Feminine Rage. F the Patriarchy in every way.

Nehal is an amazing protagonist - I love her (she gave me minor Rin from The Poppy War flashbacks). Her rage is so palpable to read.
There is a lot of misogyny/sexism throughout this book. It is very severe and almost constant. I don't discount the book for that as it is unfortunately still a reflection of the world we live in today. But for that reason this book is not an escape.

I do hope we get to see more of the very cool magic system in the next book, and more of the school or characters learning how to use their power. I look forward to reading the sequel


I will not be posting any reviews on social media due to the HarperCollins Union Strike. Once a fair offer is reached I will publish my reviews.

I’ll be blunt about Hadeer Elsbai’s The Daughters of Izdihar. There are some serious problems with this book. There’s the fact that it ends on a massive cliffhanger. (This is the first half of a duology.) There’s the fact that most of the characters, especially the men, are utterly repellent misogynists. There’s the the fact that the entire magic system is criminally underdeveloped, even though one of the protagonist’s goals is to study that very magic system. And yet, in spite of all of that, I still want to know what happens in part two.

The Daughters of Izdihar follows two protagonists, the impulsive and domineering Nehal and the more circumspect Giorgina. Nehal spends much of the narrative full of (rightful) anger at her circumstances. All she wants is to learn more about her water magic and use it to defend her country. Instead, she learns that she is going to be married to a rich aristocrat she’s never met so that her dowry can be used to pay off the family’s debts. Giorgina, meanwhile, lives on the other end of the class structure. Her poor family needs her income to survive, but she doesn’t mind that—what she minds is her very conservative father’s dictates on her behavior and that of her sisters. When she’s not at work, Giorgina agitates with a women’s rights group or spends time with her rich boyfriend. Unfortunately for Giorgina, that rich boyfriend is the same man that Nehal has just been forced to marry.

From that inauspicious start, we watch as Nehal uses her force of personality to get what she wants out of the marriage (permission and funding to learn how to use her magic) before she pushes her way into the same women’s rights group Giorgina has been working for. The two seem set for conflict but, thankfully for all involved, Nehal has no romantic feelings or attraction for her unwilling husband. The major plot points instead focus on escalating episodes of violence. Whenever the eponymous Daughters of Izdihar show up to protest or march, police and anti-magic/anti-women groups show up to provoke violence, landing the women in increasingly dire straights. Other readers have pointed out that Giorgina, Nehal, and others turn to men to get out of these predicaments and found this problematic. I agree to a certain extent but the world that Elsbai created for her characters doesn’t allow for them to save themselves…at least until enough women lose their tempers that they might actually start a revolution to claim their rights.

There are things in this book that could’ve been written with more nuance but I am very curious to see if Nehal, Giorgina, and their allies blow everything up in part two. Readers who want more realistic and believable depictions of male characters or more magic should steer clear of The Daughters of Izdihar. Readers who are intriguied should probably wait for part to to come out; I really wasn’t kidding about the cliffhanger at the end.

This is a fantasy that will make you think. Set in a world inspired by modern Egyptian history, women have restricted rights and need the approval of their father or husband for the most basic things like working and attending school. There is a movement to try to get the right to vote when a new constitution is being formed but the women face scorn, disapproval, physical attacks and even jail. Two women, one from an aristocratic background and another who works for a living and has no prospects find they have more in common than one would think.

Nehal, spoiled and use to getting what she wants, must marry a man she does not want to to save her family from financial ruin. The man she marries happens to be in love with another Giorgina, a poor bookseller. Not only do both rail against a world that prevents them from making their own choices and get involved in a radical woman's rights group, But they both have the ability to weave.

Some people have the ability to weave the elements. But this power is both feared and ridiculed. Nehal is lucky enough to be able to attend a newly opened school for weavers that allows women. But she is met with resistance from people inside the school and out. Giorgina has no dream of ever attending such a school.

Their personal struggles may take a back seat soon as the country they live in, which is a bit progressive, faces tension and perhaps war against another that fears and persecutes all who have weaver abilities. And they have good reason to fear for years before one of the most powerful weavers ever born, a woman, brought destruction and death to many. As tensions rise, the world may just see how dangerous weavers, and women, can be when denied hope and choices...

As I said, this is a fantasy that makes you think. It reminds me of what women in many countries in the late 19th and early 20th century faced when they fought for the right to vote. And, unfortunately, what many still face to day in many countries throughout the world. Such a fight is uncomfortable, difficult, dangerous and sometimes deadly. But it not only shows the struggles of the women fighting for the right to have a say in their own lives and why they are fighting for it, but the other side also. The side of women who argue why can't you just do what is best for your family, why do you have to be selfish when you can help your family survive, after all, we did it and continue to do it.

Then, there is the prejudice against weavers. The prejudice is based in fear as it often is. But there is some basis for it. Weavers can have a great deal of power. And one weaver did do a great deal of destruction and caused many deaths. Most weavers can't do that type of thing. In fact, many just view weavers as people who can do an interesting trick that can be used to amuse and entertain. But there is always the few... And if they are used in war as soldiers?

So there are a lot of issues that are complex and provide plenty of fodder for storylines. The writer does a good job in creating complex characters to go with the complex issues. I don't really like Nehal. She is spoiled and has little patience or sympathy for people who do not share her views or likes. That isn't just for big issues but things like the opera that her husband enjoys and she can't see the point of. She only gets involved with the women's movement because she feels that she is hindered by people from doing what she wants. Would she get involved if she didn't have to marry a man she didn't want to and was allowed to attend the school for weavers by her family. Probably not. But does that negate that she can do some good for the movement? Life is never one dimension. And the other characters aren't either. Life is complicated and can get very messy.

This isn't just a story of philosophical, political and personal issues. There is action too.

A fantasy that makes you think but is a good story as well. What more do you want.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

(3.25/5) I feel like this book is what would happen if The City of Brass and Iron Widow had a book baby, The Daughters of Izdihar is full of political upheaval and intrigue, women's rights (and women's wrongs), an ATLA-esque (perhaps not even esque) magic system, and more. Told from a dual POV from two women - Nehal and Giorgina - who come from different social backgrounds but are thrust into each other's orbit when Nehal is forced to marry Giorgina's love, Nico. Fortunately, this book doesn't fall prey to the easy route and there is NOT a love triangle (never fear).

While I liked the duality of the characters, I felt like Giorgina had more character growth and development (going from prudent and cautious to being more willing to be herself and use the magic with which she's been gifted) than Nehal, whom I found to be throw-caution-to-the-wind imprudent and selfish almost to the point of ignorance throughout the book without realizing that she could use her riches and status to make a difference, despite being presented with that opportunity multiple times. Beyond Nehal and Giorgina, I found almost all the side characters to be flat and uninteresting, and I wish that wasn't the case. Towards the end of the book, the situations started to feel repetitive. This book felt like it was just setting up for the sequel, especially with the cliffhangers at the end.

While I loved this book, I will be withholding my review until HarperCollins engages in good faith with the HCP Union and the employees on strike. Until such time, I will not be publishing reviews for any HarperCollins books from any HarperCollins imprints. I hope to see this resolved soon.

**Review withheld due to the HarperCollins Union Strike**

On my channel I will not be giving review details for any HarperCollins or HarperCollins imprint books until the strike is over and a new contract has been negotiated.

Truly one of the best feminist fantasy books I've ever read. I really enjoyed the two main protagonists, Nehal and Giorgina, and how they react to the situations they face from completely different sides of the socio-economic spectrum. I loved the magical version of Egypt the author created and would love to read other stories from this world especially a prequel that touches on some big precursor events to the novel or/and a novel on the founding of The Daughter's of Izdihar.

This novel touches on many topics that we see globally today. From the advancement and protection of women's rights to discrimination and the right to an education. I would have loved for this novel to be a bit longer just to add to things mentioned but not completely fleshed out in the novel.

Can't wait for the sequel!

Thankful to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review

WOW. This is one of those books that I will be pondering long after I finish reading. Elsbai artfully grapples with deeply difficult and complex issues that transcend the immersive fantasy world in which the story takes place. This is the first time I’ve read about the fight for women’s rights in such a magical setting, and I was blown away.

This story is set in a world inspired by modern Egyptian history, and is told from two different and oftentimes opposing perspectives: Nehal, a wealthy woman who would rather fight in the military than resign herself to a loveless arranged marriage, and Giorgina, an impoverished yet brilliant writer who works with the Daughters of Izdihar, a radical women’s activist group. Both Nehal and Giorgina are “weavers” possessing the ability to manipulate water and earth, respectively. These women face obstacles due to not only their gender but also their weaving abilities, which are seen as threats to modern society.

I don’t typically enjoy dual-POV stories but I loved how Nehal and Giorgina, while both fighting for equality, tackle these issues in largely different ways. Nehal’s privilege as a wealthy woman in a politically-advantageous marriage allows her to be hot-headed, combative, and unrelenting, whereas Giorgina must take on a more anonymous role. We are introduced to many other strong female characters throughout the story, including Malak, the leader of the Daughters of Izdihar, and other members of the group. This book includes an incredible sapphic romance and obstacles faced in a homophobic society. I adored the fantasy elements, especially the weaving academy that teaches students both the science behind their powers and how to properly wield them.

My only regret is that I wish there was more world-building. I wanted to see more of the academy, how the military harnesses weaving abilities, and the war brewing against their neighboring country that despises weavers.
All in all, I think this is a beautifully-written and fascinating debut novel, and I can’t wait to read the sequel! Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I will review once HarperCollins reaches an agreement with the HarperCollins Union. At that time I will provide a full review of my thoughts. Thank you for the opportunity.

I will share a full review when HarperCollins meets their employees at the bargaining table. HarperCollins employees deserve a fair wage, and titles like this have proof of why within their pages and the stories being told. Seems a bit off to sell these titles while flying in the face of some of their central themes.

DNF at 32%

No one is in a bigger shock than I am that I quit this book. I don't normally leave books unread because I like to give them a chance to sell themselves to me fully, which normally requires reading it in its entirety, but this one didn't have enough there to keep me drawn in. The descriptors were beautiful, the one about the opera house so clear in my head that I took a moment to stare at the ceiling and marvel at it alone.

Everything else though? The plot? The characters? One big empty bag of nothing. Even 32% in I was still left with a blank on who Nehal is, who Giorgina is, what their personalities were like. The little bit I was beginning to get from Nehal was almost enjoyable, but Giorgina was simply boring. All her motivations were narrated with Noco in mind, her ex of circumstance. And even he was one note, the same as Nehal. The beginnings of something good, but all around not enough to make me want to learn more.

And what little might have drawn me in, the rage inducing sexism each and every woman had to endure, had me rolling my eyes when the women from two different worlds interacted. Etedal was hostile to Nehal upon their first meeting, seemingly blaming her for an arranged marriage that is the result of the sexism she and the other Daughters of Izdihar (a feminist movement) were fighting for!! What!! Why??? Why must women react so hostile to one another, especially when one is trying to understand and the other comes from that feminist movement. The hostility just makes no sense.

And I could smeeeellllll the love triangle coming from a mile and a half away. It's just not my cup of tea, triangles (lest they end in polyamory) are never that interesting to me.

I tried to read this book for a month. A month and I honestly could get further than 30%. The writing was so stiff, no flow, no beauty, minus the scene descriptors. The plot hadn't moved and the characters hadn't moved me. I was so looking forward to this too.

My full review will be withheld until HarperCollins Publishers reaches an agreement with HarperCollins Union. At that time my review will be updated with all my thoughts included.

Oh Man that cliffhanger! This book was so. dang. GOOD! My only negative is that I really did not resonate with Nehal (one of the 2 POVs), but I can appreciate that she is a fully developed character, not an archetype. Elsbai spins a wonderful story of claiming your power even when society and tradition deny you of it; even when it means losing everything you know to find what you could have; even if it comes to bloodshed and tears. This story follow Nehal and Giorgina as they struggle from opposite ends of the economic scale with the inherent sexism of their world and the far-reaching implications it has on not only them, but those they love, hate, and need. Far more than a political tale, The Daughters of Izdihar adds an elemental magic component which serves to exacerbate an already tense climate - female magic wielders, called "weavers," are not allowed to attend the academy that can teach them to control their abilities. As a result, their power can be unpredictable and has severe consequences. The question of "fault" comes up multiple times - if a weaver loses control because she was never trained, is it her fault? If a mother, a woman, uses her only power - marrying off her daughter to someone wealthly - to save her family, is she to blame or are the laws the limit her and her daughter's power? The implications of the constraints of this society are fascinating and humbling to watch unfold, and are only made more high-adrenaline when the factor of magic is added to the mix. If you want an empowering, albeit understandably frustrating, story examining the fallacies of sexism, this is the one for you. Be warned - this is not a cozy fantasy; it is harsh, raw, and painful, as all struggles worth having are.

**Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC**

This Egyptian fantasy focuses on magical elemental type magic, "weaving," and women fighting for their rights in a nation where every aspect of their lives are controlled by men. Add to that the fact many in the nation view weaving as dangerous and something to be wiped out, and you have a political powder keg (literally when you combine it with fire weavers!). We follow two women from different classes, Nehal and Giorgiana, who find their lives intertwined by an unwelcome arranged marriage to an educated and rich aristocrat, Nico.

I really liked the magical element, it is very reminiscent of Avatar the Last Airbender. It was fun watching Nehal develop her water weaving abilities and I enjoyed reading about the Academy (would love to be in this setting more in the future). I thought the world building was also well done, and as a reader I felt immersed in the culture. Everything was believable and real, even when that meant fire is coming out of somebody's fingertips. It's easy to understand why these women band together to form the "Daughters of Izdihar," risking everything to ensure they have a say in their own futures. As characters I liked the contrast between Nehal and Giorgiana. Nehal does come across as rash and arrogant. This could be annoying at times, but I did appreciate the way she wasn't afraid to speak her mind and stand up for her beliefs. Giorgiana takes a bit longer to come out of her shell, as she has much more at stake if she harms her reputation, and I felt she was more relatable. Nico was wonderful in his support in this book, and I did like him as a character very much, especially as he found his voice.

This book is very politic heavy, yet still an enjoyable start to a fantasy series. I would definitely read more and look forward to seeing where the characters go from here. Super into Malak and would love to hear more from her. I highly recommend it if you enjoy middle eastern fantasy and feminism. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for my opinions.

I had high hopes for this book and it did NOT disappoint. This book is the perfect marriage of the Daevabad trilogy and Avatar: the Last Airbender. I know that sounds weird but it works!
Nehal Darweesh comes from a highborn family and is being forced into a marriage to pull her family out from underneath her father’s gambling debts. Giorgina Shukry is a red-headed working class girl who works at a bookstore to help her family survive and has a secret lover who promises someday to marry her. Niccolo (Nico), son of the wealthy Baldinotti family, is both Nehal’s betrothed and Giorgina’s love. When Nehal realizes that Nico’s heart is with someone else, she strikes a deal: she will put into their marriage contract that he can have a concubine IF he signs her permission slip and pays for her tuition to the Alamaxa Academy of the Weaving Arts. You see, Nehal is a waterweaver, a person who is able to manipulate the element of water. There are other types of weavers as well: earth weavers, fire weavers, and air weavers. These weavers are not the most popular of people amongst the nations and Ramsawa’s decision to not only re-open the Alamaxa Academy but to now allow a small group of women to attend has not only upset some Ramsawis but their neighbors in Zirana. For Nehal, being a weaver isn’t as much of a burden as being a woman - no vote, no autonomy, no rights. When she is introduced to the Daughters of Izdihar, a group of women led by charismatic Malak Mamdouh that fight for equal rights, Nehal feels her passion for equality set on fire. Nehal is even more interested in joining the group when she finds out Giorgina is involved in it as well. Nehal, Giorgina, and The Daughters embroil themselves in trouble that puts their reputations and their lives in danger.
Nehal is by far my favorite character because I see so much of myself in her. I, too, become so enraged when I experience misogyny that I can’t control my own reaction. She is feisty and stands up to authority in a way that I get shamed for. I loved seeing her stand up for herself and all the other women around her.
This is the debut adult fantasy for Hadeer Elsbai and she nailed it! The cliffhanger at the end!!! I need to know when the sequel is coming! The characters are so endearing and the setting, although it exists in a magical world, feels so real. The book is easy to read so obviously I inhaled it!
**I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This book was so amazing I was shocked. We get main characters who have very strong opinions . You can see that they have their flaws but that just makes them more human to the reader. I am excited to be able to buy and annotate a physical version of this book

Genre: historical fantasy, inspired by Egyptian history

Nehal Darweesh is headstrong and stubborn, so when her parents inform her that she’s to be married to Nico Baldinotti, whose family will pay her father’s gambling debts, she’s livid. Nehal decides to leverage the opportunity and have her new husband sign the enrollment papers for the Academy where Nehal will be able to train with her magical weaving skills, an ability to control elemental forces. Neither Nehal or Nico wants this match. Nico is in love with Giorgna, a bookseller who aligns herself with a radical political group called the Daughters of Izdihar, who fight passionately for women’s rights. When Nehal and Giorgina enter each others’ orbits, they realize that they align both politically and magically. Nehal claims Giorgina as a friend (and rewrites her marriage contract to allow Nico a concubine should he want Giorgina still), and slips into a world of fierce political machinations and rebellion.

This is a very strong debut from Hadeer Elsbai, as she tackles a variety of topics at once. The inspirations from historical Egypt (Elsbai is Egyptian-American having grown up between New York and Cairo) lend to rich imagery and storytelling. That said, I suspect it will read better as a completed duology rather than as a standalone. The plot arc in Daughters of Izdihar feels a little short, as does the growth arcs of the characters.

Nehal is a bulldozer of righteous passion of youth. She doesn’t often see the bigger picture, simply assuming that the reason things are the way they are is that others are too stubborn to change, rather than seeing the complexities of human nature and intricacies of politics. Granted, the political climate Nehal finds herself fighting against is horrendously toxic - most of the male characters are so polarized against women’s rights that it feels like a caricature.

Throughout the book there are themes of resistance and passion as well as questioning identity. Nehal learns to recognize herself as queer, adding another layer to her righteous anger: understanding she’s accepted in society more because of her last name than her own worth. I’ll be very interested to see these identity questions played out in the second book.

Malak, the leader of the Daughters and Nehal’s love interest, is an inspiring woman. While Nehal is naive to a fault, Malak fully recognizes the consequences of every action and the power she and her political compatriots yield. A bit of a woman-of-mystery due to rumor mills (Did she sleep with chief secretaries to gain her group more power? Does she sleep with women? Is she violent? Is she also a powerful weaver, or just clever?), Malak probably has the most depth of anyone on-page. We see her from both perspectives in her relationship to Nehal but also as a mentor for Giorgina.

Having Nehal and Giorgina as the two POV characters works very well for this story. Whereas often you have the different perspectives of lovers, Nehal and Giorgina are bound by the man to which one is married and the other is in love with. The seeds of a strong friendship have been planted for Nehal and Giorgina, but both have other lovers. The class difference between the two main women gives us different perspectives on Alamaxian life, which mirrors much of the 19th century worldview.

This will be perfect for those who want more books similar to Daevabad, A Master of Djinn, or the Books of Ambha. I suspect younger readers than I might connect better with Nehal and Giorgina - I found myself more like Labiba, one of the older Daughters, or like one of Nehal’s professors at the Academy. I found parts of the book to be less subtle than I prefer, but the brazenness matches Nehal’s personality well.

Additionally, this book is published by an imprint of Harper Collins. I support the HCP Union, but also want to promote this book as it is Elsbai's debut, and as of the time of writing this review, HC has still not come to the bargaining table with their union. What better way to celebrate unions, though, than with a fiery political group of women fighting for their rights!

"You know Nehal, she rushes into things with hardly a spec of foresight."

I wasn't the biggest fan of Hadeer Elsbai's The Daughters of Izdihar. The book centers around, Nehal, a young aristocrat forced to marry the richest bachelor in Alamaxa. All she wants to do is attend an academy to learn weaving, her power to manipulate the elements, but her father refuses to give her permission. As the book progresses, Nehal and other women become embroiled in their struggle for freedom and rights in a setting inspired by Egypt. Their weaving powers play a central role.

There were positive and negative elements of the book's world-building. First, the setting was beautiful. I loved how the book drew inspiration from Egypt, and many of the scenes were described so vividly. I also thought that the magic system was interesting, and I was excited by the idea of the academy and the division of female soldiers. However, the magic system takes a backseat to the political struggle. Even when the Academy takes a more central role as a setting for the story, we don't spend much time there. The book is chiefly focused on the political organizing of the Daughters of Izdihar.

Unfortunately, the politics was one of the places where this book lost me. In general, I have recently found that I don't enjoy fantasy novels set around political strife. As a college student studying political science, I spend a lot of my time looking at politics in the real world. I want to escape it when I read. So, the fact that this book was focused on a subject that I am getting tired of already lost it some points. However, I also felt that the way that this book set up its political system and political organizing felt like it was missing some key elements and considerations. That's another reason that I've realized I don't like fantasy novels that center around political movements: they always get stuff wrong when they are creating their fantasy reproduction.

While we're on the subject of the Daughters of Izdihar movement, I also had some problems with the way that this book represented political strife. I don't think that it addressed that salience of class enough, and there is ignorance to the role that institutions play in upholding oppression that goes mostly unaddressed. Like Nehal, who is playing a central role in the women's rights movement, is also buddy buddy with the police commander.

Moving on to the characters, I will say that they were very realistic. Nehal was like a real person in that she was heavily flawed. However, in making her so 'real,' she became incredibly unlikable. Here's how to sum up her personality: incredibly selfish aristocrat who likes to make people mad for fun and literally cannot control a single one of her impulses. She is such an annoying character to read about. Every interaction she has goes the same way. So, when bad things happen to her and we're supposedly at a dark moment for her character, I was overjoyed. Literally, every negative thing that happens to her is just the consequences of her actions.

I did like Nico as a character. I thought he was an interesting person. I began to appreciate Giorgina, the other POV character, as the book went on.

Finally, the plot was mostly guided by mistakes, some of which were entirely avoidable. I tend to think of plots like these as lazy writing. There should be other ways to develop an interesting plot that don't require characters to act idiotically. However, I will note that there were some more interesting and compelling moments that did not arise in this way.

Overall, I was not a fan of this book. I think readers that prefer their characters to be flawed and real would enjoy it. So, if a character like Nehal doesn't ward you off from a book, you would probably really like this one. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In The Daughters of Izdihar we follow two women who act as our narrators - Nehal and Giorgina. Nehal is a well-off noblewoman who wishes to attend the Alamaxa Academy of the Weaving Arts to perfect her water-weaving abilities (which is similar to the water-bending that occurs in Avatar). Giorgina is a poor woman who is afraid of her earth-weaving abilities, but is an eloquent writer and a regular attendee to the protests and rallies of the Daughters of Izdihar. The two women’s lives become intertwined in their participiation with the Daughters of Izdihar and in their fight for women’s rights in the city of Alamaxa.

First off, the world-building in this novel is rich, with the weaving that occurs being similar to the element-bending that occurs in Avatar, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading about. The book is also filled with badass female characters in addition to our main two characters, including Malak, who is the leader of the Daughters of Izdihar movement. With regards to the pacing, the pacing of Nehal felt a little faster/more exciting/action heavy, while Giorgina’s parts felt somewhat slower, and I sometimes found myself quickly reading through the Giorgina-narrated chapters in an effort to get to the ones narrated by Nehal. However, I also feel that we see a lot more growth in Giorgina as a chracter compared to Nehal and I appreciate the confidence that she gains over the course of the novel. Finally, reading this novel at the same time that the Mahsa Amini protests are occuring is not only an important reminder of the inequality that many women still face in the Middle East and around the world, but also an important reminder of the strength of women and the crucialness of the men who vocally support said women. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and am excited for future novels within this universe!

4.5/5 stars!

I am in in absolute shock. This was so, so good. My only complaint is that I would have liked to see more - more world building, more relationship development, etc. This book was very heavy on the action, which isn't bad, but I do like to have a little bit more context to fit in with that action.

Otherwise, this was an absolutely wild ride. The Daughters of Izdihar is a high fantasy novel, yes, but it is also a novel about corruption and police brutality and suffrage and women's rights and privilege and intersectionality. This book covered so many incredibly heavy, incredibly important topics that at times, I had to set it down just to process. I would absolutely recommend this novel to fans of fantasy novels with Arab inspiration, feminist undertones, and political intrigue.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.