I’ve had this on my Kindle for ages since I started following the author on social media. So glad I finally got around to reading it!

The Premise

When she realises she has the Gift of a Jinn, Princess Arie knows she has to get help to get rid of it. After all, in her kingdom, women with the Gift are not trusted, and it is believed that they are killed. However, men with the Gift have much greater freedom — particularly when they have the Gift of persuasion, like the neighbouring King Amir of Sagh, who comes to take her hand in marriage, much to her dismay. With Amir using his power to control her father, Arie sees no other option but to run away — far, far away to a place where Amir can’t get to her, and where she can perhaps find a way to get rid of her Gift. Along the way she encounters Kadin and his gang of thieves, who are also hunting a Jinn for another reasons: revenge! Can they join forces and help each other?

The Pros

I knew from reading up about it (and from the author’s social media) that this was a loose “Aladdin” retelling, but honestly without that premise, I would never have guessed it. There’s more than enough here for the book to stand on its own without being compared to any fairytale! I loved the feisty Princess Arie, and her first encounter with Kadin was hilarious and sweet. I also enjoyed every moment of Gideon and wanted so much more! This was a lovely tale that takes you in a totally new direction, and you easily fall into this fantastical world where magic is its own character. The mind-reading also had funny parts that made me laugh out loud (whoever though of mind-readers being inundated by folks desperately needing the toilet?!) and there were so many more snippets that held my interest. I liked that the characters had their own stories, which was great for character development and also made it easy to picture them and root for them individually. The suspense builds nicely and is executed well, and I liked that though there was an attraction between the two main characters, it doesn’t dwell too much on this — thankfully, as there’s so much more important parts of the story to focus on!

The Cons

I really enjoyed the story, but there were a few tiny things worth mentioning. The writer’s style of language has its moments where it swivels from “formal/ancient” to “informal/modern”, and though these are few, I somehow wasn’t expecting it in this type of book. Also the mermaid that came into the story at the end, which I correctly noted was put there solely to introduce the second book in the series, felt really, really out of place and random, which was distracting as it was in the middle of all the action! The ending was also a gut-punch, so I sincerely hope we see these characters again later in the series!

Conclusion

Notwithstanding these tiny things, I am happy to recommend this one to any and everyone who enjoys a good YA fantasy. With lovable heroes and heroines, memorable characters, and a doozy of a plot, this is a surefire win to tick all those boxes of a great read. I look forward to reading more in this series — particularly because the mermaid will have the chance to tell her story rather than hang onto the coattails of this one! Great author, great writing, and I want more!

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