“To live is to persevere. For the world, and in spite of it.”

- The Ashfire King (by Chelsea Abdullah) 🔥🧞‍♂️📜

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Despite how deeply I loved the first book, “The Stardust Thief”, I still tried to temper my high expectations for the sequel before reading it…. But wow did I not need to do that!
“The Ashfire King” somehow went above and beyond what I hoped for!

Steeped in Arabian folklore, with its enthralling tales and mystifying creatures, the series brings to life those elements by building a world rich in enchantment and hidden wonder. In this installment, the characters find themselves exploring a new realm that uncovers unexpected secrets and long buried stories (about both the human and jinn realms) that unravel and connect the threads of both worlds.

I LOVE how transportive the book is, how it makes you feel like you’re right there with the characters, stepping (or flying) from one thrilling adventure to the next! The action and excitement are nonstop, making the book so easy to get lost in. But more than that, I was riveted because I rooted wholeheartedly for the characters.

The sequel digs deeper into the characters’ motivations and inner struggles. The new sides we see to Mazen, Loulie, and Aisha are so gratifying. And it’s in this book we see the dynamics between them really start to flourish.

I love how some of them (no spoilers) get closer, are able to be more vulnerable, and bring out the best in each other.
And overall, the interactions between the gang are so much fun! They’ve come so far since we first met them!

With exhilarating pace and alluring storytelling, “The Ashfire King” gives us foes (new and old), dubious allies, unexpected twists, a new arsenal of magic (one of which is unexpectedly adorable), and political machinations that connect the various story-threads and expand the plot to new levels.
In this sequel, the author manages to create a book that exceeds its predecessor while promising an even bigger and more exciting third book to come!

“The Ashfire King” releases April 15 ! 🧞‍♂️

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the chance to read this e-ARC!

The Ashfire King, Chelsea Abdullah’s second book in the Sandsea Trilogy, was one of my most anticipated 2025 releases. And it was worth the wait!

I loved The Stardust Thief, especially the characters and focus on storytelling. But did I remember any of the plot years later? Not much. Thankfully Abdullah does something really smart and incorporates a synopsis of the characters’ earlier adventures as a storyteller’s tale. Even with that summary, I would have easily sunk back into the world and gotten acquainted with the characters.

At the end of book one, the main characters get separated with Loulie, Mazen, and Rijah sent to the Jinn Kingdom. They get quickly caught up between two Jinn powers, one trying to save the Kingdom and the other working to break magical bindings to return it to the surface. Meanwhile, Aisha connects with Hakim, Mazen’s mapmaker brother, and together they go in search of Qadir on the surface.

The power of storytelling continues to shine through, especially when Loulie and Mazen find themselves face-to-face with the mythical marid. They are a proud people with a rich history, but all Louie and Mazen know are stories of their conquering on the surface, illustrating the power of the conquerors to write history.

Abdullah’s strength is in writing characters and the relationships they form. And the characters of the Sandsea Trilogy are a tricky bunch to write. They have formed bonds, they care about each other, they rely on each other, but they still hold themselves at a distance. Despite traveling and fighting together, these characters often refer to each other not by name, but by other signifiers: merchant, storyteller, thief, bodyguard, mapmaker. Their psyches bear the wounds of war and betrayal. They are all cautiously learning to trust.

I also love the magic of this world. The relics, the ashfire, the immense power of the marid, Aisha’s connection with an ancient Jinn, and yes, even magic carpets, combine to create a fun and engaging world.

Now the longing for book three begins...

This one was not as great as I was hoping. I think it fell prey to the second novel syndrome. I felt very bored throughout most of this one, and the chemistry that was there between the characters in book one was gone in this one. I think because the group of four really provided great opportunities to let the characters shine. In this one, with them all being busted up, I just felt like we lost a lot of that chemistry. I will probably continue to read the series, but I definitely missed the action and camaraderie of book 1. Plus, Qadir was my absolute favorite, and he takes a serious back seat in this book.

This book. This book. It gave me everything and still managed to tear me apart. The Ashfire King was a breathtaking continuation of a story already steeped in myth and magic, but what truly destroyed me this time was Mazen’s arc. Watching him claw back his agency, piece by fragile piece, was both heartbreaking and powerful. The worldbuilding only deepened, rich with deadly courts, ancient magic, and sand-swept secrets that shimmered with danger. If The Stardust Thief lit the flame, The Ashfire King let it burn, and I couldn’t look away. Fantasy lovers, especially fans of stories like Throne of Glass, will fall headfirst into this world. No spoilers, but that ending? Absolutely worth every page.

The Ashfire King picks up right where the Stardust Thief leaves off. This book is much slower during the first half, but I attribute that to building each characters story line a bit more. The second half is where the action truly takes off and it doesn't let up until the story ends.

You continue to follow 3 main story lines, Loulie, Mazen, and Aisha, but you get a good amount of side character descriptions, which was fun. Aisha continues to be my favorite of the three in book 2.

Similar to the Stardust Thief, the writing is descriptive and captivating. The world building is excellent, without being too much. There was a fair amount of time between book 1 and book 2, but Abdullah does a good job of bringing you up to speed quickly.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to the final book. Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for the arc in return for an honest review.

The Ashfire King picks up where The Stardust Thief left off with Loulie and Mazen trapped in the jinn world beneath the Sandsea and Aisha trying to stop Omar. There is a short recap in the beginning which I appreciated since it’s been three years since I read book one.

Once again, the world building was absolutely incredible. I loved being back in this world. This is told told through the POVs of three characters - Loulie, Mazen and Aisha. Loulie continues to be my favorite but I loved everyone’s character development in this installment.
I will say, I missed Qadir and was hoping to see more of him than we did but his absence is explained. Mazen’s storytelling is a highlight for me. I love the short stories sprinkled throughout the book.
No spoilers but I’m not a fan of the romance that was introduced in this installment so I’m hoping the next book will change my mind.

After that ending, I can’t wait to find out what happens next!
If you’re looking for a high-stakes fantasy full of action, adventure, and magic you should definitely read this series.

First off, The Stardust Thief is one of my favorite books and I highly anticipating The Ashfire King - I am so grateful I was able to get an eARC.

The Ashfire King was a perfect followup to The Stardust Thief and picks up right where we left off. The story is well-balanced and as action packed as it's predecessor. I really love how the action just keeps going and going in both books and rather than it feeling like a chore, or too much, the characters make light of everything happening to them. The world-building continues to be captivating and I find the Middle Eastern based world beautiful and fascinating and love how Abdullah uses Arabic words and phrases throughout the story. This book continues being told from three POVs - those of Loulie, Mazen, and Aisha. I really enjoyed how the characters continued to develop through this second installment and loved the magic and storytelling. I really can't wait for the final installment in the The Sandsea Trilogy!

The Ashfire King
by Chelsea Abdullah
The Sandsea Trilogy #2
Fantasy YA
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: April 15, 2025
Orbit Books
Ages: 14+

Escaping into the jinn cities, Loulie and Mazen thought they would be safe, only to find the jinn's world hidden under the Sandsea is sinking, the sky cracking.

Aisha and Qadir stayed behind, and Loulie doesn't know if her best friend is alive or if their betrayer finished what they set out to do.


This is the second book of the Sandsea trilogy, and I waited three years to read this, and was very disappointed in the recap. Sure, there was the blurb in the beginning, but it still didn't cover the important stuff! I remembered only a little of what happened in the first book, which I read in 2022, and even after finishing this one, I don't remember what the betrayer did, or some of the other things that happened, or the details of the world. It was as if the author expected me to reread the first book.... I don't do that unless the book was a five-star bomb, and that first book was far from that.

Even the jinn world was not described in much detail, and most irritating was the lack of differentiation between the Jinn and the Ifrit. That is a very important detail to skip.

Anyways.... I did almost DNF this one! The writing started off childish, as if the target audience was under ten. This book isn't suitable for readers under 14. There's just a little too much violence/torture. The characters were supposed to be adults, and the jinns hundreds of years old, but they all seemed to think/act like ten-year-olds, but thankfully, the writing did mature and the story finally became interesting and readable and by the ending, I was enjoying the story.

I do want to read the next book in the series, but I wonder if it is going to be another three-year wait, then a poor recap, and immature writing.

A very low...

3 Stars

This story is def unique.. The writing makes it hard to binge it but I had a great time with the story and can't wait to see how it ends

This had everything I wanted in the sequel. The same charming, fairy tale story teller vibes. A wondrous world filled with magic and jinn. It was fun following the further adventures of Loulie, Mazen, Qadir, and Aisha and seeing the jinn realm. Duha and Azhar are fun new characters. Looking forward to seeing their next adventure and the show down.

4.5/5 stars

Was it worth the wait? YES. I was immediately swept back in as if no time had passed at all (partial thanks to the lovely recap).

An action-packed continuation with incredible world building and mythology. The stakes were even higher and had me riveted to each and every page.

I have a special place in my heart for all of these characters and they are the highlight of this series for me. The struggles and triumphs the characters faced made the story even more impactful and thought-provoking.

That ending! Once again Chelsea Abdullah left us with a shocking cliffhanger that had me wanting to throw my kindle across the room. I will be impatiently waiting to see how the finale ends.

Thank you Orbit and NetGalley for an eARC.

This book was awesome I loved every minute! So many plot twists.
I loved the world and the magic.
I also really liked how storytelling was woven throughout.
The characters are layered and well developed.
This fantasy was adventurous, fun, and very well told.

Chelsea Abdullah has done it again! The Ashfire King is a rich, immersive continuation of the Sandsea Trilogy that deepens the mythology, raises the stakes, and pulls you even further into its magical world. The realm of the jinn is lush and crumbling all at once, and the way Abdullah explores rebellion, legacy, and identity in this setting is absolutely captivating.

Loulie and Mazen continue to shine—individually and together. Their growing bond was such a heartwarming highlight, full of vulnerability, strength, and subtle moments that made me smile. And Loulie and Qadir? I was on edge waiting for their reunion, and it delivered everything I hoped for. Their connection is something special, and it gave this book so much emotional depth.

Abdullah’s prose is lyrical and atmospheric, and the tension between honoring the past and forging a new path is at the heart of this installment. With high-stakes magic, political intrigue, and unforgettable character dynamics, this series is easily becoming a favorite.

I cannot wait to see how it all wraps up in the final book!

“𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴.”

I’ve been waiting so long for this book and I have loved getting to jump back into this world with these lovable characters. Mazen is still a sweet child who needs a hug, Aisha also needs a hug, Loulie is a fiercely determined girlie….who needs a hug. My poor kiddos.

Ashfire picks up where book 1 left off. Everyone is separated except Loulie and Mazen. Aisha is off trying to stop our villain from becoming even more of a tyrant. Qadir, my love, is in the wind. It’s a slower start, setting the scenes for the group, but the action picks up in the second half and stays exciting! I’m loving their journey and as always, I adore the little stories sprinkled throughout. It feels natural. Mazen is a storyteller to his very core and I love him for that. Can we just have a novella of short stories like this? I’d take it in a heartbeat. 🤩

I really missed Qadir throughout this book, as he’s my favorite. So that was kind of a bummer, but we do see him again!

There is a budding romance in this book—between multiple characters it feels. I was hoping the Mazen/Loulie thing wouldn’t go anywhere but, well it seems to be heading in that direction. 👀

This book also falls into a very niche but weirdly common enough trope of “swashbuckling sequel.” Granted, it’s more flying ships than sailing ships but STILL. They are on ships a lot. Which happens so often in sequels I can name three off the top of my head.

Even though I liked the first one a bit more, I did still enjoy this one and I’m super excited for book 3!

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for sending me an early copy to read!

I reread The Stardust Thief to prepare for The Ashfire King, but great news for everyone who doesn’t like/have time to reread, this opens with a pretty comprehensive overview of the first book!!!

This picks up immediately after the events of TST with Loulie and Mazen in the jinn world and Aisha in the human world and Qadir AWOL.

This series does not shy away from introducing new characters, but their personalities are all so distinctive that it’s easy to keep everyone straight.

I loved every minute of this book and can’t wait until I can read the conclusion! Thank you so much to Orbit and NetGalley for the review copy! (Now I wait for my pretty Fairyloot edition)

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with the ARC for this book for my honest review.

My rating - 3.5/5

tl;dr - Enjoyable sequel that falls a bit short of the highs of The Stardust Thief

I really enjoyed the first book and found Chelsea Abdullah's debut novel to be one of my favorite debut novels since The Name of the Wind. If you enjoyed The Stardust Thief then I see no reason why you wouldn't enjoy the second installment in the series.

There is more magic, more world-building and further character development. I thought that the author handled the PoV storytelling better this time around, which was my biggest issue with the first book.

Yet...I find myself slightly less enthusiastic as a whole this time around. It's still an enjoyable read but I feel like things may have moved too fast in the plot and led to some unlikely, and at times unbelievable, trusting relationships that felt at odds with certain characters.

Overall this is a fun ride through the sandsea that I'd recommend to everyone who enjoyed the Stardust Thief, even if I felt it lost a bit of it's predecessor's charm.

"Remember this, gentle friends: what might today be a flame will tomorrow be ashes. We cannot condemn fire for its nature, but if we attempt to master it, we are doomed to burn with it."

Books in themselves tell stories, but very few authors can capture the beauty of oral storytelling with the written word. Everyone can learn something from Chelsea Abdullah.

We once again join Loulie, Mazen, and Aisha as they try not to die (I know that is putting it in very simple terms, but I'm not wrong). After Loulie and Mazen get dumped into the jinn realm, they end up on yet another quest by a ruling monarch. And once again the motives of the monarch are more than what is at the surface. Back in the human realm Aisha finds herself in alliance with one of Mazen's brothers (no I will not tell you which one) and learns to deal with the voice inside her head.

While I am glad I did a reread of The Stardust Thief before jumping into The Ashfire King, there is an OUTSTANDING recap at the beginning (honestly more authors need to do this). One of my main gripes with series tends to be the lack of character growth in the second/third book as most of the character growth tends to happen in the first book, not here! How Aisha deals with the Resurrectionist is so cute to be completely honest.

There are a few things that confused me (stop reading here for minor spoiler) like Mazen not being very concerned that he sank the jinn realm into darkness? I feel like that would eat at him more?

Another great book in the Sandsea Trilogy. The Stardust Thief was one of my favorite reads of 2022. So, I was very excited when I saw The Ashfire King was being released. And this book does not disappoint.

I did have a hard time getting into it at first, but I think it was because I didn’t remember the characters as much since it’s been almost three years. But once I got into it, I was really invested in it.

Chelsea Abdullah has created a lush, magical world. Her descriptive writing makes it so easy to become immersed in this amazing world. And the characters are so greatly written you can’t help but become involved in everything they are going through.

Such a vibrant, entertaining book. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for this copy of The Ashfire King.

This series is one of my favorites. I love a story within a story and this has many of them.

There is a good amount of character development and world building in this book and it’s interesting to see some of the stories being told play out. I want more Quadir, he is my favorite character.

This is a great series for those who loved An Ember in the Ashes and The City of Brass.

The Ashfire King returns to the magical world of The Stardust Thief. Loulie and Mazen are trapped in the realm of the djinn and returning to the surface world will require all their wits and magic. Aisha must reckon with Omar’s treachery and choose how she will deal with the magic keeping her alive. Loulie, Mazen, and Aisha must decide how far they will go to save the world.

The Ashfire King is action-packed and bursting with stories. I loved the standalone tales that were woven into the original story. I especially enjoyed the stories of the marid and the nautical adventures on the Sandsea. The Ashfire King is full of imaginative magic and epic tales. I struggled a bit with the pace at times, but am excited to see how the adventure concludes (especially Aisha’s story!).

Thank you so much to Chelsea Abdullah, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.