A review by meghanlew_
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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

5.0

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc copy of this book.

 I do not think I am a good enough reviewer to express how much I loved this book.  Like it was absolutely amazing, and if I could read the second book now, I would.  The plot was on the slower side, but for me, it was perfect because everything was laid out so well, and the world-building was so well executed.  I loved how the characters both completed and contrasted each other throughout the book.  And the ending had me gasping and dying to get a hold of the next book.

The plot and foreshadowing throughout were some of the best I have seen.  I never felt like the world-building was bringing shoved in my face, instead, I learned about it by experiencing different character perspectives.  While things take a little while to pick up, it is so worth it because the world that the author creates is just so magical and breathtaking.  Also, any book involving jinn is going to go to the top of my list, I could just read all the retellings.

If a book has multiple POVs, I’m going to read it.  I feel like I always get a better understanding of the world and the plot as a whole.  At times the characters seem like polar opposites, and at others, they are mirror images of each other.  I enjoyed this because it showcased how time and trauma change people.

The ending was so good.  Like I saw some things coming because of how well the author played things out, but they happened in ways that I could never have imagined.  Don't get me wrong, so many things at the end still surprised me and just made the whole reading experience that much better.  The cliffhanger has me already waiting for the next book.

Overall this has quickly become one of my favorite reads of the year and is one of the few that I can see myself rereading.