Review of “The Wrath and the Dawn” by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn is a YA retelling of 1001 Arabian Nights. Or, I should say, a retelling of the Arabian Nights' frame story, of a brave young woman who volunteers to be the bride of a serial killer ruler who murders his new brides…

Review of “Hearts Before Diamonds” by Bryan Fields

A rollicking tale of adventure and love set in an alternate steampunk Asia, "Hearts Before Diamonds" is a short story revolving around Edward Wallace, an American expat in India who works as a 'problem solver' for a fee. When Timir, a new…

Review of “Desert of Souls” by Howard Andrew Jones

A wonderful sword and sorcery tale set in medieval Baghdad, "The Desert of Souls" is close to historical fiction in its beautiful detail about everyday life in the Islamic golden age. The action is fast-paced and gripping. The historical notes…

A Bureaucracy of Magic: A Review of The Bartimaeus Trilogy

Jonathan Stroud’s 'trilogy', featuring the wise-cracking djinni Bartimaeus, is actually four books, counting the prequel “Solomon’s Ring". A YA series, the books detail the development of a young boy, Nathaniel, who is taken from…

Hackers, Tyrants and the Jinn: A Review of G. Willow Wilson’s “Alif the Unseen”

In a near-future city, Arab-Indian hacker Alif (the first letter of the Arabic alphabet) sells his illegal skills to the highest bidder while dreaming of a future he can't have with his aristocratic lover. Meanwhile, the devout, niqab-wearing…