The city of brass

Spellbinding is an appropriate word to describe S. A. Chakraborty’s debut novel, The City of Brass. Mesmerizing is another. Both adjectives reflect the magical, whimsical nature of the fantasy world Chakraborty creates. This world has magic, both white and black; monsters of tremendous size that fly through the air; djinns who can be loyal or deceitful as the occasion demands; ghouls who rise from the grave to devour the living; monsters who dwell in the water and kill both djinns and humans; flying carpets; shape-shifters; clan warfare; and a magical city hidden from human eyes.