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kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: ARC read via Netgalley.
Everyone should know the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. It’s a wonderful story; largely because of the servant woman who saves her master though her intelligence. This short novel is a steampunk version of a tale, which means that Ali is an inventor who as the story opens is apprenticed to Charles Babbage.
And there are airships.
Which are cool because some of the scenes with Babbage and the pilot of an airship are quite good.
The novel is good, enjoyable if not great. What stops it from being truly outstanding are the cliché types (or almost cliché types). Perhaps it is unfair to criticize a fairy tale retelling for the overuse theme of bad older brother, Kassim, picking on his saintly younger sibling, Ali but retellings should bring something more to the tale than just set it in a different setting. It is true that there is some redemptive feeling in the relationship between brothers, but having Kassim even strike his wife feels too much like a cliché. Kassim doesn’t truly have a redeeming feature, and though his character is given some shading Dirk Dastardly, strangely, is who springs to mind when picturing Kassim.
The other issue is the relationship between Ali and Morgiana which is more complicated than a simple master/servant relationship. There is more a slave/master aspect so it makes the love story seem a bit, well, controlling. It is a problem that many retellings of such tales would have, many historical fiction works as well. If there is a master/slave relationship, how equal are the lovers to modern sensibilities. A master/servant relationship has more of a sense of, if not equality, of choice to it. In fairness, there is some adjustment of Morgiana’s character to adjust for this change in status. Morgiana is very much like her original in terms of intelligence, and like the original tale, is the more fascinating character than Ali Baba.
The setting is wonderfully described and a sense of place is conveyed by the word choices, actually using correct technical words to describe Eastern dress and custom (with a glossary at the book if a reader needs it).
Everyone should know the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. It’s a wonderful story; largely because of the servant woman who saves her master though her intelligence. This short novel is a steampunk version of a tale, which means that Ali is an inventor who as the story opens is apprenticed to Charles Babbage.
And there are airships.
Which are cool because some of the scenes with Babbage and the pilot of an airship are quite good.
The novel is good, enjoyable if not great. What stops it from being truly outstanding are the cliché types (or almost cliché types). Perhaps it is unfair to criticize a fairy tale retelling for the overuse theme of bad older brother, Kassim, picking on his saintly younger sibling, Ali but retellings should bring something more to the tale than just set it in a different setting. It is true that there is some redemptive feeling in the relationship between brothers, but having Kassim even strike his wife feels too much like a cliché. Kassim doesn’t truly have a redeeming feature, and though his character is given some shading Dirk Dastardly, strangely, is who springs to mind when picturing Kassim.
The other issue is the relationship between Ali and Morgiana which is more complicated than a simple master/servant relationship. There is more a slave/master aspect so it makes the love story seem a bit, well, controlling. It is a problem that many retellings of such tales would have, many historical fiction works as well. If there is a master/slave relationship, how equal are the lovers to modern sensibilities. A master/servant relationship has more of a sense of, if not equality, of choice to it. In fairness, there is some adjustment of Morgiana’s character to adjust for this change in status. Morgiana is very much like her original in terms of intelligence, and like the original tale, is the more fascinating character than Ali Baba.
The setting is wonderfully described and a sense of place is conveyed by the word choices, actually using correct technical words to describe Eastern dress and custom (with a glossary at the book if a reader needs it).
threerings's review
5.0
Review originally published on Steamingenious.com (http://www.steamingenious.com/2014/06/book-review-baba-ali-and-clockwork-djinn.html)
Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn: A Steampunk Faerie Tale by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Day Al-Mohamed
As you may be able to tell from the title, this book is a steampunk retelling of the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. I'm not terribly familiar with the original, except for what I know by cultural osmosis. And I'm not overly thrilled by the idea of steampunk versions of familiar stories. However, this book proved that a steampunk retelling could be done VERY right indeed.
I think the main danger with any retelling of a well known story is that you want to avoid being predictable and telling a story in the same way with merely new window dressing. This book admirably succeeds in this regard. I was absolutely enthralled and had no idea what was going to happen from moment to moment, although I did spot various points of connection to the original tale.
The story follows Ali bin-Massoud who has traveled to London to study artificery under the famed Charles Babbage. When his father dies mysterious, Ali is summoned home and he receives some mysterious legacies from his father that many people seem willing to kill for. The story follows Ali on his journey home, his conflict with his greedy brother, and his discovery of their families' guardianship of the legendary Cave of Wonders. In this cave he befriends a Djinn and sets out to free her through his skill at artificery.
This book does a really fantastic job of blending a traditional tale but making it distinctly steampunk. Some of the wonders discovered in the cave are clockwork automatons much more complex than that being made by modern craftsmen. Clockwork elephants lead caravans across the desert and conceal the cave from discovery. Plus there is the magic of the Djinn, which is woven effortlessly in with the technology.
It's always a delight to read a steampunk novel that is set in a culture other than that of Victorian England and we need more stories that handle the blending of influences this well. I highly recommend it.
Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn: A Steampunk Faerie Tale by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Day Al-Mohamed
As you may be able to tell from the title, this book is a steampunk retelling of the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. I'm not terribly familiar with the original, except for what I know by cultural osmosis. And I'm not overly thrilled by the idea of steampunk versions of familiar stories. However, this book proved that a steampunk retelling could be done VERY right indeed.
I think the main danger with any retelling of a well known story is that you want to avoid being predictable and telling a story in the same way with merely new window dressing. This book admirably succeeds in this regard. I was absolutely enthralled and had no idea what was going to happen from moment to moment, although I did spot various points of connection to the original tale.
The story follows Ali bin-Massoud who has traveled to London to study artificery under the famed Charles Babbage. When his father dies mysterious, Ali is summoned home and he receives some mysterious legacies from his father that many people seem willing to kill for. The story follows Ali on his journey home, his conflict with his greedy brother, and his discovery of their families' guardianship of the legendary Cave of Wonders. In this cave he befriends a Djinn and sets out to free her through his skill at artificery.
This book does a really fantastic job of blending a traditional tale but making it distinctly steampunk. Some of the wonders discovered in the cave are clockwork automatons much more complex than that being made by modern craftsmen. Clockwork elephants lead caravans across the desert and conceal the cave from discovery. Plus there is the magic of the Djinn, which is woven effortlessly in with the technology.
It's always a delight to read a steampunk novel that is set in a culture other than that of Victorian England and we need more stories that handle the blending of influences this well. I highly recommend it.
eliwray's review against another edition
3.0
This Arabian steampunk fairy tale is quite a clever and pleasant diversion.
allisonthurman's review
4.0
This is a delightful fairy tale with magic and machinery thrown in. And Charles Babbage! I love the combination of folklore and Victorian setting, and both the Eastern and Western settings are clearly well researched and well loved. Recommended!
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