Author Spotlight: Shannon Chakraborty
In the times before Covid 19, I was a simple twenty-something looking for new worlds. I had taken a hiatus from fantasy, because I was tired of the medieval themed stories with the very similar tropes I’d read dozens of times. My own personal reading-world was small and truthfully, a big old yawn.
And then, I stumbled upon a book in my local bookstore called “The City of Brass.” It was the last copy, but was hidden amongst bigger titles at the time. I am totally a sucker for a compelling cover, and I usually read the first couple of pages to see if I can connect to the authors writing style. I could not WAIT to buy this book and begin to read it.
This book, and subsequent sequels titled “The Kingdom of Copper” and “The Empire of Gold,” make up the Daevabad Trilogy. This series fits firmly in the Historical Fantasy sub-genre.
It takes place in 18th Century Cairo, and the basic plot involves a con woman named Nahri, who accidentally summons a Djinn named Dara, and the event completely changes her life and sends her on a journey to. Daevabad, a magical city wrought with political tension and oppressed peoples on the verge of war. This series is magical, political, filled with historical lore and myth from Islam… But I’ll let the author describe her story in more detail…
This was exactly what I was looking for. More info on the world can be found on Shannon’s website, if you’re interested.
I finished the book in 3 days and immediately went to try and find the sequel, which took several visits to different book stores. I also finished that book in a matter of days. I couldn’t stop thinking about this world, it completely opened my eyes to what fantasy could be if authors from different backgrounds seeking to innovate on the traditional “medieval” themed stories everyone on earth could recognize. Eventually, the final book came out and I was truly saddened that I finished the series and had to move on. The sign that I was fully engaged and immersed.
Now, as a visual person and film/tv lover, my immediate next thought was “this needs to be turned into something.” It needed to be done correctly though, with people who understood the context of this story and had the means to acquire the budget it would need. In 2020, it was announced that a production company called Complete Fiction obtained the rights to develop the concept. No news or updates have been made public, but with the pandemic and strikes behind us, it is more than possible there will be updates about this in the future.
More recently, Shannon Chakraborty released the first in her new trilogy entitled “The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi,” which has been met with mostly positive reviews from fans and critics. The story takes place in the 12th century Indian Ocean, following Amina-who is a mostly-retired pirate, who takes a job she can’t refuse. Personally, the book was enjoyable and different from many of the things I’ve read. Pirates are not typically not something I care much about, but I was fully invested in the journey and am excited for the sequels.
Here is a review from The New York Times. It was just announced that FlipNarrative, a production company founded and lead by Waleed Zuaiter, will be adapting this book as a television show and gaming platform. You can find the full Variety article here.
Shannon Chakraborty is an author who you should keep an eye out for. Her writing style is very accessible and she draws a lot from her passion for history. I am incredibly excited for her continued success, and owe her a great debt for opening my eyes to what the fantasy genre can really be. THANK YOU!
If you’re familiar with her work, who’s your favorite character she’s written? What do you like most about the way she tells her stories?
