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mixed_emoticon's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
TLDR Review for The Stardust Thief
4.5/5 stars
Highlights:
📚 Trilogy starter
🌌 Based on 1001 Arabian Nights
🪟 Multiple character perspectives
🧭 Adventure
✨ Magic
🔪 Betrayal
💔 Loss
♀️ Woman positive
⚔️ Moderate gore/violence
📖 Possibly better enjoyed as an Ebook (for less distracting ways to define unfamiliar words)
🥲 Sequel doesn't release until February 2024
4.5/5 stars
Highlights:
📚 Trilogy starter
🌌 Based on 1001 Arabian Nights
🪟 Multiple character perspectives
🧭 Adventure
✨ Magic
🔪 Betrayal
💔 Loss
♀️ Woman positive
⚔️ Moderate gore/violence
📖 Possibly better enjoyed as an Ebook (for less distracting ways to define unfamiliar words)
🥲 Sequel doesn't release until February 2024
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Gore
kiwij96's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.75
From the second I started the first chapter I was immediately obsessed. The storytelling is genius and so brilliantly written, I could not put it down.
Six of Crows inspired chaptering, with each one written through the perspective of a main character. Heavily inspired by A Thousand and One Nights in the best way. The worldbuilding was gorgeous and descriptive, I loved the characters and the quests. The stories within the story - the history of this fantasy world which shapes and deepens your understanding of characters.
I am one for enjoying when heroic quests go awry and everything goes wrong and good lord did things go wrong for the characters. Many times. Betrayal, heartbreak, loss, pain, old foes, new foes, deceit. It all very much happens in this action-packed story and at times it is brutal.
I am very interested in seeing how this trilogy plays out, however, as this book ended in an interesting way. Not on a cliffhanger as such, but I am looking forward to seeing what happens after this.
Six of Crows inspired chaptering, with each one written through the perspective of a main character. Heavily inspired by A Thousand and One Nights in the best way. The worldbuilding was gorgeous and descriptive, I loved the characters and the quests. The stories within the story - the history of this fantasy world which shapes and deepens your understanding of characters.
I am one for enjoying when heroic quests go awry and everything goes wrong and good lord did things go wrong for the characters. Many times. Betrayal, heartbreak, loss, pain, old foes, new foes, deceit. It all very much happens in this action-packed story and at times it is brutal.
I am very interested in seeing how this trilogy plays out, however, as this book ended in an interesting way. Not on a cliffhanger as such, but I am looking forward to seeing what happens after this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Torture, Death of parent, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, and Vomit
theespressoedition's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Death of parent, Torture, Murder, Blood, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gore, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
angeldevoursliterature's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Confinement, Grief, and Genocide
Minor: Cursing
cookiecat73's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book wasn't 100% my thing, but I have incredible respect for the author. The world and magic was cool and interesting, and character development was really well written, but it was the plot that blew me away. The twist were really well done and way they tied everything together was brilliant. It also gave you all the pieces you needed to figure things out for yourself (and it was incredibly satisfying when I did) whilst also providing explanations for anyone who didn't figure it out yet, but in a way that wasn't beating you over the head with it or talking down to the reader, it just felt like the characters figuring it out themselves.
Personally I had no real interest in the romance/crush aspects, and some of the torture/violence was a bit much imo, but my biggest issue was the fake-out deaths. If it was just Aisha's I wouldn't have much of an issue because there were still consequences, but Mazen and Qadir's I don't think serve any real purpose, and they made threat later on feel hollow for me. In general there are a lot of times where people sustain what should be serious injuries, but then they just recover? It made me feel like the characters would just be fine whatever happened, which made any times where there was meant to be danger and threat feel less meaningful and more hollow. Thankfully the plot and twists were really really interesting and well done, so I still was invested in the book, but I think if maybe those 2 deaths weren't there and some of the injuries either didn't happen or had more consequences I would have enjoyed it more
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Self harm, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual content
mal_grace's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
I enjoyed reading this book, but I wish there was less language. The first half of the book has a few minor curse words, but the latter half has a smattering of harsher language throughout. Otherwise, a solid read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore and Cursing
brittanyboston18's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Gore, Confinement, Death of parent, and Violence
kbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
This. Was. Everything. Fans of the City of Brass Trilogy I have found our newest obsession. This was AMAZING. I’m literally speechless. So this is the end of the review. READ THIS BOOK.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Alcohol, and Animal death
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Chelsea Abdullah had some good ideas here, but in the end, this novel left me slightly confused and underwhelmed.
First, to the good stuff. I liked how Abdullah intertwined the best-known Arabian Nights stories into her tale, incorporatingScheherezade, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and I'm sure there were many more stories woven in that I was unfamiliar with . The first hundred pages or so The Stardust Thief are snappy and pacy in style, and I was thinking "oh, this is going to be a cracking good story."
It wasn't long after our narrators - Loulie, Mazen and Aisha (as well as Qadir) - set out on their journey (not a spoiler as it's in the official blurb) that I started to get confused. It was still incredibly gripping to read - but I was no longer as invested as I was in the beginning.
So what went wrong? For me, it was a number of things. A few plot holes which I couldn't rationalise to myself. Too many convenient escapes where someone or something turned up at just the right moment. The characters felt too thin and weren't developed enough to make me care about them. I was confused about jinn lore and exactly how the magic worked. And I think it was too long, with twist upon twist until it became impossible to keep track of who knew what and when.
In conclusion, a strong start and some clever ideas, but the worldbuilding and character development left a lot to be desired.
First, to the good stuff. I liked how Abdullah intertwined the best-known Arabian Nights stories into her tale, incorporating
It wasn't long after our narrators - Loulie, Mazen and Aisha (as well as Qadir) - set out on their journey (not a spoiler as it's in the official blurb) that I started to get confused. It was still incredibly gripping to read - but I was no longer as invested as I was in the beginning.
So what went wrong? For me, it was a number of things. A few plot holes which I couldn't rationalise to myself. Too many convenient escapes where someone or something turned up at just the right moment. The characters felt too thin and weren't developed enough to make me care about them. I was confused about jinn lore and exactly how the magic worked. And I think it was too long, with twist upon twist until it became impossible to keep track of who knew what and when.
In conclusion, a strong start and some clever ideas, but the worldbuilding and character development left a lot to be desired.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Murder, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm
Minor: Pregnancy
Many murders and violence occur through magical means.xtsukix's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
For a debut novel this book had a fascinating and original story, one that I think many people would enjoy. I will say that the characters despite effort felt quite flat, which I imagine will improve the more Abdullah writes, she pulls off the whole “detached grouchy untrusting” character scheme a little too well, where it seems to bleed into every character in the book.
The start was a little boring, and this book took me forever to get through but I do blame that partially on my reading slump. I think I’d give the second book in the trilogy a read when it does come out :) Qadir is definitely my favourite character and I would love to see more of him.
The start was a little boring, and this book took me forever to get through but I do blame that partially on my reading slump. I think I’d give the second book in the trilogy a read when it does come out :) Qadir is definitely my favourite character and I would love to see more of him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Grief, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Torture, Gore, and Child death