Scan barcode
kmcquage's review against another edition
4.0
The writing is somewhat uneven, and the start rocky, but the world is vivid and engaging. I think the author had his feet under him for the last half of the book, so I look forward to further books from him. It's very exciting to see fantasy not derived from the western romantic tradition, so I'm also hoping this book's success opens the doors to a wider variety of fantasy works.
annashiv's review against another edition
2.0
This was fine I guess. It just didn't really make me feel much of anything. it was readable and vaguely interesting, but will definitely not be sticking with me and not compel me to pick up anything else of this author's.
Overall, I think the writing was average if not at times plain bad, and the character's one dimensional. We were constantly told what they were like rather than shown, and what we were shown was never what they proclaimed they really were like. Which, sure people are wrong about themselves all the time, but there's got to be some evidence that could lead them to believe it about themselves. There was just too much telling instead of showing.
My main gripe about it is that there were far too many coincidences and everything was too easy to solve for every character. Oh, that thing I need to reference is in that one book I lent you and just happens to be upstairs when all my other books burned. Or I happen to have just enough money to pay for this ridiculously expensive thing when it's been established we're poor and barely getting by. Sorry, it just made it hard to really get invested because I knew whatever they ran into would be solved just fine with no lasting consequences. Especially with how the magic system works.
I also thought the language used was odd. They spoke kind of modern, only replacing some things with middle eastern inspired replacements.
Still, if those kinds of things don't bother you, go ahead and pick it up if you're really wanting a typical fantasy story that's easy to read.
Overall, I think the writing was average if not at times plain bad, and the character's one dimensional. We were constantly told what they were like rather than shown, and what we were shown was never what they proclaimed they really were like. Which, sure people are wrong about themselves all the time, but there's got to be some evidence that could lead them to believe it about themselves. There was just too much telling instead of showing.
My main gripe about it is that there were far too many coincidences and everything was too easy to solve for every character. Oh, that thing I need to reference is in that one book I lent you and just happens to be upstairs when all my other books burned. Or I happen to have just enough money to pay for this ridiculously expensive thing when it's been established we're poor and barely getting by. Sorry, it just made it hard to really get invested because I knew whatever they ran into would be solved just fine with no lasting consequences. Especially with how the magic system works.
I also thought the language used was odd. They spoke kind of modern, only replacing some things with middle eastern inspired replacements.
Still, if those kinds of things don't bother you, go ahead and pick it up if you're really wanting a typical fantasy story that's easy to read.
ohthesefaces's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I really wanted to love this book, and yet I kept feeling as if this book was an acquaintance I only really wanted to see in a professional setting and never outside of that.
Some things that I enjoyed:
- The setting. As many other reviews have stated, the joy of finding a fantasy book not written in a Medieval English setting was so refreshing, that I immediately picked the book up to try it.
- The diverse range of characters. I liked the premise of a group comprised of a middle aged ghul hunter, a young holy dervish, and a fierce she-lion on a quest for revenge. Add in two additional middle aged characters, complete with body aches and complaints, and I was pretty excited to see how their dynamics would play out.
Things I didn’t enjoy:
- The city. I kept waiting to fall in love with Dhamsawaat the way Adoulla loved it and it never happened. It seemed like the worst place in the world to live with no charm.
- The writing style. I believe the author was trying to tell a concise, meaningful story but he did more “telling” me what to take away or what was going on than “showing” me, or letting me come to my own conclusions.
- The villain. I walked away from the book only knowing the villain’s name and that they’re stereotypically very, very bad. That’s it. Nothing else.
- The “romance.” Can we even call it a romance? The people outside of the romance talked more about the romance than the two people in it… There was no “romance.”
- Raseed. I think the book was too short to allow for true character development, but dang I did not like his character. He felt like a walking trope with a name.
- Lack of consequences. I kept waiting for this very powerful magic to have any true adverse effect on the characters casting it, you know, like it was alluded to the whole book, but there felt like there was very little consequence. Easy win for the good guys is not very entertaining.
- Predictability. For how short the story is, I didn’t expect it to have crazy twists and turns, but the whole time I was reading, I kept wishing there would be. Anything to subvert expectation and give more depth to these characters (main and secondary) than was there.
Overall, I had higher expectations than the book was able to deliver on. But, aside from one instance in the book that stated that because a character that got punched in the face was a woman, her body wasn’t crated by God to receive such pain, the book wasn’t (that) offensive. I finished it, it was okay.
Some things that I enjoyed:
- The setting. As many other reviews have stated, the joy of finding a fantasy book not written in a Medieval English setting was so refreshing, that I immediately picked the book up to try it.
- The diverse range of characters. I liked the premise of a group comprised of a middle aged ghul hunter, a young holy dervish, and a fierce she-lion on a quest for revenge. Add in two additional middle aged characters, complete with body aches and complaints, and I was pretty excited to see how their dynamics would play out.
Things I didn’t enjoy:
- The city. I kept waiting to fall in love with Dhamsawaat the way Adoulla loved it and it never happened. It seemed like the worst place in the world to live with no charm.
- The writing style. I believe the author was trying to tell a concise, meaningful story but he did more “telling” me what to take away or what was going on than “showing” me, or letting me come to my own conclusions.
- The villain. I walked away from the book only knowing the villain’s name and that they’re stereotypically very, very bad. That’s it. Nothing else.
- The “romance.” Can we even call it a romance? The people outside of the romance talked more about the romance than the two people in it… There was no “romance.”
- Raseed. I think the book was too short to allow for true character development, but dang I did not like his character. He felt like a walking trope with a name.
- Lack of consequences. I kept waiting for this very powerful magic to have any true adverse effect on the characters casting it, you know, like it was alluded to the whole book, but there felt like there was very little consequence. Easy win for the good guys is not very entertaining.
- Predictability. For how short the story is, I didn’t expect it to have crazy twists and turns, but the whole time I was reading, I kept wishing there would be. Anything to subvert expectation and give more depth to these characters (main and secondary) than was there.
Overall, I had higher expectations than the book was able to deliver on. But, aside from one instance in the book that stated that because a character that got punched in the face was a woman, her body wasn’t crated by God to receive such pain, the book wasn’t (that) offensive. I finished it, it was okay.
jaudrey's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
aceinit's review against another edition
4.0
Read this book. No, seriously, if you are a fan of fantasy literature, read this book. You will enjoy it. I promise.
A beautiful, refreshing, fast-paced and highly original work from beginning to end. Ahmed introduces his readers to a fantasy world familiar yet so very different from what they have encountered before. The Arabian-themed setting was wonderful and the characters are vividly rendered and complex yet so very, very human. The ending surprised me in several ways, and I am now eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.
A beautiful, refreshing, fast-paced and highly original work from beginning to end. Ahmed introduces his readers to a fantasy world familiar yet so very different from what they have encountered before. The Arabian-themed setting was wonderful and the characters are vividly rendered and complex yet so very, very human. The ending surprised me in several ways, and I am now eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.
katieinca's review against another edition
4.0
In order of excellence: worldbuilding, then characters, then plot. The city has kind of an ancient-Baghdad feel, the magic is ... holy-ish, and (minor spoiler) there's a girl who can turn into a lion. There is much swording. Terrific. Then you've got a kernel of of old friends who know just how to insult each other and allude vaguely to dangers survived in their younger days, but also teenage apprentice types to shake things up. And then you've got a super evil bad guy attempting world domination. By means of evil magic, rivers of blood, etc. Of course.
The ending was a little abrupt, which I'm hoping to later be able to dismiss later as "ah well, first book in a trilogy, you know."
The ending was a little abrupt, which I'm hoping to later be able to dismiss later as "ah well, first book in a trilogy, you know."
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Child death, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent and Rape
noranne's review against another edition
2.0
As the rating says, it was ok. Nothing special. I found the story rather predictable, the characters too cardboard, the writing style felt clunky, and the love stories were annoying. Not sorry I read it, but not looking for anything more.
mwplante's review against another edition
3.0
ALMOST a 4 for me, but it drags too much in the middle. The characters point this out frequently (complaining about dawdling) and I cannot help but agree... There was simply too much dawdling in what should have been a swashbuckler. Also the main villain wasn't terribly interesting.
On the other hand, all that downtime allowed the author to flesh out some wonderfully realized characters. Saladin Ahmed is clearly an author who pays close attention to making sure none of his characters are cliches. All have flaws and relatable problems, from aging to paying the rent. Even their body-types/physical descriptions consciously defy genre stereotypes, which I appreciated as a breath of fresh air. Favorite characters include Mouw Awa, (deliciously cheesy!) Raseed (this basically good man's struggle with his own inner dogmas was a highlight of the book for me), and the Falcon Prince (in the real world and the best art, being a hero can get a bit messy).
And may I just say how wonderful it is to have a fantasy novel that places the Middle-East & Africa analogues front and center rather than relegating them to some peripheral window-dressing. Here's hoping the "Warlands" to the West get the always-alluded-to-never-visited treatment in this series that the "Crescent Moon Kingdoms" get in most of the other fantasy series.
I look forward to the next book. I read somewhere that now that he's got a trilogy deal the author will be taking the series in a more "epic" direction, and I think his style and commitment to creating heaps of strong, interesting characters will be more suited to this format.
On the other hand, all that downtime allowed the author to flesh out some wonderfully realized characters. Saladin Ahmed is clearly an author who pays close attention to making sure none of his characters are cliches. All have flaws and relatable problems, from aging to paying the rent. Even their body-types/physical descriptions consciously defy genre stereotypes, which I appreciated as a breath of fresh air. Favorite characters include Mouw Awa, (deliciously cheesy!) Raseed (this basically good man's struggle with his own inner dogmas was a highlight of the book for me), and the Falcon Prince (in the real world and the best art, being a hero can get a bit messy).
And may I just say how wonderful it is to have a fantasy novel that places the Middle-East & Africa analogues front and center rather than relegating them to some peripheral window-dressing. Here's hoping the "Warlands" to the West get the always-alluded-to-never-visited treatment in this series that the "Crescent Moon Kingdoms" get in most of the other fantasy series.
I look forward to the next book. I read somewhere that now that he's got a trilogy deal the author will be taking the series in a more "epic" direction, and I think his style and commitment to creating heaps of strong, interesting characters will be more suited to this format.