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readingelli's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Blood, Gore, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Murder and Death
hasmazlom13's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Blood, Child death, Death, Murder, Violence, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
bookishflower's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“I am Loulie al-Nazari, the Midnight Merchant, and I am the master of my own fate.”
I wouldn’t have picked this up if it hadn’t have been in the Fairyloot May box, but I’m so glad I did! I tend to be intimidated by adult high fantasy, but this was easy to read, had beautiful and witty writing, with nuanced characters you can root for. I think this would be a great entry to adult fantasy books if anyone was looking for one.
I adored the importance of storytelling, and the ambiguity of good and evil in this book. I also loved Qadir, Loulie, Mazen and Aisha. I hope we get to see their found family develop more and explore more of the world building as the series continues! I will definitely be continuing with this series! This book took me back to my love of stories and a thousand and one nights when I was younger.
I wouldn’t have picked this up if it hadn’t have been in the Fairyloot May box, but I’m so glad I did! I tend to be intimidated by adult high fantasy, but this was easy to read, had beautiful and witty writing, with nuanced characters you can root for. I think this would be a great entry to adult fantasy books if anyone was looking for one.
I adored the importance of storytelling, and the ambiguity of good and evil in this book. I also loved Qadir, Loulie, Mazen and Aisha. I hope we get to see their found family develop more and explore more of the world building as the series continues! I will definitely be continuing with this series! This book took me back to my love of stories and a thousand and one nights when I was younger.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol and Confinement
Minor: Child death and Cursing
maregred's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, War, and Genocide
Moderate: Torture, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death and Infidelity
ninjamuse's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Child death, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent and Confinement
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
I really loved this book! The characters - Qadir is a new favourite that I am obsessed with, Loulie is amazing and relatable, Aisha is a badass, and I really like Mazen. The worldbuilding, the magic, everything was so fantastic! I cannot wait for the next book in this series!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Misogyny, Torture, and Violence
kgeogheghan'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? It's complicated
4.0
The story is told from three points of view: Loulie - a woman who can find hidden magical items, and sells them under the title 'Midnight Merchant', with her jinn friend and bodyguard; Price Mazen - the youngest of the Sultan's children; Aisha - one of the legendary 40 thieves.
The world building in this novel is beautiful. I loved the characters, and seeing the story unfold from their different points of view, each with their own unique voice - seeing their relationships grow and change as they learn more about one another and face the journey to find the magical lamp together. Some parts of the plot felt a little obvious, but the overall story was compelling.
I thoroughly enjoyed the vast majority of this book, but I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. It left me unsatisfied, with too many questions left unanswered. I didn't realize this book was part of a trilogy, so was hoping for sound resolution to the story. I also struggled slightly with keeping up with what was happening in the final scenes, as there was so many moving parts.
Overall, it's a great fantasy book, full of magic and mystery, and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The world building in this novel is beautiful. I loved the characters, and seeing the story unfold from their different points of view, each with their own unique voice - seeing their relationships grow and change as they learn more about one another and face the journey to find the magical lamp together. Some parts of the plot felt a little obvious, but the overall story was compelling.
I thoroughly enjoyed the vast majority of this book, but I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. It left me unsatisfied, with too many questions left unanswered. I didn't realize this book was part of a trilogy, so was hoping for sound resolution to the story. I also struggled slightly with keeping up with what was happening in the final scenes, as there was so many moving parts.
Overall, it's a great fantasy book, full of magic and mystery, and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
onthesamepage's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You know that feeling when you're reading a book, and you're so immersed in the story, and when it ends there's nothing you can think of that would have made it a better reading experience for you?
Yeah, that's this book.
We follow three different POVs: Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, who finds old relics and makes a living selling them on the black market, Mazen, the prince who longs for the adventures he hears about in stories but is stuck in the palace, and Aisha, one of the infamous forty thieves. All of the perspectives are interesting, and I never found myself wanting to skip over one of the characters so I could get more of a different one. The pacing of the story is great, even though the book is on the large side, and the stakes get really high. I had a few "oh, shit" moments while reading this. The quality of the writing is excellent too. I also loved the short stories within the story, where we get to learn more about the folklore surrounding the jinn. Overall, I'm really impressed with this debut.
All the characters quickly endeared themselves to me, although it took me a bit longer to warm up to Aisha. I loved the dynamic among them, but my favourite was always going to be the bond between Qadir and Loulie. There were so many moments that made me want to hug them, and the book. The other notable thing is the lack of romance. The only whiff of it is between Loulie and Ahmed bin Walid, a side character, but it's very slight, which was honestly refreshing, even though I liked their relationship as well.
The shining star of this book is the setting and the Arab representation. Chelsea Abdullah doesn't coddle anyone, and that made me so happy. Characters frequently use Arabic phrases, the food was familiar, the garments were familiar, and she even spells Arabic words out in the Arabic alphabet! Not to mention the hints of 1001 Nights sprinkled throughout, from references to the king of the forty thieves, to the jinn in the lamp. Even though it was a fantasy world, it felt comforting, and a bit like home.
Despite the presence of jinn in the story, there are no references to Islam in this world (although one character is named Ahmed, which is a Muslim name, but I guess that on its own doesn't necessarily mean anything).
You know that feeling when you're reading a book, and you're so immersed in the story, and when it ends there's nothing you can think of that would have made it a better reading experience for you?
Yeah, that's this book.
We follow three different POVs: Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, who finds old relics and makes a living selling them on the black market, Mazen, the prince who longs for the adventures he hears about in stories but is stuck in the palace, and Aisha, one of the infamous forty thieves. All of the perspectives are interesting, and I never found myself wanting to skip over one of the characters so I could get more of a different one. The pacing of the story is great, even though the book is on the large side, and the stakes get really high. I had a few "oh, shit" moments while reading this. The quality of the writing is excellent too. I also loved the short stories within the story, where we get to learn more about the folklore surrounding the jinn. Overall, I'm really impressed with this debut.
All the characters quickly endeared themselves to me, although it took me a bit longer to warm up to Aisha. I loved the dynamic among them, but my favourite was always going to be the bond between Qadir and Loulie. There were so many moments that made me want to hug them, and the book. The other notable thing is the lack of romance. The only whiff of it is between Loulie and Ahmed bin Walid, a side character, but it's very slight, which was honestly refreshing, even though I liked their relationship as well.
The shining star of this book is the setting and the Arab representation. Chelsea Abdullah doesn't coddle anyone, and that made me so happy. Characters frequently use Arabic phrases, the food was familiar, the garments were familiar, and she even spells Arabic words out in the Arabic alphabet! Not to mention the hints of 1001 Nights sprinkled throughout, from references to the king of the forty thieves, to the jinn in the lamp. Even though it was a fantasy world, it felt comforting, and a bit like home.
Despite the presence of jinn in the story, there are no references to Islam in this world (although one character is named Ahmed, which is a Muslim name, but I guess that on its own doesn't necessarily mean anything).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Murder
azrah786's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, kidnapping, torture, murder, death, child death, death of parent, grief, confinement
--
If you’re craving an adventure in a whole new world then look no further!
Inspired by the stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief is the entrancing first novel in an all new trilogy that reimagines and entwines the tales and legends anew.
We follow Loulie Al Nazari and her bodyguard Qadir, a merchant and jinn (sometimes lizard companion) duo who make a living by travelling the lands tracking and selling magical relics – a dangerous occupation in a world where such items are illegal and where jinn are hunted for the magic in their blood.
Despite the outlawed nature of her trade her infamous reputation comes to the attention of the Sultan, who once she is captured offers her her life in exchange for her services to locate a lamp, an ancient relic with immense power. The company of the Sultan’s son and a member of the Forty Thieves is also part of the deal and so the 4 of them embark on their quest across the Sandsea desert and all the perils it has to offer.
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, kidnapping, torture, murder, death, child death, death of parent, grief, confinement
--
If you’re craving an adventure in a whole new world then look no further!
Inspired by the stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief is the entrancing first novel in an all new trilogy that reimagines and entwines the tales and legends anew.
We follow Loulie Al Nazari and her bodyguard Qadir, a merchant and jinn (sometimes lizard companion) duo who make a living by travelling the lands tracking and selling magical relics – a dangerous occupation in a world where such items are illegal and where jinn are hunted for the magic in their blood.
Despite the outlawed nature of her trade her infamous reputation comes to the attention of the Sultan, who once she is captured offers her her life in exchange for her services to locate a lamp, an ancient relic with immense power. The company of the Sultan’s son and a member of the Forty Thieves is also part of the deal and so the 4 of them embark on their quest across the Sandsea desert and all the perils it has to offer.
"Some things are out of our control. You know that just as well as I. All we can do is make choices based on the cards fate deals us."
Fast paced and addictive, Abdullah’s narration immediately draws you in to a world full of magic, myths and mayhem that anyone who has ever enjoyed a previous rendition of these classic stories and mythologies will instantly warm to. However, the atmosphere and settings in this book evokes much more authenticity and I think this comes down to Abdullah’s love for her own culture as well as her love for stories and storytelling which shines through the writing.
The best multi POV stories are the ones that keep you hooked on all the character perspectives and for me this was definitely one of those. Loulie, Mazen and Aisha each have a distinctive voice and I found myself loving them all (and I love Qadir too of course.) It was particularly inspiring to see their perseverance through the challenges on their journey, the truths and lies that get uncovered on the way and also when coming to terms with their individual vulnerabilities.
"We're all afraid Prince. The only difference between a hero and a coward is that one forgets their fear and fights, while the other succumbs to it and flees."
Just as compelling are the character relationships which Abdullah has developed beautifully. The dynamic between the leading trio and Qadir is really fun, equal parts wariness and banter that eventually reaches a borderline found family feel and I can’t wait to see how this develops further in the rest of the series. I even found myself totally invested in the relationships with minor characters such as Mazen and his brother Hakim and even Loulie and Ahmed. However, the most endearing relationship which I know everyone will agree with is the one between Loulie and Qadir. I honestly love it so much when there is a wholesome platonic duo at the heart of a book.
What was also pretty great was the little interludes of story interspersed amongst all the action and carefully plotted twists and reveals at times when a character is recalling a tale from legend. This not only further celebrated the art of storytelling but also touched on the themes and idea of how key details in accounts and histories can be lost and consciously distorted over time.
All in all a fantastic and highly enjoyable debut and I can’t wait to come back to this world and continue to follow these characters on the adventures Chelsea Abdullah has in store for them next!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Child death, Confinement, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Grief
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.0
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC
I am excited to say that The Stardust Thief is one of my top fantasy reads of the year so far, and I personally cannot wait to see this book acquire the wide readership it deserves once published.
This book is a well-plotted, adventurous tale filled with breathless action (though some action scenes could be tightened up more), surprising emotional heft, and complex and sometimes-frustrating-yet-loveable characters with great character development- with my particular favorite being the enigmatic Qadir and his relationship with Loulie.
There are also countless twists here especially towards the end, and while some of them are predictable, the rest can be surprising and definitely contribute to the story. I love the magic system as well - in particular the relics and their relations to jinn - and many of the magical items are endearingly imaginative.
I see this novel as Abdullah's love letter to her culture and its tales, stories, and oral tradition. The way the author deftly weaves many Arab tales together into an interconnected whole while adding her own flair to them is enjoyable. And of course the novel is effortlessly diverse; it is simply so refreshing to see an Arab fantasy written by an Arab author.
In sum, I have only myself to blame for having to wait perhaps quite a while for the next book, because if The Stardust Thief is any indication, it is going to be a good one.
I am excited to say that The Stardust Thief is one of my top fantasy reads of the year so far, and I personally cannot wait to see this book acquire the wide readership it deserves once published.
This book is a well-plotted, adventurous tale filled with breathless action (though some action scenes could be tightened up more), surprising emotional heft, and complex and sometimes-frustrating-yet-loveable characters with great character development- with my particular favorite being the enigmatic Qadir and his relationship with Loulie.
There are also countless twists here especially towards the end, and while some of them are predictable, the rest can be surprising and definitely contribute to the story. I love the magic system as well - in particular the relics and their relations to jinn - and many of the magical items are endearingly imaginative.
I see this novel as Abdullah's love letter to her culture and its tales, stories, and oral tradition. The way the author deftly weaves many Arab tales together into an interconnected whole while adding her own flair to them is enjoyable. And of course the novel is effortlessly diverse; it is simply so refreshing to see an Arab fantasy written by an Arab author.
In sum, I have only myself to blame for having to wait perhaps quite a while for the next book, because if The Stardust Thief is any indication, it is going to be a good one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Grief
Minor: Death of parent