Five Years Later: The Daevabad Trilogy Reaches New Heights with The Kingdom of Copper

The Kingdom of Copper (2008)
Written by: S.A. Chakraborty
Series: The Daevabad Trilogy (Book two)
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Length: 23 hours and 14 minutes
Publisher: HarperAudio

Why I Chose This: For 2019, I set a resolution that tackles two of my weak points as a reader: my tendency to not finish series, and my fear of long books. As a result, I will be reading and reviewing three super-sized sequels. The first one is The Kingdom of Copper, the follow up to The City of Brass.

The Premise:

Nahri’s life changed forever the moment she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Whisked from her home in Cairo, she was thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabad—and quickly discovered she would need all her grifter instincts to survive there.

Now, with Daevabad entrenched in the dark aftermath of a devastating battle, Nahri must forge a new path for herself. But even as she embraces her heritage and the power it holds, she knows she’s been trapped in a gilded cage, watched by a king who rules from the throne that once belonged to her family—and one misstep will doom her tribe..

Meanwhile, Ali has been exiled for daring to defy his father. Hunted by assassins, adrift on the unforgiving copper sands of his ancestral land, he is forced to rely on the frightening abilities the marid—the unpredictable water spirits—have gifted him. But in doing so, he threatens to unearth a terrible secret his family has long kept buried.

And as a new century approaches and the djinn gather within Daevabad’s towering brass walls for celebrations, a threat brews unseen in the desolate north. It’s a force that would bring a storm of fire straight to the city’s gates . . . and one that seeks the aid of a warrior trapped between worlds, torn between a violent duty he can never escape and a peace he fears he will never deserve.

This review has no spoilers for The Kingdom of Copper. However, there are big spoilers for The City of Brass.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about The City of Brass is how it turns the tables on your expectations. Yes, the novel embraces plenty of fantasy tropes: the orphan who discovers she’s basically a lost princess (Nahri), the handsome immortal warrior (Dara), and the young, idealistic princes (Ali). At the same time, it doesn’t always embrace these tropes in ways you might expect. Nowhere was this more obvious then at the end of The City of Brass when Dara basically kidnaps Nahri and Ali in a poor attempt at getting Nahri out of an arranged marriage. The resulting acts are downright traumatic to read, including Nahri’s feelings of betrayal, Ali’s horrifying possession by the marid and Dara’s apparent murder.

Even after finishing The City of Brass months ago, it’s a lot to take in. This is one of the reasons why the book’s time jump worked for me. Also, by skipping ahead five years, we’re able to see our characters grow. No longer an inexperienced girl struggling to control her healing magic, Nahri is now in full possession of her powers and dreams of expanding her small infirmary to a large hospital. Unfortunately, she finds herself trapped in a loveless political marriage. And while her street smarts, earned from a childhood in Cairo, serve her well, will they be enough to turn the tables on the wicked king that holds her, and her people, captive?

And then there’s Ali. Despite not always being a huge fan of him (as I explained in my review of The City of Brass), he’s really grown on me. After spending five years in exile, our young prince finds himself called back to the home he never intended to return to, where he must confront the dangerous powers the exist inside of him. With Ali, we can see the limits of idealism, and self-sacrificing bravery. Many of his ideas, including opposing slavery, are 100% correct. Unfortunately, lacking a politician’s mind, we see him out maneuvered again and again.

And then you have Dara who, thanks to the final events in The City of Brass, I am not as quite as in love with as I once was. At the same time, I really feel for this guy. At his heart, Dara is a soldier who, as a young man, did blatantly terrible things because he was ordered to. After that, he was punished with thousands of years of slavery. In The Kingdom of Copper, we see him face a similar decision. Will he make different choice this time around, or truly become the twisted monster he now resembles, thanks to the magic that brought him back to life?

Much like its predecessor, the strengths of The Kingdom of Copper come down to the book’s complexity. In addition to the novel’s wonderful cast of characters (which go far beyond the main trio. Lots of love for Jamshed!), I found myself falling in love with the novel’s middle eastern setting. Daevabad is a city caught in the middle of complex struggle between three warring factions, with no simple solution in sight. On top of it that, you have the novel’s complicated plot, which isn’t afraid to go to some shocking places.

A Note on the Audiobook: The Kingdom of Copper is narrated by the talented Soneela Nankani, Just like with The City of Brass, she does a wonderful job giving the book’s cast of characters life. I honestly think that my experience with this series has been enhanced by her voice and style of narration.

In Conclusion: The Kingdom of Copper is, dare I say it, an even more enjoyable read that The City of Brass, with more consistent pacing, and some truly fabulous scenes (there’s an archery “contest” near the end that is the definition of engrossing). If you enjoyed the first book, I highly recommend picking up the sequel. Also, much like The City of Brass, The Kingdom of Copper does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, so keep that in mind if you prefer your books to be stand alone.