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We are an opinionated group of friends reviewing all sorts of fantasy and science fiction media. Don’t forget to get to know the curators and visit our curated Collection, where we discuss the stories that never cease to transport us to another world.
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- Book written by S.A. Chakraborty
- Published 14 November 2017
- Part 1 in the Daevabad Trilogy
Nahri, a shrewd young woman who grew up in the poor streets of Cairo, aspiring to be a professional healer, is unexpectedly plucked from her human life and ends up in an unknown world of magic and supernatural jinn. Meanwhile, Ali, a young jinn prince, finds himself in the midst of the political tensions of the royal capital, where he must choose between loyalty to his family or his own values.
The City of Brass was a refreshing read for me, one I quite enjoyed.
This book has very solid characters. This applies to both of the protagonists, as well as all of the supporting characters. They are all well-developed and clearly play the protagonist in their own stories, even though we only follow the perspective of Nahri and Ali.
As for the plot, this is clearly the first book of the trilogy. Many mysteries are introduced and remain unresolved by the end of this book, serving as a set-up for what is yet to come. The plot follows the protagonists closely. Every choice they make, has its consequences. Despite several action sequences, most of the suspense comes from the political schemes that are plotted, some clearly visible, others in the background.
The world of The City of Brass offers an intriguing fantasy setting, based on old-Islamic and Zoroastrian cultures and interwoven with the ambiance of the stories from ‘One Thousand and One Nights’. As someone who has studied the history and religions of these cultures, I recognise (and appreciate) the research that underlies the worldbuilding of this book. However, the lore can be somewhat overwhelming at times.
I can really recommend The City of Brass to all fantasy-lovers. Especially the ones that are looking for a diversion from the more common medieval Western-European fantasy settings. The quality of the sequels is sublime, so all I can say is that this trilogy is worth the investment.
Listened to the Audiobook with Soneela Nankani (who was not my favourite narrator but not actively annoying once sped up little bit). I know I am in the minority amongst the reviewers on this site, but City of Brass didn’t really click for me. To me, City of Brass is a book with a great setting but a mediocre story. In many ways, it felt a bit too much like the (admittedly very original) fantasy setting was a veneer smeared over what was effectively more of a modern-teenage-YA-love triangle-story. The characters felt too modern-thinking, at times a bit childish, the politics a bit flat, the setting though original just a bit shallow.
I really wanted to like this book and was into it for the first few chapters, but in all honesty it dropped off very steeply for me once Nahri left Cairo. This reflects a pattern for me, where I feel that the book was at its best when it focussed on the intersections of the human and deava world. Overall, it strikes me that Charkraborty’s style would fit a more light-hearted story a whole lot better.
People around me are telling me to give the later books a chance since they address some of the issues, so I might come back to this review later. Until then, I would recommend this book only to people who either don’t mind a bit of puberty in their storytelling or who are desperate for an original setting.
The Daevabad Trilogy is one of my all-time favourite fantasy series and as a whole I definitely give it five stars. I’m sure I will even add it to the collection at some point! The characters are absolutely fantastic and the worldbuilding is some of my favourite ever. It is clearly very well-researched and full of fascinating references to Islamic mythology. I am already looking forward to doing a re-read of the entire series soon! I also really love the way the audiobooks are performed by Soneela Nankani.
However, this first book is not the strongest of the three in my opinion, and so I give it ‘only’ four stars. I still really enjoyed it, but does contain a lot of set-up which only starts to pay off in the two sequels. In order to understand the political situation in Deavabad you will have to learn a lot of different names of the tribes and families and the way they are connected, which can definitely feel a bit confusing or daunting. However, I really recommend making the effort because it will be worth it when you get to the later books.
Definitely give this book a try if you are a fan of character-driven stories. And if you like the first book, be assured that it only gets better from there!
See also:
- Book written by Julian May
- Published in 2003
- Part 1 in the Boreal Moon Trilogy
Prince-Heritor Conrig Wincator, heir apparent to the throne of Cathra, is a man with an ambition: to bring all four nations of the island of Blenholme under his Sovereignty. To this end, he has forged an alliance with Ullanoth, the mage-princess of the marshy kingdom of Moss. Deveron Austrey, better known as Snudge, appears to be an unassuming footman in the prince’s service. In reality, however, Snudge is a fledgeling wizard and Conrig’s secret spy – and he is soon to find himself embroiled in the sorcery, war and politics of the rulers of the island…
This book is not as exceptional or innovative as Julian May’s Saga of Pliocene Exile (which, admittedly, is probably one of the most formative fantasy experiences I’ve ever read), but it is a very comfortable traditional fantasy story that is well written and features colourful characters. The world feels alive but does not pretend to have the depth of a The Lord of the Rings or the ‘realism’ of a A Song of Ice and Fire. I would classify it is a medium-light but entertaining read – perfect for a reader looking for something that focusses more on escapism.
It wasn’t exactly what I am generally looking for in a fantasy book, so I haven’t immediately started the second part of the trilogy, but they’re still on the list and I’m sure I’ll pick them up one time when I feel like something a bit less dark than my bread-and-butter.
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- Book written by Jan Terlouw
- Published in 1971
- Standalone
The 17 year old Stach dreams of becoming king of the kingdom of Katoren. The old king died on the night of his birth 17 years ago, and a new king has still not been found. The six ministers ruling the country in the kings place give him seven difficult tasks. If Stach completes them all, he will be the new king. But the question rises – do the ministers even want a new king to be found?
Listened to the audiobook with Jan Terlouw himself. Another classic Dutch children’s book. It is a great play on the seven works-trope, and full of the beautiful, nonsensical solutions to real problems that only work in children’s tales. There are moral lessons to be learned at each of the tasks, though to be fair, Stach, the main character, does not seem to develop much himself.
The book is beginning to show its age at times (people write letters constantly and the newspaper seems the main mode of communication between communities), but I would definitely still recommend it for both young and old readers – it reads easily and has a high pace, so I would expect it to engage even modern readers.
Koning van Katoren is a true children’s classic in the Netherlands. I recently reread it (in a desperate attempt to finish my intended 50 books that year) and thoroughly enjoyed it, even at 25.
This book has worldbuilding that stems purely from the plot. Every time Stach arrives in a new town, he finds out that they have one specific problem that’s making life difficult. What is most charming to me, is the way these problems shape the lives of the citizens of each town. you can really see that Terlouw put thought into the consequences that these weird situations would have on all aspects of people’s lives. A lot of it is very nonsensical, but because it has internal consistency, it just works.
If you like fantasy that is ~whimsical~ and doesn’t take itself too seriously, you’ll definitely enjoy this book. I’d also absolutely recommend it to any Dungeon Masters trying to get inspiration for more light-hearted D&D campaigns.
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Tagged:
- Book written by Becky Chambers
- Published in 2014
- Part 1 of the Wayfarers Series
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet tells the stories of the crew of a tunneling spaceship, The Wayfarer, who are hired for an important job to create a ‘tunnel’ between a war-torn faraway planet and the more peaceful territories of a confederacy of aliens (and humans).
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is a very comfortable read. The plot is not very elaborate, as the story is mainly driven by the characters and their interactions with each other. With the exception of a few life-threatening scenarios, most of these interactions take place during fairly mundane activities (spiced with intriguing worldbuilding). While I quite liked this set-up, those who are looking for a more grand and action-filled story might get disappointed.
On the whole, while reading The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, I was most impressed with the inherent inclusivity of the story and setting. The diversity and representation of the many characters and cultures was handled respectfully and included different (alien) races, beliefs, genders and sexualities. Furthermore, several neurodivergent characters and a few characters with medical conditions played significant roles in the story. This book invites the reader to be more empathetic, and to put any prejudices aside.
If you are looking for a nice change of pace from dark and cynical media, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book.
I agree completely with Jop’s review of this book. It is heartwarming yet profound, and I immediately fell in love with all of the characters. I listened to the audiobook performed by Patricia Rodriguez, which I can also wholeheartedly recommend.
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is a science fiction novel for a different audience than most, and I believe the level of enjoyment will vary wildly from reader to reader. For me, it was so-so, a nice break from my day-to-day fare but not a remarkable experience. I know that some of the other curators disagree wholeheartedly.
On the one hand, it has a weak plot that basically sees the crew travel from one place to another because they are paid to do a job there, with a couple of (mostly minor) hiccups along the way. It features soft-as-warm-butter sci-fi, with several types of humanoid aliens that have no trouble understanding (or making love to) each other, starships constantly running into each other in the void of space, ‘gravity fields’ inside the spaceships, etc. The book tends to choose the path of least resistance in its worldbuilding, solving technological problems with a hand wave and a two-sentence explanation and sacrificing logic or realism to the well-known shortcuts of your average science fiction story.
On the other hand, by pivoting away from hard sci-fi and plot, the book creates some space to focus on its characters. It seems Chambers was mostly interested in creating likeable characters that have a warm, fuzzy vibe going on. The cast is diverse, and accepting diversity is one of the book’s main themes. It is a pity, however, that one of the results is that there is hardly any tension between the members of the crew (other than some expected workplace friction). With a thin plot and an accepting crew, the book is left without a central conflict, a driving force behind the narrative. Instead, the book relies on the reader getting invested in the characters to read on.
At times, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet feels like an attempt at channeling the TV-series Firefly that skipped the step where the crew has to earn each other’s trust – and with a liberal sprinkling of woke all over it.
In general, I would recommend this book mostly to people that want a comfortable read about people accepting each other, people looking for a break from the darker outlook of most books in the genre, and maybe the woke crowd that I know is out there.
Probably the book’s greatest merit is the questions it asks about the role and rights of advanced artificial intelligence – I’ve been told that the sequel delves deeper into that issue so I might give that a shot and I’ll update you if I do. Otherwise, this style is really not for me.
This book was a personal reccomendation by Robin and she was, once again, very right. Don’t be deceived by the complicated title (in our household it is now referred to as “Small Angry, Long Way”), for the story takes place in a very accessible sci-fi world. There is, of course, a storyline but this book shines in the way we get to know (and love) the characters. A very comfortable get-away that wasn’t long enough. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Tagged:
- Board game Designed by Phillipe Keyaerts
- Illustrated by Miguel Coimbra, Cyrille Daujean
- Published by Days of Wonder
- Published in 2009
- Strategy Board Game, 2-5 players
- Playing time: 40 to 80 minutes
Small World is a game in which players pick a combination of fantasy species and special powers to try and raise a profitable empire in a world that is simply much too small. As the game progresses, players do not only need to ponder the moves of their enemies, but also the potential lifespan of their own civilizations. Sometimes, the decline of one empire might lead to new glory for a next one…
Small World is a wonderful light-hearted game. I’ve been playing it for years and enjoyed every single match, even the ones in which I was mercilessly defeated. In fact, I liked this game enough to even purchase some of its expansions.
At its core, Small World is a fairly simple game: conquer lands and thus earn points. However, through some clever game mechanics you’ll never play a match that’s similar to another. This, along with its relatively short playing time, makes it the perfect game for a lazy afternoon or evening.
The art of this game is appealing, but quirky enough that you’ll forget you’re actually slaughtering whole civilizations. Fun!
The premises is simple: pick a race and a special ability and conquer as many land as you can. Yet, this game mechanic is what makes it a different game each time you play it.
Small World is one of my absolute favourite board games. Whether playing it one-on-one against Jop, or on a bigger board with some friends, I enjoy trying to find the best strategy for the race/ability-combo lying in front of me. Especially in the beginning, after our first few games, I marvelled at the impact the races and special abilities have on the way your game is played.
With several expansions, you will have access to more races than you’ll ever need and extra playing boards to make your conquests even more interesting. Our latest addition, Small World Realms, even gives us the power to build our own worlds and tinker with the game mechanics. Although my collector’s heart wants it all (and we are well on our way, oops), just picking up the base game is enough to engage in some very fun battles.
Similar to:
- TV show developed by Jason Rothenberg for The CW
- Based on The 100 by Kass Morgan
- Starring Eliza Taylor, Thomas McDonnel. Bob Morley, Marie Avgeropoulos, Devon Bostick, Christopher Larkin, Lindsey Morgan, Richard Harmon, with Paige Turco, Henry Ian Cusick and Isaiah Washington
- First Aired on March 19th 2014
- Seven Seasons with 13 to 16 Episodes
In a post-apocalyptic universe, all that remains of humanity lives on a slowly dying space station, called the Ark. One hundred delinquent youth are sent to Earth to see if it is once again habitable. While those on the Ark struggle to keep everything going, the 100 discover that Earth is not as desolate as they expected.
This series is an interesting one. When I watched the first half of the first season, I thought the writing and part of the acting were simply weak. Entertaining YA content, but nothing more. Then, as the season progressed, it suddenly seemed like the quality was growing exponentially. I was hooked. Not only that, the writing from seasons 2 to 4 is among the strongest (worthy of at least four stars) I have seen in recent years.
The 100 contains some interesting ideas that are generally well-executed. The worldbuilding of this post-apocalyptic Earth is solid and the characters have to face some fairly realistic dilemmas. The grimdark setting really makes you think at times. What would I do in such a scenario? Would I be able to make the hard choices? Questions without correct answers.
This series succeeded in delivering a strong and diverse cast of characters, whose stories are strongly interwoven with the plot of each season. On the whole, I liked most characters, even if I hated them. I cursed them, I laughed at them and I cried for them. Some, I even loved.
For those who decide to give this series a chance and find they like both the plot and the characters, I would certainly encourage you to watch the first five seasons. The season finale of the fifth season can serve as an ending to the series as a whole. The tone of the following seasons is very different from the first five seasons. In terms of content, the last seasons contain interesting concepts, but they somewhat come at the expense of the atmospheric unity of the previous seasons.
Jop has made some excellent points. Starting off I was sceptical about the series, but the acting and the storyline grew into somthing with depth and body. I got quite carried away with this one. The politics of war were always a backdrop for the struggles of our main characters, creating some very interesting ethical questions. A bingeable series with shippable characters (team #clexa represent!).
Similar to:
Tagged:
Review: The City of Brass – S.A. Chakraborty
Part 1 of the Daevabad Trilogy
Nahri, a shrewd young woman from Cairo, is unexpectedly plucked from her human life and ends up in an unknown world of magic and supernatural jinn. Meanwhile, Ali, a young jinn prince, finds himself in the midst of the political tensions of the royal capital.
Review: Conqueror’s Moon – Julian May
Part one in the Boreal Moon Trilogy – Prince Conrig Wincantor has the ambition to unify the island of High Blengholme under Cathran Sovereignty. With the help of the sorceress Ullanoth and Deveron Austrey, his secret spy, he sets in motion his daring plan.
Review: Koning van Katoren / How to Become King – Jan Terlouw
17 year old Stach undertakes to complete seven dangerous and difficult tasks to claim the throne of Katoren from the six ministers that have jealously guarded it since the death of the old king.
Review: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet – Becky Chambers
Part one in the Wayfarer series – The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet tells the stories of the crew of a wormhole-tunneling spaceship, The Wayfarer.
Review: Small World – Days of Wonder
Small World is a game in which players pick a combination of fantasy species and special powers to try and raise a profitable empire in a world that is simply much too small. As the game progresses, players do not only need to ponder the moves of their enemies, but also the potential lifespan of their own civilizations. Sometimes, the decline of one empire might lead to new glory for a next one…
Review: The 100 – The CW
In a post-apocalyptic universe, all that remains of humanity lives in a slowly dying space station, called the Ark. One hundred delinquent youth are sent to Earth to see if it is once again habitable. While those on the Ark struggle to keep everything going, the 100 discover that Earth is not as desolate as they expected.
