The Kingdom of Copper audiobook

4.5

1.) The City of Brass ★★★★★content and trigger warnings for graphic violence, torture, death, murder, slavery, human trafficking, talk of stillbirth, talk of past threat of rape, and war themes.Buddy read with Jocelyn at Yogi with a Book! ❤

if i thought ‘the city of brass’ was the start of an enticing and ambitious journey, then this next installment is the part of the trek where you have reached a fork in the road and you discover you have lost your map. one road leads to a familiar civilisation and old problems. the way is lined with lush history, but requires a steep toll that many people cannot pay. is the guarantee to avoid the unknown worth the price?the other direction leads to new leadership and the promise of being reunited with your loved one, but paved with violence along the way and the likely loss of your friends. is a possible future with more power and family worth the danger faced?this installment proves that no matter which route you take, you sure are headed for a surprising destination, but not with sacrifices along the way. i cant wait to see how this story ends. ↠ 4.5 stars

Can you ever make a new world that properly addresses the wounds of the past? - from Lightspeed interviewThe Kingdom of Copper is the second in S.A. Chakraborty’s Daevabad Trilogy, and it must be trying harder, as the first was amazing and this one is at least as good. I suppose you might pick this book up and have an entirely fine time reading it, but I would not advise it. If you have not read the first one, The City of Brass, jump on your flying carpet and dash off to your local bookstore. (Oh, and could you pick up some lamp oil at the bazaar on your way back? Thanks.) I suppose you could use one of your wishes to just make it appear, but really, that would be cheesy. It’s like Game of Thrones. Yeah, you can jump in at some point and catch up bit by bit, but, really, you have to be there from the beginning to get the most from it. Ditto here. Come back after you have read volume one, ok? And if you have already read #1, then Salaam and good evening to you, worthy friend. Shannon A. Chakraborty - image from her siteSo, when we left our heroes, Nahri, an orphan of a hustler from Cairo, who discovered she had skills, is stuck in Daevabad, the nominal city of the series title. Her buddy of a prince, Ali, had been banished from the kingdom for opposing his pop, the ruthless, genocidal, king Ghassan, and Darayavahoush (Dara to you and me), a complicated Djinn sort, monstrous warrior, hottie, and decent guy, was done in by said Prince Ali, although Ali may not have been entirely in charge of himself when it happened. There is at least one sand ship that flies through the story, and this was the closest image I could find – image from Munin’s sketchblogWe are several years on. Nahri is married to Muntadhir, Ali’s older brother, the heir apparent, handsome, smart, and the epitome of Mr. Wrong. More of a political alliance than a love match. (Marry my son, or I will start slaughtering your people. Well, since you put it that way, sure.) Ali is making a life for himself in a desert town, using his newfound talent for things aqueous to locate underground water, or make it appear, or something. He is reluctant to make too much of a life for himself, as he remains the target of occasional assassins, and would spare potential family members the discomfort of having to plant him, or maybe get caught in the crossfire. Dara, who we thought was gone, is only sort-of gone. He is brought back from some plane of existence where he was wandering by forces that are less than divine, but hey, he gets to live a bit more, so whatev. On the other hand, Dara is enslaved again, made to take on a mission he would probably be happier skipping. (Mass slaughter is sooo last millennium) And he is stuck in a material form he is not thrilled with. So, a mixed bag. All three must contend with not only external hostile forces, but internal moral crossroads. (yeah, like Grand Central Station) The World of the Daevabad Trilogy – from the author’s siteIn book #1 we alternated between Nahri and Ali’s POV. This book adds Dara’s, although for far fewer pages than the other two. There is overlap, of course, as combinations of the three engage at diverse points. Political intrigue continues to be a major feature here. Very GoT, as sundry tribal groups (even within families) vie for influence, power, and turf. Instead of the Seven Kingdoms with their associated Targarians, Lannisters, and Starks, et al, there are tribes. The Geziri are the current ruling class, to which Ali, Muntadhir, and Ghassan belong. Nahri is of the Daeva group. Her ancestors used to rule in Daevabad, until the Geziris drove them out with extreme prejudice. Since you read the first volume, (you read it, right?) you know, it gets complicated. The City of Daevabad - image from author’s siteThe motive force for the story in Book #2, Nahri has discovered the remnants of an ancient Nahid hospital in less than wonderful shape, and seeks to have it restored so she can expand her work. In addition, she has learned of non-magical healers in the city, and looks to join with them to broaden her knowledge base and treat all the city’s residents. As one might imagine, this notion meets considerable resistance from those in power. (No, not Steve King) But with the help of Ali, whom she hates, by the way, for killing Dara, (Ali had gotten suckered into coming back to the city, wondering if he would be slaughtered when he arrived.) there is some hope of gettin’ ‘er done. It takes a village, though. Others are brought in to the attempt and politics are played. (Can’t we all just get along?)There is a big centennial event planned for the city, called Novatetem, Mardi Gras on steroids, parades, floats, feasts, competitions, and, well, there are folks who are planning some unpleasantness. The action accelerates as we get closer and closer, the November 1963 moment in Dallas, the coming hurricane, the ticking bomb. You know the deal. Michael Bay cum White Walkers cum ILM magnificence, and great fun. But also, with characters you care about trying to make it through.Image by Juan De LaraThere are secrets aplenty, double-crosses, and some pretty neat magical tech. Toss in a few nifty large-scale monsters for good measure. One of the really cool things about the fabulous environment Chakraborty has created is that buildings constructed by the Nahid respond to Nahri, who is now the #1 Nahid in the place, so is referred to as Banu Nahri e-Nahid, (aka Banu Nahida) or Lady Nahri of the Nahid people, which comes with perks. Pictures on the walls of Nahid buildings animate when she passes. Things like that, and some that are more substantive. Pretty cool. In addition to the internal struggles with which each of the characters must cope, there are broader-scale motifs. The notion of Occupied People is a strong one in the book. [In medieval history] so many of these cities and civilizations were the products of waves of conquest. How does that shape the societies that survive them generations later? How do conqueror and conquered influence each other and how do their stories and legends of what happened get transmitted? Can you ever make a new world that properly addresses the wounds of the past? - from the Lightspeed interviewImage from Shkyscrapercity.comIt is a major challenge trying to figure out how to make peace with the travesties wrought on the Nahid by the Geziri, but also on others by the Nahid. How can you step off the eternal wheel of revenge and retribution, how can you heal the wounds of the past? In a very concrete way, Nahri attempts to do just that. Even though she was an impressive healer in book one, she was largely an uneducated one. But she has been working and studying hard, is learning some new tricks, and now, in a place that seems to act as a booster to her abilities, she is becoming an even better doctor. But can Nahri, in league with others, keep the city from descending into the usual cycle of eternal genocidal violence? Can she forgive Ali? Can she survive her crappy, shotgun marriage and her psycho genocidal father in law? It takes more than an ability to repair bodies to heal a city. Chakraborty’s decision to make Nahri a doctor grew out of her own experience. I wrote a lot of this while managing a large obstetrics & gynecology practice (while my husband went to medical school), and I really wanted to capture the messy reality of medicine. It’s not always glamourous and noble; it can be exhausting, the work is bloody and tiresome and challenging, and sometimes your patients are terrible. It requires a confidence bordering on arrogance to cut into a person for their own good, and I wanted to show how a character might grow into that. - from the QuilltoLive interviewImage by Juan De LaraThere are bits of humor sprinkled throughout. My favorite is when a shape-shifter with a fondness for turning into a statue, cannot get back to normal, and Nahri is stuck removing pieces of rock from him. “But it’s so peaceful,” he pleads. There is another LOL scene in which Ali is compelled by his father to taste some impressively appalling dishes from around the kingdom. A ref to a hospital room specially designed to keep floating djinn from injuring themselves puts one in mind of a Mary Poppins scene in which characters and furniture dispense with gravity. These were delightful.There are a lot of details to keep track of, tribes, places, words, characters. Thankfully appendices are provided, as are rather broad view maps, which I included here. My only disappointment with the book was that Dara did not get as much time as the other two, the definition of a quibble. Image from The Thief of BaghdadI’ve gotta say that volume 2 was a major page-turner for me. The ARE I read came in at 608 pages and I wished it were longer, really. (oops, there goes another wish. How many do I have left?) The action is almost non-stop. The characters are seriously engaging. There is actual character development. Moral considerations are treated seriously. There is real content woven into this fantasy world, an appreciation for the literary history of Islamic civilization, and there is wonderful creativity in the details of magic here. The Kingdom of Copper is pretty much all you could possibly wish for in a fantasy read. And you don’t even have to use up the limited supply in your special lamp.Review first posted – January 18, 2019Publication date – January 22, 2019=============================EXTRA STUFFLinks to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pagesInterviews-----SYFY Wire - S.A. Chakraborty's The City of Brass started out as history fan fiction - by Swapna Krishna Shannon Chakraborty didn’t want to be a writer when she grew up. “I wanted to be a historian, but I’ve been a bookworm since I was a kid,” she said. She originally wanted to be a historian, with a specialization in the Middle East. “That plan got a bit derailed for a variety of reasons, one of which was graduating in 2008 when the economy collapsed, so I figured I’d work while my husband went to medical school and keep my mind occupied with a little world-building/historical fan fiction,” she explains. It’s that experience that led Chakraborty, who was born raised in New Jersey by blue-collar Catholic parents, to the seed that became The City of Brass. “It sprouted the day I set foot in the rare books library of the American University of Cairo,” she explains. There she lost herself in the stories and lore around her. “As a homesick, homework-laden, and rather wide-eyed new Muslim myself, I found in these stories a refuge; they spoke of a history that dazzled, a faith of breathtaking diversity in which my weird background was nothing new nor particularly noteworthy.” -----The Quill to Live - The City of Brass – An Interview With S. A. Chakraborty I come from a pretty big family and always enjoy seeing well-done portrayals of complicated, messy, exasperating and yet also still loving relatives; I think it’s a thing many of us can relate to. And I’ve always had a particular fascination with rival princes. They’re fairly common in history, and yet I can’t imagine the emotions that go behind making a decision to war against your own brother.There was certainly some inspiration from my own family. My twin brother and I are very close, and I was very protective of him, especially when we were younger, even when we were fighting. This was definitely an emotion and dynamic that I was trying to capture with Muntadhir and Ali. Though my brother isn’t a wealthy, libertine playboy destined to rule a shaky kingdom so the similarities end there! -----Pen America - On Magic, History, and Storytelling: The PEN Ten with S. A. Chakraborty by Lily Philpott – an interesting, wide-ranging chat-----Lightspeed Magazine - Interview: S.S. Chakraborty - by Christian A. Coleman – Lots of excellent information hereItems of Interest-----The World of Daevabad on the author’s site-----Barnes & Noble - From City to Kingdom: S.A. Chakraborty on Building the Magical World of the Daevabad Trilogy - this is credited as B&N editors, but seems really the author talking about the development of her magical world-----My review of Book #1 in the Daevabad Trilogy, The City of Brass

This was so good! Cannot wait for Book 3!!! “Pragmatic. Heartless. That’s how you survive in this place. It’s how I’ve survived everything.” What a fantastic sequel! A fantasy full of magic and political intrigue with long held grudges and feuds all coming to a head. 3 POVs. Nahri, Ali and Dara - I didn’t love Dara’s chapters all that much, but I understood they were crucial to the plot. Nahri is married to Muntadhir and hating life. Meanwhile Ali’s father runs the show like a dictator controlling everyone and everything. At the same time, ancient enemies are planning an attack on Daevabad and suddenly everyone’s lives are at risk. There is war and violence, hatred between brothers. This book has pretty much everything you’d need in an epic fantasy novel. If you’ve not picked up this series yet then make sure you do!!

$1.99 Kindle sale, Feb. 21, 2020. 4.5 stars! Excellent sequel to The City of Brass, a near-Eastern inspired fantasy. I liked it even better than the first book, but you do need to read The City of Brass before this one. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:The Kingdom of Copper, the second book in S.A. Chakraborty’s DAEVABAD TRILOGY, picks up soon after the ending of the first book, The City of Brass. Alizayd (Ali) al Qahtani, younger son of Ghassan, the king of Daevabad, has been exiled and is fair game for assassins. He's rescued by a raiding party from the drought-ridden area of Bir Nabat, who have noticed Ali’s newly-developed magical ability to summon water. Nahri has been forced by Ghassan into a loveless match with his older son Muntadhir, the pleasure-loving crown prince. Darayavahoush, the powerful djinn with a long and unspeakably violent past, is summoned from his sister’s side in the land of the dead to a new life by Nahri’s outlaw mother Manizheh, who controls Dara’s emerald slave ring and has plans to use him for her political takeover of the djinn's city of Daevabad. After setting the stage, the story jumps forward five years. Nahri, who has long felt trapped by the royal family, finds new inspiration in her plan to restore a long-ruined hospital, helping the outcast shafit, who are of human/djinn mixed blood, as well as pureblooded djinn, or daeva. Ali’s magical affinity for water has brought new life to Bir Nabat, changing it from a wasteland to a fruitful place where Ali has found safety and respect. But political forces are combining to bring Ali back to Daevabad and into danger. And Dara has become Manizheh’s military advisor, helping her plan an invasion of Daevabad to retake the city from Ghassan and the Geziri tribe, who have controlled it for many years.It’s always a pleasant surprise for me when the second book of a series isn’t a let-down, and I consider The Kingdom of Copper a better book than The City of Brass. Most of the confusing elements from the first book have been worked out. The plot is far more coherent and focused, and the pacing has noticeably improved. This is just excellent story-telling!The point of view shifts between Nahri, Ali and Dara, but each of their stories pulled me in, and it was easy to see the connection points between the three plot threads and point-of-view characters. Each of these characters has a distinct challenge to overcome in his or her life, and in the process questions who they really are and what they want to achieve. It’s not a simple answer in any of their cases. Nahri and Ali both have parents who they love, but cannot agree with their actions. Dara is bound to assist Manizheh with her invasion, but has serious reservations about her plans.This complexity of character extends itself to the secondary characters. It’s refreshing to see characters that I had dismissed as one-dimensional (Nahri’s husband Muntadhir is a good example) begin to display unexpected depths. Ghassan’s tyranny is indisputable, but it’s easy to see how his reign began with good intentions.The related themes of conquest and oppression, so prevalent in The City of Brass, are explored in some new ways. Manizheh considers the city rightly hers, but her plans for taking it over begin to look suspiciously like the same methods her enemies used long ago. Revenge and violence are poisons that can make you morally indistinguishable from your enemies. Nahri’s efforts to rebuild the hospital and to serve shafit as well as Daeva may hold the seeds for cooperation and peace, but is it too late?The Kingdom of Copper was both heart-wrenching and a pleasure to read. It’s certainly not all heavy and downbeat; there are doses of humor and enchanting magic, like the palace stairs that rise to help Nahri when she’s fleeing her enemy, along with the passageways that magically brick themselves up behind her. And it’s easy to root for the three main characters ― even Dara, by far the most morally gray of the trio. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book … even without the cliffhanger ending that promises to be a major game-changer!Initial post: Me at 60%: I think I actually like this sequel better than the first book! Update: YES. Yes, it is better than the first book! Genie djinni Daeva battles FTW!I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss. Thank you!!

Ummm if I thought The City of Brass was good....holy sh*t this sequel blew my MIND. Didn’t even expect to finish this so quickly, but I breezed through the last half of the book in almost one single sitting.Oh my god. Oh my GOD. I don’t even know what to say. I love this world, these characters, all the crazy crap that’s flying around but makes the story so unbelievably GOOD. I’m obsesssssssed! Ready for book 3 please :-)

me coming to the realization that I'll have to wait a whole year to know what happens next:Seriously though! How date this book end like that? Who does it think it is? What right does it have to leave me hanging on that cliff all by myself?!?!?!On a more composed and serious note, this book was so many times better than its predecessor, The City of Brass, in so many fantastic ways.I read The City of Brass in February and while I had some problems with it, I actually really enjoyed it. One of my main issues with it was that it read very much like a YA novel at times. And while I do love YA novels, it made these characters seem childish at times. With this novel taking place five years after the end of the first, and with the stakes having been tremendously raised, there was no time for being juvenile here.This is the book where the characters fully come into themselves and are able to really develop, especially Dara. While at first I was disappointed when I'd heard that Nahri and Dara didn't interact for the first 90% of the novel, I was actually really glad for it. Seeing them focused on things other than each other allowed me to see true character development. Here we also get to read from Dara's point of view for the first time and it was fascinating to see the world and the war and all that was happening through his eyes. His contradicting beliefs and inner conflict when it came to both his and Manizheh's actions definitely added depth to his character.Also, Ali! You thought I forgot about him, didn't you? Ali has grown so much! While I liked him in book one, his chapters were a bit on the boring and long-winded side, but that was part of his personality in a way. All he ever talked about was politics in book one. In this book, we actually get to see some action and emotion out of him and it was so good!And all the other characters were great too. I also really enjoyed all the minor charcters and their arcs, especially Ali's siblings, Muntadhir and Zaynab.Now, there is politics. I really enjoyed them in book one although they oftentimes felt a bit overwhelming. This book had just the right amount of intrigue and family drama and city politics. There was no one right side. Everyone is standing in a morally gray area, doing what they need for what they believe is their right. Everyone believes themselves justified in their cruel actions and their hatred. Everyone was equally wrong, and yet, in a way, I could completely see and understand where each of them was coming from. To manage such a complex system in a book this big is certainly a talent that S. A. Chakraborty has clearly mastered.And that ending! I was honestly so stressed for the entire last 20% of this book. I was at the edge of my seat, wondering what the heck was going to go down. So many questions have been answered in this book. And now I have even more questions than ever before! I am super excited to see how it's all going to end in Empire of Gold and am only sad that I have to wait a whole year to find out!(Also, I kinda really ship Dara and Nahri, so something better happen in the next book that brings them back together!)Overall, I totally recommend this series! But be warned, book one does drag a bit in the middle and is, for the most part, little more than a very long prologue to this novel. And while I clearly suck at convincing you to read it, I promise that it was actually quite good!Follow Me Here Too: My Blog || Twitter || Bloglovin' || Instagram || Tumblr

I really think I’m the only one who hates Dara’s guts with a passion and thinks Nahri and Ali are endgame lmao. Once again a really enjoyable book, but I just didn’t have that full 5 star feeling.

9.14 on CAWPILE. I adored this.

This is ten times better than book one. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was hard for me to put down, the writing and characters were more matured than the first book.This book has a five year time jump, I didn't mind much, it made it easier to understand lots of things. The beginning was quite slow but things picked up later. The fight scenes were perfectly depicted.World building and WritingThere is a major improvement in the world building department, its way better than that of book one which was none existent. The book is written in third person multiple POVs of Nahri, Ali and Dara.CharactersNahri is more matured than before, she is even more cynical than before due to the incidents in the first book. Even at that she a confident young lady, she goes for what she believes in and she is so kind.Ali managed to survive his exile, just when things started going well for him trouble strikes again. I feel bad for him though. In a way he is still as naive and pious as he once was but now he toned it down a bit. “You don’t stop fighting a war just because you’re losing battles, Alizayd. You change tactics. Surely, that’s a lesson you learned in the Citadel.” Dara was an idiot 90% of the book, like how could he that is thousands of years old and be that naive. He lets Manizheh detects his actions, just can't wait for book three. And he had gone along, had bowed his head in submission to a Nahid again and dismissed the disquiet in his soul. Now it had blown up in his face.It wasn’t even the first time. His own history had taught him nothing. I also like Jamshid and Muntadhir even though the later was annoying most of the time but he made up for it at the end of the book.(view spoiler)[ Jamshid is Nahri's brother, they share a mother. (hide spoiler)]

THIS BOOK IS INSANE THIS BOOK IS INSANE THIS BOOK IS INSANE THIS BOOK IS INSANEthis is the best MENA Adult fantasy I have ever read in my life. I devoured the first in this trilogy, I dare say the SEVOND is INSANELY better which is in itself crazy to say considering how much I loved it. I cant, I’m fucking reeling, the politics in this book were the best I’ve ever read, the constant shift in power was addicting at best and so intense at other times - seeing relationships tested as a result of this power shift was KAHSAJEHWKWHAKEHAJSH STOPso many deaths, it felt like so many characters changed for the worse and i had no idea how they could redeem themselves but my GOD MY STUPID BRAIN COULDN’T CONJURE UP THE EVENTS OF THIS BOOK IT WAS JUST INSANITY, PURE FRICKING INSANITY ALIZAYD AL QAHTANI IS MY ULTIMATE BOOK BOY, I HAVE SAID IT AND I SHALL REPEAT IT AGAINmuslim, on deen, justice seeker who holds a warmth and kindness within his heart for all? babe pass me the marriage certificate, i’m about to have a spring weddingcant recommend this series enough i want to cry akshakehwjsh

the politics in this book were EVERYTHING.S.A. Chakraborty has once again told a stunning, immersive, magical story. I was gripped the whole time and this trilogy is definitely becoming one of my favorite series. the only reason this book isn’t 5 stars is because things moved a bit too slowly at times and some of the twists didn’t hit me very hard. despite that, I still had a great time reading. I can’t wait to read the Empire of Gold!

S. A. Chakraborty didn't disappoint us again, she's a freaking professional writer, her World she has created is magnificent and we've never read such a well written structure within a book! She really keeps enchanting us with her very beautiful stories, original and interesting topics!The whole concept of the book is intense and while reading this will be very stressful and intriguing, but in a kind of way you'll love it! .The book is told from three different point of views, Nahri, Ali and Dara! The whole book is packed and sorted very well and it makes it such a fun road to know the characters stories! Their journey is merged in different problems, and drama doesn't miss either! As a muslim I enjoyed how the Author portrays the Islamic Culture within the book, it really makes it pure and true!.The details of the book are very interesting and unique each page is rich with amazing words! The Kingdom of Copper is filled with betrayal, shock scenes and grief and also the setting of the background is outstanding beautiful, I'd love to see this in a major picture it deserves it so much!.The tensions were going just higher and higher making this a fast pace and page-turner, the chaos and the dark acts were all unpredictable and complicated but in the end everything was incredible like I never loved an ending in a book more than this! ( of course it's not the ending of the series, we need to wait for book no 3 to see the ending of all)!The Kingdom of Copper is very magnificent politically attractive sequel which will blow your mind with the perfect writings of Chakraborty!

Instagram | youtube4/5 shook StarsInstagram | blog WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR TO READ THE SEQUEL?!RTC.

Wow! The second book was even better than the first. The tension between the royals, suffering among the masses, and power-struggle between ancient magical beings. It got ugly pretty quickly.Nahri has seen more pain, suffering and death as a young healer than most trained soldiers, and as if the pressure was not enough, she was forced to dance to the tune of the king, or it is death for the people she cared for. All of that combined was nothing compared to what happened when war finally broke out, and the mastermind turned out to be the least people Nahri expected.I also enjoyed seeing the love triangle between Nahri, and the two major players, from opposing sides of the war. I can't wait to see how it is resolved in the last book in the series. So far, so great. I am moving on to the last book in the series. 5 Stars.

Welcome back to the Zaydi show ! Where I mostly showcase Ali’s amazing features (I swear even his flaws are attractive ) and drone on and on about how much I love him . But that aside , I read this book so fast I can barely remember it’s contents ! I’m gonna take that as an excuse to reread it . From what i do remember though , this was a whirlwind of emotions ; from despair and hate to anger to love , resulting in something bittersweet and passionate . The characters have come to mean a lot more to me and this book just feels like a homecoming . I am absolutely smitten with this triology.He kept his gaze on the floor as he passed her( she was uncovered)"In peace" , he said softly ."Go jump in the lake",she returned under her breath in arabic . She saw him tense but he didn't stop.I know -oooomphhh . see what i mean ?so unecessary but we'll just let that slide .Lets begin with Nahri this time . I came to like her a lot more in this book than the one before , maybe coz she opened her eyes to the light of our lives Alizayd *swoons* ahem ahem , sorry back to Nahri .Its the independance , strength and wisdom of the females this time round . From Nahri trying to make life better for those in Daevabad , refusing to be controlled and opening her own hospital with an awareness that ensures safety , to the sceptic doctor Subha and her modern , genius methods and ideas , to the queen Hatset ruling Ta Ntry and seizing up Ghassan ( i swear he holds so much power that it feels wrong to not have his name in full caps ) and lets not forget Nisreen (view spoiler)[ I like when ppl die in books coz it makes it more realistic (hide spoiler)] . Nahri is determined after being thrust into a whole new world ( excuse the unintentional aladdin pun😂 ) , she remained strong and and adapted to her surroundings and situation . You gotta give it to her , girls been through a lot ."Nothing we cant fix " Nahri plastered a grin on her face . She was determined to win over the other healer today . "Would you like some refreshments before we take a tour ? tea?"Im fine", Subha replied , her expression displeased. "Lets get this over with"The blunt refusal of her hospitality ruffled something very deep in the egyptian part of her heart , but Nahri stayed polite. "Certainly "Applause , truly . Lets all clap for Nahri please . Babes just witheld her Arabness AND was civil? wow . Think of it like this : She DIDNT make tea or kahwa BEFORE her guest arrived and accepted her refusal without insisting ATLEAST 100 times? Yall should know when youre offered 'just a lil dessert' which is really a whole tableful, you just SUCK it up wallah . THEN LATER is when you can go throw up the ridiculous amount you were made to eat . Trust me thats choosing the easy way out. Not to mention this girls name is Subha ? as in 'the morning after '? After as in...after...👀 . I loved these CULTURAL references with some of the arabic thrown in...it just made me feel so warm inside.Nahri wanting so desperately to be of egyptian lineage as well ... everyone knows arabs are hella proud and boy was she💕"Dont be ridiculous", Jamshid touched Muntadhirs cheek."I want you to come to me with things like this",he smiled."To be honest...the rest of your companions are fairly useless sychophants"That drew a laugh from her husband."Whereas I can always rely on you to honestly insult me""And keep you safe" Jamshid and Muntadhir- The ship lives on !!! c'mon theyr too cute. They've got this forbidden/secret romance thing going on . With Muntadhir being the easygoing , charming and fun crown prince and Jamshid ,his sweet ,caring 'best friend' at his side . I absolutely love Jamshid if you didnt know. throughout . Muntadhir and I...half half , hes way too comfortable as he is and idk . lemme give u a lil extra jamshid scene u might remember. eh? eh?Jamshid shifted in his saddle , looking pleased with himself. "This should do nicely . oh what? "He asked when i glared at him . "Your not my mother . I dont need your permission" . He brought his hand together as if holding imaginary reins . "Im your elder anyway""Im your Banu Nahida! " , she argued back."I could...I could...", she trailed off,thiniking fast.Jamshid , the former priest in training turned to face her ."You could do what?" , he asked her politely.:))))))))Because a lost little girl from Cairo thought she was living in some sort of fairytale and because for all of her supposed cleverness , she couldnt see that the dashing hero who saved her was its monster Dara- At first i was intrigued to see that Dara would be getting his own POV . I wanted to hear his thoughts , understand him a lil more , maybe explore ideas of morality .I expected too much tho bcz boy was his POV BORING . I wasn't even the slightest bit surprised when he (view spoiler)[died and was brought back to life, like god , how many times has he been revived ?! (hide spoiler)] The poor lad just cant catch a break . Complex ideas about sense of duty WERE included but i couldn't help disliking Dara here . its like this whole chain ; he suffers , he makes others suffer , he's manipulated over and over and over again... we should just leave him alone. Let him ride out his old age peacefully .But then...she became so much more . He had felt shockingly free with her - to be a normal man and not the celebrated Afshin or the despised scourge , free to exchange flirtatious barbs with a quick witted beautiful woman and delight in the unexpected stirring her magnetic,mocking grin caused in his shuttered heart . All because Nahri hadn't known their history . She was the first person Dara had spoken to in centuries who knew nothing of his past-so he'd been able to leave it behindsighhh . I mean its great that Dara wants to change , it gives him some chance of redemption and yes- it makes sense that he would like to leave behind his past and horrid memories . But he cant . Honestly i see reason he shouldn't end up with Nahri from this ( no I'm not just focusing on the romance but cmon! i had to decide my ship before the final book!) He's only listed that he likes how she makes him feel-normal . Nahri could only do so before she learnt more about him , it changed things . Dara needs someone who make shim feel that way regardless of his past , him wholly. But before that he needs to work on himself , his mental health , mindset and surroundings."Because my brother is coming back to Daevabad"The moment i was waiting for . My hands went up in the air as i swayed to the sweet tune those word evoked . My love returns! "Take your fathers offer"She said firmly. "You can help people in Am Gezira without getting killed . Marry some woman who will love to hear you ramble about canals ( i cant believe she forgot economics *eye roll* the incompetence Nahri ) and have a whole band of children you'll undoubtedly be too strict with" . she cupped his cheek , her thumb brushing his beard . She didn't miss the sudden racing of his heart nor the sadness rising in her own.Ali seemed speechless, his eyes flickering nervously across her face. It would have to do. she stood up , dropping her hand and stepping away . The sudden sting in her eyes "Go steal some happiness for yourself , my friend" she said softly " Trust me when i say the chance doesn't always come back"This book is mainly where i developed my love for Ali from . He's still so unexpected and keeps surprising me , serious character growth . from being (view spoiler)[his brothers heartfelt sword to a coupe d'etate (hide spoiler)]. Bruh! Its also where my ship began . THE YEARNINGIt terrified her . Because whatever history was between them , Nahri did not think she had it in her to watch the kind man who'd built her this office , this quiet homage to the home she still loved- the man who'd taught her to read and helped her summon flames for the first time- to be executed in the arena.Ali has always been there for her whereas Dara was just there in brief moments of fleeting passion . Ali wrote her letters from Am Gezira when she wouldn't even reply ! Letters ! I could cry from how much i wish Alizayd was mine.Its our only hope of defeating them , are you with me ?"Ali took a deep breath but then clasped her hand and climbed to his feet "Until the end"