Reviews

Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed

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ananya343's review

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adventurous inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

alt_air's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

leiloo103's review

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adventurous emotional funny informative sad medium-paced

5.0

Out of the hundreds of books I’ve read in my life, this is the most beautifully written and well researched book with a clear storyline, gorgeous imagery, and the most accurate and respectful depiction of Islam. Cant wait to see what else Jamila Ahmed comes up with.

guineapiggirl's review

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

onthesamepage's review

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I had mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I appreciated this take on the story of Shaherazade, with frequent references to Islam, and the historical context of Saladin. The first half had me hooked and interested to see what would come next. Unfortunately, even though they travel and join Saladin in his fight against Richard the Lionheart, I found myself getting bored with Shaherazade's stories, and increasingly frustrated with the choices she was making, even though I could understand why this is the route the author took to tell this story. There was a lot of emphasis on how much power her stories hold, to the point that she was able to influence mighty kings, but I thought that part was kind of farfetched. I did like some of the tales, but others had a lot of blasphemy as well in a way that made me feel uncomfortable. This is very much a personal thing, however, and I think most people will enjoy this book.

Content Warnings

aholcomb's review

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adventurous challenging inspiring reflective

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

indeskidge's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Brilliantly researched and so vividly interesting for its incorporation into medieval history. Enjoyed so much the diverse stories from across Asia, Europe and Africa.