This was a rich and fascinating portrait of a fictional Islamic society ruled by matriarchy, while observing Sharia law. Discussions of faith and law are woven into a vibrant cultural background, with characters that feel real and compelling.

If you're looking for plot, plot, plot, at high speeds--this isn't for you. It takes some time for things to pick up, but it's enjoyable if you're willing to have some patience. Think of it like a cup of tea that needs time to steep properly before you can drink it.

I really appreciated the author's note at the end, with some explanation of how the story fits into the real world context. As a non-muslim, this was helpful for my understanding of some of the issues addressed within the story. (The author's personality also creeps in there, so do yourself a favor and don't skip it!)

It's been a long time since I picked up a book in this genre, and I was genuinely excited to read this one, especially with Islamic representation at its core. Unfortunately, I had to put the book down halfway through because I was deeply disappointed by how several key aspects of the faith were portrayed.

As a Muslim, I believe Islamic teachings must be handled with care and accuracy especially when written by Muslim authors. While I appreciate the intent to show empowered women, there were several scenes that felt theologically inaccurate. The depiction of a female imam leading prayer, a female muazzin giving the adhan, and even a female mufti are not reflective of the roles assigned within traditional Islamic jurisprudence. These liberties taken with sacred roles felt less like empowerment and more like misrepresentation.

What also stood out was the suggestion of an interfaith marriage between a Muslim woman and a Christian man, which contradicts established rulings in Islamic law. This, along with the fictional fatwa portrayed, made it difficult for me to connect with the story’s message.

I sincerely urge the author to conduct deeper research when writing about such sensitive topics. Women's empowerment in Islam is a beautiful and powerful concept but it is most impactful when rooted in authentic teachings and context.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This review is entirely my own opinion.

This is truly a beautiful and delightful read that all western readers should pick up! Aamir does a wonderful job of weaving modern day problems that all young women face in today's society into a meaningful and digestable tale of family drama, family committments and growing into womanhood during changing times. All set in a fictional Middle Eastern city, driven by a history of slavery and the age old tale of women stepping into men's roles whilst the men are dragged off to war.

The complex relationships between the characters whisks you away from your favourite reading spot to the spaces that they boldly embrace life;s changes.

Thank you to the publishing team and Aamir for the advanced reader copy of this wonderful book.

This was a comforting and interesting book. Set during the Islamic golden age a young women, Khadija, discovers life outside of her previously small world. For most of her life she was sheltered but throughout this book she experiences life in a new way. She makes friends, enemies and partnership.
I was rooting for (or sometimes against) these characters. It was a compelling read and I learned a lot. I particularly found the different interpretations of religious text interesting. All in all a great book and a joy to read.

A story about a young girl finding and making her way in a city in Islam. After many years of being sheltered by her dad.
I found this book really interesting, reading about a different culture. And even so how things can be interpreted differently and conflict within faith.
This story explores female empowerment with the ultimate girl power towards the end.
A great read

#UndertheFullandCrescentMoon #NetGalley

This is a very interesting coming of age novel set in the middle east during the Islamic golden age. It tells the story of ine girl who will go against the general customs of women in that time period in order to make a difference. Overall this was a very impressive novel as the description of the written scenes were just lovely. I have never read anything by this author before so I am glad that I took the opportunity to do so.
Our main focus on the story is a girl named Khadija who lives with her father. When his scribe retires he offers her the chance to be his assistant. Khadija immediately jumps at the opportunity because she wants to be able to prove herself capable and make a difference in the world. However there are those out there who will do anything to prevent that from happening.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.