An interesting and suspenseful tale, indeed. So far, the book, “City of Brass”, has captured my attention well; I am certainly intrigued. However, credit must begiven where it is due. S.A. Chakraborty, the author, effectively uses rhetoric to depict her character through sarcasm and expected and timely placed conflict.
Often times, sarcasm is not used in books; usually, it is more text and text. So, let’s be a but appreciative when there is something new. By the use ‘she’ and focus on the main character, Nahri, in the book, Chakraborty chose the story to be written in the third person. This choice builds an effective foundation for sarcastic thoughts, thus effectively building a character. For example, Nahri sarcastically thought “the Egyptians were the inheritors of a great civilization whose mighty monuments still littered the land. Oh, no. They were peasants, superstitious fools who ate too many beans”. Such a sarcastic line shows the inherent feelings of Nahri about the current situation. Sarcastic or not, the conversed deep thought is effective in building the strong relationship needed between the main character and audience, thus encouraging the audience to read and learn more. Chakraborty does not shy from using sarcasm and her risk to do so pays off.
From years of experience in literature, it should be a known fact that nothing good comes out of taking a shortcut through a graveyard. So, when Nahri enters the graveyard, the assumption of conflict and possible death is foreshadowed. The choice to create a plot line like this is quite effective. First, the author does not need to build suspense herself. The eerie graveyard setting does so already. In addition, preexisting common knowledge about graveyard in literature helps to build that suspense even further. Everything is set for the big moment. The question in the audience’s mind now is: when will it happen? Chakraborty can choose to do so or not. And she effectively chooses to do so, given the expected circumstances of the audience. If it were not to happen, the audience would more than likely be disappointed and find complaints in the slow pace of the book. Right timing, or kairos is key and Chakraborty understands exactly when and how to utilize it.
Writing About Magic - Angela Pham 