Review by Booklist Review
The city of Noor offers a lush blend of culture, faith, and language, as citizens originating from various points along the Silk Road rebuild it into a teeming trade stop following a recent massacre. Fatima, one of only three survivors of the Shayateen djinn attack eight years ago, lives a simple life with her adoptive sister, until a catastrophic encounter with a powerful Ifrit djinni reveals the fire within her and changes her life forever. When the threat of the Shayateen looms again and political unrest pushes the country toward civil war, Fatima must overcome her grief and fear and tap into her newfound abilities to protect her family, friends, and beloved city. Azad's splendid debut is an ode to cultural harmony that features exciting magic, an emotionally complex cast, and a touching romance. While the plot lags at times, readers will find respite in moments of humor and the immersive writing. The promising level of craft employed here insists that readers and book buyers keep Azad on their radars.--Amna Haque Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this historical fantasy, a Silk Road--adjacent city is populated by myriad human cultures, as well as the order-upholding Ifrit tribe of Djinn. Fatima is transformed into a human-Djinn hybrid after she unexpectedly inherits her mentor's power. Already noteworthy for surviving a terrible massacre years ago, she must now accept her role as the Name Giver, charged with naming any Djinn who wish to take on mortal form. Drawn into both mortal and supernatural politics, and unexpectedly attracted to the mysterious Zulfikar, the Ifrit Emir of Noor City, Fatima must master her powers while balancing her new role with her relationships to friends and family. Though the exposition can initially feel heavy and the narrative voice, distant, Azad makes a strong debut with this vibrant, lushly described tale that weaves elements of magic, mystery, and romance together with richness of language ("The desert sings of loss, always loss, and if you stand quiet with your eyes closed, it will grieve you too"). Ages 12--up. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-Eighteen-year-old Fatima is a human who carries the fire of the djinn within her. She's a devout Muslim raised by her adopted Hindu family in Noor, a city along the Silk Road, when her parents and all but two other of the city's inhabitants are slain in a massacre by the Shayateen, a class of djinn who thrive on chaos and destruction. Noor emerges from the ashes to become a vibrant multicultural city where Muslims, Hindus, and others live together in a brokered peace maintained by human rule and the protection of the Ifrit Djinn, who value order and reason. There are signs, however, that this peace is under serious threat. When Fatima's presence at the violent death of Firdaus, a powerful Ifrit, transforms her into Fatima Ghazala, she is changed in ways that upend her identity, threaten her relationships, and thrust her into the center of the city's ruling class. Under the protection of the Ifrit's leader, Zulfikar, Fatima finds herself grappling with feelings she's never had before. In this sophisticated debut novel, Azad combines Islamic concepts and Middle Eastern mythology with a variety of other traditions to create a magical treatise on identity, community, friendship, and love. Readers will identify with female characters who struggle against limiting societal expectations. The themes of trauma and grief are treated with care. Azad's vivid depiction of the details of Noor's sights and sounds make the city come alive. Back matter includes a glossary of terms. Readers may also enjoy the forthcoming title We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal. VERDICT A moving commentary on gender roles, identity, love, and loss, and a first purchase for school and public libraries.-Mahasin A. Aleem, Oakland Public Library, CA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Noor is a fantastical, multicultural city in South Asia, home to a tremendous variety of languages, religions, and cultures.Eight years ago, however, Noor was attacked by a tribe of chaotic djinn called the Shayateen, resulting in many deaths. Only three humans survived the massacre, and Fatima was one of them. The ruler at the time, Maharajah Arjun, asked the djinn of order and reason, the Ifrit, for help safeguarding the city, and now, his son, Maharajah Aarush, peacefully rules over Noor alongside Zulfikar, the leader of the Ifrit. When one of the most important and powerful Ifrit dies, however, Fatima undergoes a radical transformationone she doesn't immediately comprehendand wakes to discover that she now has the fire of the djinn within her. Now, she must find a way to protect her family and friends from a seemingly inevitable civil war while figuring out her new identity. Based on Islamic mythology and Arabic folklore, debut author Azad's descriptive storytelling and complex characters give the novel a certain richness and texture missing from solely plot-based narratives; readers can vicariously taste foods from different cultures and partake of the sights, smells, and sounds of the city of Noor where Hindus and Muslims live side by side in peace and harmony. The novel also sensitively deals with the delicate issues of grief and trauma.A must-read for lovers of fantasy. (dramatis personae, glossary) (Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
