The Empire of Gold

The centuries-long power struggle for the magical kingdom of Daevabad comes to a head in the marvelous final adventure in Chakraborty’s Daevabad trilogy (after The Kingdom of Copper). Healer Nahri awakens back home in 18th-century Egypt, with no memory of how she got there from Daevabad. The temptation to stay in her comfort zone is nearly impossible to resist when weighed against returning and joining the fight to take back the devastated djinn city. But exiled Daevabad prince Ali is stranded alongside Nahri and will do whatever it takes to find his way back home to avenge his family and restore their rule. Both Nahri and Ali run up against the sins of their ancestors when deeply buried secrets come to light, revealing Nahri’s true parentage and Ali’s family debt. Chakraborty pulls off an astonishing balancing act as her multifaceted characters navigate the complex politics of her beautifully painted world, but she relies on some too-convenient plot devices to tie up all the loose ends, slightly cheapening the otherwise satisfying conclusion. Still, this mammoth finale is a worthy finish to a beloved series. Agent: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary. (July)