This was the June read for my Fantasy Bookclub and across the board got 4 to 5 stars from all who joined. With crossover appeal to young adult and adult this is a great recommendation for older students. I will be recommending this one to all my students.

I loved the world and the magic and our four main characters (it took a while for Mazen to grow on me but I loved the girls right away and I think Aisha especially will be extra interesting in future books), but one thing that kinda bothered me was how “cheaply” death was treated. There are actually quite a few deaths that are really dramatic and then almost immediately undone, and that’s something that I personally hate quite a bit.

I also really liked how storytelling was woven throughout - especially when there’s the question of who’s telling the story and the lines between history and legend and also truth and embellishment. I wanted way more of that, but the plot wasn’t really permitting (it was definitely a good choice to focus on the main plot instead).

And the ending felt a bit rushed. Our last big conflict was over seemingly in a blink and the book itself is not short.

TL;DR cant wait for book two!

The Stardust Thief was the perfect (prepare to read that word a lot) and delightful mix of fun and light combined with adventure story and some incredibly TENSE moments where I worried all the way through. Definitely a must read for fans of high fantasy (although tone wise more Foundryside than City of Brass, which I’m sure it will be compared to due to setting).

DNF @ 27%.

I really wanted to love this but I am so bored. I love Layla's jinn friend, but I don't care much for Layla, Mazen or really anyone else involved. It might get better as they strike out into the desert, but the thought of dragging myself through that is too tiresome.

This Arab, one thousand and one nights inspired fantasy novel was entertaining. The world was intriguing and the alternating perspectives effective. I look forward to seeing where this story goes.

I will say, as other people have noted, it took me a really good bit to get into the story. The beginning felt a little lacking HOWEVER I blame that on my current major reading slump and the fact I absolutely adored the Daevabad trilogy.

Thanks to NETGALLEY for the EARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really like this book. The worldbuilding is fantastic and the characters are fascinating. The plot is paced nicely and it’s just an enjoyable story overall! Would recommend

I was so excited about this book.
Arab adult fantasy written by an Arab woman? SIGN ME UP.

However, while this book was easily readable and digestible I found myself slightly disappointed by it after finishing it. This book while marketed as adult read weirdly young. The main characters irritated me with their inner conflicts that kept repeating and contradicting how I thought the characters were. While I have no problems wth a character having flaws the repetition of the inner conflicts grated on my nerves and quickly wore down my enjoyment. I do not know if I will be continuing because I don't think this book is bad im just disappointed and underwhelmed, depending on the reviews I hear for the sequel I may continue. I do think that this book can successfully be used as a bridge book for individuals familiar with YA fantasy who want to try Adult Fantasy.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year so it was a bit disappointing when it didn’t live up to my expectations. To start, this is an ADULT fantasy, keyword adult. However, it felt very YA??? To me, it seems like the only thing that really made this book adult was having the main characters be in their 20s. Like many other reviewers, this book just read like a YA book with older protagonists to me.

Everything in this book was JUST there. There were moments in this book that I really enjoyed that had me considering giving it four stars but then it would go downhill and the following pages would be meh. I liked the plot and the magic system of this book but I feel like there could have been so much more done with it?? It all felt pretty average and simple. The same goes with the writing style, it was pretty good. It wasn’t anything complex or out of this world but enjoyable enough. Then there's the characters. This book is multi-poved, following our three main characters, Loulie, Aisha, and Mazen. While there were some flaws with this book I do think it did a nice job at having strong distinct povs. I did like all of the main characters but it just felt like we didn’t go into enough details about them since we had so many characters to keep up with. They all needed some more development except for Loulie. I think Loulie and her jinn bodyguard, Qadir, were probably the most developed and interesting characters here. As much as I like Mazen and Aisha, I just wish we had gotten to know them a bit better.

I think that the jinn and the one thousand and one nights stories were woven pretty well into the story. I also did find that although a few plot twists in here were a bit predictable, there were a few that really did end up shocking me. Overall, the magic system and plot of this book really did intrigue me but I wished we delved into it more. I can see that the Sandsea trilogy has a lot of potential so I am going to continue on with this series, fingers crossed that it ends up improving. With the way this book ended, it gives me hope that it will set up the sequel to be better.

Here's an Arabian fantasy adventure, one of whose plot strands is reminiscent of One Thousand and One Nights.

The Stardust Thief is the first episode in Chelsea Abdullah's Sandsea trilogy, starring Midnight Merchant Loulie al-Nazari, Prince Mazen bin Malik, and Aisha (one of forty thieves).

Haunted by past tragedy, 20-year old Loulie finds and sells magic items, illegal in Madinne, aided by her beloved jinn bodyguard Qadir.

They, and a prince of the realm, are sent by the Sultan on a perilous quest to find an ancient and all powerful lamp.

The cover is really pretty, and I deeply enjoyed this book. I will definitely read the second book when it comes out.

The worldbuilding was really good and I love the arab/persian setting (by an arab author!), it felt very inspired by 'One Thousand and One Nights', I liked the general atmosphere in this book. The writing was nice and easy to read and the author draws an interesting story with beautiful storytelling.

I really liked the characters, especially the main character, and they all had interesting character arcs. I can't wait to read the next book and find out more about them. I also enjoyed the father-daughter relationship portrayed in this book - one of my favorite tropes. It was nice reading about them.

The plot was interesting, but I feel like it was a little too ambitious and tried to fit too many plotlines at once, which came out a little messy. It didn't bother me so much though. I still had a very good experience reading this book. And, it's a personal preference, but I also liked that the story wasn't too focused on the romance subplot, for once. This is exactly the kind of books I enjoy.

Overall, I thought it was a very good debut by Chelsea Abdullah, and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to read a good adult arabian fantasy in the tones of Daevabad or We hunt the flame. It's a solid four-stars for me.

I love the movie Aladdin, and I love the original story of the Forty Thieves. So I went into this book hoping to be dazzled… and I was slightly let down. I do think overall it was a good read and I will probably continue the series, but the timeline and pacing just felt off to me. I found myself struggling to want to keep reading at times just because it felt like a chore to get through certain parts. Layla could be irksome at times (though understandably so), and I was getting a little annoyed at her as the story went on. Not my favorite, but definitely could have been worse.

An Arab-inspired read for the fantasy lover. A great start to a trilogy, if you like solid world building and a good magic system make sure to pick this up.

This definitely reminded me of Ember in the Ashes. Loulie al-Nazari! She is a badass girl with sadness, humor, and temper . She with the help of her Djinn look for relics and sell them. This eventually brings her business to the attention of the Sultan, who demands she find a certain relic .

What follows is an incredible story, inspired by the Arabian Nights story . I adored every minute reading this and cant wait for book 2

This book was amazing. I coudn't put it down. It was magical. Higly recommended! The characters, the plots, the writting: wonderful and perfect.

I loved this multiple POV, action-packed start to a trilogy. The story did start off a little too slow for me, but I understand that world-building and character development needed to be done. The characters are well-done, and I loved the food scenes throughout this book.

Really enjoyed this one-very cool main character, very cool plot. Can’t wait for any possible sequels, As I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book. 4/5 stars!

This book was so much fun to read, and was very cinematic! I could see and hear the sand shifting around.

I got lost a bit with the various visions, but ultimately I think this book had really great and complicated characters. There are a lot of insecurities flying around, but I think Aisha's arc stands out to me the most. Also- some very snappy dialogue, which I am always a big fan of. I was already hooked, but the ending was a slam dunk for me (both the storyline and also the amazing visuals) so I can't wait to see what the next book brings!

Thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for the review copy!

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hello Aladdin vibes!! This book was phenomenal especially for a debut! I loved the multi pov and how well all the characters were developed. This novel had the perfect amount of world building, enough that I could picture everything perfectly but no so much that it drug on and on. I was captivated from the very beginning. I truly loved the relationship between Loulie and Qadir, it was heart warming and truly magical. There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like about this book. Can not wait for the second book!

This is my favorite fantasy novel of 2022 so far. Chelsea Abdullah's The Stardust Thief is magical, exciting, and fierce. Her characters' voices are so distinct, and their stories weave together in a tale that I read in three sittings. I'm super excited for the sequel and I hope more readers pick this one up!

I love a good magical adventure story, and this did not disappoint. Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief tells the story of Loulie, a merchant of magical artifacts; her jinn bodyguard, Quadir; Mazen, a prince who wishes to escape the gilded cage of the palace; and Aisha, one of the Forty Thieves who lives to kill jinn. These four are tasked with recovering a legendary artifact for their sultan - a magic lamp that is said to grant the holder immeasurable power.

Having been first introduced to Islamic mythology in the Daevabad series by S.A. Chakraborty, and of course being familiar with the legend of the magical lamp, I was so excited to delve into this new series. It is so cool to me to see how different authors will adapt the same mythologies, and how differently the stories can turn out. I really loved the way the Arabian Nights tales were interspersed throughout the story, and I thought the climax of the novel was thrilling and definitely has me ready to find out what happens next. However, parts of the book were a little slow-paced, and I didn't find the world building to be as rich or detailed as some other fantasy books I've read so far. That being said, it was still a four-star read, and I will definitely be continuing with this series.

Thank you to Net Galley and Orbit for the egalley!