I received this from Netgalley.com.

Set in twelfth century, Persia, Shaherazade tells her husband a long (and sometimes rambling) tale so he doesn't kill her. The plot of the story was fully laid out in the first few chapters and then the story just became repetitive.

Although this book didn't fully capture my imagination and attention, I appreciated the descriptions of life during the era.

2.75☆

Every Rising Sun is a beautiful reimagining of Arabian Nights, where the reader not only gets the stories Scheherazade tells her husband to stay alive, but her reason and role in becoming his wife, and what was going on in their lives besides storytelling after the sun went down. The book is set during the Crusades, and is from a more nontraditional perspective throughout the western world where the Christian Europeans (referred to as the Franks) as the violent, brutal aggressors. The Franks are not the only people that threaten Scheherazade and her people either; as she and her husband and warriors go to fight in the Crusades against the Franks their home is threatened by other sects within Islam that want to claim their lands for their own. The storytelling (both of Scheherazade’s actual life as well as the stories she tells) is beautifully done, leaping from the pages. Ahmed does a great job with the character in giving her opportunities to claim power in a world that offers little of it to women, as well as contemplating the sometimes long reaching consequences of her decisions, even if she feels she makes the best choice available to her. And even as well intentioned as Scheherazade is, she’s still a flawed human being who makes a decision that could cost her her life-on more than one occasion. Finally, I’m in the odd position of both liking and not liking the ending. There’s probably several ways Ahmed could have ended this story; I wasn’t expecting this one. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wasn’t able to connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. The writing is pretty but I just didn’t get into it the way I wanted. Maybe it’s just a me thing!

She was not safe. No woman was ever safe, anywhere in this world.

from Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed
This richly imagined novel inspired by One Thousand and One Nights offers a vibrant Shaherazade, a flawed woman discovering the limitations of love and the power of words. She controls her husband’s rage and advises him in military and political decisions; Shahyar tells her, “You should have been born Malik.”

As an idealistic thirteen-year-old at the Malik Shahyar’s wedding, she imagined the handsome couple madly in love. Witnessing his wife’s infidelity, she writes a letter of warning to the Malik, who discovering his wife in the act has her murdered. In his anger, he marries and murders two more wives before Shaherazade offers herself, sure her pure love and gift of storytelling will win the Malik’s heart. The tale she spins for the Malik is of a young woman disguised as a man whose adventures offers Shahyar respite from his worldly cares.

Shaherazade follows Shahyar as he travels to join Saladin fighting the Frankish Crusades. Unable to break through to Shahyar’s heart and ignite his love, Shaherazade can’t stop thinking about the Emir who has proclaimed his love for her.

I was engrossed by Shaherazade’s story and her exotic world. But, I became too eager to follow the frame of her story to really truly appreciate the tale embedded within. With the book over 400 pages long, I wanted to learn what happens to her and began to speed read through her tale.

Viewing the Crusades through the eyes of those defending their homeland may be eye-opening to some readers.

I was enchanted by Shaherazade’s exotic world: the descriptions of the spiced food that made my mouth water, the gorgeous fabrics and colorful carpets I could see in my mind’s eye, the cool gardens and the scorching desert sun. But we are also taken into the horrors of war, with the Franks and with vying tribes, with all its death and destruction.

Inspired by one of the world’s most influential collection of folk stories, Every Rising Sun is sure to enchant.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

Shaherazade is a storyteller who weaves enchanting stories and has a crush on Malik, the current ruler of the Seljuk Empire. This story is set in twelfth-century Persia when Islamic Empires rose and fell as the Crusaders tried to spread Christianity. When Shaherazade sees Malik's wife in a compromised situation with another man, she leaves a note for Malik, who doesn't know it is from her. Still, it begins an odyssey for Shaherazade to save herself from Malik and Malik from himself. The pacing is perfect, and the story is well; I loved it.

I plan on reading more works written by this author. Don't miss this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC. Every Rising Sun is a modern version of One Thousand and One Nights that I found so enjoyable it was hard to put down.

I loved how beautifully it was written. Enjoyed the development of the characters and descriptions of the scenery. Would highly recommend.

Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed is said to be a reimagining of One Thousand and One Nights. Having never read it, I am glad to have no frame of reference so that I can review this book on its merits not on expectations. I really loved the story, prose and the beautiful landscape created by the author. I was transported to a time where I could visualize myself in each setting.

Shaherazade from an early age was known for weaving stories that enchanted everyone but especially her sister Durya and the Malik. She admired and had a crush on the Malik, ten years her senior and the ruler for whom her father served as advisor and mentor. She hoped someday she could feel the same kind of love the Malik displayed at his wedding to Fatenah. Unfortunately, Shaherazade stumbled on something that would change the course of all their lives.

The book has murder, mayhem, war, conspiracies, romance, love and intrigue set in the twelfth century, a time of Islamic empires rising and falling and the Crusaders’ quest to spread Christianity. At the core of book are the tales Shaherazade spins to protect herself and save the Malik. You must read the book to see whether she succeeds.

This book was provided by Henry Holt and NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like Every Rising Sun, a historical, literary re-imagining of The Arabian Nights. I just didn't though.

I'm all fairness, ERS has pretty prose, though there were a few times when the language crossed I to purple and didn't make sense.

The real problem though, was the story itself. Shaherazade herself was kind of annoying and I didn't feel the strength of her bond with her sister, we were just told it was there. The Malik didn't really get redeemed, and the end was pretty dramatically different than most versions of the story.

If you're looking for a retelling of The Arabian Nights that is both literary and suffused with the originals sense of strength, try A Thousand Nights by EK Johnston.

I loved everything about this book. It was a brilliant take of One Thousand and One Nights. Loved it very much. The prose was wonderful and the story kept me enthralled all in one setting.

"Every Rising Sun" is a reimagined version of "One Thousand and One Nights," in which we follow the adventures of Scheherazade as she works to bring the Malik back from a murderous madness triggered by his first wife's infidelity.

Ahmed's sensory descriptions of the lands and palace are so immersive that I had a strong sense of the land and time from page one. I enjoyed following Scheherazade and her sister, Dunya, as they caravanned through the desert with their royal army, and I felt their loves and their losses right alongside them. There were, however, quite a few moments when our heroine makes some bad decisions that I felt were avoidable to the point of being frustrated by them, but perhaps that's my own shriveled heart talking. Someone with a stronger sense of romance would probably feel more sympathetic to those experiences.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the scenery, and especially appreciated Ahmed's settings and descriptions of the conflicts taking place in that time. The author has a background in medieval Islamic history, which showed in the vivid details of the events taking place around the central storyline. I also appreciated all the tales within the larger tale, as told by our heroine.

The pacing was great. I had a hard time putting it down once I started. I wasn't sure how Ahmed could possibly end the story, but when I arrived there, I felt very satisfied by it.

This debut (!!!!) novel is absolutely going to be on my list of best books for 2023 ❤️

Ms Ahmed's writing transported me to where I could practically feel the environment - it’s beautifully visual (which is something I really appreciate as a reader). This one was perfect, flawless even - it’s a remarkable, and magical read.

Five stars aren’t enough.

I can't wait to see what the author shares next.


Exceptional - an absolute recommendation.



Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. and NetGalley for the DRC!