So we are coming around the corner to the final stretch of this Daevabad trilogy. Are we going to get a solid ending? Or a weak sauce wander off into philosophical musings (looking at you His Dark Materials). One never knows. But my girl does not fail me. Final battle for Daevabad is just part of this finale. We are also off to Egypt, where Ali’s mother, the Queen, is currently living (and also the site of Nahri’s earliest memories) and then there are ginormous talking crocodiles, and being sucked into maelstroms in the Indian Ocean, which contain magical beings. Then back to Daevabad, and all the pieces start to fit into place. Will the city be able to return to what was originally intended, a harmonious refuge for all the djinn people? Except for the Nahid; they remain pretty much wiped out. A tribe of healers doesn’t stand much of a chance against the rest of this lot.
And of our three protagonists? Nahri, being half Nahid, simply wants a hospital. Being married to the heir to the throne of Daevabad was never a desirable fate for her, and being allowed to study and read and heal anyone, everyone, would be a dream come true. Prince Ali, the heir’s younger brother and designated bodyguard? Turns out his parentage held some very unexpected relations, which definitely freed him from certain expectations. With any luck, he can unleash his inner public administrator. And then Dara, the fearsome djinn who slaughtered hundreds under the control of his master is finally allowed to dream of dying again, in a few more thousands of years (the first time didn’t take), and reuniting again with his wife and children in that lovely garden in the afterlife. A little something to look forward to for everybody, and a wonderful saga nicely wrapped up. Sigh. Gonna miss these folks.