I enjoyed the idea of this story but the execution was terrible. I spent the majority of the book not understanding what was real and what was not and quite frankly, I rarely understood what was going on period. It seems like a historical fiction but really it’s more of a fairy tale of sorts. I liked Fatima but I never understood why everyone called her selfish so much when she was just doing what she was told and then trying to save people? Her relationship with Hassan was extremely bizarre and I didn’t understand a lot of the tension the author created.

What an absolutely beautiful book, not only is the cover stunning but the story itself is as visually stunning as its exterior. From the exotic setting in Morocco to the fabled shores of the isle of Avalon the story is told in such splendid detail you can’t help being swept along throughout.

The characters are as colourful as their surroundings weaving together humans and mythical creatures alike all culminating in the quest to find the fabled Bird King.

I loved this book to the point I’m struggling to review it without spoilers and to do the story justice. If you enjoyed books such as Robert Dinsdale’s The Toymakers or Katherine Arden’s The Bear and The Nightingale then you won’t want to miss this one.

The Bird King will be published in the UK on March 12 2019 and can be pre-ordered now

A proper review to follow!

Thank you to G. Willow Wilson, the publishers Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

People often seem to call the latest book a “lush fantasy”, but until now it just seemed cliche. The Bird King, however, is another thing altogether.

Fatima is the last sultan’s concubine in a kingdom falling down to the Spanish Inquisition. When she discovers her friend Hassan is in danger for his ability to create paths and places by drawing maps, Fatima runs away with him and a clever jinn.

The world-building in this book is incredible. It is realistic enough that for much of the tale you forget you’re actually reading fantasy — until a jinn comes along, of course.

The characters are relatable and diverse; the book in general is refreshingly open-minded. There is no 'woe is me' attitude from Fatima while she's not free and I found her attitude towards being a concubine quite educational, as well as the entire palace's attitude towards Hassan's map-making and sexuality in this time of history.

The only reason I gave it four instead of five stars is because I would have preferred more action - so much space was taken up with character-building and world-building that it became a bit heavy from a third through the book.

--Shorter form of review also published in October edition of Style Magazine Toowoomba.--

With nuanced prose, multilayered characters, and a colorful world; The Bird King is full of delicious twists. I devoured it in a day. I recommend this for fans of historical fantasy, G. Willow Wilson is a masterful writer. She has created a phenomenon of a book.

This novel is a mix of both historical fiction and magical realism, two great genres that the author manages to seamlessly blend together.

It took me a few chapters to really get into this book but once i did i could not put it down! The pacing of this story is fantastic and the imagery was mesmerizing.
There is a beautifully diverse cast of characters and I really enjoyed reading about the friendship between Fatima and Hassan, it was poignant and explored nicely.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an evocative, captivating story. This book left me wanted to read more of G Willow Wilson's works and i can't wait to do so!

Fatima is the last concubine in a kingdom quickly falling to the Spanish Inquisition. Her best friend Hassan has magical powers to create and edit maps, and when inquisitors label him a sorcerer and threaten his life, they run away together, beginning an epic adventure across land and sea in search of the island of The Bird King.

I really enjoyed this novel. It reads like a grown-up YA or even J-level adventure along the lines of The Glass Sentence, one of my very favorite novels (and series). The plot moves quickly and the characters are diverse and entirely believable, so I was hooked from the very beginning. This is a book I'll buy so I can reread every so often. It's really that good.

(The Bird King hasn't been released yet. I got a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review, though that had absolutely no bearing on my opinion of the book. Y'all know me better than that.)