The settings, narration, and dialogue are all deliberate, captivating, and poetic while still being straightforward: Evoking all five senses, Abdullah paints vivid scenes with poignant narration. The descriptions of each environment bring the markets, the desert, the palace, and the city to life. By the fifth or sixth chapter, however, Abdullah’s talents shine fully give yourself time to fully sink into this book.įirst of all, the prose is beautiful and lyrical. In fact, if I hadn’t been reading this book for the purposes of reviewing it, I might have put it aside, kept it for some later time. However, the beginning is rather slow, and does not showcase the depth of character and worldbuilding that will be present later on. I absolutely loved this book, and I await the sequel with bated breath. There are identity shenanigans, with characters impersonating others, concealing their identities or pasts, and all other manner of mischief, trickery, and even betrayal intriguing characters such as Mazen’s brother Omar whose motives are uncertain and loyal friends, such as Qadir, with hidden secrets. The novel follows a sheltered prince, a smuggler of illegal magical artifacts who’s known as the Midnight Merchant, and a jinn-killer thief (Mazen, Loulie, and Aisha respectively) as they seek a legendary lamp and the jinn found within it.

Told from multiple points of view-Mazen, Loulie, Aisha-and with many story interludes, The Stardust Thief is full of layered and lovable characters, an interesting plot with many unexpected twists, and a beautifully rendered Arab-inspired world. Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, and infused with a love of stories, storytelling, and myths, The Stardust Thief takes the reader on a thrilling adventure. The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah, the first in the Sandsea Trilogy, is a beautiful and compelling fantasy debut.

The stardust thief by chelsea abdullah