Everyone’s the hero of their own story … but that usually means they’re the villain of someone else’s. S. A. Chakraborty ramps up the moral ambiguity and political tensions in book 2 of The Daevabad Trilogy, The Kingdom of Copper. Just over a year ago, I reviewed book 1, The City of Brass, after it impressed me with its intricate world-building and nuanced characters. Now those characters are back and they have to make increasingly tough decisions about where they stand and whose side they’re on in a millennia-old conflict between factions of the djinn society, and between the djinn and magical forces even older and more powerful. Continue reading The Kingdom of Copper Review–Heroes and Villains
Tag: genie
The Golem and the Jinni Review: An Unusual Pairing
I love stories of unexpected friendships, and what could be more unexpected than a golem and a jinni? These two mythological creatures come from different traditions, different regions, and altogether different worlds. Yet in Helene Wecker’s debut historical fantasy novel, they meet by chance on the streets of New York City. My whole family has been reading this book, and I’m so glad I finally hopped on that bandwagon!
The Golem and the Jinni begins in Poland at the turn of the 20th century, when a disgraced rabbi makes a woman out of clay—a golem—to serve as his client’s perfect and obedient wife. But after an unexpected turn of events, the golem arrives at Ellis Island alone and masterless. She is taken in by a kindly rabbi who names her Chava and introduces her to the local Jewish community. Meanwhile, a tinsmith in Little Syria sets to work on an old copper flask when suddenly out of it comes a jinni who has been trapped for a thousand years. Adopting the name Ahmad, the jinni reluctantly takes on the role of tinsmith’s apprentice while trying to figure out how to break the bonds that keep in stuck in human form. When Chava and Ahmad meet, they feel a kinship—both are outsiders trying to fit into, yet not truly part of, the human world. Yet their natures are so different, this altruistic being of earth and flighty being of fire, that their friendship brings as much conflict as comfort. All fights are forgotten, however, when they realize that someone who poses a danger to them both has found his way to New York City. Continue reading The Golem and the Jinni Review: An Unusual Pairing
The City of Brass Review—A Tale of Deliciously Dark Djinn
My favorite part of being a book reviewer is when I find a brand new author to absolutely fall in love with. I stumbled upon S. A. Chakraborty a few weeks ago at a reading for the New York Review of Speculative Fiction. After hearing her read the first chapter of her debut novel, I immediately went home and requested a review copy so I could find out what happens next. The City of Brass is the first book The Daevabad Trilogy, a new adult fantasy series that delves deep into Islamic mythology, particularly those devious creatures known as the djinn. The book just came out on November 14th, so you can find it at your local bookstore or click the link at the end of this post to buy it online. Continue reading The City of Brass Review—A Tale of Deliciously Dark Djinn