Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan Presents books, and Harry Potter. This has the familiar story beats of a mythology-inspired fantasy/adventure AND there's something extra special about the characters, their friendships, and the writing. Definitely check this one out!

Because her parents weren't married when they had her, and this is considered less than optimal in Muslim culture, Farrah only sees her father once a year. He's a judge in the UAE, and her mother lives with her parents in Philadelphia. Farrah usually is fine with this, but when her father is visiting on her birthday, they have some squabbles when they are rock climbing at Wissahickon Valley Park. Farrah impulsively wishes that her fate would be rewritten and she would be a part of her father's world. A ring he has given her glows oddly, and before she knows it, her father is changing into a jinn with blue skin and disappears. Of course, no one believes her, and her mother and grandparents don't want to talk about it. There is some mention of leaving Philadelphia and living with an aunt in New York so that Farrah's father can't find her. Since some odd things have been happening to her, Farrah decides to run away to try to find her father. Instead, she is chased by creepy shadow jinn and helped by the mysterious Idris. He lets her know that she is part jinn, and offers to take her to the Qaf mountains to talk to the jinn kings who might be able to help get her father back, since he is one of them. The two magically fly there, but their meeting with the kings doesn't go smoothly. One hundred years ago, there was a rule made that any part human jinn would be banished, and since Farrah's father is the judge, the kings don't want to accept Farrah at all. She eventually meets with Yaseen, whose father is another of the kinds, and he tells them that in order to revoke her wish, she'll need to travel to the Realm Beneath the Unseen and meet with Azar, an ancient jinn who made the ring. It's not as easy place to get to, but Yaseen is willing to help... because he's Farrah's half brother. He attends a school of magic for royal children, and uses his knowledge to try to make an amulet of protection so that they can travel to the realm beneath. Nothing goes right, and the trio ends up traveling back to Philadelphia to try to get help from Farrah's mother. Instead, they run into Farrah's best friend Arzu, who joins their quest. This takes them into the countryside near Lancaster, has them travel on a train, and sends them back into the magical world. There are secrets from Idris' past that come to light, and Farrah and Yaseen both struggle with their identities as well. Will they be able to free Farrah's father from the ring before figuring out how to deal with their jinn identities?
Strengths: There are very few books that have characters that are Afghan American, and this is the first fantasy I have read that seems to involve Persian jinn. Farrah's parentage is interesting, and her desire to be closer to her father will resonate with many readers. Idris and Yaseen are interesting characters who bring an extra element of tension to the travels, and all of the complicated relationships and secrets will keep readers turning the pages. There's plenty of fun magical traveling, and an evil nemesis in Azar. This is the first book in a series.
Weaknesses: Having the trio travel back to Philadelphia didn't seem to have much purpose other than to add Arzu to the group, and just made the quest more complicated. Perhaps Arzu could have run away with Farrah from the beginning.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who can't get enough magical adventures, like Steadman's Skandar and the Unicorn, or culturally connected fantasy quests like Brown's Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting or Villanueva Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors. Since there are already a lot of culturally connected fantasy series in my school library that are gathering dust, I will probably not purchase this, although will definitely keep it in mind if I have students who want books with Persian (Afghan) folklore and mythology.

Well we already own it but I finally had a chance to read the arc. It is very enjoyable and I liked the Jin element next to the Islam. I look forward to a sequel.

Farrah only sees her father on the day of the Winter Solstice, which also is her birthday. She knows nothing about his life, if he has another family, or if she has siblings, and he wont’ tell her. Finally, she is given a magic ring, as a birthday present, and she wishes on it, wishes that she was not hidden, that she had a different fate.
This is the beginning of her journey to save her father, because she has changed fate. She has changed who she will be, and who her father will be, and she discovers that he is one of the Great Jinn Kings, and she is forbidden to exist, because of a prophecy about half-jinn children.

This reads as though it is either the start of a series, or the start of a trilogy, which would be good, because Farrah grows and learns things, and loses things, but there is a hint that there is more yet to come.

What I like is that her running away to find out about her father makes her mother file a missing persons amber alert, so that when she comes back to the human world, people are looking for her. I also like that she confides in her best friend, who joins her in her journey to rescue her father from the evil rings magic.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on the 2nd of July 2024.

Wow!!!! What a gorgeous and dazzling new MG fantasy, one I can’t wait to share with my own kid and middle school students (AND I CANT WAIT FOR BOOK TWO!)!

Synopsis: Farah’s parents are not married and she feels lost between the epic fantasy tales her dad tells her of jinn and her Madar who seems to want to ground her in reality.

On her one day visit from her dad of the year, she is given a ring- and when she makes a wish- her world explodes!!

Farah has to figure out that her wish may have been inside her all along- and she has to step into her power and find her confidence in those who love her!

I truly did enjoy this book thoroughly. I have a feeling middle grade readers who love fantasy are going to eat this up. I hate to compare books to each other because it might box them in, but I did feel like it had certain elements that are present in Percy Jackson, but in a fresh way. The plot moved quickly, and the action was wonderful and the twists were numerous- all marks of a good fantasy read!

I also really loved the cultural touches in the story! We need more diverse fantasy reads for sure!

Can’t wait to get my hard copy in the mail- and hurry on book two please!

This was such an entertaining and wholesome read 😭 <333
-- found family and friendship
-- bonding with a sibling
-- the complexities of family relationship (this is all I can say without spoiling 🥲)
-- The presence of jinn and their magic, and the rules governing their interaction (well, lack of) with mortals
-- an adventurous quest in the mortal + "unseen" jinn world

The resolution of the quest was simply brilliant, combining both Farrah's intelligence and empathy! I can't wait for book two, the epilogue was so intriguing!

TWs - loneliness, abandonment by a parent

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Farrah Noorzad and the Ring of Fate is an exciting new story from a wonderful new voice in children’s literature. Dedicated to all of the readers who see themselves escaping into the stories they love, and for good reason. It’s an exciting story of a girl caught up in her own imagination, it things go wrong and the stories she always hoped were real end up coming to life and wreaking havoc, leaving her and her new djinn friends to have to find a way to save her father, and possibly all of the djinn world as they know it.

Actual rating: 4.5

I was immediately intrigued by the premise of Farrah Noorzad and the Ring of Fate, as I’m fascinated by jinn lore. I love that this went in directions I hadn’t seen previously, and I love how much this is a story of figuring out your own power and strength while contending with complex feelings towards family members who don’t give you enough of their time and energy. Farrah’s relationship with her dad is complicated by how she is only able to see him once a year, on her birthday, and all she wants is to prove that she is worthy of being loved and seen by him. When she makes a wish to find her place in the world, and her father is pulled inside the ring of fate, she is suddenly forced onto a journey to save him, and perhaps the whole world, but most importantly save herself.

I really enjoyed the lore and world development, as well as Farrah’s relationships with Idris, Yaseen, and of course her best friend Azur. Seeing how the different dynamics develop over the course of their adventures and how they’re each forced to confront different truths they rather keep hidden. At its core this story really feels like a story of finding your inner strength by finding your inner truth, and finding the people who’ll love you regardless of those truths. I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to see what’s next for Farrah and her friends!