The City of Brass

*This page is about the novel by S.A. Chakraborty. For the Netflix adaption, see The City of Brass (Netflix)*
*The City of Brass* is the first book in the Daevabad Trilogy series, written by S.A. Chakraborty. It introduces Nahri, a young con-woman from Cairo struggling to make ends meet; the ancient warrior Darayavahoush who takes her to the legendary djinn city; the idealistic and social justice-minded Prince Alizayd; and a swath of other characters in a magical world set in the 18th century Middle East.

## Synopsis

*Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of eighteenth-century Cairo, she's a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trades she uses to get by --palm readings, zars, and a mysterious gift for healing-- are all tricks, both the means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles and a reliable way to survive.*

*But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, to her side during one of her cons, she's forced to reconsider her beliefs. For Dara tells Nahri an extraordinary tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire and rivers where the mystical marid sleep, past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises and mountains where the circling birds of prey are more than what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass-- a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.*

*In Daevabad, within gilded brass walls laced with enchantments and behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments run deep. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, her arrival threatens to ignite a war that has been simmering for centuries.*

*Spurning Dara's warning of the treachery surrounding her, she embarks on a hesitant friendship with Alizayd, an idealistic prince who dreams of revolutionizing his father's corrupt regime. All too soon, Nahri learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.*

*After all, there is a reason they say to be careful what you wish for...*

## Publication

As of September 2022, *The City of Brass* has gone into its 23rd reprint.

### Reception

Among other awards and nominations which will be added here soon, the Daevabad series was nominated for a Hugo Award, a 2021 Best Series finalist.

### Editions

The City of Brass has been translated into Bulgarian, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, and Turkish, and sold in markets world-wide. There have also been exclusive limited edition English releases such as Goldsboro, FairyLoot's Daevabad Deluxe Set, and PageHabit's author-annotated edition, each with special features. More information and photos can be found in **Book Editions**.

Cover art for the US edition (2017)Cover art for the UK edition (2018)The Goldsboro edition (2018)FairyLoot's Daevabad Deluxe Set exclusive edition (2020)The reverse dust jacket artwork for the FairyLoot exclusive edition (2020)The exclusive dust jacket artwork from Fae Crate's Empire of Gold Hangover Recovery Kit (2020)The Romanian cover for Orașul de bronz (2018)The Brazilian Portuguese cover for A Cidade de Bronze (2018)The Russian cover for Латунный город (2018)The Hungarian cover for Bronzváros (2019)The Bulgarian cover for Град от месинг (2019)The Italian cover for La Città di Ottone (2020)The Turkish cover for Pirinç Kenti (2021)The French cover and collector's edition for La Cité de Laiton (2021)The Polish cover for Miasto mosiądzu (2021)The German cover for Die Stadt aus Messing (2021)The Dutch cover for De bronzen stad (2021)
*The City of Brass* has been released in Hardcover and Paperback versions, as well as Kindle/e-book, audiobook, and audio cd.

The paperback and Kindle versions include the exclusive bonus content:

* A prologue to *The City of Brass* (From Muntadhir's point of view; set 7 years prior)
* A reading group guide (with 10 questions)
* An excerpt from *The Kingdom of Copper* (the first chapter with Ali in the desert)

#### Author-annotated edition

*(For full details and photos, please go to the Annotated City of Brass page.)*

As part of the original promotion for The City of Brass, a copy of the book was included in the 2017 PageHabit Fantasy subscription box, for bookbloggers to read and review. This copy included a letter written by the author, S. A. Chakraborty, as well as 10 notes stuck throughout the book that gave insight into character inspirations, historical references, and personal anecdotes that inspired parts of the book.

## Trivia

* The book dedication says *"For Alia, the light of my life"*
* The *Kingdom of Copper* bonus excerpt scene from the paperback/Kindle editions have some differences from the final book's version of that chapter. In addition to some altered phrasing, Bir Nabat is instead called "Ain Luhayr," and Ali names the mountain range along Am Gezira as "Um Jubal."

## Netflix Adaption

*More information can be found on The City of Brass (Netflix) page.*

On May 19, 2020 it was announced that a new production company called Complete Fiction would be developing three new series for Netflix, including The City of Brass. According to S.A. Chakraborty, this had been in the works for over a year. As of now it is being optioned, with no names attached in terms of crew or cast.

## External Links

* Harper Collins' official page for The City of Brass
* The City of Brass on GoodReads
* The City of Brass on TV Tropes

## References

1. ↑ S.A. Chakraborty on Instagram - September 2, 2022 - City of Brass US edition in its 23rd reprint
2. ↑ S.A. Chakraborty on Twitter - April 13, 2021 - Hugo Awards 2021 Best Series award finalist
3. ↑ Beach Bookworm - Unboxing: November PageHabit - Nov 30, 2017
4. ↑ https://deadline.com/2020/05/edgar-wright-film-tv-company-complete-fiction-netflix-series-1202938194/ Deadline.com Edgar Wright, Nira Park, Joe Cornish & Rachael Prior Launch London & LA-based Film & TV Company Complete Fiction With Three Series In Works At Netflix - May 19 2020
5. ↑ https://twitter.com/SAChakrabooks/status/1262787683610505217 S.A. Chakraborty on Twitter - May 19 2020