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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Look, I threw my Kindle when I finished the eARC. How am I supposed to wait for the third book?? With that ending???
Anyways, this book far exceeds the first, and the first one was also a 5 star read for me. There is so much found family, I love these characters so much. I have loved watching them grow and come into their own, like my own children. I love how Chelsea Abdullah weaves a narrative to feel so whimsical, like a fairytale in a story. Absolutely solidified her as an auto-buy author!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC
Anyways, this book far exceeds the first, and the first one was also a 5 star read for me. There is so much found family, I love these characters so much. I have loved watching them grow and come into their own, like my own children. I love how Chelsea Abdullah weaves a narrative to feel so whimsical, like a fairytale in a story. Absolutely solidified her as an auto-buy author!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC
DNF at 35% and then restarted it and DNF at 50%
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC
The Ashfire King is a worthy installment to the Sandsea trilogy, with as much adventure as its predecessor, more expansive worldbuilding and exploring, as well as great characters - both old and new.
The novel is tense, leaving the reader afraid of the inevitable catchup by and confrontation with the antagonists, but the constant scattering and games of cat-and-mouse can be a little tiring after several loops. We learn more about the Sandsea, however, and the worldbuilding and magics are quite a delight. My favorite thing about the novel, though, is the characters' growth and development, and the many humane moments throughout the book, which truly demonstrate the heart at the core of the story.
I look forward to the last book, and it's going to be a difficult wait.
The Ashfire King is a worthy installment to the Sandsea trilogy, with as much adventure as its predecessor, more expansive worldbuilding and exploring, as well as great characters - both old and new.
The novel is tense, leaving the reader afraid of the inevitable catchup by and confrontation with the antagonists, but the constant scattering and games of cat-and-mouse can be a little tiring after several loops. We learn more about the Sandsea, however, and the worldbuilding and magics are quite a delight. My favorite thing about the novel, though, is the characters' growth and development, and the many humane moments throughout the book, which truly demonstrate the heart at the core of the story.
I look forward to the last book, and it's going to be a difficult wait.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder
Moderate: Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Neither here nor there, but not so long ago…”
Picking up where The Stardust Thief ended, Loulie and Mazen, accompanied by the mercurial ifrit Rijah, have fallen through the Sandsea into the world that Qadir sealed off with his magic. But the jinn world is on edge, the magic bindings put in place to keep it separate from the human world are failing, threatening to sink the cities even further into the Sandsea. Loulie and Mazen are caught between two powerful ifrits, unsure who they can trust: the Queen of the jinn who wants the bindings repaired to protect what’s left of the jinn world, or the pirate Nabila who has her own intentions of wanting to break the bindings and restore the jinn cities to the surface world.
It’s always difficult for a sequel to capture the wonder of its predecessor but I felt like The Ashfire King did a good job in replicating that magic and introducing a new world for our characters to navigate. And it wasn’t just the world-building that expanded, the characters themselves have been fleshed out more thoroughly and grown beyond what they were portrayed as in the previous book. And in the fashion of Arabian Nights, the built-in stories peppered in throughout allow the reader to piece together the centuries of history and relate to the book’s central plot without it being too cumbersome.
Overall, The Ashfire King successfully navigated the quagmire of the dreaded second-book syndrome, wrapping up the central plot and growing the characters we’ve come to love while setting up the key plot points for the last book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Picking up where The Stardust Thief ended, Loulie and Mazen, accompanied by the mercurial ifrit Rijah, have fallen through the Sandsea into the world that Qadir sealed off with his magic. But the jinn world is on edge, the magic bindings put in place to keep it separate from the human world are failing, threatening to sink the cities even further into the Sandsea. Loulie and Mazen are caught between two powerful ifrits, unsure who they can trust: the Queen of the jinn who wants the bindings repaired to protect what’s left of the jinn world, or the pirate Nabila who has her own intentions of wanting to break the bindings and restore the jinn cities to the surface world.
It’s always difficult for a sequel to capture the wonder of its predecessor but I felt like The Ashfire King did a good job in replicating that magic and introducing a new world for our characters to navigate. And it wasn’t just the world-building that expanded, the characters themselves have been fleshed out more thoroughly and grown beyond what they were portrayed as in the previous book. And in the fashion of Arabian Nights, the built-in stories peppered in throughout allow the reader to piece together the centuries of history and relate to the book’s central plot without it being too cumbersome.
Overall, The Ashfire King successfully navigated the quagmire of the dreaded second-book syndrome, wrapping up the central plot and growing the characters we’ve come to love while setting up the key plot points for the last book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This took me almost a month to read but like in the highest form of flattery because I did NOT want this book to end. The fight scenes were top tier, the yearning building SLOW BURN romance was top tier, the villains and new characters TOP TIER. There seriously wasn’t a single thing I disliked about this book. It reminded me of why I fell in love with reading as a kid. I’m dying for book 3 already.
I absolutely adored this book—not just for the adventure, but because Mazen and Loulie stole my heart. Their dynamic kept me hooked, even when I found myself craving more depth in their emotions. The story moves fast, sometimes too fast, brushing past moments that begged to linger.
I wanted to sit with these characters, to feel the weight of their realizations and heartaches. Why has Mazen seemingly moved past his panic attacks over his father’s death? Where’s the raw, emotional reunion between Loulie and Qadir? And Aisha—does she feel the ache of loneliness, the absence of true connection? These questions simmer beneath the surface, waiting to be explored.
And please, please, let Mazen and Loulie have a real heart-to-heart in book three. The tension, the longing—it’s all there, and I need that romantic payoff!
That said, this book was still an absolute thrill. If you’re looking for a story filled with magic, intrigue, and characters that will stay with you long after the last page, this is one you won’t want to miss.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I have been waiting for this sequel for so long and it did not disappoint! I loved learning more about the world and the magic. My only complaint is that the next one isn't out yet!
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
📚 ARC Review 📚
Release Date April 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for my free copy of this book.
Loulie, Mazen, and Rijah have made it to the realm of the jinn. On the run from Omar, they thought they would find sanctuary there, a place to regroup and make a plan to save their friends Qadir and Aisha. But instead they find the jinn realm in turmoil. It is slowly collapsing beneath the Sandsea. On one side you have a queen trying to saving the kingdom by protecting the bindings. In the other a pirate who wants them destroyed to bring the world back to the surface. The only one who can break them is Loulie. Her and Mazen will have to decide what side to be on. Their adventure is just beginning.
This has been a long awaited sequel for a book I loved! The world building is fantastic and I was excited that this book went into the jinn realm. Learning more about the world made for a dynamic book. The book is told from three POVs which for me makes it better storytelling, especially when characters are not together. This was a great follow up and the ending was so good and I can’t wait for the third book!
Release Date April 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for my free copy of this book.
Loulie, Mazen, and Rijah have made it to the realm of the jinn. On the run from Omar, they thought they would find sanctuary there, a place to regroup and make a plan to save their friends Qadir and Aisha. But instead they find the jinn realm in turmoil. It is slowly collapsing beneath the Sandsea. On one side you have a queen trying to saving the kingdom by protecting the bindings. In the other a pirate who wants them destroyed to bring the world back to the surface. The only one who can break them is Loulie. Her and Mazen will have to decide what side to be on. Their adventure is just beginning.
This has been a long awaited sequel for a book I loved! The world building is fantastic and I was excited that this book went into the jinn realm. Learning more about the world made for a dynamic book. The book is told from three POVs which for me makes it better storytelling, especially when characters are not together. This was a great follow up and the ending was so good and I can’t wait for the third book!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes