This. Was. Everything. Fans of the City of Brass Trilogy I have found our newest obsession. This was AMAZING. I’m literally speechless. So this is the end of the review. READ THIS BOOK.

Chelsea Abdullah had some good ideas here, but in the end, this novel left me slightly confused and underwhelmed.

First, to the good stuff. I liked how Abdullah intertwined the best-known Arabian Nights stories into her tale, incorporating

Scheherezade, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and I'm sure there were many more stories woven in that I was unfamiliar with

. The first hundred pages or so The Stardust Thief are snappy and pacy in style, and I was thinking "oh, this is going to be a cracking good story."

It wasn't long after our narrators - Loulie, Mazen and Aisha (as well as Qadir) - set out on their journey (not a spoiler as it's in the official blurb) that I started to get confused. It was still incredibly gripping to read - but I was no longer as invested as I was in the beginning.

So what went wrong? For me, it was a number of things. A few plot holes which I couldn't rationalise to myself.  Too many convenient escapes where someone or something turned up at just the right moment. The characters felt too thin and weren't developed enough to make me care about them. I was confused about jinn lore and exactly how the magic worked. And I think it was too long, with twist upon twist until it became impossible to keep track of who knew what and when.

In conclusion, a strong start and some clever ideas, but the worldbuilding and character development left a lot to be desired.

Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy is my shit! I loveeeeddd this! I did get lost a few times with what was happening and had to go back and re-read to catch on with the plot, but overall I really enjoyed it. Can't wait for the next one. 

For a debut novel this book had a fascinating and original story, one that I think many people would enjoy. I will say that the characters despite effort felt quite flat, which I imagine will improve the more Abdullah writes, she pulls off the whole “detached grouchy untrusting” character scheme a little too well, where it seems to bleed into every character in the book. 

The start was a little boring, and this book took me forever to get through but I do blame that partially on my reading slump. I think I’d give the second book in the trilogy a read when it does come out :) Qadir is definitely my favourite character and I would love to see more of him. 

I could not for the life of me figure out what I wanted to rate this book. I yanked between a 3.75 and 4 star for the last hour and still my mind is warring with me.

The Stardust Thief is a story filled with magic, stories, flawed characters, and betrayal. I mean what more could a girl want. I instantly fell in love with the worldbuilding and the magic system. I felt immersed in the stories that were being told, and it was almost like I was transported into the world when everyone gathered to listen to the old storytellers.

We end up following the POV's of Mazen (the prince), Aisha (the thief), and Loulie (the merchant). There is nothing I love more than flawed characters that struggle with their inner beliefs and views of the outside world. It makes the story all that more enjoyable. Even when Mazen's naive characteristics drove me up the wall, I still enjoyed reading about his struggles of family duty and want of adventure. These flaws also make for great character develoment and complicated characters - which is a big win for me.

Where my rating debate comes in is the writing style and how the book reads. This is labeled as an adult, yet reads and comes across as YA. I wanted more intricate adult fantasy descriptions and in-depth knowledge behind the magic system that most adult fantasy's give. However, The Stardust Thief is lacking in this aspect. While I enjoyed the fast pacing plot and the quick action that had me turning the pages. I wanted those moments of deep imagery, especially in a world that is colorful and full of jinn and magic. 

Given that, I still can't wait to pick up the next book when it releases.

A thrilling action packed book full of jinn, magic, adventure. 
  
When Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, saves the life of a Prince, the Sultan blackmails her into a quest to find a certain magical lamp.
  
Forced onto this quest is also a prince and one of his forty thieves, who lust for jinn blood, death, and relics.
  
This book is an incredible start for the Sandsea trilogy. The world building is amazing, the characters almost believable, some fighting scenes made me hold my breath. 
  
I love Middle Eastern tales, and this re-telling is beautiful. 

If you enjoyed the Daevabad Trilogy, then you’ll no doubt enjoy this. Similar setting, but with different magical twists and characters. I enjoyed the weaving of the 1001 nights of Scheherazade as a background/history. The story was a bit slow to build, but rushed to the end. I’m now wanting to read the next in the series…

Not sure if it was just me or it was actually the writing style, but it felt slow up until the end. This became a book where I was more so invested in the characters than the actual storyline. I am very excited though to see where the story goes next in the series after that action-packed ending.