The City of Brass

How it reads

The City of Brass is fantasy (historical middle eastern fantasy, specifically), and its dominant mood is adventurous. It's driven by momentum, discovery and getting into trouble. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.

It's set in an international setting, in the historical past, told in the third person across several viewpoints. Its central concerns are power and politics, identity and survival. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It opens a series. It ends on a cliffhanger, so have the next book ready. At 624 pages it's a real commitment. It's well known, the kind of book most keen readers have heard of.