Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty

Rating 4 / 5 stars

The final installment in the trilogy that started with Chakraborty’s City of Brass is the culmination of a centuries-long power struggle for the magical kingdom of Daevabad. Nahri now inexplicably finds herself back home in Egypt where the temptation to stay in her comfort zone is nearly impossible to resist when weighed against the fight to take back the devastated djinn city. Stranded alongside Nahri, Ali must strive to find his way back home to avenge his family and restore their rule. However, it seems that both Nahri and Ali are to pay for the sins of their ancestors as deeply buried secrets reveal Nahri’s true parentage and Ali’s family debt to the marid. Chakraborty has pulled off an astonishing balancing act with multifaceted characters carrying hazy moral compasses embedded in a beautifully painted world. Despite the use of some too-convenient plot devices near the end, this mammoth conclusion to a marvelous tale is a worthy finish.