Review: Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty

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Title: The Empire of Gold (Daevabad Trilogy #3)

Author: S.A. Chakraborty

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Published: June 30, 2020

Pages: 766

Format: Book of the Month

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My first 5 star read of the year!! It is much deserved. If you have not picked up book one in this series… DO IT. Please, please do it. This series is absolutely stunning and one that you will not forget. There’s so much magic, beautiful characters, and a plot that is something you can’t help but devour. This is a story about surviving.

“Not wanting to be destroyed by despair doesn’t make you a coward. It makes you a survivor.”

We pick up exactly where book two ended. We are thrown into a world with no magic and everyone is scrambling. Nahri and Ali are thrown into another part of the world and are trying to figure out their way. Meanwhile, Manizeh is trying to keep her hold on power. There’s a lot going on and a huge amount of world expansion in this book. I loved it because it answered all my questions, especially with the Marid.

Nahri has always been one of my favorite protagonists. She’s what they hate but she’s stronger than all of them. How ironic. She’s just so good and I love her dedication to being who she is. She does what’s right for everyone and not herself. In fact, she does something in this book that shows you exactly that. I also love the nod to her “little thief” persona from the past. Nahri is a character that exploded in this book. Her growth and story arc are amazing and one of my favorite things about this book.

“I am who I am because of that human world. It wasn’t the Banu Nahida who’d driven the peris to their knees, it was the con artist of Cairo, and Nahri wouldn’t cast her away.”

My second favorite thing about this book is Dara. OMG. I know, there’s a love triangle and I despise them. I have always had a soft spot for Dara and I know that a lot of people don’t like him. His character arc in this book is amazing and so perfect. He definitely had me shedding some tears. Oh, Dara… how I will miss you.

“Dara hesitated and then spoke. “If what I have seen is true, it means there is peace for the worst of us. Rest for those who do not deserve it. It was beautiful. And it spoke to a mercy this world does not deserve.”

There is one thing that I’m a bit skeptical about and that’s the peris. I feel like they were thrown in there last minute. We don’t really know much about them but they have this huge role. It’s okay though, I’m looking past it because my girl, Nahri, knows how to handle herself.

I’m going to admit that I was skeptical of Nahir and Ali. I just loved them as friends and I still get a lot of platonic vibes from them but I think that’s okay. They have been through so much apart and together. They need that strong, fierce, and loyal love. Friends to lovers is never a bad thing. ❤

It’s such a brutal and fast- paced story that I enjoyed taking my time with. There are some things that I’m not sure how I feel about but I’m not going to be nit-pick. I am going with how this made me feel. I enjoyed this series immensely and I think that Chakraborty did an amazing job with her finale. Her writing is so beautiful and I love how she can tear out your heart but make you laugh the very next sentence. Kudos. I can’t wait to see what you do next!

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