The Daevabad Trilogy, #1
The City of Brass
by S. A. Chakraborty
Contents
Chapter 23: Ali
Overview
Ali and his siblings host Nahri for stargazing before urgent business pulls her away. Muntadhir returns, revealing Dara’s unsettling conduct and refusing to marry Nahri, heightening court tensions. Later, Ali is ambushed and gravely wounded by Hanno with an iron blade; Jamshid intervenes, and Ali orders the body hidden to prevent reprisals against shafit.
Summary
Ali stargazes with Nahri atop the palace while Muntadhir and Zaynab lounge nearby. Nahri’s wistfulness about family prompts Ali to suggest she could find one in Daevabad, but a servant summons her away urgently. Zaynab departs, and Muntadhir confronts Ali about his growing attachment to Nahri and his assignment to win her favor.
The brothers discuss Ali’s near downfall and Muntadhir’s intervention with their father. Muntadhir details his uneasy border campaign with Dara: the Afshin’s eerie vigilance, lethal skill, and encouragement of fire-temple rites among Daeva soldiers. They debate Dara’s unexplained freedom from slavery and the danger he poses.
The conversation turns to politics and marriage. Muntadhir refuses to marry Nahri, citing fear of Manizheh’s legacy and Dara’s possessiveness. Ali argues Nahri’s virtues and suitability as queen, but privately doubts the match, recognizing Muntadhir’s incompatibility and likely infidelity. Muntadhir leaves for revelry, and Ali remains alone with the telescope, reflecting.
A shafit servant approaches to clear the food, then attacks: the shapeshifter Hanno bludgeons Ali and stabs him repeatedly with an iron blade, taunting him over Anas’s death and shafit suffering. As Ali weakens, Jamshid arrives and hesitates, allowing Ali to headbutt Hanno and slash his throat with a glass lens; Jamshid then fells Hanno with a bottle.
Bleeding and fading, Ali orders Jamshid to dispose of Hanno’s body to prevent the king from using the attack to justify slaughtering shafit. Jamshid obeys, casting the body into the lake. Ali collapses, trying to ask for Nahri as darkness overtakes him.
Who Appears
- Alizayd al Qahtani (Ali)Protagonist; bonds with Nahri, debates Dara and politics with Muntadhir, then is ambushed and grievously stabbed by Hanno; orders the body hidden.
- Muntadhir al QahtaniHeir; returns from the border, describes Dara’s menace and fire rites, refuses to marry Nahri, and departs for revelry.
- Nahri (Banu Nahida)Joins stargazing, reveals loneliness; leaves on urgent summons; later named by Ali as the healer he wants fetched.
- HannoShafit shapeshifter; ambushes Ali with an iron blade, accusing him over Anas; fatally wounded and disposed of.
- Jamshid e-PramukhArrives mid-attack, knocks Hanno out, follows Ali’s order to hide the body; supports the wounded prince.
- Zaynab al QahtaniSister; dismissive of stargazing, spars verbally with Ali, then leaves.
- DunoorShafit servant; summons Nahri away on Nisreen’s urgent orders.