Book 25 - Delectable Daevas

Title: The City of Brass (The Davaebad Trilogy #1)

Author: S. A. Chakraborty

Genre: fantasy

I have to say, the recommendations for fantasy that have come my way as of late are stunning. Stuh. Ning. I love a story with a well-defined magic system, even if the only one with all the cards is the author. It's critical that, as a reader, you feel safe in their hands - and Chakraborty does just that. Even when shit hits the fan and things get weird, the evolution of magic in this book feels more like what appears behind another door, another veil - something that was there along but you just couldn't see (as opposed to being dragged along, helpless to unformed notions in a writer's brilliant but largely disorganized brain).

This book is huge and I'm not aiming for an equivalent review SO I'll try to focus. I really love how the author uses the cultural and political landscape to inform not only the characters, but current and past events. This may seem like a pretty basic device, but has such a significant impact on the depth and breadth of the story. Nobody is straight Good or Bod. Everyone has beliefs; everyone has biases - and to complicate things, everyone has those nasty little things called feelings.

Whatelsewhatelsewhatelse - Nahri. Nhari is an excellent protag. She's logical and savvy, and even when faced with impossible situations she's never whiny. It's a delicate balance to strike in a world and a culture that is so male-dominated, but Chakraborty somehow manages to not alienate this somewhat prickly feminist. In that vein, the relationships (romantic and otherwise) are handled blessedly well. Yes, one of the developments is pretty obvious right from the start, but the author lets the thing unfold organically, without any wild proclamations or gestures. It's not a jump; it's a climb - and I am here for it.

Rating: 🍓🍓🍓🍓