TL;DR: I adored The Stardust Thief immensely! I was reeled in almost immediately as this world that felt like a grand oasis in the midst of an endless desert unfolded before us. This story was refreshing, fast-paced, and action-packed as our characters make their way across the desert. I loved getting stories within a story, the jinn magic, and the characters too! I’ve always been interested in the tales from the 1001 Arabian Nights, which I found brutal, captivating, and magical, and I think Abdullah captures that feeling and authenticity in these pages as well. This was a lush debut with delightful twists and turns, and I can’t wait to continue the series cos I’m dying to know what happens next.

You’d think with a desert setting, the monotonous landscape would make a story rather boring, but you’d definitely be wrong in this instance! The world-building was enchanting, magical, and unfurled so wonderfully in these pages. I was at turns captivated by the beauty of the desert and horrified thinking about all that sand getting in places where sand shouldn’t be—without having any way to get rid of it to get comfortable again! 🤣 Not to mention how heartbreaking it is to know that any life that grew in the desert, was the result of jinn blood being spilled. I really enjoyed this magic system and how simple yet different it was!

Our characters embark on a long journey across the desert to complete what many would deem an impossible task. I’m not very particular about stories where the plot involves journeying from one location to the next, but Abdullah did a great job in keeping readers hooked as there was never a dull moment with these four travelers! This likely had to do with how the world-building, storytelling, and character arcs were so well-balanced!

As immersed as I was in the world-building and the journey, I was still most invested in the characters. I immediately connected to Loulie and Mazen, while Qadir and Aisha took a bit longer to grow on me. Though they had such vastly different life experiences—not only because they were jinn, thief, prince, and merchant of magic—they all carried the trauma of devastating losses and heartbreaking grief. They have such wonderful complex relationships with each other, and I loved how it realistically took time for them to build trust and form a strong bond in that “found family” way we love to read about.

Loulie and Qadir in particular had such a supportive and loving connection, and you could feel how much they meant to each other, despite getting put to the test throughout the journey. As much as I loved Loulie, I think my favourite character was Prince Mazen. 🥹 It’s hard to believe that such a soft, pure-hearted, young Prince could be related to the cutthroat and callous murderers that were his brother, Omar, and his father, the Sultan. He experiences so much growth and I loved seeing him evolve throughout the journey. He doesn’t suddenly become this badass prince who can slay any enemy that comes his way, but he quickly learns to adapt to situations, think on his feet, and steels himself against the horrors they survive, without losing his goodness and noble heart. I’m hoping that we learn much more about Aisha and Qadir in the next book because I really grew to love them by the end!

That ending was even more action-packed than I anticipated, and the deliciously delightful twists, turns, and truths revealed had my jaw dropping and me audibly gasping (on public transport no less) right up to the very end! There were reveals that I had loosely guessed (and loved being right about), but then there were twists that took things to the next level of “OMFG, WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HECK?!” that I probably should’ve seen coming but I was too caught up in everything else to properly realise. 😂 Abdullah made me loathe the person we were meant to hate, love the person that we were meant to root for, and empathise with the person who was torn between dutiful loyalty and what they knew to be right.

I will admit that there were things that I wasn’t entirely sold on—such as the supposed “romance” arc in the story. It wasn’t a big deal, but it meant a lot to a character although I didn’t feel the connection whatsoever. Also, though I loved the twists and reveals at the end, it felt a little too much all at once. There was so much that happened that it was a bit chaotic and didn’t leave much room for processing all the jaw drops and emotional shocks before it concluded. That said, it wasn’t a big deal to me and didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. I’m very excited to see where the story goes next—I have a feeling it’s going to be wildly magical! 🔥

Have you read The Stardust Thief or is it on your TBR?

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