The River of Silver: Tales from the Daevabad Trilogy

Chakraborty returns to the world of her beloved Daevabad trilogy (first visited in The City of Brass) with 15 shorts, many of them cut scenes from the novels, that enrich the worldbuilding and provide extra insight into the characters. The myriad perspectives here (each story is named after the POV character) allow readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of characters’ psyches and motivations. In “Manizheh,” the cruel oppression of the djinn king Ghassan sparks a desire for vengeance in the eponymous goddess. The would-be queen in “Hatset” has a surprisingly frank discussion with Ghassan to set clear expectations before their marriage. In “Ali,” Prince Alizayd rescues a missing girl at the bottom of a river and discovers a kingdom frozen in time where he must use his newfound powers to fight a demon’s army. Two scouts of the Royal Guard encounter a nightmare of legend in the rural countryside in “The Scout.” Perhaps most exciting for fans will be “An Alternative Epilogue to The Empire of Gold,” which offers a different end to the series as a whole. Though this collection should not be anyone’s introduction to this world, it will be a treat for series devotees. Agent: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary. (Oct.)