The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah is an epic start to a trilogy inspired by One Thousand and One Nights.
Synopsis
Loulie al-Nazari, the Midnight Merchant, began illegally hunting and selling ancient relics after losing her family. With the help of her jinn bodyguard, Qadir, she has built up her reputation on the black market selling these sought-after relics.
In the city of Madinne, the sultan has decreed that jinn be hunted and killed for their blood and relics. There is one relic, a legendary magical lamp, that the king has coveted for some time. Since his Forty Thieves have been unable to locate it, he blackmails Loulie into searching for it with the assistance of one of his sons.
Together, a jinn killing member of the Forty Thieves, a prince, a jinn in disguise, and the Midnight Merchant set out to find this powerful lamp. Nothing will come easy for this unlikely group. They’ll face countless obstacles and betrayals long before the end of their journey is in sight.
Review of The Stardust Thief
This Arab-inspired fantasy alternates between three perspectives. The writing style is very captivating and held my attention all the way through. The setting and the world-building are so vibrant, and the descriptions of food are so scrumptious.
The beginning was a tad slow, but the rest was evenly paced, balanced between quieter and action-packed scenes. All of the characters grew on me, especially Qadir and Aisha.
I liked that the characters had to work for everything; they didn’t just instinctively know what to do; they had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way. It kept things realistic (as realistic as a fantasy novel can be).
The ending left off on a major cliffhanger. I cannot wait to see how the world expands in the next instalment.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Expected Publication: 17 May 2022
Thank you to Orbit Books for providing an arc via Netgalley and a physical copy in exchange for an honest review.
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