Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.

Daevabad has fallen.

After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.

But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara’s dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.

Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother’s homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith.

As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.

Review:

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 they 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.