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caitcoy's review against another edition
3.0
The Djinn Falls in Love and Other Stories is, as you might guess, an anthology centered around different interpretations of djinn. How you interpret the meaning of djinn differs depending on culture and this collection contains a number of different ones, and I was glad to see more authors from the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
It's a fairly well rounded collection of twenty stories with some authors I was already very familiar with and quite a lot that I wasn't. This isn't landing in my list of favorite anthologies but there were only a few stories that I'd count as true duds. Most were enjoyable with a few standouts:
Majnun by Helene Wecker
A Tale of Ash in Seven Birds by Amal El Mohtar
Reap by Sami Shah
History by Nnedi Okorafor
If you're curious about djinn in general or want a more Middle East/Asian inspired SFF anthology, this one is worth picking up.
It's a fairly well rounded collection of twenty stories with some authors I was already very familiar with and quite a lot that I wasn't. This isn't landing in my list of favorite anthologies but there were only a few stories that I'd count as true duds. Most were enjoyable with a few standouts:
Majnun by Helene Wecker
A Tale of Ash in Seven Birds by Amal El Mohtar
Reap by Sami Shah
History by Nnedi Okorafor
If you're curious about djinn in general or want a more Middle East/Asian inspired SFF anthology, this one is worth picking up.
nefarious_shrimp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
nomada's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed all the different stories. Some stories were confusing for me since it's been a while for me since I had to come to my conclusions in reading. It was a lot, but there was one story about a brother who lost his djinn twin - that was very moving. Overall the stories were great, my favorite was about the Queen who was under suspicion of being a witch - so wise men were going to all lengths to prove that she had sold her soul to a djinn. It was really fun.
mubeenirfan's review against another edition
3.0
There are some books you get because of their title. Stories about Djinn? Why would I not want to read them!
Since it is a collection of stories so there is bound to be a mix of good & average stories with an occasional masterpiece. For me the story by Sami Shah was plain brilliant being set in Pakistan under setting of drone warfare in Pakistan's northern region. A few other good ones were about Suleiman the magnificent's beloved wife Hurram Sultan whom I know about through a soap opera from a couple of years ago. Kamila Shamsie's story is in it too which is about the love between twin boys one of whom is a djinn. Neil Gaiman has also included a story about a djinn who does not grant wishes and is toiling in labor in NYC. In addition to these there are a few stories set in fictional futuristic lands and some set in fantasy lands. Have to mention here that I have never liked fantasy, futuristic or sci-fi fiction.
There are a couple of stories I did not get at all and would say they were badly written but an argument can be made that I do not possess this kind of literature appreciation skills. Overall 3 stars because there are a few stories (mentioned earlier) which definitely warrant a reading.
PS. There is no horror element in any of the story so fans of horror fiction should avoid.
Since it is a collection of stories so there is bound to be a mix of good & average stories with an occasional masterpiece. For me the story by Sami Shah was plain brilliant being set in Pakistan under setting of drone warfare in Pakistan's northern region. A few other good ones were about Suleiman the magnificent's beloved wife Hurram Sultan whom I know about through a soap opera from a couple of years ago. Kamila Shamsie's story is in it too which is about the love between twin boys one of whom is a djinn. Neil Gaiman has also included a story about a djinn who does not grant wishes and is toiling in labor in NYC. In addition to these there are a few stories set in fictional futuristic lands and some set in fantasy lands. Have to mention here that I have never liked fantasy, futuristic or sci-fi fiction.
There are a couple of stories I did not get at all and would say they were badly written but an argument can be made that I do not possess this kind of literature appreciation skills. Overall 3 stars because there are a few stories (mentioned earlier) which definitely warrant a reading.
PS. There is no horror element in any of the story so fans of horror fiction should avoid.
aix83's review against another edition
3.0
Almost all stories range from mediocre to outright poor with the notable exceptions of KJ Parker's (Tom Holt) Message In A Bottle, and Sophia Al-Maria's The Righteous Guide of Arabsat. The Spite House had a fun concept too.
phophia's review against another edition
4.0
I *really* enjoyed this collection.
Standouts: The Congregation by Kamila Shamsie, Hurrem and the Djinn by Claire North, Majnun by Helene Wecker, The Sand in the Glass is Right by James Smythe, Reap by Sami Shah, Emperors of Jinn by Usman T. Malik and more. I'll definitely be revisiting this collection. If anyone has recs for something similar hit me up!
Standouts: The Congregation by Kamila Shamsie, Hurrem and the Djinn by Claire North, Majnun by Helene Wecker, The Sand in the Glass is Right by James Smythe, Reap by Sami Shah, Emperors of Jinn by Usman T. Malik and more. I'll definitely be revisiting this collection. If anyone has recs for something similar hit me up!
zoes_human's review against another edition
3.0
No real middle ground with the stories in this book. Either I loved them or I didn't even want to finish them. Gonna keep it for the good stories though.
fionab_16's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5