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kryskross's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, and Blood
guppyur's review against another edition
3.0
Really enjoyed this. Pretty solid story in its own right, and it's pretty rare for a book so steeped in Islam to come to my (or mainstream, really) attention. I'm glad it did. Not so many new (to me) frontiers left to discover these days.
Several times while reading, something struck me as strange, and I realized that it only seemed strange because of my lack of familiarity; recast in more familiar terms, most of it became totally normal, and I realized I needed to recalibrate.
The story involves a fair bit of computing; it isn't all practical, but it's plainly written by someone who understands what they're writing about, which is so rare in creative media.
I haven't read as much this year as I'd like, and it's partly because some of what I've read hasn't pulled my attention back to it, so that I wanted, when I wasn't reading, to go read. This did.
Several times while reading, something struck me as strange, and I realized that it only seemed strange because of my lack of familiarity; recast in more familiar terms, most of it became totally normal, and I realized I needed to recalibrate.
The story involves a fair bit of computing; it isn't all practical, but it's plainly written by someone who understands what they're writing about, which is so rare in creative media.
I haven't read as much this year as I'd like, and it's partly because some of what I've read hasn't pulled my attention back to it, so that I wanted, when I wasn't reading, to go read. This did.
ebarrett3's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t know why it took me so long to start reading this. Partly, I had the wrong impression of it based on the cover. It is so much grittier than I anticipated and now I’m ready to go on a dystopian novel binge. Recommend for readers 14+
nicohusko's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
canaanmerchant's review against another edition
5.0
Alif the Unseen is a timely fantasy novel set in what we now know is only the beginning of the Arab Spring. Alif is the codename (though he calls it a handle) of a hacker in an unnamed gulf emirate.
The book is fast paced and gets to right to it quickly. Alif gets into trouble, in a fast and big way and is on the run from an oppressive state that can track him both online and "IRL" plunging Alif into way more real than he could have ever imagined. Both Alif and the State resort to supernatural help as well while the Alf Yeom a mysterious book said to be the product of Jinn remains at the center. Alif soon discovers that there is much more the world than what he sees. It's funny that the characters most willing to accept the present of the fantastic in the story are also the most disconnected from modern technology, something increasingly used by many of us to create and live out our own fantasies.
Wilson is able to give a voice to a wide array of characters that have close paralells to today. There is tension between the nation state and the old way of doing things, conservative vs. liberal wings of islam, and a plethora of other tensions present both in the novel and the real world. Some of the best characters are the women. There is an American known as "the Convert" who is an excellent cipher (in a book and plot filled with them) for sensitive westerners who despite our best intentions still can manage to not get it about other cultures. Dina is Alif's neighbor and a woman who chose the veil at a very young age when it wasn't even expected of her social station. Her character is given a lot of agency and does a lot to subvert many of our orientalist impressions of a veiled woman.
Another delight are the (too few unfortunately) tales direct from the Alf Yeom, the book Alif is responsible for. Those that are there are wonderful subversions of different types of fables and other morality plays that remind us that a lesson is something not inherent to any story.
The book is fast paced and gets to right to it quickly. Alif gets into trouble, in a fast and big way and is on the run from an oppressive state that can track him both online and "IRL" plunging Alif into way more real than he could have ever imagined. Both Alif and the State resort to supernatural help as well while the Alf Yeom a mysterious book said to be the product of Jinn remains at the center. Alif soon discovers that there is much more the world than what he sees. It's funny that the characters most willing to accept the present of the fantastic in the story are also the most disconnected from modern technology, something increasingly used by many of us to create and live out our own fantasies.
Wilson is able to give a voice to a wide array of characters that have close paralells to today. There is tension between the nation state and the old way of doing things, conservative vs. liberal wings of islam, and a plethora of other tensions present both in the novel and the real world. Some of the best characters are the women. There is an American known as "the Convert" who is an excellent cipher (in a book and plot filled with them) for sensitive westerners who despite our best intentions still can manage to not get it about other cultures. Dina is Alif's neighbor and a woman who chose the veil at a very young age when it wasn't even expected of her social station. Her character is given a lot of agency and does a lot to subvert many of our orientalist impressions of a veiled woman.
Another delight are the (too few unfortunately) tales direct from the Alf Yeom, the book Alif is responsible for. Those that are there are wonderful subversions of different types of fables and other morality plays that remind us that a lesson is something not inherent to any story.
bridge_overbooked's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was surprised that I had never heard of this book before I included it as part of a Read Around the World Challenge - it won the 2013 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel! I enjoyed some aspects of this book, especially the mythology and learning more about Arabic and Islamic cultures. However, the pacing was extremely uneven, the supporting character development was weak, and the technology was not coherent. I was interested in how the book unfolded, but I was ultimately not satisfied with the ending and expected more.
"Alif the Unseen" is a blend of cyberpunk and fantasy set in an unnamed Middle Eastern city on the brink of revolution. The story follows Alif, a young Arab-Indian hacker, who finds himself entangled in a dangerous web of politics and magic after his forbidden relationship with a woman from a higher social class is discovered. With the help of a jinn and a group of rebels, Alif must navigate a world where technology and ancient mysticism collide while fighting against a corrupt government and powerful adversaries. As he discovers the true extent of his abilities and the secrets hidden within the digital realm, Alif learns that liberation can only be achieved through embracing his identity and confronting the forces that seek to control him.
"Alif the Unseen" is a blend of cyberpunk and fantasy set in an unnamed Middle Eastern city on the brink of revolution. The story follows Alif, a young Arab-Indian hacker, who finds himself entangled in a dangerous web of politics and magic after his forbidden relationship with a woman from a higher social class is discovered. With the help of a jinn and a group of rebels, Alif must navigate a world where technology and ancient mysticism collide while fighting against a corrupt government and powerful adversaries. As he discovers the true extent of his abilities and the secrets hidden within the digital realm, Alif learns that liberation can only be achieved through embracing his identity and confronting the forces that seek to control him.
categj's review against another edition
4.0
In her fabulous debut novel, G. Willow Wilson, weaves a magical story that blends elements from mystical middle Eastern folk tales from the Islamic Golden Age with the 21st century cyberworld of hackers and bots.
Alif the Unseen is a wild, exciting and sometimes terrifying tale that takes place in a fictional Arab Emirate that sits at the juncture between our earthly world and the supernatural domain of the Djinn.
After an ill-fated romance, Alif — a brilliant hacker — is relentlessly hunted by a government internet censor known as the Hand of God. Alif is joined in the fight against the Hand, by his devout neighbour Dina, an elderly imam, an American convert, a co-hacker who is also an Arab Prince, a roguish Djinn, known as Vikram the Vampire and various other denizens of the Empty Quarter, the demonic realm of mysterious creatures, ghosts and spirit beings.
Combining politics, modern technology, sorcery and middle eastern theology, Wilson builds an enthralling world where anything can happen and nothing is as it seems. Part Arabian Nights, part thriller this book takes us to that place where the veil between the visible and the unseen has separated — and we are thrown into the rift. A rollercoaster ride of darkness, magic, fantasy and reality. A story that illustrates the value of faith, the power of love and the strength that comes from believing in oneself.
I found Alif the Unseen to be a thoroughly enjoyable read: funny, clever, quirky and thought-provoking. Read it!
Alif the Unseen is a wild, exciting and sometimes terrifying tale that takes place in a fictional Arab Emirate that sits at the juncture between our earthly world and the supernatural domain of the Djinn.
After an ill-fated romance, Alif — a brilliant hacker — is relentlessly hunted by a government internet censor known as the Hand of God. Alif is joined in the fight against the Hand, by his devout neighbour Dina, an elderly imam, an American convert, a co-hacker who is also an Arab Prince, a roguish Djinn, known as Vikram the Vampire and various other denizens of the Empty Quarter, the demonic realm of mysterious creatures, ghosts and spirit beings.
Combining politics, modern technology, sorcery and middle eastern theology, Wilson builds an enthralling world where anything can happen and nothing is as it seems. Part Arabian Nights, part thriller this book takes us to that place where the veil between the visible and the unseen has separated — and we are thrown into the rift. A rollercoaster ride of darkness, magic, fantasy and reality. A story that illustrates the value of faith, the power of love and the strength that comes from believing in oneself.
I found Alif the Unseen to be a thoroughly enjoyable read: funny, clever, quirky and thought-provoking. Read it!
songwind's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a heady mixture of tech thriller and urban fantasy, with a pinch of horror.
Wilson does an excellent job of combining these disparate threads into an unusual but very readable whole.
Alif is the online handle and adopted name of our protagonist. He acts as a "gray hat" hacker, providing hosting, encryption and other services for a wide variety of dissidents in his fictional Middle Eastern emirate. He and his associates are constantly defending against State security, particularly in the form of an online presence known as the Hand of God.
Before long, Alif's life is thrown into turmoil as his upper-crust girlfiend tells him that her family is giving her away in an arranged marriage. His attempts to hide himself from her attract the attention of the Hand, and Alif's life may never be the same.
The book is well written, tightly plotted, and interesting. In addition, it leans on the Quran and Muslim folklore for its supernatural elements, which makes it stand out from the crowd in modern fantasy offerings. Wilson uses a deft hand to make the material accessible to outsiders, but maintains a great deal of nuance and complexity in her depiction of Middle Eastern social structure, religion and magic.
Highly recommended. Particularly if you are a Muslim looking for a multifaceted depiction of your coreligionists in fantasy, anyone who likes to see fantasy outside its standard settings, or are interested in jinn and other Middle Eastern folklore.
Wilson does an excellent job of combining these disparate threads into an unusual but very readable whole.
Alif is the online handle and adopted name of our protagonist. He acts as a "gray hat" hacker, providing hosting, encryption and other services for a wide variety of dissidents in his fictional Middle Eastern emirate. He and his associates are constantly defending against State security, particularly in the form of an online presence known as the Hand of God.
Before long, Alif's life is thrown into turmoil as his upper-crust girlfiend tells him that her family is giving her away in an arranged marriage. His attempts to hide himself from her attract the attention of the Hand, and Alif's life may never be the same.
The book is well written, tightly plotted, and interesting. In addition, it leans on the Quran and Muslim folklore for its supernatural elements, which makes it stand out from the crowd in modern fantasy offerings. Wilson uses a deft hand to make the material accessible to outsiders, but maintains a great deal of nuance and complexity in her depiction of Middle Eastern social structure, religion and magic.
Highly recommended. Particularly if you are a Muslim looking for a multifaceted depiction of your coreligionists in fantasy, anyone who likes to see fantasy outside its standard settings, or are interested in jinn and other Middle Eastern folklore.