OH MY, OH MY HOW I LOVED THIS STORY!!!! I love The Daevabad Trilogy and Golem and The Jinni so I KNEW as soon as I saw this it was a MUST READ!!! So much detail to atmosphere there were times I felt like I had sand in MY mouth! Characters were extremely likable and I continue to think about them even though I’ve finished the book! I only wish I read after the entire trilogy was complete as I count the days when I can pick up book two and three!!!!

Abdullah is absolutely an author to watch! This story is an incredible adventure, and I can't wait for the sequel!

Part of me felt instantly sold from the beginning at the introduction of Loulie and Qadir and their bond, as well as the shorter chapters. I am a short chapter supporter!

I really enjoyed this One Thousand and One Nights inspired retelling, and the setting and description of the Arabian culture was so welcome and beautiful. I loved the adventure vibes and the decently paced story, as well as the relationships between the different characters.

This is definitely a quest story! The majority of the story took place during a journey, and so there was a sense of things constantly going wrong in order to build tension - I grew to expect the worst at all times by the end of it. But the growing bonds of the characters were a highlight. Again, I especially loved the bond between Loulie and Qadir!

Will be updating with a more thorough review once I've let it steep in my thoughts some more!

This book was very interesting. I thought Abdullah did a wonderful job setting us up for the trilogy that lay ahead. The world building in the novel is phenomenal, and the characters are all interesting. She layers in the story well, and I really enjoyed the break out stories she had of the various jinns as a way to create backstory. I also adored the way she used stories we already knew about tales from One Thousand and One Nights and made them her own, along with other tales from our childhood. I thought each of those layers were so well hinted at and revealed later.

I will say that the beginning of this tale was a bit slow for me. It took until about 50% of the way through to really get going and hit all the stakes we needed. I also felt like the pacing was a little off. We had a rush of a few different action sequences followed by nothing. This makes sense to a point, I just felt like they could be a bit more layered in or a bit more foreshadowing before the action took place. I also felt like the characters all seemed incredibly similar in various ways. The two women POV had similar attributes and not enough time was spent with them for me to feel how I could differentiate them.

I will also say that there were points where the POV choices didn't make sense to me either. I wanted to be in one person's head because something big happened, but we spent more time with the two other POV characters reacting to how that person acted. It took me out of it and made it less interesting when we were back to them, almost like they processed off screen. I am excited to see where this story goes, certain things just kept me from adoring the novel.

“Let it be a story about stories and the power they have to sway mortal hearts.”

This book is a beautiful love letter to the art of storytelling. It reads like an ancient epic with an intricate world and a quest for a magical lamp but one that is grounded in the small dynamics and emotions of the characters. Chelsea Abdullah is a master of making a dance or the banter between characters seem as consequential as the fate of an entire world.

“I have found you, and we are lost together.”

This book follows 3 POVs:
Loulie al-Nazari, the Midnight Merchant, gathers and sells jinn relics with the help of her bodyguard, savior, and friend, Qadir. She has no home, so she made the entire desert her home. Prince Mazen yearns to leave the walls of the palace only to learn that he is better at telling stories than being in one. Finally, Aisha bint Louas is one of Prince Omar’s (Mazen’s older half-brother) Forty Thieves. She is a ruthless jinn killer who covers her scars in henna.

Each character is perfectly unique and fallible, and I cannot wait to see them in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for graciously providing me with an ARC.

The Stardust Thief has entranced me in its world. Taking inspiration from One Thousand and One Nights, this first installment in the trilogy has me hungering for more of this deadly quest

If you are looking for: worldbuilding, mythology, adventure, magic, and a long journey, pick this up. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it within a few days, savoring the imagery and action. We read from multiple perspectives, and I can happily say I liked all the characters. The political aspect was intriguing, and I loved the fantasy. There is so much potential for the next volume, I am already looking forward to seeing where the author takes the story and the growth of the characters. Also, romance is NOT a big focus of this fantasy so far if that is something you are looking for.

I had blazed through most of the story, but the ending was exceptional.

My only note was that it seemed to play a line between young adult fantasy and adult fantasy. I am hoping the next volume leans more towards adult fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC.

This book actually surprised me where it went in a direction I didn’t expect it. I feel like if you enjoy The Bone Shard Emperor then you have a high chance of liking this one. Very different environment obviously as this takes place in the desert but storytelling and writing wise, I found them to be similarly structured.

Okay so this story is told from three points of view: We have Loulie, who is a woman who can find hidden magical items, and sells them. We have her lifelong friend who is her bodyguard and is a Jinn. 3rd character is on the opposite side of the spectrum, Price Mazen, and then finally Aisha who is one of the legendary 40 thieves, which is basically a complex palace guard kinda of. All of these characters get lumped together to go on a quest to find a powerful magical lamp from an ancient story that’s been passed down for generations within the royal family. I pretty much loved them all, and seeing the story unfold from their different points of view, each with their own unique voice was really fun especially if you are listening to the audiobook which is a full cast and I highly recommend it.

I did have some minor gripes with the plot, at one point it felt like the main quest was forgotten about but we do eventually get back on track and another gripe I can’t talk about because of spoilers but it involves dangerous situations for the main characters that 2 of them go through and I like it when authors stick to their guns but that wasn’t the case here. I know that’s so ominous but maybe if you’ve read this then you know what I’m talking about but other than that the story was compelling.

Recommended to me by a very dear friend, it was wonderful to see a newer take in 1001 Nights, as thos seems to have been missed out on in the recent rebirth of the mythology genre. I loved every second of this book and couldn't recommend it enough.

As someone who has never read 1001 Nights and is not terribly familiar with the Arabic language....this was absolutely captivating! Every chapter something new was happening or being revealed. Thankfully, instead of feeling like you're following a never ending journey/quest it was so easy to get caught up in whatever new situation or problem the characters found themselves in. A lot of ground was covered here (figuratively and literally) all while providing lush atmosphere, strong world building, and intriguing characters! I cannot wait to see what Abdullah does for the next installment and I'm already planning my reread prior to the sequel release......which is soon right?!?!

i finally got around to reading this book, and i’m so happy i did! the stardust thief is a middle eastern fantasy full of vibrant characters, an immersive plot, and twists and turns throughout the entire novel. abdullah’s debut shines, as not only is it one of the best fantasy books i’ve read in a long time, but it’s one of the best if not possibly the best debut i’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. i will be recommending this to all of my friends for sure! fantasy book lovers, this one is for you! 5/5 stars!

thank you to both netgalley and orbit books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy!
A book about Arabs written by an Arab set in an Arabian-inspired fantasy setting? AND based on 1001 Nights?
I’m sold.
If I could have asked someone to write me the perfect book, they couldn’t have known to write this. This book reminded me of The Daevabad Trilogy in that they are both so stunningly complex, so deeply beautiful, that I found myself comparing the worlds and characters as I read. I loved the perspectives we got, the wonderful characters we followed, and the beautiful world building around it. There is a major cliffhanger at the end, but I still recommend reading this before the next book comes out…it’s just that good!

I loved the characters, magic, and world building of The Stardust Thief. Qadir quickly became my favorite character and would love a prequel of just his story. The POVs of the merchant, the prince, and the thief made the story interesting without becoming confusing with too many characters.

"Let us speak of lies and truths, and of the story hidden between them."

As a massive fan of S.A. Chakraborty's The Daevabad Trilogy, I knew that I wanted to read Abdullah's debut novel from the moment I read the synopsis. Told from three POVs, THE STARDUST THIEF weaves Middle Eastern folklore into an epic quest for a missing jinn king relic. I thought it was fascinating the way the legends that I recognized from Chakraborty's tale were employed in entirely different ways, bringing a new, fresh perspective. Furthermore, the lush descriptions of the desert and the stopping points along the way brought the pages to life. I loved the way that humans were able to use magic via the relics, which were significant in their own right. Reading the legends interspersed throughout the novel created feelings of nostalgia for the fairytales I consumed as a child, and I will be sure to share them with my child as he gets older.

I did feel that there were portions of the story that moved a bit slowly, contrasting with the conflict scenes, which were full of action, suspense, and violence. I am so happy that THE STARDUST THIEF is the first book in a trilogy, as I can't wait to return the world created by Abdullah. Note, while I reference Chakraborty's work, you do NOT need to read her novels prior to thoroughly enjoy this one. Thank you to Orbit Books for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

PS, this was #fantasyfrenemies' May 2022 choice, and I can't wait to discuss it tomorrow night! If you've read the novel and want to view my spoilers, I've added some to Goodreads (hidden, of course).

This story is exactly what I like in a book.

We are first introduced to Loulie, the mysterious Midnight Merchant, who is in the business of illegal magical objects called relics. She's assisted by her bodyguard, a jinn named Qadir. Their back and forth quips were a highlight of this book. We also have Mazen, a prince whose brother is a merciless jinn hunter. Together, they embark on a journey to retrieve an enchanted lamp for the sultan...or there will be consequences.

I'm a big fan of adventure stories like this, where the characters travel to their end goal but end up encountering other conflicts in between. The Stardust Thief not only delivered this, but also had engaging characters, each with their own secrets, that were fleshed out and intriguing to follow. At no point in this book until maybe the second to last chapter did I know just what was going to happen or what the next twist would be. It kept me reading and wondering how everything would eventually come together. This book is 480 pages but once I started reading, I couldn't stop!

I'm very excited to see where this series goes and how it will blow my mind next. I love Loulie, Mazen, and Qadir too much. <3

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and author for a copy of this book; this review represents my honest opinion.

Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

I love the mythological and folkloric tales of the Middle East and Northern Africa. This book borrows heavily from “One Thousand and One Nights”, especially the tale of Scheherazade and her storytelling skills, and also uses the method of embedding stories within stories as part of the plot, which “One Thousand and One Nights” also does. Predictably, what I enjoyed most about this book was the mythology, the world-building, and the story-with-a-story methodology employed by Abdullah. The rest of the book? Well, I’ve seen jinn, ifrits, cunning and clever orphaned merchant/thief women, harsh princes, and soft princes in this sort of setting done a lot better before. I also have a great deal of concerns about this overall story arc sustaining itself over a whole trilogy when I felt it was almost the right length for one book and might be stretching itself when it was done with the second book.

I don’t think you’d be wasting your time with this book. It’s entertaining, the mythology is fascinating, and the world building is fantastic. It’s just that the characters aren’t in any way original and are very predictable. Just concentrate on the magic and the world around the characters and you’ll do fine.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for granting me early access to this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Stardust Thief is a magical tale of unlikely heroes and thrilling quests, of chaos and bloodshed, of love and loss; a book where everyone has a story to tell. The notion of identity is one of the central themes explored, Mazan - one of the main characters is forced to face who he really is—is he gentle bookish Mazen, a coward who runs from danger, who hides in the shadows, or is he someone who faces his fears to save others? Or could he follow his heart and be the storyteller who enchants an audience with his mother’s tales and his own? Aisha is a survivor. Overall The Stardust Thief was a heavy but great book.

If I'm being completely honest, I would give this 3.75 just to be accurate, but I'll round up because it doesn't deserve 3 stars.

I loved the set up and the mission of the book. It's a fun fantasy setting with lots of creatures and background legends and lore to catch up on. Some of it did feel a bit thrown in my face and did not get described as thoroughly as I would have liked. At times it almost felt like I was thrown in the middle of a series without having read the first novel. When things were revealed and I followed them, I loved it. Other times I felt like I had missed vital information and wasn't sure if I was reading too fast or if something was just glazed over.

After going back and thinking through it, the plot has so much potential. It has set up such a great storyline for a successful fantasy arc. The characters need more work in the future. They bad characters have been set up as evil. I can tell they are evil and why they're evil and evil evil evil. They don't need more work. They track very well. Loulie could use some more depth. I feel like we got so much of her in the first 15% and then she barely grew from there. When something finally happened with her "lover" near the end, I finally felt some emotion from her. Maybe she ie simply either "angry" or "cry" and that's okay. I just want more from her in the trilogy.

Qadir seemed to hold the most depth in the first book. I really enjoyed him as a side character. He had so much history that intrigued me. His lore is super interesting, although I don't completely understand what exactly he is. Hoping that we get more of that in book two. Mazen seemed like a carbon copy of someone I have read in the past but I can't exactly put my finger on who. He was okay. Excited to watch his potential grow in the next book. Aisha....I don't understand what happened with her. TBD how I feel.

Other than the plot being pretty jumpy and at times stagnant, the parts I liked, I really liked. There would be times I couldn't look away from the pages and times when I wanted to do anything other than read. I'm glad I pushed through because the ending was by far the most interested bit of the story. It's good. It has great set up. Maybe if this book wasn't just mostly set-up and back story I would have loved more about it. But now it does have the potential to make an amazing series.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books from the advanced copy! I will be following the series as it comes out.

4 stars

this was honestly, unexpectantly really fun. half of the book feels like a nighttime story a parent would tell their child (granted that the child is okay with listening to crude language and death etc etc) to lull them to sleep. The other half is a bit of a fever dream of twists and of "I knew that guy was evil"('s) and other such... action-packed scenes. It also made me want to watch Indiana Jones again for no reason other than I need to see a grown man (and his buddy) run around a country beating people up and trying to find a certain treasure.

Thank you Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eARC copy for review!

5/5 stars! Life got in the way of me finishing this book prior to the pub date, but I am absolutely in LOVE with the story! I also purchased the audiobook so that I could read on my work commute, and the narrators are absolutely excellent!

This story was absolutely excellent! The stakes and plot twists were expertly placed, the characters all had well developed personalities, and their ARCs had clear intention and awesome twists! The entire story was a fun ride and I legitimately didn't want it to end! The magic system and the legends surrounding the lore were so vivid and fantastical, and the stories INSIDE the story were one of my favorite parts. Chelsea has a knack for making you feel seamlessly part of the story, and you picture everything clearly in your head. Also, if absolutely ANYTHING happens to Qadir or Mazen, I WILL NOT BE OKAY. Read this book everyone!!!!

An immersive fantasy that blends well known tales into something at once familiar and original.

I really enjoyed this story, and how it focused more on an adventurous quest than romance, which was a breath of fresh air. Both main characters are easy to sympathize with, and I found them equally compelling.

Personally, I found this novel to fall somewhere between YA and Adult fantasy. While it didn’t have the common romance focus of NA, it centered around protagonists in that age range and balanced more complex world building, typical in adult fantasy, with closer POV, typical in YA fantasy. This is something I personally enjoy, and while I didn’t connect with this as deeply as Daughter of the Moon Goddess or A River Enchanted, I did enjoy it!