Well written. I love Loulie and Omar. Mazen seemed a bit whiny to me and I'm not sure why, but I just didn't connect with him. Loulie, however, captivated me right away. She is fierce, strong, and witty. The prose is quite pretty and easy to read but I found myself getting bored often. What bored me was the constant switching between characters points of view. Just when I would start getting very interested in someone's voice, it would switch. I understand the need for everyone's point of view but something felt off. The story itself is oozing with excitement I just wish the relationships between the characters was more pronounced. It was nice to enter the world of the Jinn and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an escape from the every day in to a world of magic.

I love a good adventure, especially one with mythical background! This was such a fun read and I couldn't wait to continue the story.

The world building was well done. I really got a sense of how the world functioned and especially how humans feared the jinn and how that turned into hate and all around with hunts. Although this was written from multiple perspectives, Loulie feels like are main protagonist. She's the Midnight Merchant. She has a tragic back story and is now on her own (mostly - we'll get to that) and in charge of her destiny. So, she finds magic and sells it, which is illegal. Somehow she doesn't seem to be wanted though.

She's fearless because she has a jinn bodyguard, Qadir. He has many secrets, but he protects her and helps her find the forbidden magic she sells. He doesn't get any sort of renumeration. He just wants to protect her and he can blend in with the humans, so it works.

Until it doesn't. When she's summoned by the sultan to find an all powerful lamp, her life and the freedom she's relied on, disappears. Suddenly, she's on a quest. Her companions are equally shady (for different reasons) and no one has the same goal. The author then takes us on an adventure that never seemed to end; in a good way! So much happened in this book, I kept thinking, "Surely this will be the cliffhanger that ends the book?". It was not. There was so much explanation of the world, the history of the world, the character backgrounds and yet, I still cannot wait to read the next book!

Qadir was just plain awesome. He has many, many secrets. Of course, when I read that humans were hunting the jinn nearly to extinction and their blood creates life, I knew there was a great deal of hidden backstory and I wanted to learn it all. This novel gave enough. I didn't feel cheated at the end and I didn't feel like I dropped off a cliff and now I have to wait who knows how long before I get the second book. I want the second book, but there was enough of an ending to satisfy. I like that. Unless I'm reading a series way late to the party where I can binge the whole thing.

The way the author twisted the 1001 Tales was very interesting. While I am familiar with them, I have never actually read them. Some things in the novel felt familiar and some I probably missed. Even without the inspiration, this was an exciting adventure without much if any romance. I will be watching for book two!

This book was nothing short of magical. The Arabic was so beautifully intwined into the book itself it was such a joy to read. Everything about the writing, the world and the magic system touched me in ways I never believed it would have. I laughed and smiled throughout the entire book I adored it so much. Reading the stardust thief made me realise Chelsea Abdullah will be an author I look out for in the future. What a pleasure to read, 5/5 very happy and content stars!

Actual rating: 4.5

Okay, this book. Prepare to be SICK of me. I'm going to be insufferable now that I've found more Arab rep. I will simply never shut up about it.

Let's talk Arab/MENA rep. I can count on one hand the books I feel represented in as an Arab. This book is an EXCELLENT addition to that list. I tabbed every word of Arabic and ended up running out of tabs. There's a thrill in seeing the words you speak on the pages you're reading. It never gets old. This book DELIVERED on Arab representation. Like the names of the characters in this book?? Are the names of my brother, my cousin, my friends. I felt seen and ready to take on the world after reading this. BRB gonna go prep my Loulie cosplay.

The book itself is a solid debut. The characters are fantastic (I am officially a Qadir stan) and their dynamic on page was so fun to read. While four POVs might sound like a lot, I truly enjoyed every single one and seeing their perspectives of each other is refreshing. I will say, I am SO here for the dramatic, lowkey himbo, main guy character trend that I've been seeing (first Kamran from This Woven Kingdom, now Mazen). If this is the YA community moving away from the "dark and broody", consider me on board.

The strongest aspect of this book is the world and magic system. It was developed so well and the references to old legends (as well as actual stories inserted) made for a magical and rich reading. I understood the magic system really well, and the reveals were done nicely. I did get a little lost with the plot at one point (hence the 4.5 rating) but the twists and turns were fun to read, even when I was ready to throw my book across the room.

Highly recommend preordering this one!

TW: violence, murder, manipulation, grief, possession, captivity, torture

This story is stunning, the adventure is amazing, the characters are so hard not to get attached to.

What I loved most about this book is how everything and everyone came together, the redemptions of some characters, and the friendships and relationships that bloomed along the way. I got invested into this story so quickly, I can’t wait for the second book!! Also, Louie and Qadir’s friendship is to die for.

Keep an eye out for this one!

4.5 stars
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC.

I love stories about jinn! They are always so fun to read. I really liked this book and am looking forward to the sequel.

The writing was really easy to follow and the pacing was just right. I didn't feel bored at times as there was always something going on.

I liked how the chapters had 3 PoV. I didn't find myself not liking any of the 3 characters. Each chapter had me engaged and wanting to know more about their lives.

I think the second should be interesting because of the way it ends. I would recommend!

DNF at 47%. There were a lot of things to love about this book--the world building was rich and lush and I loved the relationship between Louie and Qadir. It was sweet and lovely. Generally, the plot just wasn't holding my attention unfortunately--I think I'm just a fan of books with a little faster pacing. I do think a lot of people are going to fall in love with this though.

After reading the City of Brass trilogy, I thought I would never get another fantasy story in a desert setting with djinn and magic...until Orbit hurt my TBR even more with this must read book called "The Stardust Thief" by Chelsea Abdullah.

This epic fantasy book was a rollercoaster of emotions, djinn, magic, and guesses of what is to happen but when it happens you didn't expect what came next. Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, it tells the story of a trio of characters who are given a dangerous quest to find a legendary lamp: a magic smuggler, the smuggler's djinn companion, and a cowardly prince.

Though I gave a general idea of what this story is about, it is far more complex and deeper than I can go without spoiling it. So, if you haven't read this book, I recommend it for fans of City of Brass!

5/5 stars, 3/3 djinn, and 1 Phoenix.

This was an incredibly refreshing fantasy novel. Clearly inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief is about a merchant, her bodyguard jinn, and the legendary relic they’ve been forced to pursue by the sultan.

Our main character is Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, who is known for selling magical relics in black markets. She is incredibly competent, no-nonsense, and seemingly quite independent. Her bodyguard, Qadir, has been with her since she was small, and does his best to keep her safe. Qadir is, without a doubt, my favorite character in this book. He’s quite serious, and mostly stoic. However, he loves Loulie with all his heart, and that comes across on page. He’s got a million and one secrets, and it was fascinating watching them all fall out as the story moves forward.

The other two main characters are Aisha, a dangerous thief, and Mazen, one of the princes. Mazen is an adorable cinnamon roll who needs to learn the ways of the world, but I still love him.

The writing in this book wove an absolutely beautiful tale set in an equally stunning setting. The landscape felt lush, and real. It is gorgeous. The Stardust Thief reads like someone is audibly telling you a story, and I loved it.

My one complaint is that the ‘romance’ between Loulie and the wali who’s name I literally cannot remember right now felt a little contrived. I wish we had seen more of them meeting or how they had fit together in the past, because as it is, it feels as if we were dropped into their relationship with absolutely zero context. I wasn’t a fan of this, and ultimately, I was rather happy when this plotline fizzled out. I figure there will be a romance eventually in this series, and hopefully that one will earned!

The Stardust Thief is an excellent start to a trilogy, and I hope that you’ll pick it up when it is released!

At the behest of the sultan, four completely different people will be drawn together on a quest: a merchant dealing in illegal magic, a jinn with a resolutely buried past, a thief with vengeance in her heart, and a cowardly prince. As their journey continues and tentative trust is earned, secrets and hidden ambitions will threaten their very lives.

This book was gorgeous and filled with feeling. Abdullah gives her characters permission and room to feel, whether that’s grief or guilt or insecurities. I felt everything they did, which was a bit of a problem because these characters are going through it. The quartet of main characters is strong and well-balanced; I was never eager for one POV to end, but always excited when the next one appeared. I burned through this book, stopping only when my heart was too scared to go on. I can’t wait for the sequel and I hope this book gets mountains of love; Abdullah deserves it.

Content Warnings: violence, self harm, gore, language

Holy traitorous confusion Batman. I was so excited by the description for this book. It did take me a bit to get into it, like until they made it to the desert. I liked the concept of the story a lot. Also appreciate how intricately the story was woven together not just the base quest but how the world expanded through the journey. It did have a bit of repetitive emotional bits where it could have been done a little different but still convey the feelings maybe. That ending though did not see coming.

I liked the world building the setting etc etc a lot. The writing was fine-tuned and whimsical. Perfect for someone that’s such a storyteller as is Chelsea. I think unfortunately any issue I had with this book was entirely my fault. Mostly because I wanted romance and this was more of a platonic book, which is GREAT but just didn’t fit my mood. Hopefully I can try this again later and love it!

Where to start on this amazing journey!! The Stardust Thief is a gripping tale of adventure, self discovery, friendship, lost family and love. This world was an adventure on every page. Great character's and world building and magic system flowed so well. The story telling though out the tale was unique. I can't wait to read what comes next. This is definitely one of my top 5 reads so far this year. Thank you for allowing me the chance to enjoy this amazing book.

I really enjoyed this book! My only complaint is that I wish it had been a stand-alone story. I’m getting trilogy burnout. Now I have to wait for the next book to see what happens.

wowowow what an adventure this book takes you through.

This 1001 Nights retelling was so much fun!
Also I did not realize how much I was going to enjoy the cowardly prince Mazen, but he was one of my favorites, next to Qadir.

Can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy!

Thank you to Netgalley for blessing me with an e-arc!

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review will be published on Goodreads and other retail sites closer to the publication date.

I've been anticipating this book since I stumbled across it in one of those "most anticipated SFF books coming in 2022!" lists online somewhere, and it immediately grabbed my attention.

I am a sucker for stories and magic and second world fantasy, and I think that one thing Abdullah did excellently was the "story within a story." I really enjoyed the callbacks to the Thousand and One Nights, and I found these breaks to be natural, fun, and added further to the story. I also liked the three POV characters in Loulie, Aisha, and Mazen, and appreciated having their different perspectives, as well as seeing different aspects of the world Abdullah has created. I liked that apart from Loulie and Qadir, the relationship the they had with each other was reluctant and untrusting, as I think it accurately portrayed the fact that not only were they strangers prior to being thrown together, but they all had conflicts of interest in terms of goals. I loved seeing their relationships develop, and the progression felt very natural for the characters by the end, which is to say that I'm still hesitant to call them friends, but I care very much about these characters and want to see the directions that they're going to go in as Abdullah progresses her trilogy.

Abdullah has some genuinely beautiful writing here, though there are a handful of times in which I found the pacing of the journey to be a little uneven. Ultimately, I found that my quibbles with the pacing were not super noticeable, especially considering this is a debut and the first in a series (there are certain concessions I am fully ready to make for debuts, and I thought that one of the really great things about The Stardust Thief is that I didn't actually find myself going, "yes, this is a debut"). I found that overall the book reads fast and keeps your attention, and while I consider this an adult fantasy, I definitely see a lot of crossover appeal. I am interested in seeing if there will be more complex politics as the series progresses, since I felt that The Stardust Thief was pretty straightforward (which, of course, probably has something to do with the fact our POVs come from a merchant, a thief, and an idealistic prince who doesn't want the throne to begin with). I also hope to see some more risk taking with the characters, since they were played relatively safe but still very compelling.

All in all Abdullah has written a really beautiful and captivating first book, and I can only see her going up from here. You can really tell her love for storytelling from this novel, and I think it was a wonderfully crafted tale. I will now sit here patiently for my pre-ordered copy to arrive for an immediate re-read, and then I will sit here patiently for the second book, because wow I NEED to know what happens next and I NEED to know what happens to Loulie and Mazen and Aisha and Qadir, my beloveds.

This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year, if not quickly becoming one of my favorite books of all time. I just...There are no words. The lush world building, the distinct character voices, the way Chelsea Abdullah has ripped my heart out and set it aflame, only to revive it once more. I truly did not realize how much I've been craving a story like this until I consumed it far too quickly.

Please don't make me choose a favorite character, I love each of them, flaws and all. Excitedly awaiting for what comes next!

2.5 stars rounded up

I want to preface this by saying by no means do I think this is a bad book, in fact I think this is a book that a lot of people are going to love. But, for me it just ended up being a huge miss and you can say I'm disappointed because this book had so many things that I love in fantasy books.

The Stardust Thief is an adult fantasy book is about Loulie, also known as the Midnight Merchant, who with the help of her jinn bodyguard Qadir, tracks down and sells illegal magic. One day she attracts the attention of the sultan and is forced to track down and retrieve an ancient lamp that holds a the power to save their land...but at a cost of course. Loulie isn't our only POV in this book, we also get perspectives from Mazen, the sultan's son and prince and Aisha who is a fierce warrior and a member of the Forty Thieves. This book is filled with quests, magic relics, adventure, action, ancient ruins, and of course secrets.

When I first heard about The Stardust Thief a couple months ago I was so excited and eager to read it. The book for me started out on a really good note. I was intrigued by our characters and I thought the magic and world building was so so interesting. The writing was super solid and there were some really beautiful moments and quotes that really touched me. I especially loved the father/daughter relationship between Loulie and Qadir even though they bear no relation and that dynamic is something I really love in books.

I think were things fell apart for me was in the second half of the book. While I loved the characters, plot and action up to that point I still felt like something was missing and lacking. Things started to feel very mid I guess? There were some side characters and relationships that developed/ were mentioned in regards to our main character that I did not find convincing at all. And while the book was certainly action packed I felt towards the end that things kept happening and happening and it was removing me from the plot. There were many instances where I thought it was the end of the book and it just kept going and going. While I read the book in a short amount of time, it just seemed never ending.

Now I'm for sure going to be giving this book another chance because I did read the e-arc of this and I just do not like reading fantasy books in an ebook format. I don't focus on the book as much as I would if I read the physical copy. I also started this right after finishing another fantasy book I absolutely loved so I may have been a bit slumpy and not realize it.

Again, by no means is this a bad book. I think I may have set my expectations a bit too high and that is why I didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping. But I think many will end up loving the Stardust Thief and I look forward to seeing, reading, and hearing why they do!

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for provided an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I would classify this as YA. It's an uncomplicated adventure story about two young people set in a desert country with magical jinn and ifrit. Loulie is a Bedouin orphan who has had great success finding and selling magical relics, thanks to Qadir, a very powerful jinn who protects and aids her. Mazen is a prince with nothing better to do than sneak out of the palace and wander around the markets of the city in disguise. They are thrown together to find a very powerful relic for the Sultan, Mazen's father. Loulie pretty much lost my sympathy when she bemoaned how alone she was, in spite of having Qadir single-mindedly devoted to her for no apparent reason, a close relationship with Dahlia, her landlady and confidant, and the professed love and loyalty of Ahmed, the political leader of a nearby city. Poor Loulie. Mazen is more sympathetic, he is bullied by his father and brother, who are continually referred to as murderers, but maintains a high moral standard and cheerful optimism. It's a nicely told story with a reasonably solid plot, though the ending is a to-be-continued plug for the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for a chance to read an ARC of this book!
The Stardust Thief has been my most anticipated reads of the year, and it do not disappoint! Abdullah’s prose is atmospheric and awe-inspiring, weaving a narrative full of twists and turns and starring a cast of unforgettable characters. The world building and magic system are exquisite--everything about this story is.
Everyone has to read this book. It’s going down as one of the best.