Big thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for giving me an e-ARC of this book!

This is a tale of dark family histories and generational trauma, betrayal, revenge, and at its heart, like the shadow at the base of a flame, a story of connections broken and reforged, trust, love, and friendship. If it sounds like any other story in the world, it is, and yet it’s so much more. The power of the story lies in its telling, and Abdullah has told this story in a fashion that us modern SFF readers have sort of grown unaccustomed to reading.

Synopsis: Loulie al nazari aka the midnight merchant is on a dangerous mission. Accompanying her is her bodyguard , Qadir , the supposed to be foolish Prince , Mazen and a cunning thief . What awaits them forms the rest of the story.

Review: Take this review as my plea to read this gripping fairytale retelling of The Arabian nights . The plot of this book is something that's familiar yet quite enchanting. The protagonist is a badass female with secrets to hide and a tumultuous past. What I loved about the characterisation is the flawed yet intriguing personalities of the main as well as the side characters. My favorite character is Aysha bint louas , the cutthroat thief , who has so many layers to her character . Mazen as the soft-spoken cowardly prince and his transition is quite a treat to read. Qadir is that lovely companion whom we would all love to have. The book features lyrical and beautiful writing which is quite the chef's kiss. The author takes us on a ride amidst the sandstorms and introduces us mythical creatures , we are not so familiar with. I'm glad to see representation of the middle eastern culture in fantasy which is a rarity and has been beautifully crafted. This book is one of the best debuts of the year and deserves all your love. I'm sure that this book would be an excellent gift to anyone who loves stories.
Rating : 5/5
Tw: murder/possession/gore
#thestardustthief
#chelseaabdullah #sandseatrilogy #netgalley #newreleasebooks #5starbooks #orbitbooks #debutbooks2022 #fantasyseries

I enjoyed this book - it is a clever story weaving together tales from the One Thousand and One Nights into an adventure between four very mismatched heroes. None of them are telling the full truth about themselves, all of them need to fight their own demons and together the future of the country might just rest on their shoulders.

As this novel progresses the characters travel across the desert fighting mythical beasts, battling legends that are turning into reality and bickering with each other.

The book really hinges on our understanding of what a story is - the way tales and legends and the act of story telling weave through this book is a delight. Watching an insecure Prince turn into a commanding and masterful storyteller? Who isn't rooting for that?

The book did take me a long time to read. I've been struggling to concentrate sadly - whenever I did sit down to read this, it pulled me along with it and made me disappear into the world of magic, jin, relics and living myths.

You know that feeling when you're reading a book, and you're so immersed in the story, and when it ends there's nothing you can think of that would have made it a better reading experience for you?

Yeah, that's this book.

We follow three different POVs: Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, who finds old relics and makes a living selling them on the black market, Mazen, the prince who longs for the adventures he hears about in stories but is stuck in the palace, and Aisha, one of the infamous forty thieves. All of the perspectives are interesting, and I never found myself wanting to skip over one of the characters so I could get more of a different one. The pacing of the story is great, even though the book is on the large side, and the stakes get really high. I had a few "oh, shit" moments while reading this. The quality of the writing is excellent too. I also loved the short stories within the story, where we get to learn more about the folklore surrounding the jinn. Overall, I'm really impressed with this debut.

All the characters quickly endeared themselves to me, although it took me a bit longer to warm up to Aisha. I loved the dynamic among them, but my favourite was always going to be the bond between Qadir and Loulie. There were so many moments that made me want to hug them, and the book. The other notable thing is the lack of romance. The only whiff of it is between Loulie and Ahmed bin Walid, a side character, but it's very slight, which was honestly refreshing, even though I liked their relationship as well.

The shining star of this book is the setting and the Arab representation. Chelsea Abdullah doesn't coddle anyone, and that made me so happy. Characters frequently use Arabic phrases, the food was familiar, the garments were familiar, and she even spells Arabic words out in the Arabic alphabet! Not to mention the hints of 1001 Nights sprinkled throughout, from references to the king of the forty thieves, to the jinn in the lamp. Even though it was a fantasy world, it felt comforting, and a bit like home.

Despite the presence of jinn in the story, there are no references to Islam in this world (although one character is named Ahmed, which is a Muslim name, but I guess that on its own doesn't necessarily mean anything).

4.8/5✨

The Stardust Thief is a dazzling fantasy inspired by the stories like Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Aladdin, from One Thousand and One Nights.

The story follows a group of misfits who goes on a quest to find an ancient magic lamp. The group consists of Loulie Al Nazari, a merchant who sells magical things; Qadir, her jinn bodyguard; Mazen Bin Malik, a story-obsessed prince; and Aisha Bint Louas, one of the infamous forty thieves. Will they be able to succeed in their quest specially when everyone is keeping deadly secrets?

I loved and enjoyed this book very much! The world building is very detailed and amazing. It is full of jinns, ghouls, and magic. All the characters are very well crafted and likeable. I enjoyed Mazen's storytelling. Loulie and Qadir's friendship is very heartwarming, and Aisha is my favourite one.

The Stardust Thief is a perfect mix of fantasy, adventure, suspense, and a bit of horror. I absolutely enjoyed it and looking forward to book 2.

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read

I absolutely loved this. Everything about it was 5 stars.

Firstly the cover... Beautiful, fiery, really works well with the plot and it gives off that middle Eastern vibe!

The plot. I loved it, so layered, so in depth. There's a quest, almost a treasure hunt and lots of magic along the way. Loved all the twists and turns and it kept coming!!!

The characters, honestly THE BEST characters I've read in a while. Loved them all but Qadir the most!!

Overall, I loved this. Cannot wait for book 2!!!

Thank you to Nazia and Orbit Books for providing me an ARC. This is a great story!

The Stardust Thief is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most epic tales I've ever read. It has felt like I've not scratched the surface, yet there is so much more in this world to discover. This is a gorgeous world full of unique references from Arabic culture and it's a vast library of rich literature. You will see influences of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and tales from the 1001 nights. I love this book because it explores a new culture, something that is different apart from Medieval Europe. As I type this now, I am seriously impressed with Abdullah's method of writing and how she has successfully managed to weave multiple stories into one.

Writing such a tale requires a lot of patience, and no doubt this must have gone through many revisions. This world was immersive, so immersive that I got lost in the wonderful descriptions of gorgeous red-sun like deserts and latticed buildings. This represents a new triumph in the world of fantasy. Medieval Arabia and the Golden Age of Islam provide many great tales that are perfect for a fantasy setting. The Jinn are central to this theme, and while we get the stereotypical 'genie', this is a hardcore version of what the Jinn are. I think Abdullah also must have studied the Ancient Arabian Kingdoms of Saba and Nabaetea because they too were essential civilisations that created the culture of what we know as Arabia.

At first, the start was a little slow. Some scenes felt a bit slow-paced in some areas. And I didn't agree with the cold hard attitudes of Aisha and the Midnight Merchant, to some degree. I do feel that what they've been through has made them that way. In a way, I could spoil this story. But I do not wish to. Simply because of how epic this tale is...makes me think the sequel is going to be even better, even more epic, even more, wow. I feel like this is the beginning of an epic journey that I've been through. I've been with characters such as Prince Mazen, who I love. His honesty and his foolishness do provide me with some hope in this world that people like do need to exist in a world where coldness and hostility existg. Qadir is the most mysterious character and I implore you to take on his subtle hints because he will drop many. I did like the Midnight Merchant, but I have not gotten too attached to her yet. As for Aisha, she was alright to a certain extent. I didn't like Omar however, he is a snake in the grass. That being said, these were my reactions. The truth is more complicated, and Mazen's ability to tell and narrate the stories of old are wonderfully written. I loved during the tales of stories, that there was a printed scroll. I definitely think that more fantasy books should take this approach!

This is a dazzling, epic action adventure novel with great characters in an Arabian setting, with a great story. I whole heartily recommend this!! 10/10 from me!

I have submitted my Amazon and Waterstones Review!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I've always been fascinated by the 1001 Nights tales, so it was great to see a fantasy novel set in that world. The world-building was great, and I really enjoyed the narrative, even though it did tend to get sidetracked slightly with the stories of the jinn. I also thought it was interesting that the blurb focuses so heavily on Loulie when the plot is much more of an ensemble. But I enjoyed the story and will definitely read the next installment.

This was such an amazing read! I was so excited to get into this because I have been hearing that this is perfect for The City of Brass fans. I was so so happy to finally be able to read something similar, with such an epic and exciting adventure. I loved how easy and fast the story and pacing were, and absolutely loved that this book had short chapters. It's just better in my opinion 😅.

My only complaint about this book is that I don’t personally feel like this has enough complexity to be classified as adult fantasy. I also felt like the characters were a little bit hard to love. Now I love flawed characters, it makes them so much more realistic but I just wasn’t feeling a connection with most characters (although I adore Mazen).

Having said this, amazing debut, amazing world-building and great writing. I just know that the sequel is going to be amazing.

Huge thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for the eArc!

(Published on Goodreads - 18/05/2022)

The Stardust Thief was an utterly enchanting read and had me hooked right from the start. It reminded me of Arab folk tales from the One Thousand and One Nights, such as Aladdin and Alibaba and the Forty Thieves.

The plot is that of a quest, told from three different perspectives. Loulie al-Nazari, the Midnight Merchant, sells illegal jinn artefacts on the black market with the help of her jinn bodyguard Qadir. When she crosses paths with prince Mazen bin Malik, who has a love for storytelling and is exploring the city in disguise (reminding me strongly of Jasmine in Aladdin), she ends up saving his life. She draws the attention of the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp, while Mazen is forced by his older brother to take his place in the travelling party. Loulie and her bodyguard journey into the desert in search of the artefact with the Mazen and Aisha bint Louas, one of the fourty thieves. Aisha's is the third perspective in the narrative, and I particularly enjoyed her character growth in this first installment of the Sandsea Trilogy.

I absolutely adored the cast of character, I was completely immersed in the magical world created by Chelsea Abdullah and I also loved the various stories told the within the story. It's a feat of masterful storytelling with a cast of engaging characters, set in a world with jinn, ifrit and marid that will definitely appeal to those who enjoyed the Daevabad trilogy.

Neither here nor there, but long ago …

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah is the first book in The Sandsea Trilogy.

The world is inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights like Aladdin and that added so much atmosphere and a bit of familiarity as I love those stories. I immediately felt at home reading this book and was so invested in it.

Our protagonist is Loulie who is the legendary Midnight Merchant. She hunts and sells magic and is accompanied by her jinn bodyguard Qadir. Those two are quite the team and especially Loulie is so badass and I love her.

One day she saves the life of prince Mazen and she draws the attention of the sultan himself. While this might seem like an honor to some, it’s rather an inconvenience for Loulie. And then the sultan forces her to find an ancient lamp that is a long lost family heirloom.

Mazen is a prince and golden boy. But in this book he has to go on quite the adventure. He loves stories and throughout the book tells some and I love that so much.

Overall, The Stardust Thief is such an amazing book and one of my new favorites. The characters and world are so vivid and mesmerizing and I loved every page. I already can’t wait for the next installment. 5 stars.

(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review. This review was posted on all platforms on May 16th and on the release day to Amazon.)

The Stardust Thief had me hooked from the first chapter. The story is about Loulie al-Nazari Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp.

Stardust Thief was like reading a story inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, a middle Eastern folk tale. It is an adventurous story, full of magic, action, ancient enchantment, and secrets. The pacing of the story was consistent throughout, with some gripping plot sequences.

The storytelling style was simplistic, clear, and concise, which fits into the Eastern style – the magical flavour the author is aiming for. To be honest, it conjured happy memories of Sinbad, Forty Thieves etc. There are only three points of view, Loulie, also known as the Midnight Merchant, her jinn bodyguard Qadir, Mazen the Sultan’s son and Aisha who is a fierce warrior and a member of the Forty Thieves.

All these characters are interesting and intriguing, as I was sucked into this world, I wanted to know more. The characters were nicely developed and the relationship between Loulie and Qadir and Mazen was done well, although some dialogue felt cheesy.

I had an enjoyable time reading this book, for all its YA feel it was an engaging, light, easy read for a first book. It will be interesting to see what direction to author takes for book two.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for a free e-arc. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars.
I've loved every second of reading this book! The way these characters connect throughout their journey was great and I loved to see how they handled each obstacle they faced.

Based off 1001 Nights, The Stardust Thief follows the perspective of 3 characters: Loulie, a merchant who sells her Djinn artefacts on the black market along with her Djinn companion, Qadir. Mazan, one of the three princes/sultan's children with an affinity for storytelling. He has a very Jasmine from Aladdin kind of vibe to him in the beginning. And Aisha, one of Prince Omar's 40 thieves. These characters are pushed together on an unlikely journey to find and retrieve a Djinn artefact for the sultan. I have to say, I haven't specifically enjoyed one perspective over another, which is a change for me as I normally gravitate to one character in multi-perspective books. But all 3 were important and fun to follow. If I had to choose a favourite character though, it would probably be Aisha as her character growth throughout this books was amazing - and I love me some good character growth. On the other hand, I do wish I had learned more about Qadir's past. We do learn more and more throughout the story, but I am left wanting to find out more at the end, so maybe books 2 will give more info?

When I saw this book on Netgalley, I had to request it. I've been really enjoying books with Djinn in them lately - The Daevabad trilogy and The Master of Djinn. So when I got the go ahead to read it, I wanted to jump right in. I have been wowed once again by another author writing within this kind of world. The way the author sets the scene and describes the surroundings is amazing! You don't feel like you're reading some huge long descriptions like you do with some books. It's very visual and you can see the world grow and the characters travel.

So, to describe the setting of a world we explore in this book, we are in the human part of the world where some of the Djinn have crossed over to. A number of people have taken up/being tasked with the role of Djinn killer because the blood of Djinn makes the land lush and come to life. This is why we see Djinn characters trying to hide from humans in the guise of a human, Qadir being one of them.

I also really enjoyed the adventure storyline where they travel from place to place. It was well done, though it was a very typical travel trope where things happen in each place they go to and then they travel a bit in between. Even though that was done, it didn't feel too repetitive (though that was present).

I had to give this book such a high rating because, honestly, there's not much bad to say about it. And every time I've picked the book up, it's been very hard to put back down, so immerged in the world was I. I highly recommend this book when it comes out!

I received The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah for free on NetGalley by Orbit UK in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much for my advanced copy!

I’m calling this now - this is the BOOK OF THE YEAR! In fact, it’s become one of my all time favourite books!! Within the first 10 pages I got that magical feeling where I knew that this book was going to be special and I loved every single moment of it!

I was instantly hooked by the incredible writing and practically devoured the book! I read over half of the story in one sitting - it would have been the whole book but having to go to work sabotaged me 😂

The characters are amazing and fulfil my favourite trope of found family!! I felt instantly connected to them and the multi-POV throughout the book was done so well! Plus the mini stories that are weaved into this story add amazing layers to the worldbuilding in such intricate, gorgeous detail. I was fully immersed into this world and didn’t want to leave! It had everything that I love from a story - fantastic writing, interesting plot, incredible worldbuilding and extraordinary characters all together - it is brilliant!

Chelsea is a magical storyteller and The Stardust Thief is definitely stealing all of my stars! (Sorry for the pun I couldn’t help myself 😂) Thank you so much for such a wonderful story! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

this book is beautiful and how it is written drags you in to a world you wish you could stay in, this retelling of one thousand and one nights is a classic in its own way, the world building is stunning and helps build up the story line and so doesnt leave the reader with an info over load. i found the characters to be well thought out and make you want to wrap them in cotton wool just to keep them safe. The character growth is amazing and natural with each character complementing each other and no over ruling.

the plot twists in this book will give you whiplash as the are just that good and doesnt rule the plot in anyway like some twist do. can wait to see where this series of books goes.

"Remember, not all jinn are evil..."
*
Loulie al-Nazari is the famous Midnight Merchant who deals in relics and jinn magic. Accompanied by her bodyguard, who is secretly a jinn, she is forced by the Sultan to undertake a difficult quest - one that could lead to the destruction of all jinn. While on this journey they confront a jinn queen and unlock secrets from Loulie's past that have haunted her for years.
*
"Death in a free land is better than life in a gilded cage..."
*
Absolutely fell in love with this book! The amazing storytelling, the vivid Arab culture and the magic! The Stardust Thief takes stories from One Thousand and One Nights, including what reminds me of a gender bent Aladdin, and weaves them with the myths of the jinn. It's told through various POV chapters from the main characters but each one reads unique. With the characters aged up in their twenties it's a nice bridge between YA and Adult fantasy with not alot of emphasis on romance. It's the first in a trilogy and I can't wait for book two! What an absolutely fabulous debut novel - honestly can't get over that it's Chelsea Abdullah's first novel it's so well written!
*
"When in doubt, there is no better person to be than yourself..."

‘Neither here, Nor there, But long ago…’ Sweeping desert vistas, the smell of jasmine in the air, mighty jinn, magic lamps, princes and thieves, The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah will sweep you into its enchanted arms and whisk you away to a magical world inspired by the stories of the One Thousand and One Nights and Aladdin.
Chelsea Abdullah gives us one of the greatest fantasy books of 2022. She builds a world enriched with Middle Eastern folklore, filled with strong characters, who will lead you on a journey bursting at the seams with adventure and full of magnificent twists and turns. Told from the POV of three irresistible characters, Midnight Merchant Loulie, Prince and storyteller Mazen and thief and fighter Aisha, you will have trouble picking a favourite.
This book reminds you of the power and beauty of storytelling. Its source material is classic and familiar but in this author’s hands these stories are reinterpreted and unlocked to reveal a whole new captivating world of middle eastern tales.
A dazzling magical soaked debut that leaves you wanting more five out of five

EEEEEEEE THIS WAS EVERYTHING.

Where to even begin? If you love City of Brass, We Hunt the Flame, The Wrath and the Dawn or just READING, this book is for youuuuuuu! (Especially if you are looking for a bridge between YA and adult fantasy)
This book had so many classic fantasy elements, rich world, quest and a good amount of thievery. BUT it also throws in a good mix of real Arab stories to make the world seem more deep.
The characters*drum roll pls* ALL HAD THEIR OWN DISTINCT PERSONALITIES?! Whaaaaa- is that even allowed? And they were all worthy of love! While in general I honestly don’t care about characters, they are crucial for a quest story. You need their sass!
And ohmigosh this writing style deserves a hug. It was SO REAL! The character let lose an arrow? Darn right I felt the bow’s string in my hand and the rush of air against my cheek as it soared over the horizon towards…okay I think y’all get my point.
And if you don’t, I shall summarise my point here: READ THIS BOOK!

The Stardust Thief is a tale inspired by One Thousand and One Nights that follows a merchant, her jinn bodyguard, and a prince as they venture together on a quest.

Chelsea Abdullah has created a beautifully written page turner that features incredible worldbuilding, with rich and vibrant descriptions that transport you out of one world and into another. Abdullah’s writing style has such an easy flow to it that it lets you fall into the pages of the book and get carried away.

Told from a multi POV perspective, The Stardust Thief follows three compelling narrators whose stories weave together to create a seamless tale. I adored each of the characters. Loulie, a merchant with a fierce spirit; Mazen, the sheltered prince; and Aisha, an enigmatic thief. There is so much depth and spirit to these characters and I utterly adored going on this journey with them. My only complaint is that we didn’t get nearly enough from Aisha’s perspective.

Quest-centric plots are one of my all time favourites. I am a sucker for anything quest related and so this was right up my street. It always starts off as a simple quest but, the reality is, no book would be as interesting if the quest didn’t take a turn for the worst – and this did not disappoint. While there were adventure scenes in the middle that didn’t hook me, mostly because of the pacing, I did love the direction the adventure this group of characters goes on went in and I’m really excited to see where else the journey goes in the second book.

One of the biggest surprises for me was the lack of romance. I went into this book feeling apprehensive that there would be a romance, but I was pleasantly surprised. While a romance is briefly mentioned, it’s very much a blink and you miss it kind of deal, the book focuses instead of friendship. I particularly adored the friendship between Loulie and Qadir. The bond they have is special and it’s just the kind of thing that I crave to read about in books.

My main complaint with this book is that the pacing slowed to a crawl during the middle. If a book starts off strong with a fast pace, I expect that pace to continue, and I find it hard to switch between paces as I tend to run full steam ahead, so the slowing pace makes it a slog to get through. However, the book redeemed itself towards the end. That had to be one of the most explosive, thrilling endings to a book I’ve read so far this year. I cannot wait for the sequel!