an incredible read. abdullah creates a fantasy world that immerses you immediately and keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

The Stardust Thief is one of my most anticipated reads of 2022; it is an inspiring tale of adventure with a mix of stories from Arabian nights. If you are looking for a book with sweeping, epic action scenes and incredible magic, you will love The Stardust Thief. The Stardust Thief is your story if you love storytelling within a story, monsters that can befriend or foe, and Arab folklore. For a debut, Adult fantasy story, I mainly saw the lack of deep character development. Still, again this is a trilogy, so we are setting the stage, so I hope to get deeper into these characters as the story progresses to books two and three.
I chose to pre-order the audiobook as they did a marvelous job with different narrators for our trio of characters, but I will need to get a print copy and re-read it before book two comes out. I think you get something different from the second read of a book or even the third read before you move on to the newest one.
If you like The Daevabad Trilogy, I think you will adore The Stardust Thief! Both series have the same gorgeous desert settings, magical djinn, and characters you will come to love…or hate—an intense debut novel to add to anyone's collection of fantasy tales.

An excellent read and a wonderful start to what is sure to be a trilogy full of romance and adventure. I'm so excited to pick up the next two!

This book was incredibly fine. There are people who are going to love this but I was rather disappointed. I never actively disliked it but I felt very detached for most of the story. None of the characters stood out to me and some were at times infuriatingly naive. I feel like this could have been better with a smaller cast of characters because the author would have been able to fully flesh out their personalities and POVs. Aisha was my favorite character but she got the least attention. The world-building and plot were very simple which left me rather bored. I really struggled to get into the story. The second half was better with interesting plot twists but the pacing still felt disjointed. This is an excellent book for those looking to transition into adult high fantasy and it is a very solid debut. I just feel like it needed a bit more polish a detail to be truly great.

It hurts me to only give this book 3 stars considering how much I was looking forward to it. It isn't bad, but the only points where I fully enjoyed the story were at the beginning and ending. The characters just felt more full of life here. While they were traveling in the middle, the plot just lacked that "oomph." It felt like they were just running away from ghouls for the majority of the time.

However, I still recommend picking it up if you're interested in the synopsis. Its the best Arab-inspired fantasy I've read to date and I'm still planning to pick up the sequel. It looks like it will have a lot more action (or at least not be a journeying story) and I'm interested to see where Aisha's character arc goes.

I love epic fantasy, so when I first read the blurb about this book I said SIGN ME UP! And I was absolutely NOT disappointed!

What an absolutely stunning adventure with incredible world building. I was totally immersed in this story. Wonderful imagery, an intriguing plot line, and incredible characters for a reader to fall in love with. Arab fantasy that draws from Arabian nights, and beautiful story about stories.

Definitely recommend, especially if you loved City of Brass. This series is going to be absolutely incredible! I can’t wait to be reunited with these characters again!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book for an honest review.

The book had an air of mystery about it. Something that kept me wanting to continue. But about 75% in it picked up and didn’t stop. The twists the ending had were insane. Some predicted and some completely unpredicted.

This is kind of like if Aladdin met Indiana Jones. There was mystery and intrigue throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can’t wait for the rest of the series.

**Thank you, Netgalley and publisher, for giving me an electronic ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

The Stardust Thief was beautiful. I loved the descriptions and characters. I love how detailed everything was. This story is told in multiple povs, and it is so elegantly woven together. Every character was well rounded.

I especially liked Alisha's line in chapter seven "What did he think soldiers were, if not glorified murderers?" I feel as if that line was the basis of her character, smart and sassy. I found Mazen's line in chapter fourteen "Death in a free land is better than life in a gilded cage." Was also a basis for him. I love Loulie's relationship with Qadir, throughout the entire book I found a like in chapter fifty one that matched them perfectly "It never wavered , never burned out, and never stopped watching over her."

I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy and devour every moment between my favorite characters.

Four enthusiastic stars!!! What a beautiful book. If you enjoyed An Ember in the Ashes and Strange the Dreamer, I HIGHLY recommend reading The Stardust Thief.

We follow four main characters: Loulie the young and esteemed Midnight Merchant a.k.a. seller of jinn relics; Mazen, the cowardly yet courageous third prince of Madinne; Aisha, the first-chosen of High Prince Omar's band of Forty Thieves; and Qadir, Loulie's evasive, mysterious, and shapeshifting jinn bodyguard and partner in crime. I absolutely loved following these four on their adventures and seeing them deal with their conflicting emotions, experiences, and world views.

I love how aggressive, unapologetic, and resourceful Loulie and Aisha are, and I appreciate that although Loulie and Aisha weren't the absolute best of friends, there was no girl-on-girl hate here. Then there was the endearingly naive and cowardly Mazen! He was such a relatable character, and I'm cheering for him and his story arc and can't wait to see him deal with his fears and limiting beliefs. He reminded me a bit of Lazlo Strange in Strange the Dreamer. Qadir was the only character I didn't quite get a feel for, which I think was purposeful, since his mystery is kind of a part of his identity. His is the only perspective that we don't get in this book, but I really hope we get to see through his eyes even briefly in the next two books. I wasn't quite sure how to read his relationship with Loulie. It seemed like a pretty platonic, maybe overly protective relationship at first, but some parts read a bit on the intimate side, though not outright romantic. Their closeness might be because they spend most of their time together, but whatever the nature of their relationship, we do know that he is very dedicated to her, and the intimate and vulnerable moments between them were beautiful:

"There was, however, a lone lantern sitting atop the desk, flickering with a soft blue light. Loulie fell onto her bed without acknowledging it. The fire was unoffended. It never wavered, never burned out, and never stopped watching over her."

Or when Qadir gifted her with an enchanted coin that distinguishes truth (human side) from lie (jinn side):

"Tears sprang to her eyes as she asked question after question, and always the human side of the coin appeared. Truth. Truth. Truth. “I am alone.” Her shoulders shook with sobs as she threw the coin into the air. It bounced off her knee and rolled away, back to the jinn. For a few moments, Qadir said nothing. Then he silently reached for her hand and set the coin on her palm. Jinn. He curled her fingers around it. “Not alone,” he said. “Not anymore.”"

Chelsea Abdullah writes so beautifully about the comfort and hope in finding people who understand your moral compass and the love we have for our families, even, unfortunately, when they do not deserve it. The reality of simultaneously holding love and contempt for the monstrous people in your life was handled so well in this book, and I can't wait to see what else these characters will have to face. We get to see them deal with the effects of violence, vengeance, loneliness, isolation, and co-dependence, all while confronting the monstrous nature of others and their own capacity for violence and harm:

"It was strange to see her own vengeance reflected back at her in the eyes of a softhearted storyteller. Violence does not suit him, she thought, but she shoved the thought away. It did not suit anyone."

I mean, COME ON! That might be my favorite quote in the whole book. But here's one more:

"I have found you, and we are lost together."

So much nuance in such simple words. Her writing is hard-hitting without being overly flowery, and I love it! The last time I was this excited about characters was when I first started Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes series, and let me tell you -- Chelsea Abdullah did not disappoint with her characters or her world-building. Her writing was so immersive and her characters nuanced, interesting, and flawed in the best ways. I can't believe this is her debut novel, and I am so excited for the next books in the trilogy!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Let’s start with what I liked: fun characters, hints of cool world building, the stories woven throughout. All of that was a lot of fun and showed some promise.

This book, however, was almost unbearably slow. It was very difficult to get into, and despite reveal after dramatic reveal, I never felt invested in the characters or their journey. If the world building had been better expanded earlier on in the book and the groundwork better laid, this book would have improved significantly. Things picked up towards the end, but the extreme inconsistency in pacing, characterization, and explanations made this a bit of a frustrating read.
Ultimately, 2.5/5

A new and refreshing tale of magic set in the Middle East. I enjoyed the relationships between the characters and the way new and old ideas are woven together. Thank you for the ARC!

This was a pretty engrossing read - even if it didn’t blow me out of the water. The Stardust Thief is definitely a slow burn and while that had me a little nervous to pick up the book, the short chapters and accessible writing style had me blowing through the 500 pages in about a day or so. Even though this is categorized as adult fantasy it feels closer to YA. The world building was also really well done with hints to the backstories and mythology of the setting interwoven very naturally with the narrative.

But despite its strengths as a debut, it didn’t feel particular exceptional. I felt like the characters were pretty generic and the relationships a little cardboard. I did (to my surprise) end up enjoying Mazen’s character the most - you don’t come across many cowardly princes in fantasy so his POV felt the most fresh. Also despite the number of deaths - the stakes didn’t feel super high (until the very end) because there were so many resurrections! I wasn’t truly convinced our characters were in any real danger.

The most compelling character to me was Omar and while we got to see a lot of him at the forefront of the novel - he gets left behind as we go on the quest. Which to me is a loss because he felt the most three dimensional of the cast. I want to understand his motives and background and am a little disappointed by the straight turn into villainy he made at the end - though it made for some gripping chapters.

I also don’t think the quest format necessarily worked ? It felt like a lot of scenes were there as a vehicle foe exposition which is fine…but didn’t help the book stand out.

Overall a fast read for me but not one I’m sure I’ll recommend going forward! Although if there’s more Omar in the sequel - who knows maybe I’ll change my mind!

In need of an adventure across sand dunes, through buried ruins, and all while accompanying violent thieves and a prince disguised with jinn magic? Yes. You do. Stardust Thief took me by surprise 😮. The first chapter told more than showed The Midnight Merchant's relationship to her secret jinn, and the plot was interrupted by recounted legends from Arabian Nights. The rest of the book doesn't make the mistake of telling about character's relationship, instead showing the joy and strain and making and breaking their connections. The legends worked as well as each added to the lore shaping the Midnight Merchants's quest. Although this is an adventure story first, there is a love story but of growing respect and strengthening bonds between enemies and allies alike. I adore the cut throat ending for Aisha. I cannot wait to return to this journey when book 2 is released.

The Stardust Thief is the first of a planned fantasy trilogy by debut author Chelsea Abdullah. I love djinn stories and some of my favourite djinn stories have been from Saad Hussain, P Djeli Clark, G Willow Wilson and Usman T Malik.
Thanks to Orbit for providing an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The positives first: I do like the stories within a story structure as well as the Arabic used in dialogue between characters. The idea of greenery growing where jinn die and their blood having healing properties is interesting. I like the various souks in different locations. The incorporation of Sheherazade and the forty thieves' lore into this story is deftly done.

The storytelling unfortunately didn't capture me. I felt like I was being spoonfed information, particularly once the group embarked on their travel quest. There'd be a story recalled about a particular jinn then they would appear in the chamber, crypt, desert etc next. The main characters were written as being in their early to mid-twenties (with the exception of the bodyguard guardian jinn Qadir) but they behaved at least five years younger with little impulse control. The identity swapping between the two prince brothers Omar and Mazen seem riddled with plot-holes. Their mannerisms, fighting skills, personalities are so disparate plus they didn't bother to do any no prep work, nobody noticed the difference?
The pacing felt off too, with what seemed to be a climax of two major characters' presumed deaths and major revelations, but turns out it was only around two-thirds of the adventure. Emotions, events and the various ifrit were spelled out (or drawn on a wall) for us in case readers were too obtuse to reach conclusions themselves.

This book was just what I needed.

In this reimagining of the 1001 Nights/Aladdin, we follow Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, a famous relic hunter who deals in forbidden magics. When she catches the eye of the Sultan she is drafted to go on a perilous quest for a magic lamp that contains a devastating power that the Sultan plans to use to destroy all Jinn. This is the barebones set up, but this story has so much more complexity than I expected.

I really enjoyed all of the point of view characters, Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, Mazen the youngest son of the Sultan and Aisha the first of the Forty Thieves. Each of these characters had their own distinct voice and their own goals. Though there wasn’t as much character growth as I would have liked, I am hopeful that we will see more of that in the next installment of the series.

I am not familiar with any of the stories from the 1001 nights, and my only exposure to Aladdin is the Disney movie, but the way that stories were integrated into the narrative was incredibly refreshing and felt really unique. I really looked forward to the occasional chapters that were stand alone stories that related in some way to the action of the story, and the fact that Mazen was a storyteller was the icing on the cake.

My only complaint about this book was the middle section where we went on what felt a little like a detour and seemed to interrupt the quest element of the story in a way that didn’t feel logical. While this detour really upped the stakes, the aftermath effectively removed any stakes from the rest of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a magical and delightful read. I was hooked from the very beginning. The storytelling was a very unique experience and immersed me with such vivid details and imagery. Would recommend this book to anyone looking for an adventure.

I was given a free copy of The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah (author), Orbit (publisher), and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

The Stardust Thief is the first book in the Sandsea Trilogy and was published on May 17, 2022. Apologies for the late review.

This review will contain no spoilers.

I would characterize The Stardust Thief as epic/high fantasy in a setting and with characters that are in a world like the Middle East from centuries ago.

The setting is very detailed, descriptive, and drew me into the story.

The magic is a fantastical and mysterious and involves djinns and relics. Magic is very critical in the story.
I enjoyed the smuggler and the thief which are two of the three point-of-view characters in the story. I found them to be interesting and would have preferred if these two characters had the only point-of-views in the story. I did not like the prince who has the other pov in this story. I thought his character arc did not evolve or change that much from the beginning to the end of the story.

Significant events pertaining to the smuggler’s paramour and prince’s brother and father happened off-page and I would have preferred to read about what happened to these characters than about the prince.
I rate The Stardust Thief 3 stars.

I would like to thank Ms. Abdullah, Orbit, and Net Galley for the free E-ARC.

Phew, friends! This one will take you on a ride! Told from an alternating perspective from three characters in the story, The Stardust Thief journeys alongside a sultan’s son, a merchant, and a thief as they travel the desert for a relic.
Action packed and magic filled, I greatly enjoyed this one! If you loved the Daevabad Trilogy (like myself), you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

I’d be lying if I said I loved all parts. The middle of the book was a slight lull for me, but it picks up SO much towards the end and leaves you craving the next book. I also loved the characters and hated them at the same time 😅

WOW! GORGEOUS WRITING AND IMAGERY!

The world building is amazing, the mythology was breath-taking, the characters mesmerizing! I couldn't get enough of this book! I LOOOOOOOVE Arabian stories and mythology. They are soooo colorful and unique! I have always loved the story of a thousand and one nights and to have this be incorporated into the story had me reaching for this book faster than Aladdin rubbing the lamp.

I loved learning more about the history of the jinn which just added more depth and imagery to the story.

The characters were strong and of course I loved all three of the main characters.

The pacing at times seemed a bit off but it didn't bother me enough because I couldn't get enough of the story.

Overall I loved it and highly recommend!

I loved this book. Both the main characters are interesting and lovable. Weaving together so many stories into one was brilliant.