A review by alice_speilburg
Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

5.0

Wilson took the fantastic elements that I love — ancient myths, magic, a fine line between reality and imagination — and built them into an entirely new setting, a setting that’s real and contemporary, but so far from home that I could not imagine it without Alif as a guide. This book made me think about why a woman chooses to wear a veil and why Western people would immerse themselves in an Eastern culture. It included enough familiar references, like The Golden Compass and the story of Aladdin and the lamp, that encouraged me to find the common denominator between the cultures, even though their mythical creatures were strange ethereal images flashing between beast, monster and man.

The deft blending of familiar and foreign wrapped me up into this tale, and left me wanting more. Honestly, when left with the choice to read about orcs or a jinn called Vikram the Vampire, who wouldn’t be more curious about the latter?