This was a fantastic epic fantasy series inspired by the author's Middle Eastern heritage. 

This novel had all the elements I love in fantasy. An epic story, complex characters, and rich world building. There is some romance in this story, which is not always my favorite thing but I liked it in this case.

For a debut, this book was incredibly strong. The prose was strong and the story was well plotted. I am now impatiently waiting for the second book. 

I highly recommend this fantasy series to a wide range of readers. This is one of the best 2022 fantasy releases I have read so far.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I’ve always loved stories of deserts so when I read the blurb of this book and got to know that it was inspired by the stories of One Thousand and One Nights, I couldn’t have hit that request button any faster! Moreover, it’s written by an Arab woman which I really love having been living in the Middle East for almost a decade now.

The story was so riveting with such lyrical narration. I read this as audiobook and I’m so impressed by all the narrators. Although my favorite is Ayesha’s narrator and that’s my favorite character too. This story is so fascinating and delicious that it instantly transported me to the beautifully created world. The magic, ghouls, jinns, Sultans all of it was very enjoyable to read. I loved that there were many stories / legends mentioned. The adventure that the characters embark on and their relationship as the story progresses was depicted so gracefully. I was thoroughly mesmerised and so happy that my request for the audiobook got accepted. I rate this 4.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Audio and the wonderful author for proving this audiobook.

DNF @ 62.3%

I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed the first third or so. The characters were interesting and I loved learning about the world and how they all met up with each other and began the journey.

And that’s where my issue began. I don’t really enjoy books about journeys where the majority of the books take place on the road to the destination. That’s definitely a me problem and not one I would hold against the book.

The characters frequently lamented about how dangerous certain situations were, but they got out of them really easily.

The worst part, and what made me ultimately DNF, was Loulie’s internal monologue. I found her to be incredibly annoying. I feel like we never got to see her doing any of the things that earned her her reputation.

This was true for a lot of other things as well - there was lots of telling, not showing. This made it hard for me to care about the stakes. There were a few moments that should have been incredibly emotional but I didn’t feel it in the moment or feel how the characters were impacted by it afterwards.

I really wish I could have loved this more! It seems like I’m in the minority.

I also have one specific complaint about the audiobook - I didn’t like the male narrator. He sounded like he had a cold for part of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted ALC!

In a word…Phenomenal

ARC Review: Expected publication May 17, 2022


This is easily the best ARC i’ve read this year, perhaps even the best book i’ve read this year, and it’s from a DEBUT AUTHOR! I can’t wait to follow her career.

Abdulah masterfully crafts a world that explores Arab culture and and mythology. While it is inspired by One Thousand and One Nights she definitely makes the story her own.

This has everything I look for in a novel, it’s both character and plot driven and doesn’t skimp on the world-building.

This bucks the trend of adding “spice” into every single fantasy novel, and delivers a compelling story with very little page time given over to romantic relationships. I like spice but it’s nice to read a story that’s not adding it just to have it.

These are also not Mary Sue characters, they have to fight tooth and nail for every success they have along the way, and mourn the loses they take.

You get three different POVs within the story all from different walks of life which really helps build out the world and culture. They eventually are forced to work together to retrieve a lamp for the sultan, a task none of them want to be on for a variety of differing reasons. The forced shared goal makes for interesting dynamics and has us wondering about alternative motivations throughout the story.

The audio production of this work is top notch, with each POV getting their own narrator. Nikki Massoud; Sean Rohani; and Rasha Zamamiri provided an impassioned performance that really brings the story to life.

Fair warning it does leave us with a huge cliffhanger which does make me super nervous with a debut author; However this is totally still worth reading on it’s own just for the story it does tell.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio/Orbit Books for providing an ARC of this wonderful tale. I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Stardust Thief
Chelsea Abdullah
OUT TOMORROW!!

The Stardust Thief is a mesmerizing fantasy story inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, with stunning atmosphere, magical relics, fantastic jinn, and incredible characters.

In this multi-perspective start to a series, we follow three characters, each with their own motivations, aspirations, and baggage. Through a series of misadventures, a merchant of illegal magics, a cowardly prince, and a royal thief end up traveling across the desert in search of a magical lamp desired by the sultan. The world building in this was handled in such an entertaining way, with magical tales sprinkled throughout the story like legends. There is a lot going on in this world, but the storytelling is always at the center of the book, allowing for the reader to absorb the luscious details without ever feeling overwhelmed or lost. In addition to that, this book is THRILLING. There was a moment in the first third of the book that honestly felt like it was it’s own climax to the story, and I loved it.

This book has some minor flaws, particularly that the middle third lacks a little bit of the momentum that is so prevalent in the rest of the story, but the pay-off was immense and made the whole journey worth it.

The audiobook has multiple narrators, and they all did an amazing job bringing the characters and world to life!

I had a great time with this book, and eagerly await the release of book 2 (hopefully only a year from now!! 🤞🏻). If you are looking for a magical and approachable fantasy story, with lore and atmosphere to get lost in, I highly recommend this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Orbit books for an early finished copy of this novel!

Stardust Thief is the first of a new trilogy by debut author Chelsea Abdullah that is out on the 17th! This book is inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, which was great because it's a source that I have little familiarity with.

The book follows three POVs: Loulie al-Nazari is a notorious merchant who sells illegal artifacts with the help of her Jinn bodyguard. Mazen is the second son of the Sultan and the son of a famous storyteller, and Aisha, a member of the Forty Thieves that serve Mazen's older brother. When Loulie is captured by the Sultan and forced to find a powerful, ancient Jinn artifact, these characters have to band together to survive.

I really liked this book! I enjoyed all three characters, but especially Loulie and her bodyguard Qadir. I listened to the audiobook and each POV had a different narrator and it was fantastic. I felt each character was distinct and I really liked their growth and their interactions throughout the book. I wish Aisha had gotten more of a story, though.

I also really enjoyed the setting. Abdullah did a fantastic job with making this world feel very distinct and cinematic; I always felt like I could picture whatever scene was happening without being bogged down by descriptions. In this world, Jinn are hunted and killed because their blood makes the desert grow and so areas that are more lush have had more Jinn killed there. So Qadir has to remain a secret and I think all of the magic, reveals, and worldbuilding done by Mazen's POV was well done.

The negative I'd have for this book would be inconsistent pacing. I felt the beginning was absolutely gripping and the last third was fantastic (I especially loved the ending), the middle was a bunch of overcoming random obstacles and then going somewhere else with more obstacles. It's admittedly part of the trope, but could have been cleaner. The plot was a bit too straightforward for all the meandering in the middle.

But this is still a great debut and I will absolutely be continuing this trilogy. Check it out!

(If you’re interested in reading this book after reading my review, please be sure to check the content/trigger warnings at www.booktriggerwarnings.com or www.thestorygraph.com. If content/trigger warnings are not available please feel free to message me and I will try my best to provide them for you.)

Thank you to Chelsea Abdullah, Orbit and Hachette audio for providing me with the opportunity to listen to this wonderful book! I really don’t have anything bad to say. The pacing was great for me, I was never bored, and just when I thought nothing else would happen…something else happen. It eas so easy to get lost in this world. I loved the character development, especially with Mazen (my favorite 😍). I loved the magic and the history/mythological stories.

The only thing is I really wish we could get some Omar POV chapters. I would’ve loved to see his inner thoughts.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the complementary audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

There are going to be people who will enjoy The Stardust Thief. I was not one of them. It was a decent book. There were parts I found more enjoyable to read than others. This story starts off strong but fell apart for me in the second half. The characters were likable. The Arab-inspired setting was rich. I loved hearing the tales that inspired this book told from the perspective of a storyteller. However, most of my frustration comes from this story being extremely average. Like I said, The Stardust Thief had a really strong start. In fact, I loved the first 200 pages. They were fast- paced, compelling and I was ready to go on an adventure. The story fell apart in the second half for me.

Most of my criticisms come from the structure and writing style of the author. The writing was good. Simple and direct. I liked that. On the other hand, because of the simplicity of the prose, the story lacked depth. The entire story was missing layer of complexity that I have come to expect from adult fantasy. The characters were likable enough but there was no chemistry between them. No comraderie, no emotional depth to their relationships. It made it hard to root for them.

The audiobooks was narrated by Nikki Massoud, Sean Rohani, and Rasha Zamamiri. Individually, I thought they all did a fantastic performance of bringing characters in The Stardust Thief to life. That being said, I personally feel this book would have fared better with a singular audiobook narrator compared to a full-cast performance. There were times I felt like the performance between the narrators lacked cohesiveness. Sometimes characters names would be pronounced different depending on who was narrated the chapter. Sometimes one narrator would do a higher voice for one character and then the next chapter, one of the other narrators would do a completely different style of voice for the same character who spoke in the previous chapter. Maybe it was just me, but sometimes it didn’t feel like the narrators were on the same page.

All in all, The Stardust Thief was a fine read. I won’t discourage others from picking it up because it’s a debut and I know there is an audience that will love this. Take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Or sand. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

CONTENT WARNING: blood, death of a parent, violence, torture, gore, grief

This book is an absolute stunner of a debut, and I’m so grateful to the publisher for sending me a gorgeous hardcover copy of it. It’s been calling to me from my shelves for more than a week, and I couldn’t wait to get started. And then once I started reading? I couldn’t stop. Like, to the point where I also got the audiobook ARC so that I’d be able to continue reading when I was doing something else that normally prevents me from reading. You know, like driving.

Abdullah has taken some of the more well-known Arabian fairy tales, like Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Scheherazade, and combined them in a new and fantastic way. The story takes place in an Arabian-inspired fantasy world, where jinn and humans interact, but there are tensions. Arabic terms are sprinkled throughout the text, but they’re easy enough to figure out from context. The world-building is fabulous, with such descriptive and flowing writing that I didn’t even realize how fast I was reading, and settings that I could actually picture in my mind.

The story centers around three very different characters—Loulie, a merchant of illegal magical relics; Mazen, the sultan’s pacifist cinnamon-roll son; and Aisha, one of Mazen’s brother’s forty thieves and killer of jinn. I quickly grew enamored of the characters, mostly, although there are a few villains that I absolutely loved to hate! Abdullah writes characters that feel realistic, even amidst the most fantastical world. And since I listened to part of this as an audiobook, I have to discuss how great the three narrators were! There was one for each POV character, with Nikki Massoud, Sean Rohani, and Rasha Zamamiri bringing each character to life in different, but no less relatable ways.

Each of the characters have been formed by loss and tragedy in their early lives, but have learned to cope with it in different ways. Loulie closes herself off, forming a close bond only with her jinn bodyguard, Qadir. She’s smart, crafty, and above all, striving towards being independent and able to protect herself, after losing everyone she ever loved.

“All these years she’d been trying to distance herself from her past failures. Layla had been too young and helpless to save everyone she loved. So as Loulie, she’d vowed to become stronger, wiser. Someone who, unbeholden to anyone, would be able to rescue herself without worrying about losing others.”

Qadir isn’t a POV character, but he was probably one of the most intriguing ones. Maybe partly because I couldn’t get into his head, but maybe also because he’s like an onion: lots of layers. He doesn’t disclose much, and he doesn’t have a lot of dialogue in the story, but his character caught me up in the story. He’s full of secrets, and we get to know a few of them in this story, but I’m definitely hoping to get to know him better in the next story.

“Qadir was made up of small secrets—they both were. So long as his secrets didn’t harm her, Loulie was content to let him keep them.”

Mazen, the sultan’s son, is a dreamer, content to listen to and tell stories, and explore the world outside of his gilded cage. He isn’t the typical son of a sultan that I would have expected, and when he’s taken on this life-changing journey, I loved to see how it changed him. The story delves into his deepest fears, and the whole time, I found myself hoping that he’d overcome them and grow.

“He did not tell his brother that on this journey, he would be useless as himself. And that, deep down, he’d begun to fear this would always be the case.”

Finally, Aisha, the other POV character, works with Mazen’s brother, as a thief and a killer of jinn. She wasn’t always the most likable character, but her POV gives us insight into her own experiences and how they have set her on the path to become who she is. I especially loved that she changed a lot over the course of the story, and was really challenged to think outside of her deeply-held beliefs and change them.

“Aisha did not mourn the past, and she did not overthink the future. But the present—that was something she could shape for the better with her blade. And she would not run from it.”

This story was absolutely fabulous. It’s fast-paced, absolutely packed with action, and kept sneaking up on me with plot twists I never saw coming. The writing completely transported me to a magical world where humans and jinn live together, if not peacefully, as well as discussing loss and grief, and the difficult family dynamics that affect all of us, even those in positions of power. Even though this hasn’t dropped yet, I’m already on the edge of my seat for the sequel, since it left off on a major cliffhanger, yet I never felt cheated. I am fully hooked on this series, and already know that Chelsea Abdullah is a new author that stormed onto my radar and earned all the hype about this book.

Neither here nor there, but long ago...

The Stardust Thief lived up to every expectation I had and even surpassed them!
4.5 stars - rounded up

The story follows Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, Mazen, the hidden prince, and Aisha, one of the King's 40 thieves. Loulie and Aisha are both similar in their hardness, sarcasm, and distrustfulness. But they have extremely opposite opinions on djinn. Mazen, on the other hand, is quite the Himbo. I really do love the trope of violent/morally grey women and naive academic men. The three of them end up on a journey to find a djinn king relic across the Sandsea.

All three of them are forced to face their short comings and prejudices regarding each other and djinn. Their character arcs were fantastic.

I found it extremely enjoyable to read another story that involved djinn, marid, and ifirit after reading the Daevabad Trilogy by S. A. Chakraborty. The stories are in no way similar, being completely unique in every aspect but I felt like I had some extra insider information having read those.

As for the narrators, Loulie and Aisha's narrators fit their characters perfectly and showed great range in expression. Mazen's actor left a little to be desired specifically in the voices he used for Loulie and Aisha's dialog. There were also several audio glitches in his chapters specifically. It was overall a well preformed audiobook that I would recommend specifically for listening..

This will for sure be popular with the fantasy lovers and I can't wait to see the love it will receive.

The Stardust Thief was so much fun!
It follows a group of disparate individuals thrown together by chance (or blackmail) in the search for an ancient relic.

I was super excited for The Stardust Thief as, like every Six of Crows fan, I adore a good 'individuals with completely opposing personalities must work together to become some semblance of a group's dynamic. It also promised a gorgeous, evocative Middle Eastern setting a la The Daevabad Trilogy. I have to say, I wasn't let down on either front! It was luscious, transportive and evoked such gorgeous imagery that I absolutely could not stop reading.

I will say, however, the characters were the strongest part for me. We've got Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, and her jinn bodyguard, Qadir. I loved both of them and they had such an interesting dynamic. I thought their relationship was very cleverly written. Then there's sheltered cinnamon role Prince Mazen who cannot use a sword and is just really in over his head. I was really intrigued by the mysterious jinn hunter, Aisha, who I felt like I really never got to know fully but was still very interested in. I think I probably still would have enjoyed this novel even if there wasn't a plot and it was just these characters interacting with each other. I'm really excited to see where it goes from here.

The three narrators are absolutely stunning. I especially loved all of their interpretations of Qadir.
To be honest, I wonder if perhaps a physical copy may have helped my comprehension as there is just so much going on! But that's 100% a positive review of the writing itself.

I am absolutely at edge of my seat waiting for Abdullah to release the next book!

Audio review: Both narrators did a good job of bringing the pov characters to life. They were easy to listen to.



Drawing on sources such as <i>A Thousand and One Arabian Nights</i>, together with Arabian myth and legend, Abdullah tells a tale of magic and crossed loyalties filled with Djinn, Efreets and other mystical creatures. There is a slight gender bent Aladdin vibe - the Midnight Merchant being the competent relic hunter Loulie, a girl who is competent and compassionate and very much a diamond in the rough. There are references to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, to Scheherazade and to various other popular Arabian fairy tales. At its heart <i>The Stardust Thief</i> is the story of a lost girl searching for both belonging, family and justice, and a young man who has always been something of an outsider - despite his privileged upbringing - who is at odds with his family. Those two plotlines complimented each other well and I liked the fact that they were friends rather than an obvious romantic pairing. The third pov character, Aiesha, is a young woman consumed with the desire for revenge. Her story will clash violently with the others and it all comes together in a satisfying way.



If you like Arabian set fantasy or are new to the setting (or new to fantasy in general), you'll find this accessible and engaging. It's well written, well plotted and delivers a decent finale (although clearly one open to sequels.)



In terms of execution, it's easily a four or five star read. For me personally, it just didn't quite connect. I was interested enough to keep reading but it didn't really deliver anything new or anything I love in fantasy that bumped it up into the 'can't put it' down category. I personally felt no deep connection with the characters and I didn't find the setting and world building deep and rich enough to make me really invest in that either. There seem to be a lack of sensory detail, so nothing quite sprang to life. And - again personal reading experience here - the plot delivered very few surprises. I've got a nasty habit of working out the ending way before we get there, regardless of genre, but if how we get there is gripping, I don't usually care. This just wasn't, for me at least. What did keep me engaged was the complicated relationship between Loulie and Cathir - a strange parent child dynamic, where a powerful being feels a sense of obligation to a human charge, and the human gains insights into traditionally hated beings because of it. That was the main selling point for me and I loved their interactions.



So overall, I do recommend this book. It was a good Arabian set fantasy, competently written and executed, even if it didn't wow someone (me) who has read over thirty years of prior fan

Rating; Absolutely Loved It, 5 stars

I LOVED this book! The Stardust Thief is inspired by stories of 1001 Nights, and it was absolutely enchanting. We follow three POVs of Loulie, the Midnight Merchant, Mazen, the second son of the sultan, and Aisha, a member of the legendary 40 Thieves and djinn killers. We also see Qadir, Loulie's bodyguard featured prominently. Loulie and Qadir travel the desert in search of djinn relics and artifacts of magic. They unknowingly save Mazen, the prince, and wind up pressed into service by the sultan to obtain a legendary relic that has been lost in the Sand Sea for thousands of years: an old oil lamp. Mazen and Aisha accompany them and adventure, magic, escapades, and tragedy ensues.

I listened to this on audio, and I highly recommend that experience. The narrators were excellent. I especially loved Aisha's narrator. They really brought this story and the magic within it to life. Storytelling is a very big part of this book and we get to hear so many fables and legends from this world. I have not read 1001 Nights in quite some time, so I am not sure how closely these are twined with the original material, but it was fantastic regardless.

I really liked all of our characters, but Aisha was definitely my favorite POV. She and Qadir were the most fascinating characters in this story. I felt like Loulie and Mazen were also good characters and well-fleshed out, but they lacked the mystery of Aisha and Qadir. The setting, the worldbuilding, and the lore really shined in this.

This book had multiple places where I experienced emotional gut punches and fear for the characters. This is the first in the Sandsea Trilogy and it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I loved the ending. There is a lot of action in this book to accompany the traveling, so I never got bored with that part.

I don't have a lot of complaints, but I will say that at times this was rather meandering. It took a little while to get into the meat of the story, which had me questioning it for a little bit. Once we got into it though, I was hooked, and by the end I was lamenting every time I had to put it down. I think that Chelsea Abdullah will only grow as a writer as this series continues, and I am so excited to see where it goes. I have already pre-ordered this book and am excitedly awaiting my finished copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the early review audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The Stardust Thief releases on 5/17/22.

4.5 rounded up!

THE STARDUST THIEF was one of those books that I knew from the first page that I'd love. Chelsea Abdullah is a phenomenal writer and storyteller, and it genuinely feels like I am reading a classic storybook with that magical quality we all know and love. The way she weaves her characters, her plot, and her worldbuilding is nothing short of immaculately transportive. Truly, I was hooked beginning to end. I adored Loulie as one of our main characters and her relationship with jinn Qadir was probably my favorite thing about this novel. It isn't often we see platonic relationships be at the center of novels as opposed to romantic ones. And yes, there is romance, but it is far from the main component of the book, and I love that. I also really enjoyed Mazen too. The plot of this book mixed with the inspiration taken from Middle Eastern folklore really just made this a perfect adventure. While this is an adult novel, it is YA friendly, which I didn't mind at all, as I love the edginess of YA and the refinement of Adult, both of which can describe this book. Filled with twists and turns that will leave you breathless, characters you'll be obsessed with, and a world guaranteed to entrance, THE STARDUST THIEF is the debut for you!

Excellent narrative with well written characters and plot. The world building is very detail oriented without being heavy handed. I look forward to another book!