong religious convictions; and Dara, a centuries-old afshin whose infamous role in historical events color reactions to and expectations of him in the present. In City of Brass Nahri cannot escape the supernatural events that drag her into the magical city of Daevabad, where she becomes enmeshed in the political intrigue stretching back to the city’s foundation. The tension breaks in Kingdom of Copper when Manizeh, the Nahid healer thought to be dead, overthrows the Qahtani regime by unleashing a deadly poison. In Empire of Gold Nahri and Ali must find a way to restore magic and peace to the tribes while navigating romantic entanglements, oppressive social structures, and the individual interests of all they encounter. The worldbuilding is complex and immersive, and the protagonists are mostly compelling and multidimensional.

*****************This remainder of this review contains spoilers.*****************

Resolution
I especially appreciated that the novel nicely tied up any remaining questions about the marid, Deavabad’s history, and especially Nahri’s origins. Once her father’s identity was revealed, it becomes clear that the backbone for this revelation had been laid in the first two novels, when we saw how the palace’s orange grove responded to her and in the subtle kindness shown by the Egyptian cook. I also liked that Nahri and Ali’s relationship came to a promising start given her ongoing trust issues and his moral resolve. I would have loved something more concrete, but it wouldn’t have been right for these characters. I only wish other key aspects of the story had been treated with the same level of attention to detail and careful construction.

Issues
My greatest complaint relates to Dara throughout the novel. While I appreciate the justice in his decision to dedicate his life to locating the vessels scattered by Visaresh, I found his decision to continue to live during the earlier battle incongruent with the emphasis on how broken his spirit was, especially after Manizeh enslaved him. In general, I think too much of Dara’s thoughts were revealed directly rather than through dialogue or actions. The term “shattered” was used at least once in probably every section from his perspective, to the point that it became a nuisance. Hopefully that will be cleaned up in editing! Nevertheless, that Dara not only mustered the will to live at the last moment but also managed to trick Manizeh was a stretch for me after the buildup. Despite his tragic backstory, Dara mostly falls flat throughout the series, with his only real growth coming at the very end.

Similarly, the peris and blood magic seemed to be used as plot devices rather than as figures and abilities that are well-integrated into the novel. The peris do have a small role in the first novel, but I would have liked more continuity or buildup of their participation--or at least to have learned more about their motives or past actions over time. Then again, maybe the peris’ role is intended to seem arbitrary to emphasize the unjust nature of their interference. In terms of blood magic, the nature of the ifrits’ magic has been skirted around until the point that Manizeh learns it, and suddenly everyone understands what blood magic is.

Monstrous Motherhood
Maternal affection is a major driving force throughout the novel and it can be consistently associated with monstrous qualities, perhaps speaking more to cultural perceptions and literary tradition than to any designs on the author’s part. Nevertheless, it makes for an interesting study. Manizeh’s increasingly desperate attempts to be reunited with Jamshid eventually lead her to murder scores of her own people and to enslave Dara. To a lesser degree, Hatset also prioritizes her children’s well-being over doing what’s best for the kingdom. Tiamat, “the great ocean itself, an abyss of chaos and creation, […] the mother of the marid,” is the physical embodiment of a monstrous being, who derives pleasure from chaos and violence. Finally, even Nahri’s shafit mother allies with a fearsome marid to protect her daughter.

To start things off, I didn’t realize this was book III of the The Daevabad Trilogy series and for obvious reasons, this wouldn’t be considered a standalone. From page one I was completely lost as to who the characters were. There were no author notes nor disclaimer stating this, and due to me being unaware of this it was a no-brainer that I decided to drop this later to pick it back up later once reading the earlier installments. From what I have read so far, “The Empire of Gold” seems like a promising read and I look forward to re-reading this back again in the future.

Huge thank you to HarperCollins Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This review will contain some spoilers for The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper.

I freaked out when I got approved for this advanced readers copy on Netgalley! I have been dying to get my hands on The Empire of Gold since I read The Kingdom of Copper last year. The Daevabad Trilogy is one of my all time favorites. The story has kept me totally hooked from the very beginning. The Empire of Gold is an absolutely incredible conclusion to this breathtaking series.

The world and story that S. A. Chakraborty has created is absolutely incredible. There are only a few other authors that are able to write such all encompassing stories. Chakraborty has created an epic and stunning world with an entire culture in the Daevabad Trilogy. I genuinely don’t know how to describe how truly talented Chakraborty is. She is an author I consider to be a master storyteller.

The Kingdom of Copper ended on a huge cliffhanger! Actually multiple huge cliffhangers!! The Empire of Gold picks up right where The Kingdom of Copper left off with Dara in Daevabad and Nahri & Ali in Egypt. It hit the ground running and DID. NOT. STOP. The story is exciting, action packed, and full of adventure. There are so many twists and turns and I never knew what to expect next. I couldn’t put it down! One of my favorite parts is that the world of Daevabad is expanded upon beyond what we’ve already known. I absolutely love getting to explore more and more of this world. Especially Ta Ntry and the Marid!

Once again, the story is told through the multiple points of view of Nahri, Ali, and Dara. I can’t believe how much these characters have gone through. I’ve always loved Nahri and Ali, but I love them even more than I thought possible — even though the both took me through the ringer in this one! Dara’s chapters were difficult to read because it was really hard to have any sympathy for him. I ended KOC hating him and the feeling continued throughout EOG. That being said, he does have a great character arc. Dara’s character has taken me on quite the emotional rollercoaster throughout this series. Chakraborty really knows how to pull on my emotions.

Speaking of emotions . . . I went through the full spectrum while reading The Empire of Gold. Anger, fear, sadness, grief, happiness . . . you name it and I felt it! I truly felt like I was on this adventure and feeling everything Nahri, Ali, etc. felt. All of the characters in this world have experienced so much violence, trauma, and heartbreak. They all have made good and bad decisions. It’s one of the things that I like most about this series — no character is perfect. Each and every one has flaws. The character growth from the beginning of the series to now is truly amazing.

The Empire of Gold was an absolutely perfect ending to this amazing series. I honestly could not have asked for more. I totally loved every characters conclusions. The themes of love, family, acceptance, redemption, and willingness to change are so well done. I am seriously in awe of The Empire of Gold and I know that this series will stick with me forever.

THE EMPIRE OF GOLD WILL BE RELEASED JUNE 30TH, 2020 BY HARPER COLLINS.

Empire of Gold is a thrilling and satisfying ending to the Daevabad trilogy. The way Nahri's, Ali's, and Dara's stories all weave together is complex and kept me reading way past my bedtime. I want to go and start the entire trilogy over again, because I love this world so very much.

This is the final installment of the Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chokraborty. The story starts out in the aftermath of the attack on Daevabad with a new Banu Nahida trying to take control of the city while aided by Dara and a couple of ifrit, all the while, Nahri and Ali are still missing. This tale was devastating in the character development and the relationships between characters. Chakraborty does a great job building characters that are not all good or all bad and puts me in mind of the characters of Game of Thrones. The plot does a great job of pacing as it builds toward the grand finale of the series. It was also nice to see Nahri find a bit more of her original spunk in this book again, in book 2 it felt that she had lost herself a bit, but in this final book she demonstrates a strong sense of self with all of the learning and lessons that she has gained by losing everything and picking herself back up again and again. Chakraborty has done a wonderful job of tying up all of the loose ends with a very natural progression.

I was lucky enough to get my wish granted on Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book, so thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the chance to read this book a little early.

My review will not contain any spoilers for this book, but as it is the third in a trilogy there will naturally be some spoilers for City of Brass and Kingdom of Copper.

The Empire of Gold opens with Nahri and Ali finding themselves in Cairo and Dara with Manizheh back in Daevabad. Things are bad, Daevabad suffers under the rule of the ever increasingly violent Manizheh wielding Dara like the weapon he believes himself to be, all while Nahri and Ali mourn those they lost on their way out of Daevabad and search for some way back home.

Chakraborty's writing continues to be beautiful and full of emotion, never shying away from the uglier parts of humanity. I appreciate that she holds her characters accountable, both to themselves and within her writing. Dara's chapters continue to break your heart while being horrifying. I thought that the juxtaposition of Nahri and Ali's chapters with Dara's eased some of the heaviness, and you really feel the difference in their arcs. I was especially lovely to see Nahri return to Cairo and to see how much she has grown both as a character and a person.

I thought that this was a stunning conclusion to a beautiful series. It was bittersweet and realistic and ultimately, a fitting end. I laughed and cried and stared at my kindle in shock in many parts, but mostly I just really really loved it.

This was a haunting conclusion to the Daevabad Trilogy! I really didn't want to let this world go. I enjoyed seeing the characters grow and change in all three books. The Empire of Gold has already gone into my Must Read Again pile.

It's been difficult to focus on reading for me right now (and my library supply is dwindling past the books I was very excited about to those I had been putting off). So I was very excited to be approved for an ARC for this book, because it was a series that had really started to grow on me and I was looking forward to the last book in the series.

I'm very impressed with how much depth the characters have gained throughout the series. I didn't love the first book, mostly due to thinking that many of the characters were rather cliche or similar to those I had seen before. But watching how much they've grown and changed over the course of the books has been really rewarding. I found this book to be really epic in scope, and was glad to see all of the different groups and factions really come to the forefront in this book in a rewarding way.

I would highly recommend this series with how well this one stuck the landing! Can't wait to see what the author has up their sleeve next.

Thank you to <i>NetGalley</i> for an early ARC of this book.

I've been a big fan of the Daevabad trilogy from book one. I've appreciated that it was based heavily in largely unexplored Middle Eastern mythology and I've loved that was a decidedly an <i>adult</i> story. I am happy to say that both remained very true for the final book.

I have also admitted in my past reviews that I'd been perhaps a bit confused by the many tribes, their convoluted history, and scores of unfamiliar terms and words, and that this confusion impeded my understanding - and thus enjoyment - of the story. I have to say that this confusion is by and large completely gone in my reading on the final book - I'm not sure if it was written more clearly, or if I've simply absorbed enough knowledge of the world to finally become comfortable in it.

Unlike the second novel in the series which picked up five years into the future, "The Empire of Gold" begins immediately after the previous one ends. Daevabad has fallen to Manizheh and Dara, Nahri and Alizayd have fled the city in possession of Suleiman’s seal, and all magic in the city has been extinguished. For the entirety of the book we alternate the POVs of Nahri, Ali, and Dara - as the three (in their own ways) try to come up with the plan of how to save the city and its people.

Much of my opinion on this book is shaped by the choices and actions of the characters, as well as their ultimate fates. I consider all those too big of a spoiler, so I will not get into details. I will simply say that I found the novel to be adventurous, yet thoughtful, and the character's choices and actions mature and morally responsible to the utmost satisfying conclusion.

It was my favorite novel of the trilogy. This reader is utterly delighted.

Now *this* is how you close out a trilogy! The Empire of Gold is brilliant and beautifully written, and managed to wrap up without making everything too neat and tidy. It ended in a believable way, which is the best way, and I know I already mentioned the beautiful writing but it's so good I'm going to mention it again! The Empire of Gold is fantastic and fans of the series will flock to this, and its strength means assuring readers I talk into reading the first book will be richly rewarded all the way through every book. Truly, The Empire of Gold is an outstanding book.

I fell in love with this trilogy last year and was so excited about getting an arc. Reading a conclusion to a series that I enjoy is always nerve-wracking as sometimes it feels like the story struggles to wrap everything up, but I was so incredibly happy and satisfied with everything. This book is massive, but I flew through it. Chakraborty absolutely nailed the ending. I can't wait to read more by this author.

I am sad to say goodbye to all of the characters I've gotten to know and feel connected to throughout this series, but what a good send-off.