Book Review
Title: Empire of Gold
Author: S. A. Chakraborty
Series? Yes, 3 of 3
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Harper Voyager and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
NOTE: This review will contain spoilers for the first two books, City of Brass and Kingdom of Copper. There will be no spoilers for Empire of Gold.
Empire of Gold is the pitch perfect conclusion to the expansive fantasy trilogy that has captured my heart and mind over the past few years. Reading the ending of this book got me doing something I have not done in an age: staying up past 2AM alternating between crying my eyes out and smiling with glee. It was tough saying goodbye to the characters I’ve come to know and love, but I can think of no better farewell than this satisfying finale.
The ending of Kingdom of Copper was ingeniously cruel, leaving the fandom reeling and begging for answers for over a year. The conclusion of this trilogy starts off where it all begins, in an unnamed Egyptian village by the Nile. This setting invited an examination of Nahri’s personal evolution since book one, the ways in which her newfound powers and her found-family have both changed her and helped strengthened her existing identity. Nahri has played several roles in her life: Cairo street thief, companion of Darayavahoush, revered Nahid, wife of an emir, a healer, a survivor. Some of these identities were choices, others were a necessity for survival. With each, Nahri has reclaimed a position in a world that often sought to exclude her. In Empire of Gold, that personal journey delves ever deeper as Nahri navigated all of her past alliances to find a place where she belongs.
Read at Midnight 
I really liked the ending for how much we got to see of things resettling, after the climactic battle. But I felt it was a little open-ended, in a way that was both good and bad…. maybe only bad because there’s no sequels yet confirmed :’) There was enough ambiguity in obviously Dara’s storyline but also Nahri’s regarding the new enemies she makes in the climax to have potential for sequels, possibly in another time period? I appreciated that recovery from the events of the book were presented as a work in progress because that felt realistic, but I would’ve liked something that felt more conclusive.
(In much shallower, less academic terms, I basically… wish there had been more than one kiss scene.)
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I think the most emotional part of the book for me was the last scene with Dara. I still get teary eyed thinking about it. I guess it will always be hard to meet the expectation of the fandom for a series this expansive – I just wish the ending was overall a bit more memorable.
And romance spin off of the Daevabad trilogy please!
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Yes I have read it and I gave it all the stars! Honestly I don’t know how Shannon did it but there was never one moment I found boring or unnecessary in this book! I was a Dara fan all along and was ready to despise Ali but here, she convinced me that Nahri loving him was right. I too can’t wait to read what she’ll write next!
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I stayed up until 2am to finish it too! And I agree Nahri’s journey was one of the most interesting parts of the novel for sure. I really wish we could get a spin off book about Dara’s adventures freeing the relics it would be so cool. Great review!
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‘he’s my Alu now’
same, same XD
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ahh i am halfway through kingdom of copper and i need to finish it! love the covers of this trilogy.
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