210 ratings | 169 reviews | avg rating:3.66

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Maliha’s Year In Books

Maliha’s 2024 Year in Books

Take a look at Maliha’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Maliha Rao’s Followers (21)

Maliha’s Bookshelves

to-read (152)
currently-reading (3)
read (210)
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Maliha’s Friends (277)

Cammie

4,003 books | 2,605 friends

Milly Virus

2,180 books | 60 friends

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4,205 books | 3,858 friends

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700 books | 260 friends

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709 books | 550 friends

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2025 Reading Challenge

2025

READING

CHALLENGE

Maliha Rao has read 39 books of her goal of 30!

130%

Maliha Rao

Goodreads Author

Born

in Karachi, Pakistan

September 09

Website

http://maliharao.com/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/unrealmaliha

Genre

Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult

Influences

neil gaiman terry pratchet Brandon sanderson ...more

Member Since

April 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/maliharao

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Maliha Rao is a dark fantasy and horror writer whose stories live at the eerie crossroads of South Asian folklore and the fantastically weird. Her fiction conjures ghosts with grudges, jinn with existential crises, and monsters that giggle as they bite. With a deep love for the uncanny and the folkloric, Maliha crafts tales that are both bone-chilling and whimsically strange because horror doesn’t always have to scream; sometimes, it wears a crooked smile and dances.
Born and based in Karachi, Pakistan, Maliha is also a seasoned digital communication expert with two decades of experience in creative strategy, copywriting, and brand storytelling. When she’s not building digital narratives, she’s building fictional worlds. Her short horror sto ...more

2 posts
Maliha Rao's Blog

Crafting Memorable Characters for Fantasy Fiction Novels

All novels rely on exciting characters, but fantasy novels, with their fantastical settings and high stakes, require exceptional character development. Characters that stand out captivate readers, propel the storyline, and give life to your fantastical settings. To create memorable characters, follow these steps:

1. Cultivate Distinct Characteristics
It would be great if each character had a unique Read more of this blog post »

1 like · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 20, 2024 03:36 • Tags: crafting-characters, fantasy-characters, fiction-writing, writing-tips

View all 2 posts »

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Maliha Rao’s books

Average rating: 4.71 · 17 ratings · 9 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	Twilight in Darkness by Maliha Rao (Goodreads Author), Armaghan, Ayesha Eman Niazi 4.71 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2023	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dreams & Delusions by Armaghan, Emaan Mehmood, Hafsa Fawad it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dark Tales of Wonder 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2025 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Tough Day by Maliha Rao (Goodreads Author) (Co-Author), Alveena Eman (Co-Author), Ayesha Irfan (Co-Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2024	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Maliha is Currently Reading

Maliha Rao is currently reading

Djinn City

by Saad Z. Hossain (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Nov 13, 2025 12:58PM

Maliha Rao is currently reading

King Solomon the Magus: Master of the Djinns and Occult Traditions of East and West

by Claude Lecouteux

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Sep 02, 2025 12:16PM

Maliha Rao is currently reading

Katabasis

by R.F. Kuang (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 17, 2025 11:14AM

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Maliha’s Recent Updates

Maliha Rao rated a book really liked it The Bhabhis of Lahore and other forbidden tales of the city by Ayesha Muzaffar (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I finished this book in two sittings and ONLY because I work deadlines. Otherwise I am sure I would have devoured it sooner because it was so good! Ayesha has the most chilling stories to share. "Bhabis of Lahore" is a collection of Horror stories th ...more
Nov 14, 2025 08:48AM · 7 likes · like · see review
Maliha Rao wants to read The Haunting of Dr. Rahim-ud-Din Shamsi & Other Unsettling Tales by Ayesha Muzaffar (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 14, 2025 08:48AM · 1 like · like
Maliha Rao liked that Milly entered a giveaway The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Goodreads Author) 5 copies available, ends on December 07, 2025 Enter to win »
Nov 14, 2025 07:42AM · see giveaway
Maliha Rao is 60% done with Djinn City: This book is so condensed!!! But, I am going to pull through! Djinn City by Saad Z. Hossain (Goodreads Author) progress:	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 13, 2025 12:58PM · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Djinn City by Saad Z. Hossain. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Djinn City by Saad Z. Hossain <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Maliha Rao voted for The Bewitching as Readers' Favorite Horror in the Opening Round of the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards. Cast Your Vote
Nov 13, 2025 03:47AM · like
Maliha Rao and 1 other person liked Anum Ahmad's review of Dark Tales of Wonder: "These stories are so captivating you want to keep on reading until you’re finished! I love how they are so relatable and engaging! Definitely a recommendation for anyone who likes reading something original. "
Nov 10, 2025 11:55PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dark Tales of Wonder by Maliha Rao. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dark Tales of Wonder by Maliha Rao <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Maliha Rao and 2 other people liked Wajiha (Jiya) ♡'s review of Dark Tales of Wonder: "This was such a spooky and fun read! It’s a collection of horror short stories, and for a debut, it’s genuinely impressive. The writing is strong and immersive. Also, some scenes actually gave me chills and I love when a book can do that. I LOVE how d" Read more of this review »
Nov 10, 2025 11:55PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dark Tales of Wonder by Maliha Rao. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dark Tales of Wonder by Maliha Rao <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Maliha Rao wants to read The Six Deaths of the Saint (Into Shadow, #3) by Alix E. Harrow (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 26, 2025 10:53AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Maliha Rao wants to read Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 26, 2025 10:53AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Starling House by Alix E. Harrow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Maliha’s Quotes

“Besides this earth, and besides the race of men, there is an invisible world and a kingdom of spirits: that world is around us, for it is everywhere.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

tags: spirit

5 likes