After taking a brief rest from tearing through Empire of Gold, I took a much more gentle pace through River of Silver. River of Silver is a series of short stories from multiple character points of view that stretches across the whole scope of the original trilogy. The stories are arranged chronologically from decades before we start City of Brass through to just after the ending of Empire of Gold. There are a few stories from the trilogy’s main protagonists, but mostly the stories are told from folks who were side characters in the trilogy.
Although there is still some suffering (or the foreshadowing of suffering) that features in a few of the stories, mostly they are lighter than the main books. There are several that take place in the time jump between books 1 and 2 that provide interesting texture and details about the characters’ normal lives that we skip straight over in the trilogy. Some of the later stories provide additional closure after the ending. Some of these endings are maybe hinted at in Empire of Gold, but the additional clarity or depth of closure is satisfying.
Across the stories presented, there’s nothing that I don’t want to see more of. All of these characters are compelling and seeing more of their background and motivations is an excellent post-trilogy treat. The alternative epilogue to Empire of Gold is particularly tantalizing and feels like either a) an excellent start to a new series or b) a great idea for a D&D campaign (or both). I would highly recommend after reading the full Daevabad Trilogy.
