Inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, this newest series introduces you to the Midnight Merchant, Loulie al-Nazari, and takes you on a thrilling adventure with her best friend and jinn bodyguard, Qadir, and idealistic prince Mazen to find a powerful relic. Loulie and Qadir were my ultimate fave duo, they were so funny, so obviously care about each other very deeply. It's so rare to have a friendship written so well in this genre as it didn't serve a romantic purpose. Loads of twists throughout, I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. High stakes adventure told from multiple POVs which was very well executed. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book.

Arab fiction written by an Arab woman.

📖 Synopsis
Loulie al-Nazari is the sole survivor of the massacre of her tribe, saved by Qadir her now bodyguard and a jinn who claims he is destined to protect her. With the help of a magical compass that can find anything, they locate relics (items that contain magic abilities) and Loulie sells them under the name of the Midnight Merchant. However, this isn't legal and unfortunately, the sultan (who hates and kills jinn) hears of Loulie’s abilities to find lost items. He forces her and Qadir into a quest to find an ancient magical lamp, with the Prince and one of the forty thieves accompanying them. In their journey the come across many obsticales and have to fight enemies. There are secrets to uncover and a discovery of who they are. Not everything is as it seems.

Thoughts 💬

This first in a new trilogy is truly captivating. This first book is a lot of set up of the world and the back story of how the series will continue. However, Chelsea Abdullah has written it at the perfect pace with the right amount of action and reveals to keep you interested.

We get to know the characters a bit in this but we clearly are just scratching the surface of who they truly are. The last section is action packed and I wish the second book was already out so I can find out what happens next.

This is a wonderfully written fantasy inspired by the one thousand and one nights 🌙

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, for my ARC in exchange the review.

3.5/5!

The strength of this book is definitely the characters and especially the relationship between Qadir and Loulie.

I overall really liked this book. The plot was good, I loved the djinn and their magic, and it had some really good reveals along the way. However, it kind of dragged in the middle and felt longer than it was. The ending was so good though and I can't wait to read the sequel when it comes out later this year!

A solid read!

A cute, fun and adventure-filled retelling of "One Thousand and One Nights" with loooots of magic (and lots of action). It might be marked as an adult book, but I feel it would work well for YA readers too.

We follow 3 different characters - Loulie, Mazen and Aisha. Each character was interesting in their own way. Loulie is known as the Midnight Merchant who sells magical relics and is always followed by her bodyguard, Qadir (love their relationship by the way). Mazen is a prince and son of the sultan. And lastly we have Aisha who is a thief working for Mazen's older brother, Omar (he leads the Forty Thieves).

Aisha's PoV was the only one that kind of bothered me at times because I at first didn't feel like I needed to hear the story from her side, but it makes sense why she's also a narrator later in the book.

Even though this at least felt like a longer book (not actually sure 450 pages counts as "long"), it still feels very unresolved and definitely also ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. This might actually also be one of those books where I wish the tempo was slowed just a bit, as there was constantly something going on while our cast was on their quest.

Will be looking forward to reading the sequel though when it's out!

Also doesn't include any major romance plot, if that isn't your thing! There might be some admiration and some "looks" sent in another person's way, but that's about it.

4/5⭐

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

amazing spectacular never been done before!
this book is so close to my heart, Chelsea is <3 i love her so much and admire her and her craft beyond words can do justice. i cannot wait for book 2!!!!! i need it now!!!!

- thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First book of 2023 and what a book it was! As a fantasy reader, I often find that world-building can be slow and take away from the actual story but the pacing on this book is fantastic. Chelsea Abdullah has managed to create an immersive world without monotony. This book is ALL plot. One that keeps you awake until 3AM because you couldn’t possibly put it down. Each and every character is so rich and fully conceived. They are authentic and true to themselves throughout. Their growth is often ugly and that makes it all the more believable. It’s a book that makes me excited because I honestly don’t know what to expect next and I can’t wait to read the next instalment. Thank you so much for the DRC.

Neither here nor there but long ago, Loulie al-Nazari was the sole survivor of the massacre of her tribe, only saved due to the efforts of her now bodyguard Qadir - a jinn who is determined protect her. Together, using a magical compass that can find anything, they locate relics (magical items) and sell them illegally under the title of the ‘Midnight Merchant.’

Unfortunately, the sultan - a persecutor of jinn - hears of Loulie’s abilities to find lost items and ruthlessly forces her and Qadir into a quest for an ancient relic; a lamp said to contain a powerful jinn that was lost in the Sandsea.

Throw into the mix a prince who wants to escape the palace walls, another determined to seek power at any cost, an assassin who will begin to question their loyalties, secrets, found family, plenty of magic and a quest, and you’ve got a brilliant fantasy novel that you won’t want to put down.

I really loved this one, which isn’t really a surprise as I love mythology-inspired fantasy. It obviously makes reference to 1001 Nights but I loved the world-building and the fact that it’s told through multiple perspectives. In particular I enjoyed Aisha’s characterisation (who doesn’t love a morally grey assassin?) and would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good fantasy read. Can’t wait to pick up book two!

Neither here nor there, but not so long ago...
Im still trying to process my thoughts, this was such an amazing reading to end/ comence the year.
The fantasy and the accuracy were astounding. The author created a world building worth living and incorporated the culture so well. I was so immersed, I felt that I was a part of this world. I couldn't put the book down.
The characters came after my heart and robbed it. I did rolled my eyes sometimes let's be honest, but in the end they were amazing, in each way. We had so different personalities come together for a quest, but somehow they made all the sense and completed each other. (Aisha and Qadir, my baby's ❤). The plot was so well written that most of the twists and secrets I didn't see coming. I was enthralled by it, the way my mouth fell at some points.. especially in the end.. I did not see that coming and was not expecting it. The pace was a bit slow in the beginning, but once the world and characters were introduced it never slowed, each chapter made me hold my breath. I never got bored.. AMAZING.
I'm so excited for the next book and I wish I could read it now. 😭😭
If you like fantasy, 1001nights, forty thieves, the wrath and the dawn, then please give it a try!! I will not disappoint.

Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
A quest
A band of "misfits"
Travels
Secrets
Plot twits
Humans and jinn(kinda of a demon)
Betrayals

These arc was given to me by Netgalley and this is my honest review. Also I'm so happy I could read it and review it.

I absolutely loved it!
A beautiful, moving, and tense fantasy.
The book has different narrators and really short and snappy chapters. I read this book in like two days because of this. Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, is a kick ass amazing protagonist.
I read quite a bit of fantasy, and what I loved about this book is that it's set in the middle east, written by a middle eastern author, using some Arabic in the book.
I'm so happy this is a trilogy and can't wait for the next two books.

Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.

This is one of my favourite books of 2022, a totally gripping, exciting fantasy story that isn’t too complex or hard to follow. A brilliant introduction to fantasy stories for all ages. A fabulous book one with character development that is above and beyond to aid all readers to be attached to the story.
With brilliant storylines we are taken on a journey and meet new people throughout who I am certain will be back on the story continues.
Eagerly awaiting book 2

The Stardust Thief is a fantasy novel by author, Chelsea Abdullah. It is the first book in the Sandsea Trilogy. I keep seeing this book everywhere, so just had to read it. Inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, the book is told in alternating POV across three characters. Loulie, the Midnight merchant (and her Jinn bodyguard); Mazen, a Prince and Aisha, one of the Prince’s Forty Thieves. My favorite character was definitely Loulie, but each character brought something distinctive to the story. The fantasy world created by the author is unique and something different in a saturated fantasy market of fairies and vampires. I love the jinn and the magic! Aladdin was always my favorite Disney movie and the book gave me a little bit of that vibe. I was expecting their to be some romance but there wasn’t and this was kind of refreshing. Instead the book focuses on the friendships and close relationships between our characters. This may come in other books. I think this book would be suitable for a wide range of audiences and ages.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read and review this book.

I had to DNF as I couldn't get into it. The synopsis sounded promising but the writing fell flat for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'The Stardust Thief' by Chelsea Abdullah

'The Stardust Thief' was one of those books I knew I'd love from the get go due to the concept of the book. However, I did feel a bit disappointed that I didn't love it more. Not by fault of the author and the book of course, it just wasn't my cuppa. Despite of this, I'd happily read the rest of the series as it comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for allowing me access to read this eARC.

This was a really strong start to a series (trilogy?), and I am definitely going to be continuing reading when future publications come out. The author has an excellent voice for fantasy, and I really loved that the book and story is set in a culture that we don't often come across, with the middle east and the desert regions being the perfect backdrop.

With three switching POVs, we are introduced to the three main characters slowly but surely, and all three of them were strong, in my opinion. I grew to appreciate each of them, despite their differences and the ways in which they were often foils for one another (an aspect I personally loved). The jinn's were a really interesting addition to the story, and I loved the lore of the land - the stories that followed these apparently fearsome beings, who turn out to be not quite as villainous as the governing bodies would have their people believe.

I was really invested in this one, far more than I anticipated I would be, and I truly cannot wait to see what is next for them!

I will be posting this to Goodreads, Amazon and Waterstones approx. two weeks prior to the publication date of 26 January 2023, as requested.

Welcome to an amazing world filled with magic and mythical beings. I love entering a new world where everything is so much different I can really loose myself in this story. the characters really take on a life of their own I can support these people.
like with most creating your world your imagination is the only thing stopping you and this is a wonderful world the author created.
Thank you to Netgalley/Chelsea Abdullah for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this in exchange for this honest review.

I originally read this book when it first released in hardback earlier this year, but I still quite enjoy it now.
The world was immersive and interesting and most of the characters. Sadly I didn’t really care about Mazen and found him annoying most of the time, and infuriatingly stupid at moments. Loulie was the star of the show, though, and I’m incredibly excited to see more of her in the sequel.
Certain plot points and twists were pretty predictable, but the story was enjoyable nonetheless.

This review should be up on my Instagram, Kratist0, somewhere between two weeks prior to the release of the paperback and mid to late February.

DNFed at 44%.

I read that Mazen forgot a super dangerous relic in divan of a sketchy guy he doesn’t like or trust, and cringed so hard I died of secondhand embarrassment. My heart will not go on.

A beguiling fantasy retelling of Arabian Nights, with surprising subtlety in the relationship between Louie and her enigmatic bodyguard Qadir. At times Louie felt a little passive - she didn’t seem to accomplish much by herself - but the motivations and growth of the supporting characters was very satisfying. I’m excited to see how the story continues.

I received an advance copy of this book and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

This book was incredibly hooking and the jinn inspired world was so well done. I loved the characater of Loulie and her backstory as well as her friendship with Qadir. This middle eastern inspired book was so well done, it was great reading a book with so many names that were familiar to me, i felt like the representation in this was amazing. Mazen was such a great characater and I loved seeing his character grow. I loved the gory of this, i wasnt expecting it but it felt well written, the stakes in this book were high and the writing did not let you forget that. The plot is very intricate, at times it does feel a little too intricate and i really had to focus to understand what was happening but overall it wasnt a bad thing. The ending of this book left on a cliffhanger and i can't wait to read the next one.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, the writing was great and kept me hooked,
I loved the premise of having a Jinn-inspired magic system and this was done really well by Chelsea Abdullah.
The characters were well developed and I can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens!