Im so thankful that the author included a summary to jog our memory since the first book came out so long ago. This was adventurous, well paced, and an overall solid sequel!

3.5* rounded up
I was very excited to read the second instalment in this trilogy. I enjoyed the first and wanted to read more in this world and see what happens.

I found the sequel to be less engaging. The story dragged a bit and the exciting parts felt too short. There is some interesting character development in this book. Loulie doesn’t change much but we learn a lot about Qadir and the djinn cities.

I will definitely want to read the third to see how it all ties together.

It took a bit longer to feel invested in this book than it did for The Stardust Thief, but I really enjoyed the character development we saw throughout all main characters.

The conflict really felt to be more defined and definitely excited to see the resolution. This installment really felt like more of a series than the first book.

I enjoyed the relationship between Duha and Nabila and wish it was something that could have been explored more.

this is a book you need to very very slowly. there are so many characters and so many plots that weave in and out. I finished it but I feel like i didn't get enough of the plot fully down.

There are few books that I have been as excited about the release of as this one. After being mesmerized by the first book, I have been eagerly anticipating the sequel, and it did not disappoint. The book picks up right where we left off with Loulie and Qadir in the desperate situation they found themselves in. Once again, the author does an excellent job of world building and makes the new environment come to life. The world building is on point just like the first one, but I didn’t find it to be as enthralled as I did with the first book. I still highly enjoyed it, but I find myself giving it a four instead of the five that I awarded the premier book in the series. Nonetheless, I find myself eagerly anticipating the next book and can’t wait to see where the series takes us next.

It was a bit hard with so many characters and i read the first one a while ago. I liked that she started with a lookback/summary. But at times I still felt lost and there was a bit too much going on for me. The end is a big cliffhanger

I absolutely loved The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah and was eagerly awaiting for the sequel and The Ashfire King is now available. This is the second book in the Sandsea Trilogy.
 
I absolutely loved returning to this middle eastern inspired world, and it was great to be back with Loulie and Mazen. The story starts right where the first book ended and I really appreciated how there was a brief recap in the beginning. These two have to go through it in this book and I loved meeting them more and after reading this book I only love them more. And my favorite part was the romantic tension and longing these two had and it’s just a sprinkle of love but it’s so perfect for the story. I also loved Aisha and especially her character development.
 
I also liked seeing more of this world, especially the ins and outs of the jinn cities. The world is slowly crumbling down and a rebellion is on the horizon and in the midst of all of this are our protagonists. This made the plot very intriguing and thrilling and I practically flew through this book.
 
The Ashfire King is a really great continuation of this series and I highly anticipate the final book. 4 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

Thank you to Netgalley for The ARC!

I have been so patiently waiting this sequel that I was so excited to get my hands on an ARC! I did do a quick reread/listen of the Stardust Thief to reorient myself with the story!

It did take me awhile to get into and hooked, and by 60% I was! But even still it took me awhile to get through. It’s definitely not a before bed kind of book because it’s so in depth and well detailed. But the ending? It has me hooked again and I can’t wait for the final piece to the trilogy!

If you love a continuation and more detail of the Aladdin story, this is it!

Absolutely adored this sequel to The Stardust Thief, which I literally read years ago and forgot everything that happened 😭

I loved the unique magic system, the characters, the tension in the romance, and the world building.

This was a solid fantasy, one that i enjoyed immensely!

Thank you to Negalley and the author for the arc!

Series DNF.

I picked this one up along with the first book in the series because I was interested in a genderbent Aladdin retelling. While this is a well written, epic, action packed series, it ended up not being a good match for my taste in fantasy. I would recommend this one for fans of epic, action-packed fantasy!

The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah is the second book in the Sandseq trilogy. The first book pulled me in faster than any series since the Hunger Games. The author has a gift for imagery and paints the picture of the magical world.

As with other second books in trilogies, this one was just a smidge dry. However, that usually seems to be the case. We need a second book with more information and characters to set us up for the finale.

I’m excited about the third book, and I’ll keep recommending this series to friends and family.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Stardust Thief was one of my favorite books of 2022, so I’m thrilled that I loved this one as well.

It was so wonderful to get back to Loulie, Mazan, and Aisha and see where the events of the first book have taken them; Loulie and Mazen are now in the Sandsea and Aisha remains in the human realm, and Abdullah does a great job at balancing them, especially during the times where the cast is separate from each other. There is a very helpful recap at the start of the book, and as always I love the way Abdullah weaves in stories within the story. The worldbuilding is excellent and I love the influence of Middle Eastern folklore, and it’s very apparent that this book is steeped in love. I didn’t reread The Stardust Thief before picking The Ashfire King up, but it was easy to get swept back into the world and find my footing.

This is a bit of a middle book in that it definitely feels like a bridge, but plenty happens that keeps it compelling and there were times I found it hard to put down. The characters are the standout, so even if the plot was maybe a little slower than the prior installment, I wasn’t bothered. I loved seeing familiar faces, but the new characters were also a pleasure to meet and had interesting histories. I think everyone’s development over the course of the book was good and I’ve loved watching them grow and change. I’m curious to see how Abdullah will wrap everything up in the final book, but I will absolutely be seated for it.

Abdullah is so underhyped it's frankly criminal. I reread book one in anticipation of this release, and I was still absolutely delighted to see how creatively she recapped the first book's plot at the start of The Ashfire King (we love our long-winded prince!!). It takes about 20% or so for the plot to really thicken in this installment and for the quest to kick in, but once it does, the action moves at breakneck speed. I need an entire glossary of the ifrit stories (please!!!!), because they are so fascinating and also I can't keep them straight, and every time Loulie tells herself "wow this magic really is too complicated for me to understand," I would think, same girl. My understanding of the magic that holds together the jinn realm is about as solid as the magic holding together the jinn realms, but I was still having a great time.

I love our little cast of found family misfits so much, and seeing the character development for each of our primary crew - Qadir, Loulie, Mazen, and Aisha - was so gratifying. The friendship and partnership between Qadir and Loulie is so damn pure and heartwarming and I just love seeing them fight for one another, and Aisha's journey to accepting the limitations of her own abilities and experiences is well done. I also deeply appreciate the exploration of duty and unasked-for responsibility in Qadir and Mazen's storylines and the ways the narrative questions the stories we tell about war. I cannot wait to see where we journey in book three.

The first book had me on edge the entire time, but this wasn't a bad second installment; it just didn't grip me as much as the first book did. It felt like a filler book to get to the next one. I still get a strong Alladian feel with the magic system portrayed and the Middle Eastern setting. The world and character building in The Ashfire King are on trend with the Stardust Thief. The attention paid to explaining each scene and the conflict helped keep me engaged. I love it when the author provides a recap at the beginning of the story to help us re-enter the world. The plot picked up right where we left off in the Jinn realm, and the loyalty of the characters is in question.

The romance aspect of the story fell a bit flat for me, but we will see what happens in book three. It seemed a bit abusive, mentally and emotionally, to me...just disconnected. More servitude than affection.. I did not enjoy that part.

I look forward to the third installment; I would like to see how this all unfolds. The ending left me with my mouth agape!

Thank you to Netgalley, Orbit Books | Orbit, and Chelsea Abdullah for the ARC of The Ashfire King.

4 stars — A worthy follow-up I’m glad I took my time with

The Ashfire King was one of my most anticipated reads this year, especially after how much I loved The Stardust Thief. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC!

This one took me a little longer to finish than usual—not just because work has been hectic, but also because there’s a lot going on in this story. Chelsea Abdullah has built such a detailed world, and I’m actually glad I didn’t rush through it. I needed time to sit with everything—especially with how much lore, magic, and character development we get this time around.

One thing I really appreciated? Abdullah included reminders and context from book one. I didn’t realize how much I needed those little refreshers until I saw them, and they helped so much in keeping me grounded in the story.

The jinn realm, the rising rebellion, the emotional stakes—this book has so many layers. Loulie’s arc in particular stood out to me. She’s navigating powers that aren’t hers, decisions she never asked for, and trying to figure out who she’s really doing all this for. It was a lot—but in the best way.

Even though I didn’t finish before release day, I’m glad I gave this one the time it deserved. Can’t wait to see where the story goes in book three!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. The Ashfire King was an explosive expansion of the world that Ms. Abdullah started building for us in The Stardust Thief. It took a minute to get re-immersed into the story, but once I was there, I was locked in. I loved every minute of the story, and thought the characters and world building was top notch and really captured a unique story.

This story picks up right where The Stardust Thief left us. Loulie, Mazen, and Rijah arive in the jinn world to find that it's sinking further into the Sandsea and magic is becoming finicky. Aisha remains in the human world separated from Qadir, who's been captured by Omar.

This starts off slow as we're introduced to a myriad of new characters and are introduced to the complexities of the jinn world. Our POV characters shine as they're thrust into new deadly situations, but Aisha and Amira/the Resurrectionist's relationship continues to be my favorite.

We're witness to a barrage of betrayals as we try to piece together what exactly is going on and what types of machinations are afoot. This book will keep you on your toes. If you enjoyed TST, you'll eat up this next installment. It sets up the final book nicely.

Finally, FUCK OMAR.

Gorgeous world, but a slow return after a long wait

It’s been three years since The Stardust Thief, so going into The Ashfire King was a mix of excitement and hesitation. There’s a recap at the start, but honestly? It didn’t help much. I still felt disoriented for a good portion of the early chapters, struggling to remember key plot points and emotional arcs.

The worldbuilding is as rich and magical as ever, and the jinn lore continues to be a standout element. Aisha’s storyline with the Resurrectionist had some dark, tense moments—but I never fully connected to it emotionally. Which is difficult since she carried this book... And my two favorites, Loulie and Mazen, had strong potential, but their arcs dragged a bit, and the tension that made book one so gripping just wasn’t there this time around.

And look—can we talk about Qadir for a second? He was my absolute favorite in The Stardust Thief, and considering the title of this book is literally The Ashfire King, I expected him to have a much bigger presence. The lack of his POV—and his general absence—was frustrating.

The themes of power, rebellion, and legacy are interesting and do offer some strong moments, but overall, this felt like a classic middle book—wandering too much and lacking the punch of the first.

📝 Final thoughts: Still worth reading if you’re invested in the story, but be ready for a slow start, a bit of confusion, and not nearly enough Qadir. Not a bad sequel, but it didn’t quite live up to the wait or the promise of the title. I likely wont be reading the third book.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful second installment to the Sandsea Trilogy. The Ashfire King delivers on the magic and wonder of the first book, expanding into new jinn realms and tribes. Loulie and Mazen both continue to shine as protagonists, but I have to say Aisha still has my heart. Her storyline pulls hard on both emotion and action, and adds one of my new favorite secondary characters. New characters as a whole turn the volume on this sequel up to eleven, granting depth and complexity to the motivations on both human and jinn sides. The look back at the Ashfire King and the seven ifrit was woven in well, highlighting the precarious situation the jinn realm finds itself in. The wait for book two was worth it, because there is no second book syndrome here. Only a wild and raucous adventure above and below the Sandsea. I cannot wait to see how this trilogy ends in book three!

Book #2 did not disappoint! The threads that Chelsea started weaving turned into such an interesting tapestry of storylines and characters. I love the little stories that are told throughout this book and thought they were perfectly spaced. The bonds between characters were strengthened through the adventure and was just so much fun to read. I continued to be amazed at the world building and magic system. Overall, I loved it. The magic and adventure had me coming back for more every chance I got! That cliff hanger has me in a chokehold. I am so excited for book #3. It can’t get here fast enough.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!