Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant along with her jinn friend Qadir, hunts and sells illegal magic. After saving the life of cowardly prince Mazen, the sultan blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive his land by sacrificing all jinn. With no choice otherwise Loulie journeys to find the artifact, secrets are revealed, creatures attack them, they face a jinn queen, and a ghost of the past returns.

First, let me say that I would probably class this book as YA rather than an Adult fantasy but for the blood usage and the odd fight scene. Second, I did enjoy this book but it seemed like a lot of travel and not much to do, half the time the main characters do not talk to each other so it does tend to slow the book down a bit.

It was a breath of fresh air that the reader got an Arab story written by an Arab woman and also that it weaved in other Arab tales within the main story. The worldbuilding was vivid and awe-inspiring and I could see every character and every building.

The parent/child bond between Loulie and Qadir is gorgeous and I enjoyed their little in-jokes however I was super irritated by Qadir's 'secrets - secret's being exposed - oh there's more secrets - oh dang did I not tell you about these other secrets I have?'

I think the book finally got going and then ended which is unfortunate but hopefully means all the set up is now done and we can jump straight into story for book 2.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the advanced reader's copy.

When I heard about The Stardust Thief , I knew it would be a book that I would adore. That's precisely what happened. From the moment I started reading, I knew I had found another fantasy favourite. Oftentimes, with adult fantasies, the language of it all can get difficult to understand.

One of the most striking things that I noticed was how easy it felt to read. Oftentimes, with adult fantasies, the language can be extremely descriptive and flowery and that drags down the pace of the book. But that was not the case with The Stardust Thief . It felt easy to read, almost like I was reading an upper YA fantasy. I feel this book sits perfectly in the bridge between YA and adult fantasy tales.

Chelsea Abdullah's prose is simple and extremely stunning. She has created a lush and vibrant world, one where you want to get lost in. The pacing was a little bit slow, but it suits this book. Getting to experience the various perspectives of all the different characters gives us a taste of how things will go. And at the same time, you don't really know what might happen next. There were many moments that left me gasping and nearly fallen out of my chair. I loved all the characters, but Loulie was definitely my favourite out of them all. The ending has left me very excited for the sequel, I'll say!

The Stardust Thief is an incredible adult fantasy debut, with beautiful prose, incredible world-building, a found family you'll adore and of course, going on a treasure hunt to hunt down mysterious relics.

If I could have given this book 6 stars out of 5 I would. The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah is an Arab story written by an Arab woman! I was immediately immersed in this world inspired by the stories in 1001 Arabian Nights. If you like mythology, treasure hunting, magical relics, and political unrest this is absolutely a book for you. There were so many plot twists, cliffhangers, and action I didn't want to put this book down.

Synopsis:
Loulie al-Nazari is the 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 that has the power to revive the barren land—at the cost of sacrificing all jinn.

With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultan’s oldest son to find the artifact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen, and confront a malicious killer from Loulie’s past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything—her enemy, her magic, even her own past—is not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy

Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant selling ancient magical artefacts that derive from magical beings the jinn. She finds herself following a bewitched man through the bazaar saving him from certain death. Like any good story this is about a journey on a quest. We slowly learn about the main characters, they are complex so we learn more about them as they travel through the desert revealing their secrets as they battle against adversity. Chelsea Abdullah's descriptions immerse you in the atmosphere, feeling the cold dry night winds and the relief of finding an oasis. Action packed, full of drama and self discovery I hope to read another chapter from this world.

4.5

The Stardust Thief is a thrilling reimagining of tales told in One Thousand and One Nights, and I loved it so much! Chelsea Abdullah's writing is very engaging and easy to immerse yourself in, and it is so vivid - I could literally see every scene unfolding in my mind like a movie, which is one of my favourite things for a book to manage to do. The adventure is enthralling, with really fantastic worldbuilding that is super easy to get your head around, and a magic system that is well thought out and explained. This book is filled with twists and turns that just keep on coming, and I could not wait to keep reading to see what was going to happen next.

I also really loved the inclusion of stories within this story, I thought that was a really lovely addition. A really great positive to this book has to be the three main characters, our narrators, Loulie, Mazen and Aisha. They all have very distinct voices and each are endearing in their own way, especially our cowardly prince Mazen, whom I absolutely love. He is so refreshing and different from your classic fantasy prince/hero who just goes bulldozing in to a fight; Mazen thinks things through and approaches fights very differently, which you'll see what I mean when you read the book; just trust me, he's so lovely.

I did think the three narrators were all a bit separated from each other - they were very much acquaintances for most of the book, but I LOVED the relationship between Loulie and her bodyguard Qadir. Their friendship is *chef's kiss*, they have great chemistry (platonic) - definitely don't go into this book expecting romance, because there is little to no romance, but between Loulie and Qadir, you do find an amazing bond that fulfils that need, for me anyway.

The beginning was a bit slow, but it ended on such a cliffhanger, I can't wait to read the next book!

What a book! Absolutely loved it! This book is inspired by 1001 Nights and we follow three points of views, Layla, Aisha and Mazen. Layla is The Midnight Merchant, Aisha is a thief and Mazen is the son of the Sultan. We see Qadir as well, probably my favorite character, who is Layla's bodyguard, and Omar, who is Mazen's brother.

You know that feeling when you read a great book and you want to scream while reading it because you can't help yourself, because it's so good and you want everyone to read it? That's how i felt reading this book.

When i started "The Stardust Thief", i had no idea what is about. I knew it's with jinns and magic lamps, so it got me intrigued. And i've read that it's perfect for "The Daevabad Trilogy" fans, one of my favorite series, so i knew i must read it and see what the deal it's about. And OMG!!! If i could say one thing about this book is that you don't have time to breathe while reading it. Things are happening, secrets are coming out, we have secret cities and artefacts of magic and great GREAT plot-twists! I gasped while reading this book so so many times.

Besides the plot and the great characters and action, what i loved were the stories and the legends from the world of this book. The legends about gods and jinns, about love and friendships and how things have turned out as they are now. I got so hooked-up in these legends, that i felt like i was there, with the storyteller and i wasn't breathing, i just needed to know what happens next. They are so beautifully told and written and they leave you wanting more.

I love the characters, they are humans with flaws and secrets, and i just can't choose a favourite. Maybe Quadir, because he's so awesome and funny and he cares so much about Layla. I really liked what the author did with Mazen, i loved that she did not made him the hero or the only hero of the story, he's not like the rest of the main characters from other books. He's scared and all he has are his stories. He's a great storyteller, and he has this power to fully capture the reader. Aisha is a really mysterious character, we don't know much about her in the beginning, we just know that he's one of the forty thieves of Mazen's brother, Omar. I loved the reference to Ali Baba and the forty thieves (if i am mistaken, please, tell me).

It was so easy to get lost in this beautiful world, full of sand and oases and stories. I loved how subtle were some of the stories within this book, if you don't know just a little about the Arab legends, you don't realise what you're reading about. They are so strongly explained and so magical, told next to a great fire or in a city, with only the stars and the people next to you, that you want to go back a few pages and reread them, leaving you wanting more and more. They capture the magical sense of the past and the author knows how to take these stories and this past and makes you think about the truth behind this story.

There are many jaw-drops moments, that you don't have time (or you don't want to) to press pause. I just needed to know what happened next, and that's how i got to the end.
Overall, this great epic fantasy book was so good, you have to give it a chance, at least for the stories within it. You will love it. And what's not to love? It's a magical tale, with quests, secrets, a never-ending desert, secret cities, jinns... you want more? I can't wait for the next book, and it's definitely a new favourite.

EARC provided by NetGalley, to whom i am very grateful.

I absolutely loved this book and I can’t thank Netgalley enough for inviting me to read it early! I pre ordered my physical copy as soon as I finished as it is an addition I want on my shelf! Also thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy!

Of course, is this only my personal opinion of the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

Just let me say from the beginning: I loved this book! It was everything I’d ever wanted and expected from it.

The writing style is perfect and I was sucked into the world instantly. The worldbuilding was also good and I didn’t have any problems navigating it. This is not my first fantasy with this vibe so I also had no problems with specific terminology. Maybe this could be a problem for a reader but I think you will get the meaning of the word either through a quick google search or the context of the dialogue in the book.

I also loved the four main characters and I can’t wait to read more about them. I liked the development between them and also the deep connection between Loulie and a certain jinn.

The plot was really nice and I absolutely love these types of quests. I couldn’t put the book down and I knew after the first 10% that I wouldn’t give this book less than 4 stars! I will not say more about the quest because this is just the first book and there is still so much room for the story to flourish but just let me say this: If you enjoyed books like We hunt the flame – there is also a high chance that you will like this one!

Conclusion
I loved this book so much and I can’t wait to have a hardcover copy in my hands!

A big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this eArc!

This was really good! I’m excited to receive my physical copies!! <33

BOOK REVIEW: The Stardust Thief by @chelsabdullah

4.5 Stars

I was so excited for this book as it was likened to City of Brass which I adored and I am a huge fan of middle eastern fantasy. I am happy to say that I LOVED The Stardust Thief.

The Stardust Thief is a book full of adventure, interesting characters and loads of magic! It is a thrilling read with tons of imagination and worldbuilding that sets a great background for a mesmerising story. There is magic within relics, jinn that control their own magic and cities and gardens formed from the spilled blood of jinn (who are hunted for their blood but also because humans are scared of them). The story is filled with twists and turns that I never saw coming which is always a plus! It is 100% the fantasy that I wanted and needed!

Not only was the worldbuilding, storyline and magical elements excellent but the characters were perfect as well!
Our lead female Loulie is an illegal trader in magical relics and is a force to be reckoned with! I absolutely loved her character as she is so strong and feisty but also smart, funny and kind.
Our lead male Mazen is such a sweetheart! The son of the sultan, he has a quiet and more reserved personality and is so smart and caring. He craves adventure as his life in the palace is stifling and small.
The side characters are all excellent but especially Loulie's "bodyguard" and best friend Qadir who is a Jinn. He is so intriguing and I loved getting to know his story through the book.

The writing by Chelsea Abdullah is impeccable. It is lyrical and beautiful to read and made putting down the book even harder! Within the book are written stories which added so much depth and interest and made it that more magical.

Overall, The Stardust Thief is definitely a book that all fantasy lovers should read. The imagination and writing really sets Chelsea Abdullah's story apart from many other fantasy books and if you are after magic, excitement and great characters then look no further!

Please note that I was #gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was really interesting right from the start. I loved the writing and I was never bored while reading this even though I found the plot to be very predictable. The characters were definitely the strong suit here, especially the three pov characters. All three stand out on their own and I was interested in all of their individual storylines. Aside from a few plot issues this was a really fun read.

4.25 stars

This was one of my anticipated reads of 2022 and it did not disappoint whatsoever! The Stardust Thief is a fantasy that celebrates Arab and Middle-Eastern culture, and you can tell by the immersive and lush atmosphere and world building that Chelsea Abdullah has spun for this story. I liked that this book also has little stories based on folklores from Arab, how Chelsea Abdullah incorporates those folklores into the plot itself and also showing how storytelling has its flaws and how folklores due to time and different generation are becoming altered and exaggerated due to people's beliefs. This book took me a while to read (almost 1 and a half month), but I had no trouble being pulled into the story every time I decide to open it up again. And it hooks you right in, not just because of the atmosphere but also because of the characters.

Goddd, I love the characters. One of the reason why I seem to gravitate towards books published by Orbit is because I always seem to find the characters in the books memorable and complex. And it was definitely the case with Chelsea's. I love Loulie, Qadir, Mazen and Aisha so much, and how they contribute to the story. I like how they're all completely different from each other and they may not be the found family you think they might be, but the different dynamics and development are one to enjoy in this one. My favorite is definitely Loulie and Qadir's father-daughter/best-friends relationship so much (also their size difference?? I keep seeing illustrations and theyre just so cute), and the way it progresses through out the story. I was also very attached to Mazen - please bring back soft boys in fantasy. No more of those brooding men (except for Qadir. we love you Qadir).

I also just really love the writing. Like I said, this book has immaculate vibes and it's the kind of fantasy that feels sort of cozy and comforting, despite it being such a whirlwind of a journey. I love how magical the world is and how intricate the storyline is. .Now I'm just going to think about that ending until the next book comes out. And also waiting for my pre-order to come.

Thank you Orbit Books UK for approving me of an e-arc!

There is a lot to like about this new take on the Arabian Nights and if you liked SA Chakrborty's City of Brass then you are in for a treat. This is a story about a dealer in magical relics, Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, and her protector the Jinn King Qadir who saved her from death as a child. It's also about Prince Mazen and his evil brother, the Stardust Thief of the title (you find out this is a horribly poetic way of describing the theft of magical jinn blood). As I said there is lots to like and it's well written and very entertaining, I just felt that the author could have just pushed the depth of her storytelling and characters a bit more - Qadir is easily the most interesting and intriguing character but they all are. I couldn't help wondering what the story would have been with a bit of Leigh Bardugo or Sarah J Maas' depth. But other than that I really did enjoy the story and look forward to the next one!

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley for review. Opinions are my own.

A tale as old as time, and just as captivating.

Ummm, i'm obsessed???

This is an absolutely fantastic debut from Chelsea Abdullah. When I say I gasped at the myriads of twists and turns throughout this book, I mean it!

The way Abdullah weaves Arabic folk tales into the tapestry of the book was masterful, alluding to them while still completely making them her own at the same time. I loved how so many historical events were presented with alternate histories and we were always shown that there were two sides to the same coin, and not to trust the victor's point of view as fact.

Is it too soon to say that this has eclipsed The City of Brass as the first book in an Arabic trilogy series for me? I thought that the characters were relatable (sometimes painfully so, especially when battling their vulnerabilities), and while I usually find it hard to love all three MC/POVs, I will say that this was a bit of a game-changer for me because I did genuinely enjoy them all.

From Loulie's struggles to rely on herself, Aisha's struggles within herself to be who she wants to be, and Mazen's fear of being cowardly and powerless, I grew to be invested in all of them (though my favourite character was definitely Qadir).

I look forward to reading more about them in the next installments!

Thank you so much to Orbit Books for the ARC!!

3/5 stars.

It’s upsetting for me that I do not have that many good things to say about this book when I wanted to love it. The writing was my favourite kind of style: direct but still engaging. The worldbuilding was intricate and I especially loved the ulalization of storytelling when expanding on the setting. The descriptions were gorgeous as well. However I could not overlook the weak plot, predictable twists, and lack of character development. It was a fantasy that read more YA than adult, but still had great potential.

What held me back from fully immersing myself and loving this book was its length. This was reminiscent of the feeling of having an essay due and repeating yourself while trying to meet the word count. The Stardust Thief felt excessively long. I took multiple breaks and the middle was a chore to read before the 70% mark. There were so many unnecessary and out-of-place scenes that slowed the pacing and killed the plot, so chapters that could’ve been cut from this book and it would not have made a difference to the story. These distractions happened so often that it was easy to forget the overarching plot. The lamp, for all that it was supposed to be the most important item in the story, was barely mentioned.

The characters spent most of their time meandering around as the author tried, and failed, to make their relationships seem plausible and deep. I was expecting more urgency considering their lives were on the line, but that didn’t happen until the end. I did not care for the relationship dynamics and their connections and interactions were all surface-level and superficial at best. This could be due to the characters not being fully fleshed out.

The worst part for me was that I would have enjoyed this a lot more had the author not been so heavy handed with the foreshadowing. You could barely call it foreshadowing since it seemed like almost every clue was shoved in my face from the beginning. This just felt like one big set-up for the next book. All the opportunities for character growth presented themselves multiple times but were ignored in order to keep the characters stagnant.

In terms of the characters, I loved Mazen the most. A bumbling, cowardly prince is not a character you get to see often in this genre. He is both realistic and relatable, and though he only started developing towards the end, I found him to be the most interesting and fun to read about. Both Loulie and Aisha had great potential to be amazing characters. But what hindered their growth was that the author’s insistence on putting them through the same internal and external battles, having them question everything they’ve ever known, but ultimately do very little and barely change. I hope the sequel gives them more depth and complexity because it was lacking here.

The plot twists, if you could call them that, were quite predictable. There are only so many times a “Big Secret Reveal” can be used before it becomes repetitive and loses its appeal. A lot of things were made obvious at the beginning, which made the reveals at the very end feel lacklustre. I hope that the further the author goes into this series, she will learn to hide things better. There was actually a great twist I didn’t see coming that was supported by unreliable narration. The way the author leaned into the aspect of multiple POVs to distract the reader was such a clever idea and I applaud that.

Ultimately I would recommend this book for readers transitioning from YA fantasy to Adult fantasy. If you’re not looking for anything too complex, just a fast-spaced story about magic, action-packed quests, and a beautiful setting, then this is for you.

Jinn are hunted for their magic and it is forbidden for anyone to possess their magical relics. But Loulie, the infamous midnight merchant, sets out with her Jinn friend and bodyguard Qadir to find the magic lamp that could destroy or save their world...
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This was such a great story, I want to say that right at the start. The depth of the characters, the complexity of the world, it was so easy to get lost in the story. Yet it wasn't exhausting to read as the writing style was very fluid and the story was so well told.
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I found the Jinn, their complexly regulated world, magic system and society incredibly interesting and I'm excited to learn more about them in the trilogy. I could read a whole book about Qadir's story alone.
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Loulie, Mazen and Aisha our three main human characters had a great dynamic. They all come from such different places and families, which couldn't make their characters more different. Loulie is smart and strong, Mazen reserved with lots of emotional conflict, Aisha distant.
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I didn't see the direction the plot was going to take coming, which is always a plus, and I'm excited to see where the trilogy goes from here.
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A really great debut, which I can only recommend to anyone with a love for fantasy.
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Thanks to netgalley and orbit for the eArc.

J’avais repéré la sortie de The stardust thief en me demandant si ça serait un roman pour moi et pouf, voilà qu’il apparait sur Netgalley UK tel le bon génie qui sort de sa lampe. J’ai envoyé une requête et voilà donc que je reçois un exemplaire numérique de la part de l’éditeur, avec plusieurs semaines d’avance sur la sortie VO du 19 Mai. Vous aurez donc mon avis avant la sortie du livre, elle est pas belle la vie ?

Loulie al-Nazari est la marchande de minuit, elle fait un commerce pas très très légal d’artefacts enchantés qu’elle trouve lors de ses expéditions. Epaulée par Qadir, bi-classé garde du corps et djinn, elle va par hasard sauver un prince mais malheureusement elle tombera du même coup sous la coupe du sultan. Ce dernier va la contraindre à partir à la recherche d’une mystérieuse lampe magique pour son propre compte, elle voyagera en compagnie de Qadir, du haut-prince, et d’Aisha, l’une des fameux 40 voleurs. Des secrets de la famille royale aux grands mystères des djinns, le voyage de Loulie lui réserve quelques surprises.

Normalement, en lisant le résumé, vous avez noté quelques points bien caractéristiques : Lampe magique, 40 voleurs, djinn… Ajoutez une dame qui raconte des histoires au sultan pour sauver sa peau, et vous avez à peu près compris. Avec The stardust thief, Chelsea Abdullah fait un espèce de remix des contes des mille et une nuits, mais elle inclut tous ces ingrédients dans une trame solide qui baigne dans cette ambiance parfaitement retranscrite. Elle construit un édifice avec toutes ces petites pièces pour livrer un roman solide et un univers cohérent dans lequel les djinns sont craints et chassés par la plupart des humains, au-delà des haines entre humains et djinns, ces derniers sont aussi convoités parce que leur sang est magique, il guérit, il fait naitre une végétation foisonnante là où il coule, même en plein désert, et leurs artefacts sont enchantés.


Loulie ne souhaite pas tuer de djinn, elle a été sauvée par Qadir dans son enfance et elle veut juste continuer à vendre ses babioles magiques. Quand elle sauve le prince Mazen, elle doit cacher la nature de Qadir parce que la famille royale fait dans l’extermination de djinns. Le haut-prince Omar, frère ainé de Mazen, est le chef des 40 voleurs, qui ne sont plus trop de simples voleurs. Ils sont un groupe de chasseurs de djinns, poussés par la vengeance. Donc quand ils partent ensemble en expédition pour retrouver une lampe magique, ça s’annonce un peu tendu. Le gros du bouquin est donc l’expédition en question qui va nous faire traverser plusieurs étapes, rencontrer des êtres magiques dans le désert, découvrir des artefacts merveilleux et des mystère oubliés.

Les histoires de voyages peuvent parfois être un peu monotones quand on va simplement de A à B et de B à C, mais l’autrice arrive à tenir le lecteur tout d’abord grâce à la richesse de son univers et à la manière dont les secrets nous sont dévoilés. En chemin nous auront des tas de révélations et de coups du sort qui changent la donne, qui offrent une nouvelle perspective à cette aventure. Des secrets sur les djinns, sur le passé de la famille royale, et sur le passé sombre de Loulie évidemment, tout ça sera dévoilé de manière progressive. Il y a quelques révélations que j’ai trouvé légèrement confuses mais on arrive à raccrocher les wagons assez facilement après, donc ça fonctionne quand même très bien. Une fois tout ça déballé, on se retrouve avec un tableau d’ensemble très satisfaisant et un univers riche de magie et de légendes.

L’autre grande qualité du roman, c’est la dynamique des personnages et leur caractérisation. Il y a un groupe de protagonistes vraiment très intéressant à découvrir, à la fois pour leurs personnalités que j’ai adorées, mais aussi par leurs motivations complexes et changeantes. La manière dont ils vont interagir et évoluer sera le moteur du bouquin, Loulie veut en finir avec tout ça mais va découvrir la vérité sur son passé, Mazen grandit dans l’ombre de son frère mais va se révéler à lui-même, Aisha est une tueuse implacable mais va aussi changer dans cette quête. Et tous interagissent de manière cohérente, complexe, on s’attache à eux, à leurs personnalités, à leurs combats. C’est vraiment un groupe que j’ai aimé découvrir et suivre.

Tout ça baigne dans cette ambiance de légendes arabes, par une autrice qui est née et a grandi au Koweït. Elle nous plonge dans son désert infini, parsemé d’oasis et de dangers, avec des épisodes visuellement frappants, des palais secrets, des pouvoirs magiques qui se déchainent dans des tempêtes de sable, des mirages et des créatures mortelles. Le roman intercale à plusieurs reprises un petit conte qui va éclairer sur les mythes de cet univers et l’importance des histoires dans cette histoire, Mazen est d’ailleurs féru de contes et ça jouera un rôle dans le déroulement des évènements. Et ça participe à l’ambiance générale époustouflante de The Stardust Thief.

Vous l’avez compris (enfin… J’espère !), j’ai adoré ma lecture et j’ai très hâte de lire la suite, d’autant plus que celui-ci se termine sur un léger cliffhanger, satisfaisant mais qui laisse une situation instable à laquelle on a envie de revenir. Donc si vous lisez en anglais et que vous êtes partant pour une aventure riche au cœur des Mille et une nuits, vous pouvez y aller !

The Stardust thief is a wonderful and enchanting fantasy inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights. The author did a fantastic job at subtly weaving the tales into the story.

DUDES WITH EARRINGS ALERT! 😏

It was so refreshing to have a male character who's not a muscular macho warrior. Mazen is a h̶̶̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶m̶̶̶̶̶b̶̶̶̶̶o̶̶̶̶ curious prince who loves stories. Loulie or Layla is the midnight merchant who sells relics (objects with magical powers). “I would rather marry a dust-covered relic than a man,” Loulie, mood. She travels with Qadir w̶̶h̶̶o̶ ̶i̶̶̶̶̶s̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶̶d̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶l̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶f̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶, her jinn bodyguard and father figure.

“You rely on me, but I also rely on you. We are a team, you and I.”

“You are the most courageous person I know, Loulie al-Nazari. Without you, I would still be aimlessly wandering the desert, lost in my grief. You are not weak. That is why I follow where you walk: because I trust you.”

“The compass led me to you, and it is with you I shall stay until destiny demands we part ways.”

Tell me this isn't the most beautiful thing in the world 😭.

Loulie is brought before the sultan, and he blackmails her into going on a quest to find a relic, to which a powerful jinn is bound. He appoints his son Omar, a jinn hunter, to supervise her. It is actually Mazen who joins her—in return for a favor from Omar—disguised as his brother (with the help of a relic), and Aisha, a badass woman as well as one of Omar's 40 thieves. They travel into the desert and face many dangerous creatures. At the end, we find out who the true villain of the story is, that fucks everything up.

We never really get Loulie's and Ahmed's backstory, so I'm missing a bit of context there. And to the Stardust thief, I hope both sides of his pillow are warm.

Can't wait for the next installment. I've recently finished The city of brass, so if you're looking for similar vibes I'd definitely recommend The stardust thief.

Well I've just finished the stardust thief and can genuinely say I'm sad I really didn't want it to end it was so good, so good I actually immediately searched for the authors website to find out about the next book and saw this is going to be a trilogy yay!

I really liked all the main protagonists in this story especially Loulie and Qadir, their non romantic but co dependant relationship was really nice to follow. I enjoyed that the chapters were told from 3 different characters perspectives and found the writing style easy to digest, I was flying through the pages at some places throughout the book. Definitely recommend this book and cannot wait for mine to come in the post.

Inspired from One Thousand and One Tales, this was an extremely enjoyable quest based fantasy with great characters and a plot which is full of action and magic.

The story follows Loulie, an elusive merchant who deals in Djinn artifacts. Loulie along with her Djinn bodyguard, Qadir gets roped into searching an important artefact for the Sultan after she saves the life of the Prince. On this quest she is joined by the above mentioned prince, Mazen and a Djinn hunter called Ayesha. Together the four of them face various challenges and dangers as they travel across the desert.

The writing is super easy to get through and the world building/magic system too is very easy to follow. Unlikely companions who sort of become friends on the road is one of my favourite tropes to read and this book does it so perfectly. I was living for each argument, secrets, betrayals as well as the sense of companionship that eventually developed between all the characters.

While I loved reading all the characters pov, I enjoyed Mazen's perspective the most. I think Mazen's character goes through the most growth throughout the story and it was great to see a character who is so out of his depth but is also so brave and compassionate in the face of adversity.

All the relationship development was done very well. I was so glad that the author decided to keep the relationship between Loulie and Qadir strictly platonic. I loved their banter. However, I was also a bit annoyed by the amount of secret that Qadir was keeping from Loulie. Especially, as everytime Loulie confronts him about something, he says he's sorry and that he will tell her everything but there's always more secret and after a while the situation between them got a bit repetitive.

I also think that some of the plot points are kind of predictable but I don't think it takes away the enjoyment of the story. The story is still filled with a lot of heart, mystery, friendship and adventure and overall, I had a really great time reading it.

I can't wait for the next book!