No sophomore slump for Chakraborty! In fact, I think Kingdom of Copper, the second in her fantasy series, is better than the first -- more assured in its depiction of its world. The novel takes place five years after the first, and the three protagonists have gone their separate ways: Ali is slowly learning about his mysterious water powers, Dara is building an army to take back his city, and Nahri has made a political marriage and is struggling to fulfill her call to heal people while everyone around her tries to use her for their own purposes. These three plot strands converge at the end, but although that was entirely expected, Chakraborty's ability to ramp up the tension kept me eagerly turning pages until the very end.
It's not just the plot, though, that makes this series so great. The world Chakraborty has created, with political intrigue, powerful magic, all kinds of djinns, complex characters, and gorgeous details, is utterly fascinating. And filled with allusions to our current world: Chakraborty shows just how difficult it is to detangle centuries of violence, grievances, and resentments in the quest for peace and stability. I was genuinely dismayed to finish the novel, and I can't wait for the next one.
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