I wanted to love this book way more than I did in the end and it really disappoints me to say that. The synopsis had given me such high hopes and got me so excited to dive into this book, but unfortunately the overall pace was extremely slow for my taste and failed to keep me captivated. The book overall came off more as a historical fiction story rather than a fantasy one which is why I believe that the slow pace was not very helpful in keeping the reader's interest. The world building was intriguing and well-developed with the lush details painting a beautiful picture of the setting. I loved the obscurity and secrecy behind the court and their rivalry with the Spanish court which established high risks and added uncertain outcomes for the characters. As a whole, the characters definitely needed more depth to them. They were fairly one-noted and fell flat most of the time. The mystery behind Hassan's gift was what grasped my interest since the start and I wanted to keep learning more about it but I feel that the story did not elaborate on much about his "skills" other than the basic understanding of it. This made it confusing at times and took me out of the story because I had to make assumptions of my own. Even in the beginning of the story, it felt as if this detail was just thrown onto the reader with no background whatsoever. When the story started to accelerate in its speed of events with the escape, it was really engaging up until the point where they're still escaping...and escaping...and escaping a good portion after their initial escape with no plans of where they hoped to end up. Holistically speaking, if the plot was further developed and written in a more concise manner with better developed characters it would have made for a much better story overall.

“This isn’t the end of the world, Little Fatima. It’s only the end of the world you know.”

Fatima is a prized concubine to the last sultan to rule Spain in the late 1400s. Born in the beautiful Alhambra palace, Fatima has never known freedom. She’s treated well, or as well as a bondswoman can be, but chafes at the injustice and inequality of being both a woman AND a slave. Her best friend is Hassan, the sultan’s mapmaker, who has a magical ability to map places he’s never seen and create rooms and passages out of thin air by drawing a map of them. When the sultan surrenders the palace to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, they brand Hassan a sorcerer and demand he be turned over to the Inquisition. Fatima and Hassan flee the palace together, and with the help of a capricious jinni, embark on a dangerous journey to freedom.

“Perhaps the difference didn’t matter; perhaps it was the only the escape that mattered. And she had escaped: she was free, and though freedom was neither happiness nor safety, though it was in fact a crueler and lonelier thing than she could have imagined, it was real, just as the ship was real, and like the ship, it was hers.”

This book started out strong for me, but my enthusiasm for it waned as I kept going. Not because it was bad necessarily, but because it drifted into genres that I personally don't enjoy. The writing is lush and poetic, and I was constantly highlighting. There were beautiful descriptions of Spain and the Alhambra. The pace is slow, but there’s a dreamy yet exquisitely described detail to it. It starts out reading like historical fiction with the minor bit of Hassan’s small magical talent. And then a jinni gets thrown in. And then monsters, and imaginary islands drawn into being, and then some metaphysical self-awareness followed up by an ambiguous ending. There ends up being a lot of magical realism, so if you’re the type of reader, like myself, who likes clear magical boundaries with explanations and resolutions than you might be frustrated by this book.

I also struggled to understand all of the main characters and their motivations. The “love story” of the book is the platonic relationship between Hassan and Fatima, but I was never really convinced that they loved each other, since they always seemed to be at odds or irritated and jealous with each other. I could never get a good feel for any of the characters. Their dialogue and actions were kind of all over the place. For example, everything Fatima does is supposedly out of love for Hassan, but she has far more interesting interactions with all the other characters and there’s very little growth in her and Hassan’s relationship. You’re also dropped right into their friendship, so there’s not much evidence for their closeness, other than Fatima trying to save his life.

I can still recommend this book, especially for fans of magical realism. There are several really interesting side characters who I enjoyed, and the writing is always beautiful.

The synopsis had me thinking this would be a heavy fantasy based in a historical setting with a large focus on a mapmaker being able to bend reality, a mystical Bird King, and the jinn. That's not really how Ms. Wilson executes it; she focuses much more on the historical part while the fantastical is incorporated more like magical realism. If you aren't familiar with magical realism, in a nutshell, it is generally a sub-genre of fantasy with the fantastical or mystical element being lightly incorporated, or real-life with a touch of magic. As such, they'll read strongly like a secondary genre, like historical fiction, contemporary, or a thriller. This is by no means a bad thing, but I was not expecting a magical realism tale going in.

That said, it really focuses on the historical aspect of the story. Fatima is the last concubine of a sultan of the Iberian peninsula. Her friend, Hassan, is a royal mapmaker and the one able to bend reality. With the Spanish Inquisition taking over, Fatima and Hassan have to decide what they are going to do with their uprooted lives; they will no longer be able to live richly in the palace. They will be either forced to convert to Christianity or flee for their lives. I definitely have not encountered much literature about this specific area during this time period, and it struck me of how harsh the spread of Christianity really was. 

Ms. Wilson has very lovely writing. She fully paints of a picture of the setting and time period. She also creates very believable characters. Fatima and Hassan are not typical protagonists; they are used to living a spoiled palace life. They struggle along their journey and are by no means perfect. But they are very good friends and I found myself rooting for them, hoping they will prevail.

It's by no means an action-adventure or a thriller. It's a slow-moving tale and it takes time for things to unfold. I still enjoyed the book overall. I recommend if you like slow-burn historical fiction and don't mind a few fantastic elements along the way.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading many of the reviews already posted here I find myself nodding in agreement with the 2-3 star ones. I so wanted to love this book and for the first 1/2 of it I was. It has a great start: wonderful writing, interesting characters, a truly unusual setting, intrigue, rivalries, angst, danger and a miraculous escape. Then the road/cross country phase begins coupled with the jinn who is probably the best character for me. Cynical, amusing and totally selfish. But things are also beginning to bog down. While I appreciate that neither Fatima nor Hassan are flawless, their bickering and whining got old. There are also TSTL moments that had me throwing up my hands with disbelief. Do you idiots want to survive or do you want to give in and let the Inquisition kill you slowly and painfully?

But they struggle on and so do I. The action slows down to a crawl with near misses and then a new character added. Followed by near encounters with evil and unbelievable escapes. I also agree with the other reviewer who mentioned the unneeded animal cruelty. Then the ending gets jammed on. I realize I've been more or less happily reading a book with magical elements and had been okay with that. The ending though .... WTH? It lost me with only a bit more of the book to go. Suddenly I honestly had no interest in pushing myself any further. It was just too weird.

Other things that annoyed me - how many times does Fatima get carried during the book? How many times does she faint or whine then fall asleep. Everyone loves Fatima.

Hassan and his gift were supposed to be so special and wonderful (and were) but we didn't see nearly enough of this.

What started off great ended up fizzling in the home stretch.

Our tale starts off very slow and more slice of life following Fatima and Hassan's daily life in the palace. But there's always an underlying sense of tension since they are under siege, the food is running out, and it's evident that life will not continue in this vein for much longer. It's only a matter of time. Even though it's slow, I did enjoy this section of the novel. It gives us a good understanding of who Fatima and Hassan are and what their places in this world have been up to this point. They're both outsiders. Despite Fatima having been born in the palace and having the favor of the Emperor, she's still a servant, a slave, a concubine, and subject to the petty jealousies of the others in the harem. If Hassan's strange map making gift weren't enough to set him apart, he's inherited the looks of his grandmother--a Breton--and prefers the company of other men. They're both living sort of half lives within the palace, subject to the whims of others above them and kept, not out of love, but for a purpose which only they can provide. This first section of the book slowly reveals their lives to us and then goes on creating an air of uncertainty surrounding the future for our protagonists by reminding us they're the last remnants of a dying empire.

Once the Castilians show up things finally get moving, and move they do. At that point the pace picks up a lot as Fatima and Hassan flee for their lives from the inquisitor, after Hassan's accused of sorcery, crossing land and sea. Every time you think they may have made it, there are the Castilians behind them, dogging every step. I do love a good chase, it's great for keeping the tension high. I found it hard to put the book down then, wondering what would happen, if they would ultimately get away. Besides the chase, the friendship between Hassan and Fatima creates a lot of tension as well. Theirs is a friendship that when tested is fraught with conflict. It's love, the kind of love that can turn on a dime and become bitter resentment. They love each other, they're mad at each other--this is an ongoing thing throughout the rest of the story. At times it felt a little trying, but you also can't help but admire their bond. 

With no direction in mind, no where to escape to, they decide to use Hassan's gift and he draws them a map to an island they've only heard about in a story, and an incomplete story at that. If Hassan can imagine a place he can draw his way there, they believe, and so they set out to find this place they've only visited in the stories they've told each other over the years. A place where birds go, one of every kind, to see the bird king. Helping them flee is a Jinn, Vikram, and sometimes others they meet along the way. They discover what they are capable of, and what they'll do, in order to survive. The journey is full of peril and near misses, as the Castilians, led by the inquisitor Luz, are determined and unforgiving.

And then something strange happens near the end of the book, after another clash with the Castilians, and it feels like it's the climax of the novel, but instead things take a turn for the very weird. Now, things were already a little weird because you have Hassan's strange ability and the presence of Jinn, but when I say they get weird, they get really weird. It's here that the pace slows again. But then there's another climax, the final battle as it were, and it's there that the book wrings every last emotion from you, leaving you a drained husk, a shell of your former self. Or, maybe that was just me. (I cried so much at the end, you guys. So. Much.)

The prose in this book is breathtaking and creates a world that is both lush with imagination and filled with grim reality. I'm not usually one to highlight passages in a book, but I have quite a few quotes highlighted in this one. Since it's an ARC I won't share them lest they be changed in the final version, but suffice to say the writing is beautiful and at times quite profound. 

The end section, while weird, obviously is trying to convey some deeper meaning. What I got out of it--seeing different people from different backgrounds being able to live side by side to make a life together--brought to mind that wars over things like religion or hating someone over what they look like or who they love is stupid and meaningless. In the end we're all the same. We're all The Bird King. 5/5 stars.

Please note: Review link will be live on 3/12

I started this novel with some hesitation. The concept sounded interesting, but historical fiction is hit or miss with me. This novel was definitely a hit. I would say until towards the end the novel is fairly slow paced. I enjoyed it, but if you're looking for some fast-paced crazy action this generally won't be for you. The amount of love and care that I felt from this book was incredible. Just the amount of historical facts sprinkled within the novel was wonderful and then the fantasy elements just blended seamlessly together.

World building. The detail described throughout the book is wonderful. I read it and definitely could imagine the world. I'm not familiar with that time period in history or that particular area at the time, but it was easy to imagine. As a speculative novel there wasn't anything to crazy from our normal world when it comes to governments, religion, etc.

Characters. This is what really sells the book to me. Wilson focuses most of her attention on mostly three or four character at a time and its perfect. Fatima is amazing. A concubine who was educated and uses that to power her through a tough journey. Hassan, our devote Muslim who draw fantastical maps. I don't want to give a ton away, but I feel like you do get to really see into who these characters are and to watch them grow. They're messy and imperfect, but there's just something I find so interesting about all the characters we meet in this novel. Maybe it's the realism.

Diversity. This books diversity is mainly through Hassan I would say. He's a devote Muslim who also happens to be openly gay. There are other characters in the book who are also Muslim in the first half of the book. Fatima I believe would identify as Muslim if asked, but she's not very religious.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The ending left me feeling a little unsatisfied, but I think it was a realistic way to end it and it is probably the best way to end it. Fatima has some great quotes about women that I really enjoyed. I would call her a determined feminist. If you have any interest at all in historical or speculative fiction I would highly recommend this book!

“It was less frightening...to be confronted by something that was honest about its capacity for violence, than to dread the smiles and false assurances of something that believed in its own goodness even as it murdered and mutilated.”
“The people who want to burn you alive will find a reason to do it, whether you pretend to agree with them or not.”
“People would rather call them witches and burn them than acknowledge that miracles are bestowed upon the world with glorious, unfathomable generosity, because people are idiots.”

What an amazing book from G. Willow Wilson! I adored this story and the beautiful characters and themes it explores. Themes of fear, identity, religion, friendship, reality, faith, and love permeate every page of this book.

I initially became excited to read this book because of the setting; 1491 Spain, or the very end of the Reconquista, has fascinated me ever since I studied Spanish history in college. I will admit to growing up in a Christian culture that painted the Crusades as a holy, righteous war. Only after studying Spanish history did I come to realize that the Catholics were brutally denying religious freedom to an entire country full of diverse religions and people groups. Ironically, the group they sent out to explore the New World in 1492 (Columbus), set out to build a new society with the ideal of religious freedom. The whole thing makes me sick to my stomach, and this novel gave names and faces to a war that previously was anonymous to me.

The main character, Fatima, is a slave in the court of the last Arab kingdom in Granada. When it becomes clear that her friend Hassan will not survive the assimilation to Catholicism due to his homosexuality and his "special talents" with mapmaking, they go on the run. The set-up I just described takes up about the first 100 pages and it is admittedly a little slow-moving. But once they set out on their journey, it is non-stop thrills, magic, and action until the stunning conclusion. This is a "road trip" story like no other, and anyone who loves a story where characters go on a harrowing journey, trying to beat impossible odds, must absolutely read this book!

Some of the fantasy and magical elements went a little over my head - I struggled to picture some of the creatures she depicted. This may be because I am not an avid fantasy reader, but I still felt like some of the descriptions could have been a little more succinct and clear. I was also surprised by how "fantasy" this was - the set-up in the first 100 pages makes it seem like the story is going to be more magical realism, and then all of a sudden jinn and creatures start showing up. It definitely threw me a little. I also felt like the emotional struggles between characters got a little tiring after a while - Hassan & Fatima especially are constantly bickering, sometimes for really stupid reasons. They'll make up in the face of danger and then fight again the next page. I wish we could have seen more consistent friendship between the two of them, but this is a minor quibble.

I really enjoyed this, the characters were wonderful and the story really interesting and new. Entertaining read, well written and a real page turner

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I received an advance copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Short version: I liked it a lot. It drags in places and the exciting ending is kind of abrupt, but the action in the book is secondary to the characters and the relationships between them and those are amazing.

Fatima is the last concubine to the sultan in Grenada, the last emirate in the Iberian Peninsula that's about to be swallowed by the newly-formed country of Spain. The Inquisition has arrived to manage the handover of power and conversion of the Muslim people but Fatima fears for her friend, the palace cartographer, who's a sorcerer and unrepentant gay man, neither of which rank highly in the Inquisition's minds. They escape, with the help of a demon, and the chase begins as the Inquisition tries to catch them on their way to the mythical island of Mount Qaf, home of the King of the Birds.

Wilson's writing is beautiful, the descriptions of palace life are evocative, and her friendship with Hassan rich and complicated. None of the relationships in the book are simple, for that matter, because relationships never are.

Fatima is beautiful, sheltered and spoiled, but she's fiercely loyal and quick to speak out against injustice, not the least of which is that she may have a privileged position as the sultan's concubine but she still isn't free.

"Yes, you were taught to waste your anger. It's convenient for girls to be angry about nothing. Girls who are angry about something are dangerous. If you want to live, you must learn to use your anger for your own benefit, not the benefit of those who would turn it against you."

"The Bird King" works as historical magical realism fiction, a young adult coming-of-age novel, and a dip into mythology, with a young female protagonist who already knows how unfair the world is but can still be surprised at how cruel it can still get, and how powerful she can be against it.

What a gorgeous, gorgeous book. And what a wonderful story! I requested this book for review based upon how much I loved the cover (guilty) and the fact that it was an ownvoices American Muslim story, and jinn were involved! But what I got within The Bird King was so much more than just a beautiful cover. This is my first G.Willow Wilson novel, but based upon this and her work on Ms. Marvel, I would love to read anything she writes! She has such a way with words. There were so many quotes that I drew from this novel, far too many to include in this review, that really resonated with me. She manages to create such a magical feeling throughout the whole story, while also keeping the basic plotlines and concepts rooted in reality.

The Bird King takes place in the palace of Granada, the last emirate of Muslim Spain and follows Fatima, a concubine of the sultan, and her best friend Hassan, the royal mapmaker. Set during the turbulent time of the surrender of the Islamic Emirate to the new Spanish Catholic monarchy, this book deals with so many different aspects of this time in history. Fatima and Hassan are smack dab in the middle of all of this, both characters having not a very extensive knowledge of the outside world, when the representatives of the Spanish monarchy arrive to discuss terms of surrender. Complicating matters is the fact that Hassan’s mapmaking skills are magical in nature, he has always been able to draw maps of places he’s never seen or been and essentially shape reality to his will. Fatima innocently introduces Hassan to one of the women with the Spanish monarchy, unknowingly exposing him to the very person who will try to condemn him as a sorcerer and a threat to Christianity. Confronted with this harsh reality, Fatima and Hassan escape the castle with the help of a jinn named Vikram who can fluidly shift from dog to person.

I loved the characters of Fatima and Hassan, they were both very naive to the outside world and I felt each blow to their innocence while they are running from the Inquisition; I just wanted to keep them safe at all costs! Fatima is a force to be reckoned with and a wonderful main character, she’s volatile, intelligent, occasionally selfish, but she cares for the people she loves with fierce loyalty.

I also really enjoyed the way we get to see the effect that Christianity was having on the Muslim world and their way of life. The juxtaposition of what’s right in Fatima’s eyes and what was right in Luz’s (the inquisitor) eyes was really poignant. At one point, Fatima is thinking of religion to herself and I honestly think the quote directly relates so strongly to how I feel about religion as well.

"She could not envision a God who demanded such particularity of belief, whose mercy and forgiveness were confined to such a precise segment of humankind. Nor, if it came to that, could she fathom hell, which seemed a somewhat contradictory place; you could be sent there for behaving in the right way but believing in the wrong God, or for believing in the right God but behaving in the wrong way. "

But this story also has a distinct vein of feminism running throughout it. As one of the sultan’s prized concubines, Fatima was practically raised in the palace, never going out or being allowed to interact with anyone outside of the palace walls. Throughout the story we get to see Fatima coming to terms with her life and her newfound freedom, and what that means for her. Even though she wasn’t treated harshly in the palace, she has still never known what it’s like to be truly free and watching her grow with this freedom was a delight to read about.

“Yes, you were taught to waste your anger. It’s convenient for girls to be angry about nothing. Girls who are angry about something are dangerous. If you want to live, you must learn to use your anger for your own benefit, not the benefit of those who would turn it against you.”

Lastly, the magical realism in this book was also one of my favorite aspects, though I would have loved to see a bit more of the jinn characters. The imagery and the lush descriptions of the world that the jinn come from, along with the other denizens of that world were so vivid, I just wanted more of them!

Ultimately I would give this book four and a half stars, because the only thing that I would change is more jinn! But overall, the characters, the historical setting, and the messages of this book were wonderful and I would definitely recommend this.

I've read 30% in and I'm DNF. This makes me horribly sad as the cover and premise of this novel is usually my thing. There was a captivating beginning but I have found myself turned off and not wanting to read the story at all.

Quickly on, our main character and map maker are escaping the castle with a version of Vladimar the Vampire. I'm OK with a little weird but I didn't like the direction this novel then took. One other big thing was some of the dialogue of supposed flirting felt very young-adultish. I think the author tried to insert humor at points (having Dogman calling Fatima as "It") but I found it hard to enjoy as I was still reeling from the act of the Dogman eating an encroacher to their campsite.

I've read reviews that if you slog through it, the book is worth the read but I have too many other books to read that have captivated me throughout to continue with this one unfortunately.

Well G Willow Wilson has done it again! I couldn’t put The Bird King down because it held my focus from start to finish! The characters were vivid, including an old favorite from previous books.
I strongly recommend this to any reader who loves a bit of supernatural, and luscious descriptions. I can’t wait for another monograph.
#NetGalley

#TheBirdKing

In the West, we think of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain as a pair of glorious figures riding to victory in the 1480s, but we rarely think about the people they conquered. In The Bird King, a historical fantasy novel, G. Willow Wilson tells the story of Fatima, a beautiful concubine of the last sultan of Grenada and her friend Hassan, a mapmaker blessed with the ability to draw maps of places he has never seen and to remake reality with the maps he draws. When an emissary from the oncoming Catholic forces meets with the Sultan to discuss terms of surrender, Fatima unwittingly reveals Hassan’s secrets to the nascent Inquisition, who views such powers as devilish sorcery. Faced with the likelihood of torture and death, Fatima and Hassan escape from the palace, and with the help of a jinn, a spirit from beyond this world, they flee across a threatening land in search of safety.

Fatima and Hassan are far from the plucky young heroes that usually appear in fantasy novels, however. They have spent years living in a palace, coddled and protected, but treated as little more than useful pets- useful and entertaining in their turn, but forgotten when out of sight. They are utterly unprepared for the world beyond the palace walls and are forced to rely upon Vikram, a surly jinn who made a promise to guard them until they reach the port. But Vikram cannot protect them from everything. Their misadventures force them to face the reality of the world, even as they bicker and push each other to their limits. Our heroes aren’t plucky and sarcastic in the face of overwhelming odds. They’re terrified.

What helps them keep their spirits up through their journey is a made-up game they have played since childhood. Years ago, the sultan’s mother bought part of a long Persian poem, The Conference of the Birds. It is a real poem written in the 1200s by Farid ud-Din Attar, where a group of birds goes in search of their king, crossing frightening lands and falling prey to their own faults as they fly into the unknown. Because Fatima and Hassan have only ever read the first part of the poem, they have spent years making up their own endings to the story, and continue to do so during their flight. As the miles pass and their situation becomes direr, their old game begins to have real-world consequences they did not expect.

The inclusion of The Conference of the Birds is more than just a story element. As an English fantasist might incorporate motifs from Arthurian legend or Beowulf into their story, so Wilson incorporates themes from Attar’s great work into the fabric of The Bird King’s overarching narrative. In the poem, the various birds have flaws that correspond to human weakness. As the poetic birds must overcome their own weaknesses to find their king, so Fatima and Hassan must overcome their own flaws and build up their faith in each other- and their story- to have a chance of finding sanctuary.

I know of few fantasy novels that deal with religion the way that Wilson has in The Bird King. Rather than falling into the binary traps of Good vs Evil, Christian vs Muslim, East vs West, or Faithful vs Faithless, The Bird King sees the flaws in all humanity. Though it contains meditations on faith and sin, it never strays into preachy territory and maintains the right balance as it philosophizes on these heavy topics.

That’s not to say that The Bird King is a heavy, ponderous tome. Though it is steeped in Islamic lore and poetry, it remains light on its feet, blending dry humor and moments of action at just the right time to tell a rich story of a world that never quite was, while showing us a world that could be, if we were brave enough to face our own flaws.

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson

Pros: interesting characters, great melding of history and myth

Cons:

Fatima is one of the sultan’s concubine’s in Alhambra, 1491AD. Amid the siege and her anger at her lack of freedom, her only comfort is Hassan, a gay scribe who can create maps to places that don’t exist. When a delegation from the Spanish monarchs arrives, Hassan’s life is put in danger and Fatima flees with him, hoping to escape the inquisitorial eye and find a better life.

I loved the blending of history and myth and the clash of beliefs that form the foundation of this novel.
The author has a solid grasp on the events and world of 1491, including a lot of minor details that bring the world to life.

I loved her depiction of jinn, which was different from any I’ve read before and made them fascinating. The island being a part of both Islamic and Christian myth was a nice touch, showing that some things are universal.

Beyond the jinn, there’s the magic associated with Hassan’s maps. It’s subtle and beautiful and while the plot hangs on it, it’s sparingly used.

The characters questioned their actions at every point in the book, which made them feel real. They blamed each other for bad decisions. They forgave each other for outbursts they regretted. Fatima is so full of anger and so unaware of the world outside the palace that her growth arc was huge. She’s very passionate and her reactions run the gamut. Luz was absolutely terrifying and I loved that the author played on a modern understanding of what the inquisition was to avoid graphic descriptions. There’s a little information but mostly the book relies on hints of what happens to those put to the question.

The book is fairly fast paced, with the characters constantly running into trouble.

If you like history with a hint of magic, this is a great read.

DNF @ 50%


I really wanted to love The Bird King, but its slow pace and almost nonexistent plot left me incredibly unsatisfied and bored.

The Bird King takes place during the Spanish Inquisition (shout out to National Geographic for their article or I would have been slightly lost) during the reign of the last sultanate in the Iberian Peninsula. Though classified as a fantasy, The Bird King reads almost exclusively as a historical fiction with a little magical realism sprinkled throughout.

The first 30% of this novel is easily the best part of it. The introduction of the characters and the setting is fluid and clear. Wilson explains the setting with clarity without resorting to an information dump. Wilson’s writing is beautiful and poetic. Her descriptions of the palace and terrain are rich and lush making it easy to imagine.

The main character, Fatima, is the last Circassian concubine to the sultan. The sultan and his mother love her, so she’s afforded some semblance of freedom. Fatima is an intriguing character because of her status as a concubine. She grew up knowing her role would be as a bed slave to the sultan, so I expected Fatima to appear older than her seventeen years. Unfortunately, Fatima’s personality flits between one of a twelve year old and one of a seventeen year old.

Regrettably, the novel after the 30% mark is incredibly slow paced and boring. It’s a chore to read because nothing happens and the characters are not fleshed out enough to make readers care about their journey. I wish the entire novel had taken place within the setting of the first 30% since it seemed like Wilson was setting up an intense political fantasy. Unfortunately, the direction the novel takes is slow and I couldn’t get through it.

Overall, The Bird King begins as a stellar historical fiction novel with the potential to be full of political intrigue with a dash of magic, but falls short in the direction it takes.

If I had to rate the 50% of the novel I read, I would rate it three stars.

Fatima is a slave girl born and raised in the harem of the Sultan of Grenada. Hassan, the palace mapmaker with a miraculous gift, is her only true friend. When a Catholic envoy comes to claim Grenada in the name of the Spanish monarchs and discovers Hassan's "blasphemous" talent, Fatima convinces him to escape with her. Aided by supernatural friends, Fatima and Hassan must make their way to safety while being hounded by the Catholics, and in particular a cunning and ruthless woman named Luz who is determined to fulfill her religious calling at all costs.

A story of friendship, love, strength, faith, and perseverance, above all The Bird King is a message of tolerance. Strip away differences such as language and wealth, and at the core we are all human, and faith is not about the trappings of organized religion but about belief and love. This beautifully written journey of self-discovery connects you to each character and through the wondering eyes of Fatima, who has never been outside the palace, makes you appreciate the world anew. Somewhat of a cross between The Alchemist and a fairy tale, The Bird King is perfect for fans of magical realism.

I love a book that combines history with mythology and fantasy. I’m realizing how much I enjoy that genre of book. I thought the relationships amount the characters was wonderful. I’m all about world-building and the author did a great job with this. Somewhat slow paced for me, but I would still recommend this book!

As a scholar of Middle Eastern/Islamic history, I highly recommend The Bird King to fantasy readers and to educators wanting to incorporate fiction into the classroom. Wilson did a great job researching Nasrid Granada and the political, social, and cultural aspects of the Reconquista. Readers get a sense of the material culture and the diversity of peoples in Granada before Isabel and Ferdinand seized the territory.
The main characters are Fatima, a Circassian concubine, and Hassan, a mapmaker with magical abilities to shape maps and the lands he envisions. When the Spanish entourage, led by the Dominican laywoman Luz, wants to try Hassan for sorcery, Fatima arranges their escape. Joined by a jinn and later a monk, the two friends traverse al-Andalus and decide to set across the ocean for the mythical land of Qaf to find the Bird King.
The pacing at times is slow but otherwise the book is a delight. The friendship between Fatima and Hassan is the heartbeat of the story and indeed its major romance. Although Hassan is gay, their friendship is filled with love. Like all friendships, there are trying times but Fatima and Hassan always look out for each other. Another major aspect of the Bird King is the nature of faith. Wilson eloquently and sympathetically explores the relationship between religions and believers who feel left behind/not welcome. The characters find faith not only in the divine, but in each other and themselves.

4.5. Thank you to Grove Atlantic and Net Galley for the ARC.

I confess: the cover put me under its spell immediately and I knew I wanted to read this story even before I read the blurb. The premise of the story only enhanced my feelings though, as I've always had a special connection with Spain and its history. The mention of Granada alone, a city I've been lucky enough to visit myself and admire with my own eyes, would have been enough to make me jump up and down out of joy. Add the promise of a historical fiction setting with a focus on the last sultan of Muslim Spain, a setting right in the middle of the Spanish Inquisition and a fantasy twist, and I knew The Bird King was going to be something special. My instincts turned out to be right: this was such a stunning and absolutely fantastic read! It becomes clear from the beginning that the power of The Bird King is in the prose, attention to historical details and the hint of magical realism in part of the elements. The lines between fiction and fantasy are blurred and balanced in such a way that will surely mesmerize you before you reach the final page. The attention to detail and many descriptions really make the story and its characters come alive. We get a glimpse inside the Alhambra and its daily life under the last sultan and all things culture related. We also get an idea what the Spanish Inquisition was prepared to do in that time, although that is not the main focus of this story. Like I said before, the fantasy elements almost have a magical realism feel about them, something that really worked for me in this story. Each character is unique, well developed and easy to like... You will find yourself rooting for Fatima and Hassan and crossing your fingers they will be able to escape and find the mythical island where the bird king lives. People have complained about the slow pace, and while I agree the pace is indeed rather slow, it also makes it easier to fully savour the prose and all those wonderful descriptions and details. It helped me absorb every single detail all the better and I personally enjoyed every single minute of my time with The Bird King.

I really liked this book and I am glad I read it. I like the story and how it progresses and also the way the author combines some historical facts and mythology with fantasy elements and makes it look natural. The characters and the world - building is also very good. I really liked the friendship that is developed between our main characters. The writing is magical and beautiful.
One negative thing I can say is that the book is really slow paced.