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A review by sarainfantasyland
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Once a year, I do my Fairyloot TBR Jar Challenge. I do it because my FL looks are probably 70 percent of the unread books on my shelf. But as a reader who vets her books like no one's business, its nerve-racking because I could end up reading a book I won't like. That's most of what happened last year. Thankfully, this was pick one. It was not a "omg I love this so much" book BUT it was a solid fantasy book.
I love finding a good fantasy set in a nonwestern setting and this one does a good job showcasing Middle Eastern culture and myths. The take on Jinn and the Arabian Nights tale was done really well. They were definitely my favorite aspect of the book. The characters were lacking a little unfortunately. They were decent and distinct from each other with their own personalities and goals but I felt incredibly neutral about them all. The most interesting relationship was between Loulie and Qadir. It had the most depth and believability. Mazen plays the rather rare part of an incompetent (possible) male love interest and Aisha really is up in the air when you'll root for her.
This sits in that purgatory space between YA and adult fantasy. The style, pacing, and characters feel incredibly YA but the violence and explicit language lean adult. I tend to like books that sit in that space because I read both but I feel like I would have enjoyed this a lot more if the characters had felt a bit more mature. They had the snap judgements of YA protagonists rather than adults over the age of 20.
This really was the most neutral reading experience I could have had. A good time but will I continue with book 2... Not sure. Likely not.
I love finding a good fantasy set in a nonwestern setting and this one does a good job showcasing Middle Eastern culture and myths. The take on Jinn and the Arabian Nights tale was done really well. They were definitely my favorite aspect of the book. The characters were lacking a little unfortunately. They were decent and distinct from each other with their own personalities and goals but I felt incredibly neutral about them all. The most interesting relationship was between Loulie and Qadir. It had the most depth and believability. Mazen plays the rather rare part of an incompetent (possible) male love interest and Aisha really is up in the air when you'll root for her.
This sits in that purgatory space between YA and adult fantasy. The style, pacing, and characters feel incredibly YA but the violence and explicit language lean adult. I tend to like books that sit in that space because I read both but I feel like I would have enjoyed this a lot more if the characters had felt a bit more mature. They had the snap judgements of YA protagonists rather than adults over the age of 20.
This really was the most neutral reading experience I could have had. A good time but will I continue with book 2... Not sure. Likely not.