Reviews

The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty

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kistireads's review against another edition

5.0

The finale of the Daevabad trilogy! And what an insane ending it was. I felt like the second book in the series was less action packed and more political intrigue - but this one was FULL of action.
I found myself incredibly compelled to keep reading and the twists and turns were not ones I saw coming! I had a feeling of the gist the story was going to but the way it got there was always a surprise and as such, the plot was a delight, I really enjoyed how it was woven together from elements in the first book to the newly added elements here. The setting and the atmosphere were similar to the first two books - beautiful, lush, rich and enticing - I loved it.
The characters were my next favorite part - I loved seeing their journeys and their arcs throughout but it all really comes to a head in this novel. My favorite character is Nahri and she was amazing in this book of course. I have been less a fan of Ali but I was starting to appreciate him more here and his idealism and his naïveté were lessened - he grew up a bit! I've always enjoyed Dara but his journey was slightly heartbreaking here, though he had a better ending that I anticipated.

Overall, I really enjoyed this ending and final novel in the series. I wish we got more time with the characters and the world, I will miss reading about it!

sas_lk's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

I'm fascinated by how Chakraborty is able to make you understand the characters so deeply, making you feel sorry and love for even the villains, because even though you might not agree, or their actions are not justifiable, you still understand where the pain comes from and why they believe what they are doing is right.

This is a story about how love and belief can blind us, and even though this was obviously mostly a fictional world, I could relate it all too well to the reality of our world.

Very well done series and characters, it kept me on my toes and I just kept praying everything would be okay when I couldn't think of a way out.

Content Warnings

mermaidreef's review against another edition

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3.0

Maybe I just didn't Get what she was trying to do here???????? Idk the pacing is so weird to me and it felt like the transitions between different parts of the book were really weird and disjointed

dgiacalone13's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

serenali422's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

reading_rita's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I've finally read the third and final book in the Daevabad Trilogy, "The Empire of Gold." This feels like such an achievement, as these were hefty books (or the equivalent in audio format) 😂.

This series presents a unique and intricately built world, teeming with djinn, daevas, magic, faith, and "deadly politics." Despite the terrible things Nahri, Ali, and Dara might have to do, you can't help but root for them. Just when you think you know what will happen next, the plot takes a completely different direction, continually surprising you!

I'm so glad I got to immerse myself in this world, and the resolution was quite satisfying. However, I found the pace of this book a bit too fast and chaotic at times, making it hard to keep up with everything going on.

I'd recommend this trilogy to readers who enjoy fast-paced fantasy books set in worlds beyond the familiar Western ones, those who want to explore Middle Eastern folklore-based fantasy, and those who appreciate great character arcs and strong female protagonists.

Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first two, the series overall remains a solid 4.5/5 for me.

I'll probably be thinking about this book and its world for a while, so I'd say it's a big win.