Mina is a Seer, a person capable of seeing and speaking to the mythical and magical jinn. Long ago the Jinn Kings were betrayed, trapped, and sealed inside golden rings. Their power was the only thing keeping the jinn world from colliding with the human world. Mina’s mission in life is to set free the Jinn King Hakim, who is sealed in a ring belonging to her mother. Along the way she reunites with old friends, makes new ones, and finds herself thrust into the dangerous rebellion by the Nonbelievers: a group of humans who seek to destroy Seers and their control over jinn once and for all.

The best part of this book was the exploration of Middle Eastern Mythology. Of course Westerners are all familiar with the magical powers of the djinn(genies) and their magical lamps. It was really neat to delve into the different classifications and powers of the jinn. I love that they had their own cultures and politics. I wish we could have explored more of the jinn world (but I fear that’s probably something for another book).

The romance in the book is a little one-sided. Although Mina is nineteen (she doesn’t really know when her birthday is) she has no interest in either boys or girls and is quick to shut down anyone who tries to get close to her. Mina is very driven by her mission, despite the fact that she is clever and beautiful—which makes her appealing not only to her friend/“brother” Saif but also the prince (was honestly expecting a love triangle so I was shocked it didn’t go that route). Her motives (her mother’s death and her wish to free the jinn kings) spur her on in a way that seems uncharacteristic of a teenager(dare I say she is rather obsessed) and they leave little room for her to develop as a character that actually finds enjoyment in friendship and life in general(she has no hobbies beyond being good at a board game, no dreams for what she will do after she finished her quest, no roots to return to).

My biggest issue with the plot was the fact that it took forever to get any momentum and then felt super rushed at the end. So much happened in the last few chapters and honestly the majority of the questions I had (Mina’s father, how did her mother end up with the ring, her own strange powers, Ashresh’s identity/past, the missing Jinn King, etc) remained frustrating and unanswered. I don’t think I will be continuing with the series.

Thanks you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars to this one!!!

It started at a very promising note. The intersection of Middle Eastern mythology with fantasy was definitely the catch for me. I loved the protagonist for the way she was written. She’s strong, doesn’t rely on a man to her needs and is witty enough to retort when the time calls for it. Besides, her and Ashrush’s bonding was the most beautiful part for me about this book. I think this is where the author should be thoroughly praised because in most of the fiction, we find the negative sides of djinns and spirits which have no other purpose but to haunt ordinary people. This one did justice in portraying “their side of the story”. The devilish and greedy nature of the humanity was beautifully described. I loved the adventurous spirit the book possessed right at the beginning.

However, as you move on, things get a bit bland (not that they become downright boring but you find an element of repetition within the narrative; considering the fact how protagonist brings up a peculiar incident times and again). It could have been better. Besides, I totally get the idea that the protagonist was not shown to be romantically involved with the two male characters, but her indecisiveness was apparent. At one point, bonding with one of the characters seems more than of a romantic nature. As I always leave a room for angst, so it was really difficult for me to evaluate whether the author actually wanted to be with that one character because of her inner thoughts.

Besides, I wanted the revelation of Ashrush’s mysterious companionship in this book, because we find that the characters talk about it, discuss it but not much is revealed which should have been there (though my fingers are crossed to read that in the second part of the series). Saif’s death broke my heart and I cried a lot because somewhere the poor boy didn’t deserve it and he was the character I liked the most from the book. Even at the final moments, I was hoping for a miracle, so this high-voltage scene is the beauty of the book.

I believe that the end was pretty much rushed and the epilogue could have been made much better than the repetitive ramblings of all that what we had read right on the previous pages. The ending was too open and equally incomplete to me as I didn’t get the hint of a final resolution and it was pretty much disappointing to find that nothing more was said about the ifrits and their fates which were discussed through consecutive chapters. It seemed that in the end nothing significant happens and the book rather ends at a reverse note. It stops where it actually started so that made no sense at all to me. Though the concept is really great and I hope the writer comes up with her second instalment soon because a lot of my questions are still unanswered about this one.

Daughter Of Light and Dark has wonderful world building and a super interesting setting. Unfortunately, the interactions between characters was snappish, rough, and snarky wordplay that is found very often in fantasy novels. Communication is mostly sarcasm, which is a tiring trope. I can see this novel and ultimate series becoming very popular, it just wasn't for me.

Loved this book. I gave it 5 stars because I couldn't give any higher! This book is a masterpiece and deserves more than "just" 5 stars. I recommend everyone to read this book asap.

This was a fantastic beginning to the Rings and Chains series; the mythological element was wonderfully balanced with an original overall concept. It was a fantastic first chapter in the series and the characters felt like they belonged in this environment. I found the Jinn part to be really well done, and I was really interested in what was happening with Mina. Ahlam Faris writes books of this genre so well that I'm looking forward to more from her. The worldbuilding in this case, which combined a fantasy element with a setting modeled after the Ottoman Middle East, was excellent. I am grateful to the author for providing me with an eARC!