Brilliant, Gorgeous, Magnificent, and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, style, and I want more from this author and this was such a good book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Loulie had made a name for herself as a dealer of magical items, alongside her jinn companion Qadir. The sultan enlists her to find a relic for him, and sends her on a quest alongside Mazen, the youngest prince, and Aisha, one of the famed Forty Thieves.

WOW. This was SO GOOD. It follows the traditional formula for a quest story, and I absolutely loved that sense of familiarity. Chelsea Abdullah puts such a fun spin on a classic tale and a classic formula. The world building is stunning and complex without being difficult to understand. Everything is explained when it should be, without it feeling overwhelming or dense. All of the characters felt unique and fleshed out—and even the less developed ones are written in a way that makes you want to learn more about them.

The author’s writing style is beautiful, and the way she chose to set up this book worked perfectly. There are three POVs—Loulie, Mazen, and Aisha—and all three flow well together, with none of the disjointedness that can come from multiple POVs. Woven throughout the story is the question of right and wrong: when it comes to humans and jinns, there is no clear villain; both are shown as capable of both evil and good. It really enriched what otherwise would be a relatively straightforward story.

Everything I didn’t like was very abstract/broad strokes; there’s no particularly moment that stands out to me. First off, despite being labeled adult, this felt very YA. Not that there’s anything wrong with YA fantasy—it’s probably the majority of what I read—it’s just that I went in expecting one thing and received another. Beyond that, the main climax of this story comes very, very late. As in, after 90%. There isn’t a whole lot of build; up until then there’s a steady plot pace with exciting events sprinkled in. Actually, I didn’t mind this at all, and wouldn’t have even minded if there’d been no big climax; it’s only in retrospect that I even noticed that one was missing. That being said, when the main climax begins past the 90% mark, it’s coming a bit too late for my personal taste. Lastly, there’s a romantic subplot that just didn’t feel necessary to me? It begins as an already established relationship dynamic, except we never learn how it came about nor really see it in action. It didn’t add anything to the story and is the only real plot point that bothered me.

While not perfect, The Stardust Thief is an excellent work of high fantasy. Fans of One Thousand and One Nights will not be disappointed, nor will fans of fantasy in general. Definitely recommend.

~rounded up from 3.5 stars~

The Stardust Thief was a captivating high fantasy novel that effortlessly reinvented and expanded on A Thousand and One Nights.

This book started out extremely strong. The first few chapters had me hooked immediately. Both Mazen and Loulie were wonderful characters and I really enjoyed following their journeys. I was more lukewarm towards Aisha until probably halfway through the book. Unfortunately, the plot slowed down considerably in the middle, to the point where I found myself skimming at times. But then! The ending! The ending was absolutely crazy and returned to the hype of the beginning.

There was certainly a point around chapter 45 where I was lost, but I am willing to admit that perhaps I read this book too sporadically to fully comprehend it. I think this would be best enjoyed reading it over a week or two because of the pacing, not over a month.

As someone who loves mythology retellings, The Stardust Thief was reminiscent of that genre. Overall, it was captivating and the twists and turns were unexpected.

~Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free eArc of this book.~

"We are all afraid, Prince. The only difference between a hero and a coward is that one forgets their fears and fights, while the other succumbs to it and flees."

I received this book as an ARC and oh man was it worth it. The Stardust Thief is the debut novel of Chelsea Abdullah and the first in The Sandsea Trilogy. This novel was a multiple POV retelling of 1001 Arabian Nights, with a rich world full of Jinn, thiefs, assassins, and princes.

The story tells the tale of the Midnight Merchant (Layla, or Loulie), her Jinn companion (Qadir), a cowardly prince (Mazen), and a thief (Aisha) as they are sent on a quest by the Sultan to hunt down a lamp containing a Jinn warrior. The multiple POVs were fantastic and although the beginning setup of the book is a little slow, by the middle all the way through the end it really is an action packed adventure. Highly recommend and I can't wait for the second book to come out!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Chelsea Abdullah’s The Stardust Thief weaves an exciting magic-laden tale with some twists & turns I wasn’t expecting & plenty of dramatic moments that propel the story forward.

Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant. She’s also the survivor of a horrendous attack against her tribe that resulted in the loss of her entire family. After it was over, & she had only a compass remaining, a jinn named Qadir offered to be her guide.

In present-day, the Sultan discovers Loulie’s identity & she’s sent on a quest for a relic. Unbeknownst to the mercurial Sultan—who’s made it his business to eradicate jinn—is that Qadir accompanies her. So does his son Mazen who’s in disguise as his brother, head of a group of jinn hunters, thanks to a relic.

Loulie & the rest of the group find so much on their journey across the desert, including the answers to some questions that have plagued her since she lost her family.

There’s a complexity to the situation between humans & jinn, with both sides capable of violence & danger. The story is detailed & filled with stirring imagery.

For whatever reason I never became fully invested in the characters & their journey but I did really enjoy aspects of this read & I think it will appeal to many fantasy readers.

4 ⭐️. Release date: 05/17.

CW: violence & murder, including the murder of a jinn child.

I really want to like this and maybe I will when I’m in the mood for high fantasy again but this story feels like it was going at a snail pace and nothing was happening and whenever something did like with mazen and the jinn. It got boring.

4. 75
I knew right when I started this that I had a feeling that I was going to really like this and I was right. This was transportive, with interesting characters and compelling world and magic. I loved following the characters on their journey and the way their relationship with each other change and develop. I cannot wait for the next books!

The notorious Midnight Merchant deals in jinn relics, which she and her bodyguard find during their travels. However, she comes to the attention of the Sultan and is sent on a quest to recover a legendary relic that will grant him the power to destroy jinn. Accompanied by a prince in disguise and one of the Sultan's oldest son's henchman, she sets out into the desert, only to discover legends, double crosses, and more about herself and her world.

I really enjoyed this book. The world building is excellent, the characters are memorable, and I enjoy the plot focuses on the quest rather than a romance. The mythology is used well and I look forward to learning more about the world in the second book. The pace does drag a bit at times - I wish publishers would stop trying to force everything into a trilogy, when frequently a standalone or duology would suffice.

There’s so much I could say about this book.

I loved the setting. Chelsea Abdullah has built such a gorgeous world. I really enjoyed the bits of mythology and legend sprinkled throughout the story. I really liked how the storytelling aspects within the book were separated from the three character POVs were given in the book. I liked each of the characters and loved the strong female leads, Loulie and Aisha, and I loved Qadir, Loulie’s jinn companion. I think it is a great fantasy novel.

However, it was a really slow burn for me. I enjoyed the book so much while I was reading it, but it wasn’t a page turner for me. I wanted to be sucked in and not be able to put the book down and that didn’t happen for me. It’s a strange feeling where you love the world, the characters, and the story while you’re reading the book, but you’re not invested enough to where it’s unputdownable or where you can’t stop thinking about it when you’re not reading it.

I am definitely interested in reading the other books in the trilogy once they’re released, but I’ll go into them knowing it will probably be a slow burn that may take me awhile to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this eARC.

I WANT TO INJECT THIS BOOK INTO MY VEINS - IT WAS SO GOOD.

Literally, like I can’t put into words how great a book this is. I will 100% be buying a physical copy when this book comes out. Fans of the Daevabad trilogy need to pick up this book; they will love it! Thank you netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

**Thank you for the ARC!! All opinions are completely my own.**

4-4.5 stars. Enchanting, mystical, and touching!

THEMES: Fantasy; epic fantasy; magic; political intrigue; gods, men, monsters.

SUMMARY (spoiler-free): This story starts with a kingdom in a sprawling desert city.
We follow 3 perspectives: Layla, a merchant of magical relics who is attended by her loyal jinn bodyguard; Mazen, a prince and son of a woman inspired by Scheherazade; Aisha, a cunning thief with a thirst for revenge against jinn.

The three set off on a perilous journey into the unforgiving desert in search of the legendary lamp, which contains a legendary powerful jinn. They must uncover political mysteries, dodge blood-thirsty ghouls and monsters, and survive the dangerous desert overflowing with treasures and traps alike. And, to top it all off, lurking in the shadows are many nefarious players, just waiting for the right time to strike…

THOUGHTS: ORBIT HAS DONE IT AGAIN! Seriously, what a masterful and epic read, strongly inspired by One Thousand and One Nights and Aladdin.

The story unravels smoothly like a brilliantly woven tapestry, emulating the masterful Scheherazade.

The relationships between the characters are a breath of fresh air, in a market of fiction books overly saturated with romance. There is some romance but it is, fortunately, not the main focus of the plot.

Rather, the plot centers around the 3 complex characters and their relationships to the legendary magical jinn. THE WORLD-BUILDING IN THIS IS *CHEFS KISS*.

TLDR; An epic fantasy, incredible world-building, political intrigue, and, oh, did I mention MAGIC? You’re in for a real treat! ✨

The Stardust Thief is a tale spun from legend. Faced with working together or death, Loulie and her mysterious bodyguard Qadir are forced to team up with a thief named Aisha and her charge Prince Mazen. The unlikely group of four find their way through a perilous journey in the desert searching for a mystical lamp.

Chelsea Abdullah’s debut novel does not disappoint. Abdullah has an incredible talent for creating characters. Each one has a depth and a darkness to them that they are forced to confront. Abdullah is also a master of writing prowess. Her lines are powerful and raw; baring harsh truths that most would shy away from.

The mainstay of this book is Abdullah's characters being forced to confront their pasts and grasp their future tomorrows.

Make no mistake, The Stardust Thief is a show stopping tale, however there are a few downsides. There is a lack of incitement. Sure, the plot moves forward, but I found it easy to put down and pick back up when I had the time. This is mainly due to major plot points being easily predictable. I had an idea early on of many things that were going to happen, so I was not compelled to race to the finish.

Overall, The Stardust Thief is a tale worth reading. While it may not be perfect, it is filled with many impactful moments. Abdulla’s writing is sure to stick with you long after you’ve finished. The Stardust Thief is the first in The Sandsea trilogy and one I plan on continuing.

Let it be known that I’m back on my jinn bullshit and I couldn’t be happier to be here.

The Stardust Thief was absolutely incredible – like let’s not mince words here. If this book isn’t on your radar, it should be and here’s why:

1) It’s loosely inspired from A Thousand and One Nights. I adore A Thousand and One Nights. As a child, I was enamored with Farid from the Inkheart trilogy because he was read out of A Thousand and One Nights. My love for this story has spanned decades and I loved Chelsea Abdullah’s world that was inspired from it.
2) A multi-POV journey with a revenge seeking merchant, her mysterious bodyguard, a cowardly prince and a thief. This plot is almost entirely character driven and you end up adoring this strange group with all their idiosyncrasies and selfish motivations.
3) Intriguing lore-based magic in a barren, dessert world with some political intrigue. Personally could have used more political machinations

The Stardust Thief is the first book in the Sandsea Trilogy and it is entirely indulgent – a real tale for lovers of lore. Abdullah has clearly crafted this story with care and detail; the world feels so magical despite the barren nature of it and so vibrant because of the characters. There were times that my throat felt torn and parched as these characters delved further into the desert on their perilous journey. However, because the story is so indulgent in nature, the pacing sometimes felt off, ping-ponging from too high stakes and high action to flashbacks that were intended to give context and background.

In also writing about the power struggle between humans and jinn – an age old conflict – Abdullah perfectly encapsulated why I think fantasy is so imperative to literature and how it can be used as a vehicle to really examine oppression and institutions that oppress.

I also want it known that I am such a Qadir stan and I eagerly await the next book's publication!

Special thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions!

In the style of Arabian Nights, the author has penned a charming tale of magic, thieves, the desert and Jinn. Loulie al-Nazari is a young criminal who collects magical artifacts and sells them in the disguise of the Midnight Merchant, a seller of magic. She is assisted in this trade by her Jinn bodyguard. She rescues the prince from a Jinn that has mistaken him for his Jinn-killing brother and is noticed by his father , the Sultan. The Sultan is searching for a specific artifact and blackmails Loulie into finding it for him. Thus begins the quest for a magic lamp. The story is a thrilling adventure through the desert with magic, ghouls, murders and terrifying Jinn. Many secrets will be revealed in their journey. The book is the first in the Sandsea Trilogy and I look forward to reading the next installment. This was an immensely enjoyable and fun read and I applaud the author in her skill in developing a well crafted story.

THIS BOOK!! This book!! Chelsea Abdullah is such a talented debut author: her world, prose, and plot are all gorgeous. Her characters are vivid and believable, and the whole book is filled with moments of genuine laugh-out-loud humour

Possible Triggers:
Death | Trauma | Mutilation | Mild Gore

Summary:
This is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy.

Characters:
This book is told from 3 different points of view.

Positives:
+ I love all the wonderful new things you experience in the very first few chapters. So many wonders to sink into and absorb. This trend goes throughout the entire book. There is amazing wonder after amazing wonder up until the very last page. This book does not disappoint in regards to shiny new things to experience.
+ Magical relics galore. I know I love a magical gadget, it's fun to see how many were talked about in the story. I love even more that some of the magical gadgets have such random and kinda useless abilities. It’s interesting to see how the ‘gadgets’ are ranked according to importance and how even though they are supposedly rare, there is an avid WANT for them from all over.
+ I think my favorite parts of the book were the three short stories that are interspersed in it so that you can learn about particular figures of historical note. There are other stories mentioned in passing and I would LOVE to read them. Perhaps a collection later so you can read all the different stories that were told to the main characters as children.

Negatives:
- I know that this is marketed as an adult fantasy, but it kinda reads more YA; surface level infatuations and all the angst without any communication between characters. You get to see the events unfolding in the book from three different points of views, including their inner thoughts. Had they only communicated with each other, most of the problems could have been avoided.
- So this is a small nitpick, but I think it's important because it feels like it colours the entire book. The premise of the book talks about how there is a cowardly prince. Now all the interactions that happen in the story don’t really seem like cowardice under any definition. Sure the character is naive, is frequently scared, and does not always stand up to their elders. One of the other characters in the book even tells him at one point that they aren’t cowardly, and yet, the entire rest of the book, everyone including the prince considers himself so.
- The extravagant amount of ‘chin lifting’ in this book is very memorable. About a third of the way into the book I was already wanting to bite off all the fingers of every character that “chin lifted” the current one I was reading.
- This is one of my biggest pet peeves in a book and unfortunately this happened not once, but 3 times. When a character dies/loses a loved one they are MOST close to in the world/gets life alteringly maimed… when they get magically fixed within a chapter or two, it completely destroys the gravitas of the situation. Now no matter what a character has gone through, I'm going to forever assume that ‘yeah, not really dead, not really hurt, they were just magically elsewhere until it became convenient to bring them back’.

Final Thoughts:
I had such high hopes for this book. Let me start off by saying how much I enjoyed the imagery and the beautiful folk-tales in this story. There were awesome mythological creatures, various magical relics that did all kinds of things from epic to mundane, and the locations of the story (especially the last one), wow. Aside from all those bonuses, the book really did not do it for me. After the big climax of the story I completely lost interest.

Loulie al-Nazari, the Midnight Merchant of Madinne, is forced by the Sultan to find a legendary relic in the desert. Accompanied by her bodyguard Qadir, the high Prince Omar and Aisha (two jinn hunters) Loulie must face many challenges to stay alive. Will Loulie and the group be able to combat the Sandsea and all the obstacles in their way?

Y’all. This book is chonky, but it is worth it. Once I got invested in the book, I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters. There is a beautiful theme of storytelling woven into the narrative and I was immersed 100% throughout it. Some of the descriptions of food made me salivate and I loved the mythology and fantastical aspects of the world. The characters were well written and thought out, and the book was medium to fast paced. I loved this book. I love that it’s the first in a trilogy and I’m sad I have to wait until the second book comes out. If you liked the Daevabad trilogy, This Woven Kingdom, or A Master of Djinn, I think you will really enjoy The Stardust Thief! Don’t sleep on this book!!

Thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm sad to say but this one was a DNF for me. The characters just fell flat for me and felt super dull and I honestly didn't care about any of them after a while. I was hoping for more action from the parts that I read but it was just a lot of talking and waiting for the action to start and I couldn't find it in me to push any further. Hopefully this one is better for others but for me it was not great

There is nothing egregiously wrong with The Stardust Thief, but that's exactly it: it felt so very average. It falls short of the mark for me in terms of both plot and character, but not so much that it's completely unreadable or actively bad. Everything is just competent enough that I could've pushed through it if I had had the patience, but I simply didn't. I can tell this wouldn't have gotten more than a 3 stars from me, maybe even less than that.

As I've seen some readers point out, this feels very YA--which is not an issue in and of itself if you tend to read and/or enjoy YA, but I generally don't, so there's that. More than a matter of genre or audience, though, I just felt like The Stardust Thief was simplistic in its execution. The characters are drawn in very broad strokes, and the plot only serves to push them along the narrative without really leaving enough space for them to breathe. I wanted more from this narrative: more complexity, more development, more layers. And The Stardust Thief maybe has the beginnings of all of that, but as it stands, it didn't deliver any of those things for me. I really wanted to like it, and I really did give it a chance, but reading it felt like such an uphill battle; at a certain point I realized that I was actively forcing myself to keep reading it, and then I knew that it just wasn't going to be the book for me.

Plenty of people have loved this, though, so it's really going to depend on what you look for and tend to enjoy in your fantasy.

Thanks so much to Orbit for sending me an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review!

I was a little nervous to read an adult fantasy book with jinns, both in terms of length and knowing I would undoubtedly compare it to the Daevabad trilogy, but I got an ARC and dove in.  I was put off by the use of gods, and that there was no Islam present at all.  I'm not sure if the author identifies as Muslim, or what her background is, so I told myself I'd read at least 25% and then state I didn't finish it because I primarily review juvenile fiction with Islamic content or by Muslim authors.  Well, lets suffice it to say that arbitrary percentage came and went and I had no intention of putting the book down.  So why am I featuring it? Simple, it is clean and I liked it.  Aside from the plural little g gods, the book is Arab culture rich as a retelling of the Arabian Nights, according to @muslimmommyblog the Arabic is accurate, the story is engaging, and really my only question is, why isn't it YA?  I have a handful of reasons why I focus on children and teen lit, but one very strong one is that the books are "cleaner" in theory.  Lately though, it has been hard finding YA that followers of my reviews can confidently share with teen readers.  I think this one, although it isn't a religious mirror, the salaams, culture, Arabic, and storyline, tinge the framing and make it a fun "safe" read to suggest to our kids.  At 480 pages, it probably is best for ages 15 and up, and it ends on a cliff hanger, so I'm not sure what the next book might introduce, just be aware this review is for this book alone.

SYNOPSIS:

Layla aka Loulie aka The Midnight Merchant hunts and sells magic jinn relics that she locates with the help of her jinn bodyguard Qadir.  After her tribe was slaughtered by a mysterious army, and she the only survivor, Qadir and her have been a team.  When her skills align with the needs of a powerful sultan she is forced to go on a journey with his son, the prince and one of his 40 thieves, to find a magic lamp that will lead her to answers about her past, offer her chances of revenge, test her abilities, plague her with loss, and fill the pages with adventure.  Stories of the One Thousand and One Nights are weaved in through oral storytelling, world building is built and explored through the characters' understanding their world and the jinn, and the non stop action keeps the story moving forward with minimal dialogue and a lot of high energy showing.  Clearly if I say too much, the excitement will be lost, and I don't want to spoil the characters' arcs, their foibles, their illusions, and the climax- seeing as it is a linear story and if the motivation to move forward is lost, the book will lose its charm.

WHY I LIKE IT:


The book keeps pace pretty well, a lot of the spoilers are not dragged out and I appreciate that they are not used to dangle the reader's interest.  The story has depth, the characters are fleshed out, and the truth and illusion reveals are done without insulting the reader.  I'm still undecided about the (SPOILER) comic book quality of death for the main characters, but it keeps it interesting, so for now at least, I'll play along.  

There aren't a lot of characters, but there are a lot of names for each character and at times in the thick of fast paced action sequences, I did get a little confused as to what was happening to whom and who was saying what.  

I don't truly understand why the divinity is plural or why they say salaam, but nothing else "Islamic" is remotely present save the concept of jinn.  I suppose though for all the fantasy books that use Islamic terms and imagery and then present them horribly, I should be glad that this one really doesn't conflate the two, but an athan in the background or a few inshaAllahs, sigh I suppose a girl can dream.