Reviews

Definitely enjoyed this tale. Strong feel of an Arabic folktale (at least for someone who knows very little), I enjoyed the characters and story, though tales with such strong reality bending magics do make me uncomfortable

lizinthelibrary's review against another edition

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2.75

There was just too much. The pacing really flagged, incredibly uneven and I almost put it down several times. Too late in the story it became an ensemble. Some of the characters lacked development because of that and I had trouble caring about them. And every twist was just one more convenient storytelling gotcha and most were unearned. This person is secretly this and now this and now this. Those twists were lobbed at you with very little time for it to be built into the story and develop, perhaps that evens out in the second book.

malkat007's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

petalrain's review against another edition

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4.5

Love the Arabian fantasy so much in this book! Gave me a lot of Avatar vibes. I wish this book was shorter though. Additionally, the ending of this book did not make me want to read the next book.

alyarchive's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I enjoyed this book. Each of the characters are vital and equivalently important in the quest assigned. Zafira and Nasir were not the only characters that were highlighted, but other characters such as Altair, Benyamin, and the others were also given the same spotlight. They all stood out in their own ways. Though the highlight is mainly focused on the two main characters, other characters were also given a backstory of their own, so they were not shoved aside as they're all interesting people. I love the dynamics in relationship in the past and also in the present. Besides, I love all of these ideas about black magic, assassin, royalty, creatures, immortality, and enemy to lover all contained into a book, it just helps me being absorbed into the story more.

Though, there is a lacking in the consistency of this book's pacing. The pace is tbh quite messy. I was able to finish this book only after my second try. The first part of this book is slow and easy to drop. Which I did for a while. But I picked it up because the whole concept was too good to just be ignored and I succeed the second time around. Which I would say, if you have the patience, go on because you would never regret it as it gets better. The second part is the best part. The pace is perfect. There is enough tense at the part where tension is required, and the heart-fluttering moment is chef kiss. I think that the third part is very overwhelming. There was too much plot twist, which i could use a bit of foreshadowing. It all felt shocking and too packed, as if it is not a duology. If the twists are well made, I would give it a 4.

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