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The Jinni Wars #1
The Fire Wish
A jinni. A princess. And the wish that changes everything. . . . Beautifully written and accessible fantasy for fans of Tamora Pierce, Rachel Hartman, and Laini Taylor.
In this romantic and evocative fantasy, Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. Zayele is a human on her way to marry a prince of Baghdad—which she’ll do anything to avoid. So she captures Najwa and makes a wish. With a rush of smoke and fire, they fall apart and re-form—as each other. A jinni and a human, trading lives. Both girls must play their parts among enemies who would kill them if the deception were ever discovered—enemies including the young men Najwa and Zayele are just discovering they might love.
In this romantic and evocative fantasy, Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. Zayele is a human on her way to marry a prince of Baghdad—which she’ll do anything to avoid. So she captures Najwa and makes a wish. With a rush of smoke and fire, they fall apart and re-form—as each other. A jinni and a human, trading lives. Both girls must play their parts among enemies who would kill them if the deception were ever discovered—enemies including the young men Najwa and Zayele are just discovering they might love.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2014
45 people are currently reading
6902 people want to read
About the author
Amber Lough
5 books124 followersAmber Lough is a life-long traveller and learner of languages. When not reading or writing, Amber can be found hiking on a mountain ridge, swimming with sharks, gardening, watching a musical, or wishing she was doing so. After a short career in the U.S. Air Force, Amber discovered that if writing was her true passion, then she should write.
Amber lives in Germany with her husband, two kids, two cats, and more fish than she has bothered to count.
Amber lives in Germany with her husband, two kids, two cats, and more fish than she has bothered to count.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
May 10, 2014
This is like The Parent Trap, if it was set in the Middle East and had a nice big side order of instalove.
And let me tell you, I tried so bloody hard to love this book. I was hoping The Fire Wish would make waves in Young Adult and perhaps - if we were really lucky - pave the way for an influx of exciting, non-western, non-white, YA fantasy. I mean, this is set in the Middle East. I don't even know any other fantasies that are set in the Middle East. The potential for this book was huge - a brand new setting to explore different kinds of mythology and culture; the ability to use a setting which will be incredibly foreign to most of the book's readers - and the power to use this untapped landscape to tell a very different kind of story. This book could have been so unique.
It started well, hence the extra star in the rating. Lough sets the scene beautifully and had me staring at the pages like the glittery-eyed tourist I so totally am.
Are you captivated? So was I.
My knowledge of Jinni mythology is virtually non-existent so I was hooked and ready to discover more about this exciting world. To tell you a bit about the story, it is set between two worlds - that of the "real" world in Baghdad and that of the Jinni kingdom. In this story, the Jinni are at war with the humans and things are becoming increasingly heated. The humans believe the Jinni are evil, soulless creatures and the Jinni have been terrorized by humans for centuries. Into this world, come our protagonists - Najwa and Zayele. The former is a Jinni spy, sent to observe Prince Kamal. The latter is a sixteen-year-old human girl who is being forced into an arranged marriage with the Prince. In a chance encounter, Zayele is able to touch Najwa and demand a wish - a wish that sees the two girls switching places and experiencing the other's life.
I found the premise of this book really interesting: the war between the humans and the Jinni, the way each girl would have to adapt to the life they'd been thrown into, the fear that they may be found out... but the reality was quite different.
There is no excitement, no tension, surrounding the possibility of a devastating war between the humans and Jinni. There is no mystery, no suspense, no reveals I couldn't guess a hundred pages before. I was never scared that they might be discovered. I was, however, annoyed at Najwa's weakness and stupidity, irritated by Zayele being a complete bitch to almost every other girl she meets - frankly, I would call her behaviour at some parts of the book nothing short of bullying - and so uninterested in the instaromance that I almost fell asleep halfway through.
Once the excitement of the new kind of setting and the Jinni wears off, this book becomes about Najwa and Zayele both falling for the men the other was supposed to be with. The literal instalove of Zayele and Atish's relationship was the most nauseating - even though Zayele looks the same as Najwa, Atish suddenly looks at her with love for the first time (on the first day that they meet). Najwa's romance with Kamal is slightly less annoying, but it still becomes the focus of Najwa's chapters. She constantly wonders about Mr Hot Stuff, then is annoyed at herself for thinking about it. She gets deep inner knowledge from looking into his eyes when they've known each other less than a week. It's not just that this book became all about romance, it became all about two crappy romances that I didn't care about.
It got to a point where I ran out of excuses for this book. I kept trying to tell myself that I liked it more than I did because, damn, I wanted to! It was just about a month ago that I was sat in my college class called "The Making of Modern South Asia" and I said to my friend: "Wouldn't it be cool if someone wrote a really good fantasy and set it in the Middle East or India?"... It would be cool. I'm still waiting for it.
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And let me tell you, I tried so bloody hard to love this book. I was hoping The Fire Wish would make waves in Young Adult and perhaps - if we were really lucky - pave the way for an influx of exciting, non-western, non-white, YA fantasy. I mean, this is set in the Middle East. I don't even know any other fantasies that are set in the Middle East. The potential for this book was huge - a brand new setting to explore different kinds of mythology and culture; the ability to use a setting which will be incredibly foreign to most of the book's readers - and the power to use this untapped landscape to tell a very different kind of story. This book could have been so unique.
It started well, hence the extra star in the rating. Lough sets the scene beautifully and had me staring at the pages like the glittery-eyed tourist I so totally am.
A cavern, as huge as a mountain turned inside out, curved up around me. A waterfall fell from a gap in the Cavern wall and poured into a canal that ended at a bubbling, flashing lake. Fire twisted in the air above the dark water. In every direction, thousands of tiny homes dotted the cavern’s sides, each lit with lamps. The jinni kingdom glittered.
Are you captivated? So was I.
My knowledge of Jinni mythology is virtually non-existent so I was hooked and ready to discover more about this exciting world. To tell you a bit about the story, it is set between two worlds - that of the "real" world in Baghdad and that of the Jinni kingdom. In this story, the Jinni are at war with the humans and things are becoming increasingly heated. The humans believe the Jinni are evil, soulless creatures and the Jinni have been terrorized by humans for centuries. Into this world, come our protagonists - Najwa and Zayele. The former is a Jinni spy, sent to observe Prince Kamal. The latter is a sixteen-year-old human girl who is being forced into an arranged marriage with the Prince. In a chance encounter, Zayele is able to touch Najwa and demand a wish - a wish that sees the two girls switching places and experiencing the other's life.
I found the premise of this book really interesting: the war between the humans and the Jinni, the way each girl would have to adapt to the life they'd been thrown into, the fear that they may be found out... but the reality was quite different.
There is no excitement, no tension, surrounding the possibility of a devastating war between the humans and Jinni. There is no mystery, no suspense, no reveals I couldn't guess a hundred pages before. I was never scared that they might be discovered. I was, however, annoyed at Najwa's weakness and stupidity, irritated by Zayele being a complete bitch to almost every other girl she meets - frankly, I would call her behaviour at some parts of the book nothing short of bullying - and so uninterested in the instaromance that I almost fell asleep halfway through.
Once the excitement of the new kind of setting and the Jinni wears off, this book becomes about Najwa and Zayele both falling for the men the other was supposed to be with. The literal instalove of Zayele and Atish's relationship was the most nauseating - even though Zayele looks the same as Najwa, Atish suddenly looks at her with love for the first time (on the first day that they meet). Najwa's romance with Kamal is slightly less annoying, but it still becomes the focus of Najwa's chapters. She constantly wonders about Mr Hot Stuff, then is annoyed at herself for thinking about it. She gets deep inner knowledge from looking into his eyes when they've known each other less than a week. It's not just that this book became all about romance, it became all about two crappy romances that I didn't care about.
It got to a point where I ran out of excuses for this book. I kept trying to tell myself that I liked it more than I did because, damn, I wanted to! It was just about a month ago that I was sat in my college class called "The Making of Modern South Asia" and I said to my friend: "Wouldn't it be cool if someone wrote a really good fantasy and set it in the Middle East or India?"... It would be cool. I'm still waiting for it.
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July 27, 2014
1.5 STARS
I’m going to try and be fair here, because I’ve truly read worse in this genre and I really appreciated the crash course in jinni mythology embedded within the plot. Because what kind of reader raised by Disney would not be drawn to a story like this? And for a while this had the novelty of an under explored mythology going for it. The lush and decadent world building was like an exotic recipe of something familiar made entirely different by the culture, customs and history. But at it’s core this had an unnecessarily convoluted plot delivered by characters who were as interesting as the inside of my eyelids.
For those planning to read this one...
This was set in Baghdad when humans are engaged in a mythic war against the jinni. Najwa is part of the jinni elite spies and the only one able to infiltrate the anti-jinni wards in the caliph’s castle. Her story alternated with that of Zayele, a young girl who was meant to marry the caliph’s son, Prince Kamal. In what can only be described as the equivalent of a juvenile jinni hissy fit, Najwa manages to get herself trapped in the barge meant to bring Zayele to the palace. Seeing the jinni’s perfect resemblance to her, Zayele wishes for Najwa to take her place and send her back home to her family, only to be sent to the caverns among the jinni.
I really don’t know if I have anything else to add in the discussion about a pair of identical idiots switching places and love interests, because gifs and colourful language can only take me so far so permit me to be redundant and basically lazy in listing down my issue with this story.
This was told in alternating, first person POVs between Najwa and Zayele, which I suppose was necessary to show the progression of both sides of the story once the switch happened. Unfortunately there was very little contrast in the personalities between the two protagonists to make a striking enough impact to me. Which, given that they had to switch places down the line, has clusterfuck written all over it.
And clusterfucked it did.
There was very little background on each of the heroine for me to make any form of connection with either. For a while I liked Najwa’s half of the story slightly better than Zayele’s who came across a whiny, selfish girl who only wants to climb mountains and swim rivers. She doesn’t want to marry the prince, the palace is too far and it’s really hot in the city! She needs to get dressed to be presented to the vizier? But it’s rai-ning! This entire kerfuffle was basically her fault and once she and Najwa switched places she exerted very little effort to try and blend in among the jinni . She was supposed to fear for her survival among these reputably savage beings but exerted very little effort to assimilate herself (if she exerted any at all is actually debatable) save perhaps for the taxing job of kissing Atish, Najwa’s maybe-admirer who likes to walk around shirtless.
Meanwhile in the palace, Najwa seems to be well on her way to becoming the worst undercover jinni spy in the history of undercover jinni spies. She possesses this tattoo that enables her to transmit images to the Jinni Spy Headquarters much like a spy camera, but does she use it to alert her colleagues the moment she realizes the advantage her predicament has put her in? Well, she was busy getting distracted by the cinnamon-scented prince and proceeds to use her abilities to stalk him that one has to wonder if it's the latent fat kid in her longing for a Cinnabon.
But more than the insta-love between the cardboard personalities of its protagonists was this book’s remarkable commitment to making each of the characters sound like idiots with the collective IQ of a rock. Why was it a great surprise for Najwa and Zayele that Okay maybe that's not too hard to believe but why did their similarities not strike their curiosities first and foremost? (in the end it was stated that Najwa had barely glanced at Zayele but seeing as everyone easily took her as Zayele I’m disappointed it didn’t raise any alarms from her dismal spy-sense) Something about the kind of questions raised through its dialogue or the reactionary behaviour of its characters in certain scenes just made them seem immutably stupid from where I stand. I suppose these were supposed to seamlessly fit and help in the unfurling of the plot but only felt discordant and forced. And I get the feeling it all trickles back down to the first person narrative.
I belatedly realised this was intended to be the first book in a series, thus explaining that non-ending of sorts. But I really can’t bring myself to give this more than what I’ve decided seeing as it hardly encourages me to pick up the next book. There was no build-up towards what this revealed about the jinni wars, leaving the twists in the plot feeling contrived. The failure to elicit any sympathy towards certain characters only highlighted the story’s weaknesses than generate any interest on my part.
So I apologise for not bringing anything new to the discussion. I really wanted to offer some hope and positive insight for those who hope to those who plan to read this but I just can’t find a flattering angle to what this offered.
Review Copy courtesy of the publishers.
Also on Booklikes.
I’m going to try and be fair here, because I’ve truly read worse in this genre and I really appreciated the crash course in jinni mythology embedded within the plot. Because what kind of reader raised by Disney would not be drawn to a story like this? And for a while this had the novelty of an under explored mythology going for it. The lush and decadent world building was like an exotic recipe of something familiar made entirely different by the culture, customs and history. But at it’s core this had an unnecessarily convoluted plot delivered by characters who were as interesting as the inside of my eyelids.
For those planning to read this one...
This was set in Baghdad when humans are engaged in a mythic war against the jinni. Najwa is part of the jinni elite spies and the only one able to infiltrate the anti-jinni wards in the caliph’s castle. Her story alternated with that of Zayele, a young girl who was meant to marry the caliph’s son, Prince Kamal. In what can only be described as the equivalent of a juvenile jinni hissy fit, Najwa manages to get herself trapped in the barge meant to bring Zayele to the palace. Seeing the jinni’s perfect resemblance to her, Zayele wishes for Najwa to take her place and send her back home to her family, only to be sent to the caverns among the jinni.
I really don’t know if I have anything else to add in the discussion about a pair of identical idiots switching places and love interests, because gifs and colourful language can only take me so far so permit me to be redundant and basically lazy in listing down my issue with this story.
This was told in alternating, first person POVs between Najwa and Zayele, which I suppose was necessary to show the progression of both sides of the story once the switch happened. Unfortunately there was very little contrast in the personalities between the two protagonists to make a striking enough impact to me. Which, given that they had to switch places down the line, has clusterfuck written all over it.
And clusterfucked it did.
There was very little background on each of the heroine for me to make any form of connection with either. For a while I liked Najwa’s half of the story slightly better than Zayele’s who came across a whiny, selfish girl who only wants to climb mountains and swim rivers. She doesn’t want to marry the prince, the palace is too far and it’s really hot in the city! She needs to get dressed to be presented to the vizier? But it’s rai-ning! This entire kerfuffle was basically her fault and once she and Najwa switched places she exerted very little effort to try and blend in among the jinni . She was supposed to fear for her survival among these reputably savage beings but exerted very little effort to assimilate herself (if she exerted any at all is actually debatable) save perhaps for the taxing job of kissing Atish, Najwa’s maybe-admirer who likes to walk around shirtless.
Meanwhile in the palace, Najwa seems to be well on her way to becoming the worst undercover jinni spy in the history of undercover jinni spies. She possesses this tattoo that enables her to transmit images to the Jinni Spy Headquarters much like a spy camera, but does she use it to alert her colleagues the moment she realizes the advantage her predicament has put her in? Well, she was busy getting distracted by the cinnamon-scented prince and proceeds to use her abilities to stalk him that one has to wonder if it's the latent fat kid in her longing for a Cinnabon.
But more than the insta-love between the cardboard personalities of its protagonists was this book’s remarkable commitment to making each of the characters sound like idiots with the collective IQ of a rock. Why was it a great surprise for Najwa and Zayele that Okay maybe that's not too hard to believe but why did their similarities not strike their curiosities first and foremost? (in the end it was stated that Najwa had barely glanced at Zayele but seeing as everyone easily took her as Zayele I’m disappointed it didn’t raise any alarms from her dismal spy-sense) Something about the kind of questions raised through its dialogue or the reactionary behaviour of its characters in certain scenes just made them seem immutably stupid from where I stand. I suppose these were supposed to seamlessly fit and help in the unfurling of the plot but only felt discordant and forced. And I get the feeling it all trickles back down to the first person narrative.
His face was carved in a permanent scowl, and his belt held two daggers. He was broader than Atish and had a long scar that stretched over his right shoulder, over the lion mark of the Shaitan. He was holding a map clamped on a piece of slater, and I noticed that his knuckles were white with scars. From training or from fighting humans?
I belatedly realised this was intended to be the first book in a series, thus explaining that non-ending of sorts. But I really can’t bring myself to give this more than what I’ve decided seeing as it hardly encourages me to pick up the next book. There was no build-up towards what this revealed about the jinni wars, leaving the twists in the plot feeling contrived. The failure to elicit any sympathy towards certain characters only highlighted the story’s weaknesses than generate any interest on my part.
So I apologise for not bringing anything new to the discussion. I really wanted to offer some hope and positive insight for those who hope to those who plan to read this but I just can’t find a flattering angle to what this offered.
Review Copy courtesy of the publishers.
Also on Booklikes.
July 29, 2014
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Fire Wish by Amber Lough
Book One of The Jinni Wars trilogy
Publisher: Random House Children's
Publication Date: July 22, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
A jinni. A princess. And the wish that changes everything. . . .
Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. Zayele is a human on her way to marry a prince of Baghdad—which she’ll do anything to avoid. So she captures Najwa and makes a wish. With a rush of smoke and fire, they fall apart and re-form—as each other. A jinni and a human, trading lives. Both girls must play their parts among enemies who would kill them if the deception were ever discovered—enemies including the young men Najwa and Zayele are just discovering they might love.
What I Liked:
A jinni-related book! I don't think there are too many jinni-related books in YA literature, especially these days. I don't see why not, there is so much one can do with jinni and wishes and such. If you're looking for fantasy novels featuring jinni, there is this one, and one coming out in October - Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios. I have that one - look out for my review in late August/early September ish.
Najwa is a jinni, Zayele is a human. Both live in two very different worlds, but the worlds are connected by one thing: the jinn and human races are at war. Jinn are not permitted to enter the palace at Baghdad, due to strong wards. But somehow, Najwa gets in. And on her third time to the palace, she gets caught. By Zayele, who is on her way to the palace to become the second prince's bride, against her will. Zayele forces Najwa to grant her a wish: to let Zayele go home. This wish does not happen as expected, because Najwa is stuck in Zayele's world, and Zayele is sent to Najwa's.
At first, I was a bit skeptical. The whole switching-places thing, the deception, the scrambling to find one's way in a new world, I'm not always a huge fan of that. But I found that once we got to the wish that Zayele made Najwa grant, I was sucked in. I HAD to know how Najwa would pull off trying to act human (because jinn don't leave among human, obviously, and Zayele came from a very distinct tribe). I HAD to know how Zayele would pass off as a jinni, since she had no jinni powers, not even the symbol that marked her as one of the jinn in the Corps.
I also don't necessarily like when a book is told from two different people, both of those people being girls. I know that sounds really bad, but I like split narratives with a guy and a girl. When it's two girls, like two sisters, two best friends, etc., I tend to really like one of them (usually whoever's narrative was featured first in the story), and I tend to seriously dislike the other. Not so in this book. I liked Najwa more, but that doesn't mean that I didn't like Zayele.
Najwa is such an interesting character. She's slightly anxious, a bit unsure of herself and her magic, but headstrong and brave. She was extremely upset when she realized that she was stuck in the human world, that she was caught to begin with, but she immediately took to pretending to be Zayele. In my opinion, she did this flawlessly, even when she felt shaky and exposed.
It took me a little bit to understand and like Zayele. Najwa is featured first, and I wanted to get back to her story. But Zayele's side of things is heartbreaking. Her father traded her to the vizier like she didn't matter. She didn't want to go, but she went without too much of a fight. She didn't want to dishonor her tribe, which is noble. What she asked of Najwa wasn't far-fetched or cruel - she did what any desperate girl would have done in her situation. I ended up liking Zayele a lot, and I was rooting for her at the end, hoping that she would succeed in, well, what she needed to do. No spoiling!
So the plot surrounded Najwa and Zayele's switching. Najwa is with Rahela, Zayele's cousin, and Rahela knows that Najwa is a jinni. Rahela helps Najwa enormously, especially with acting human and about Zab (Zayele's tribe). Zayele is discovered in the jinn world before Najwa is discovered in the human world (I don't think this is a spoiler, because it's totally inevitable). Things aren't just about the jinni that got through the palace wards, or the human that got sent to the jinn world - the girls will realize that there is so much more than what they taught was a simple wish. There were twists and turns and curveballs that I really did not see coming - props to Lough for that! So well done!
The romance - yes, there is romance in this book. I saw it coming, on both Najwa and Zayele's end. In the beginning, Najwa is "supposed to" be in love with Atish, a talented jinni. She doesn't, and he doesn't necessarily love her, though they are good friends And of course, Zayele is supposed to marry the second prince, Kamal. So, what do you think happens when the girls switch? Personally, I didn't care much for Zayele and Atish. Not that I didn't like them together, but eh. I really REALLY liked Najwa and Kamal together - they are totally perfect for each other. Contemplative, thoughtful, intelligent, clever - they are too smart for themselves, and so sweet for each other. Love!
A general note - the world-building in this book was STUNNING. We have several "worlds" in this book - at the palace in Baghdad, and the jinn world (not sure what to call it, I think I missed that note). Both worlds are so well-described, so intricately constructed. I could imagine the garden at the palace pretty perfectly, down to the selenite ball. The imagery in this book is so wonderful. The settings were rich and captivating, the characters fleshed-out and "real".
Seriously, I loved this book. The beginning was slow (see the next section), but once things got going, they were going. I LOVE how Lough built this story (both in this book and in the series) - the set-up is amazing, because I can totally see the possibilities for the next book (and in the series in general). Brilliant! This book was brilliant. I want more!
What I Did Not Like:
I mentioned this above, but something that I noted was the slow start. I remember reaching around page 58 and wanting to stop for the night. It wasn't that I was bored, it was that I didn't think much was happening, like the story wasn't going anywhere. I kept reading though, and around page 100 or so, things started to get interested. Yes, it took about 100 of the 320 pages for this book to really start. BUT, stick with it. I promise it's totally worth it!
Would I Recommend It:
Yes! There aren't many jinn-related books in YA literature, so I think this is one not to miss. Also, in general, it's an awesome fantasy novel! I love the culture infused in this book, as well as the fantasy elements of princes and palaces and whatnot. And the romance! I love it! Seriously, there are so many fabulous things about this book. I could go on and on!
Rating:
4 stars. An excellent debut, truly remarkable! I cannot wait to read more from this series, and from this author. SEQUEL, NOW.
The Fire Wish by Amber Lough
Book One of The Jinni Wars trilogy
Publisher: Random House Children's
Publication Date: July 22, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
A jinni. A princess. And the wish that changes everything. . . .
Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. Zayele is a human on her way to marry a prince of Baghdad—which she’ll do anything to avoid. So she captures Najwa and makes a wish. With a rush of smoke and fire, they fall apart and re-form—as each other. A jinni and a human, trading lives. Both girls must play their parts among enemies who would kill them if the deception were ever discovered—enemies including the young men Najwa and Zayele are just discovering they might love.
What I Liked:
A jinni-related book! I don't think there are too many jinni-related books in YA literature, especially these days. I don't see why not, there is so much one can do with jinni and wishes and such. If you're looking for fantasy novels featuring jinni, there is this one, and one coming out in October - Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios. I have that one - look out for my review in late August/early September ish.
Najwa is a jinni, Zayele is a human. Both live in two very different worlds, but the worlds are connected by one thing: the jinn and human races are at war. Jinn are not permitted to enter the palace at Baghdad, due to strong wards. But somehow, Najwa gets in. And on her third time to the palace, she gets caught. By Zayele, who is on her way to the palace to become the second prince's bride, against her will. Zayele forces Najwa to grant her a wish: to let Zayele go home. This wish does not happen as expected, because Najwa is stuck in Zayele's world, and Zayele is sent to Najwa's.
At first, I was a bit skeptical. The whole switching-places thing, the deception, the scrambling to find one's way in a new world, I'm not always a huge fan of that. But I found that once we got to the wish that Zayele made Najwa grant, I was sucked in. I HAD to know how Najwa would pull off trying to act human (because jinn don't leave among human, obviously, and Zayele came from a very distinct tribe). I HAD to know how Zayele would pass off as a jinni, since she had no jinni powers, not even the symbol that marked her as one of the jinn in the Corps.
I also don't necessarily like when a book is told from two different people, both of those people being girls. I know that sounds really bad, but I like split narratives with a guy and a girl. When it's two girls, like two sisters, two best friends, etc., I tend to really like one of them (usually whoever's narrative was featured first in the story), and I tend to seriously dislike the other. Not so in this book. I liked Najwa more, but that doesn't mean that I didn't like Zayele.
Najwa is such an interesting character. She's slightly anxious, a bit unsure of herself and her magic, but headstrong and brave. She was extremely upset when she realized that she was stuck in the human world, that she was caught to begin with, but she immediately took to pretending to be Zayele. In my opinion, she did this flawlessly, even when she felt shaky and exposed.
It took me a little bit to understand and like Zayele. Najwa is featured first, and I wanted to get back to her story. But Zayele's side of things is heartbreaking. Her father traded her to the vizier like she didn't matter. She didn't want to go, but she went without too much of a fight. She didn't want to dishonor her tribe, which is noble. What she asked of Najwa wasn't far-fetched or cruel - she did what any desperate girl would have done in her situation. I ended up liking Zayele a lot, and I was rooting for her at the end, hoping that she would succeed in, well, what she needed to do. No spoiling!
So the plot surrounded Najwa and Zayele's switching. Najwa is with Rahela, Zayele's cousin, and Rahela knows that Najwa is a jinni. Rahela helps Najwa enormously, especially with acting human and about Zab (Zayele's tribe). Zayele is discovered in the jinn world before Najwa is discovered in the human world (I don't think this is a spoiler, because it's totally inevitable). Things aren't just about the jinni that got through the palace wards, or the human that got sent to the jinn world - the girls will realize that there is so much more than what they taught was a simple wish. There were twists and turns and curveballs that I really did not see coming - props to Lough for that! So well done!
The romance - yes, there is romance in this book. I saw it coming, on both Najwa and Zayele's end. In the beginning, Najwa is "supposed to" be in love with Atish, a talented jinni. She doesn't, and he doesn't necessarily love her, though they are good friends And of course, Zayele is supposed to marry the second prince, Kamal. So, what do you think happens when the girls switch? Personally, I didn't care much for Zayele and Atish. Not that I didn't like them together, but eh. I really REALLY liked Najwa and Kamal together - they are totally perfect for each other. Contemplative, thoughtful, intelligent, clever - they are too smart for themselves, and so sweet for each other. Love!
A general note - the world-building in this book was STUNNING. We have several "worlds" in this book - at the palace in Baghdad, and the jinn world (not sure what to call it, I think I missed that note). Both worlds are so well-described, so intricately constructed. I could imagine the garden at the palace pretty perfectly, down to the selenite ball. The imagery in this book is so wonderful. The settings were rich and captivating, the characters fleshed-out and "real".
Seriously, I loved this book. The beginning was slow (see the next section), but once things got going, they were going. I LOVE how Lough built this story (both in this book and in the series) - the set-up is amazing, because I can totally see the possibilities for the next book (and in the series in general). Brilliant! This book was brilliant. I want more!
What I Did Not Like:
I mentioned this above, but something that I noted was the slow start. I remember reaching around page 58 and wanting to stop for the night. It wasn't that I was bored, it was that I didn't think much was happening, like the story wasn't going anywhere. I kept reading though, and around page 100 or so, things started to get interested. Yes, it took about 100 of the 320 pages for this book to really start. BUT, stick with it. I promise it's totally worth it!
Would I Recommend It:
Yes! There aren't many jinn-related books in YA literature, so I think this is one not to miss. Also, in general, it's an awesome fantasy novel! I love the culture infused in this book, as well as the fantasy elements of princes and palaces and whatnot. And the romance! I love it! Seriously, there are so many fabulous things about this book. I could go on and on!
Rating:
4 stars. An excellent debut, truly remarkable! I cannot wait to read more from this series, and from this author. SEQUEL, NOW.
May 9, 2015
I was lured to this book for a few reasons. The first was the awesome cover which is definitely one of the best I've seen lately. The second reason was that I've always been intrigued by the idea of a book about the Jinni ever since I saw Disney's Aladin as a kid. Unsurprisingly this book struggled to meet my fairly high expectations. That is not to say it is bad as I actually quite enjoyed this one. It was a fun fantasy romance with enough likable characters, mystery, and cool magic to hold my attention.
The plot was fairly interesting. Zayele has been picked to marry a prince of Baghdad, a fate she is not particularly keen on. Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. On her journey to Bagdad Zayele manages to capture Najwa and force a wish from her. She wishes for Najwa to take her place in Bagdad. Najwa is forced to grant the wish as captured jinni have no choice in such matters. Unsurprisingly the wish does not turn out how Zayele intended and both girls end up swapping places and lives.
The world was an interesting one. Half the story takes place in the Palace of Baghdad while the other half takes place in the underground Cavern of the jinni. In the not too distant past the people of Baghdad and the jinni were allies. That all changed after a mysterious murder that the jinni got blamed for. Now they are bitter enemies.
I've always loved stories where people end up trading places and I did enjoy that part of this story. I loved the time Zayele spent learning about the ways and culture of the jinni in the Cavern. I also enjoyed Najwa's time in the Palace and how her relationship with the Prince developed.
I was not blown away by either of the potential romances, but I did enjoy them.
All in all this was a fun YA book. I'll definitely be reading the squeal. I saw this compared to DoSaB and Seraphina and I can see those comparisons. The setting does have a very DoSaB feel, but the quality of the story is more similar to Seraphina.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: This was narrated by Luci Christian. She decided to perform the whole book with a fake Middle Eastern accent which I found quite distracting for the first hour or two. After that I got used to it. I did like her sing song voice and thought she voiced the various characters well enough.
The plot was fairly interesting. Zayele has been picked to marry a prince of Baghdad, a fate she is not particularly keen on. Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. On her journey to Bagdad Zayele manages to capture Najwa and force a wish from her. She wishes for Najwa to take her place in Bagdad. Najwa is forced to grant the wish as captured jinni have no choice in such matters. Unsurprisingly the wish does not turn out how Zayele intended and both girls end up swapping places and lives.
The world was an interesting one. Half the story takes place in the Palace of Baghdad while the other half takes place in the underground Cavern of the jinni. In the not too distant past the people of Baghdad and the jinni were allies. That all changed after a mysterious murder that the jinni got blamed for. Now they are bitter enemies.
I've always loved stories where people end up trading places and I did enjoy that part of this story. I loved the time Zayele spent learning about the ways and culture of the jinni in the Cavern. I also enjoyed Najwa's time in the Palace and how her relationship with the Prince developed.
I was not blown away by either of the potential romances, but I did enjoy them.
All in all this was a fun YA book. I'll definitely be reading the squeal. I saw this compared to DoSaB and Seraphina and I can see those comparisons. The setting does have a very DoSaB feel, but the quality of the story is more similar to Seraphina.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: This was narrated by Luci Christian. She decided to perform the whole book with a fake Middle Eastern accent which I found quite distracting for the first hour or two. After that I got used to it. I did like her sing song voice and thought she voiced the various characters well enough.
May 1, 2014
It's a rare and amazing book that can take you somewhere you've never been before and introduce you to characters like no one you've ever read about and still convey a story that's so emotionally accessible. You'll be pulled into the mystery of Zayele and Najwa's interconnected fates right away. PLUS -- and here's the big bonus -- the writing is so gorgeous and vibrant, the story blooms in your head effortlessly. So, yeah, pretty much you'll be needing to add this book to your "must-read list for 2014" right this instant.
February 2, 2018
The main reason I decided to read this book is because I accidentally bought the sequel from Book Outlet, without realizing that it was a sequel. So I picked this one up so that the events of the second book would actually make sense.
Overall, I found this book to just be ok. It took a little bit to get into and I actually didn't like the beginning of the book much at all. I hated one of the main characters and while I liked the alternating POVs, in the beginning, it switched back and forth just a little too quickly, which made it more challenging to really get invested in the story. And the characters also fell flat for me. There was little development and they seemed very one dimensional to me. I didn't find myself caring one way or the other what happened to them.
I really liked the premise, and the location and culture represented in the book are ones that I rarely see and read about, which was so cool (the story alternates between the palace of Baghdad and the Jinni caves) and I loved that. I just feel like the execution wasn't as good as I hoped. However, I still found it intriguing enough to want to read the second book (which is good since that's the one I bought) and I hope that I end up liking the sequel better than this one.
Overall, I found this book to just be ok. It took a little bit to get into and I actually didn't like the beginning of the book much at all. I hated one of the main characters and while I liked the alternating POVs, in the beginning, it switched back and forth just a little too quickly, which made it more challenging to really get invested in the story. And the characters also fell flat for me. There was little development and they seemed very one dimensional to me. I didn't find myself caring one way or the other what happened to them.
I really liked the premise, and the location and culture represented in the book are ones that I rarely see and read about, which was so cool (the story alternates between the palace of Baghdad and the Jinni caves) and I loved that. I just feel like the execution wasn't as good as I hoped. However, I still found it intriguing enough to want to read the second book (which is good since that's the one I bought) and I hope that I end up liking the sequel better than this one.
March 11, 2014
I loved this book. I loved everything about this book. The gorgeous writing and almost dream-like setting reminded me so much of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, which is one of my favorite YAs of all time. I can't wait for the next installment. Highly, highly recommended.
April 13, 2014
This book has it all: jinnis, magic, adventure, suspense, and just enough romance. The settings, both in the human and jinni worlds, draw you in. The characters come alive through their actions and dialogue. I also really appreciated how the author alternated two connected stories, told from the two main characters point of view. The story had a nice build up in the beginning and then really gets going, building to an exciting finish. I highly recommend this book.
Also, my 10yo daughter, fan of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson among others, really liked this book. She can't wait for the next book in the adventure!
Also, my 10yo daughter, fan of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson among others, really liked this book. She can't wait for the next book in the adventure!
September 19, 2016
Soooo much better than I thought it would be.
Check out my series review here: https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/...
Critically
Plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars
The plot of this book hooked me right in the beginning. It’s so interesting because it’s about a subject and a premise that I’ve never read before. It’s mysterious and suspenseful and full of adventure. The mythology aspect is really interesting and the plot full of twists and turns. It kept me hooked the entire time.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
In general, it’s very simple but very descriptive which I appreciated because it makes it so much easier to picture such a vast and extraordinary world. The sentences are short and tight which made the story move very fast. My favorite part was definitely the world building which is just amazing.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
This is the part where it got a little iffy for me. I was so enchanted by the world and the mythology that I honestly couldn’t care less about the characters, specially considering they were plainly stereo typical and totally opposites of each other. First there’s Najwa, the jinni and she’s the good one. She’s very brave and protective of her people and smart. She’s headstrong but also has a tendency to take a backseat when someone older doesn’t agree with her ideas. The only bad thing is that she’s very anxious and insecure. I understood it because of the situations she was placed in, but it got really annoying, really fast. Then there’s Zayele, who is the human and the bad one. She got on my every last nerve and I pretty much tried to ignore her when it came to her perspective and just focused on the plot instead. She’s selfish and mean and kind of a bully at some parts. She’s desperate to get out of her situation but resorts to something completely horrendous and ends up screwing things up even more for everybody. She has a tendency to act before she thinks and it gets her and everyone around her into hot water. She’s outspoken which I guess is the only good thing I can say about her character but it also backfired on her at times so I guess it can’t be that good. The side characters were so unmemorable that I didn’t write a note about them on my notebook and the romance was basically insta love times two.
Emotionally
Check out my series review here: https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/...
Critically
Plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars
The plot of this book hooked me right in the beginning. It’s so interesting because it’s about a subject and a premise that I’ve never read before. It’s mysterious and suspenseful and full of adventure. The mythology aspect is really interesting and the plot full of twists and turns. It kept me hooked the entire time.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
In general, it’s very simple but very descriptive which I appreciated because it makes it so much easier to picture such a vast and extraordinary world. The sentences are short and tight which made the story move very fast. My favorite part was definitely the world building which is just amazing.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
This is the part where it got a little iffy for me. I was so enchanted by the world and the mythology that I honestly couldn’t care less about the characters, specially considering they were plainly stereo typical and totally opposites of each other. First there’s Najwa, the jinni and she’s the good one. She’s very brave and protective of her people and smart. She’s headstrong but also has a tendency to take a backseat when someone older doesn’t agree with her ideas. The only bad thing is that she’s very anxious and insecure. I understood it because of the situations she was placed in, but it got really annoying, really fast. Then there’s Zayele, who is the human and the bad one. She got on my every last nerve and I pretty much tried to ignore her when it came to her perspective and just focused on the plot instead. She’s selfish and mean and kind of a bully at some parts. She’s desperate to get out of her situation but resorts to something completely horrendous and ends up screwing things up even more for everybody. She has a tendency to act before she thinks and it gets her and everyone around her into hot water. She’s outspoken which I guess is the only good thing I can say about her character but it also backfired on her at times so I guess it can’t be that good. The side characters were so unmemorable that I didn’t write a note about them on my notebook and the romance was basically insta love times two.
Emotionally
January 29, 2015
I had high hopes for this book, and at first they seemed to deliver. I enjoyed the setting and the characters and the magic of the jinni. We started off with lots of great set up, between Najwa studying to be a spy and Zayele…being Zayele. We had plenty of things to learn about, what with a war going on in the background and whole new culture to learn about with the jinni. I even liked Zayele’s “oh no, arranged marriage!” plot. I usually hate those, but she made it work with her rambunctious personality and clear motivations. She was a selfish teenager, but then again, she was displayed as a selfish teenager and nothing else, so it worked for me. The plot was slow enough to absorb everything and be considered light reading, but still had enough going on to hold my interested. A perfect balance for me.
And then came the point where the two girls switched places, and I was all ready for some tension and danger and machinations. And…and then nothing. It all ground to a halt.
What’s the point of reading a story about girls switching places when they have literally no trouble fitting into the other’s life? Instead of reading about Zayele tensely navigating a culture she doesn’t understand, she goes on a fucking picnic with her “friends.” Um…ooo, danger? Najwa at least has an excuse for how easily her transition was; no one at the palace was supposed to know her. And she actually tried to get shit done, but there wasn’t much for her to do there. Throw in a hefty dose of insta-love for both girls, and this novel belly-flopped pretty hard.
The ending picked things up a little bit. There was nothing particular surprising, but once things actually got rolling again, they were entertaining to read. If the novel had just chopped out the whole middle and squished the ends together, it probably would have been perfectly serviceable, and all we would have lost was a bunch of really shallow romance. (Not that I have anything against romance, but when you’re connection between the two is literally “wow, just something feels different today, I guess I love you now!” what else can you call it but shallow?)
And then came the point where the two girls switched places, and I was all ready for some tension and danger and machinations. And…and then nothing. It all ground to a halt.
What’s the point of reading a story about girls switching places when they have literally no trouble fitting into the other’s life? Instead of reading about Zayele tensely navigating a culture she doesn’t understand, she goes on a fucking picnic with her “friends.” Um…ooo, danger? Najwa at least has an excuse for how easily her transition was; no one at the palace was supposed to know her. And she actually tried to get shit done, but there wasn’t much for her to do there. Throw in a hefty dose of insta-love for both girls, and this novel belly-flopped pretty hard.
The ending picked things up a little bit. There was nothing particular surprising, but once things actually got rolling again, they were entertaining to read. If the novel had just chopped out the whole middle and squished the ends together, it probably would have been perfectly serviceable, and all we would have lost was a bunch of really shallow romance. (Not that I have anything against romance, but when you’re connection between the two is literally “wow, just something feels different today, I guess I love you now!” what else can you call it but shallow?)
August 22, 2014
Another book that I was excited to read. I liked the premise of this book. The world that the author built was cool and magical, yet it was the characters and the story itself that was lacking. Ok, so sometimes the author does not want to give too much away in the first book in a series. So there is that fine line of deciding how much of the plot to giveaway while still trying to keep some mystery for the rest of the series. Yet there was no mystery to be seen. In fact, there was not really much of anything...action, loveable characters or even likeable, magic, and intrigue. All of this seemed to be missing. I got about more than half way through the book before I put it down and realized that the story really was not going anywhere. It was like trying to run through quick sand. You can try and try your hardest but you pretty much will eventually give up and sink.
May 25, 2014
WANT MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR! I read it from Netgalley and my library has already ordered it so I will be recommending it to our teens for sure.
It looks like more are planned and I am very happy.
The world building is excellent, the characters are multidimensional and interesting. I care about many of them, though some are just downright bad and you love to hate them or fear them. The rich tapestry of this story will keep me coming back to the author.
There is a warning, it is very hard to put down so start it when you have plenty of time to read it through to the end.
It looks like more are planned and I am very happy.
The world building is excellent, the characters are multidimensional and interesting. I care about many of them, though some are just downright bad and you love to hate them or fear them. The rich tapestry of this story will keep me coming back to the author.
There is a warning, it is very hard to put down so start it when you have plenty of time to read it through to the end.
March 24, 2014
What a beautifully written book! I adored all of the settings--both foreign and otherworldly--and felt so immersed in the worlds of both protagonists. The language and sensory details were just fantastic, and the high-stakes plot kept me madly turning the pages. I think that readers who loved THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS would be just as drawn in by THE FIRE WISH.
July 3, 2014
Really 1.5 stars. That second star is more for potential than anything else. To see full review click on one of the below links:
My blog
Booklikes
Disclaimer: I received an ARC for Netgalley. This did not have any impact on my opinion of the book. Other than to be grateful to the publisher (Random House Children’s) for giving me the opportunity to read this book. The Fire Wish is released on July 22, 2014.
Be careful what you wish for indeed.
I have been wanting a jinni (or genie for all you Aladdin aficionados) YA book for years. Finally, 2014 seemed like it was the year for jinnis with this book and a couple of other jinn books being released.
Which is just surprising how much it sucks.
Yeah, I know a genie book that sucked.
Actually, this book reminded me of Cinderella’s Dress fabulous plot potential but horrid execution.
This is once again a book that is said to be about something but is really about nothing. Except bad insta love. And she patchwork flashbacks to give an attempt of a plot in the last half.
It doesn’t work, kids.
Let’s talk about genies for a minute before this review continues. Genies or jinnis as they’re called by non-Disney folks, have a relatively vague mythology (to westerners) that is really plum for YA picking. Most people’s knowledge of them really consist of the Robin Williams’ genie character. Which with his 90′s pop culture jokes is probably not the best role model.
Like for instance, the actual Aladdin story is set in China not Arabia. And it really doesn’t have that good of a moral lesson to it like in the movie (Aladdin keeps the genie enslaved for the rest of eternity).
The point is, genies and YA pretty blank slate. So, how can you fuck up on them.
Well, the way you fuck up on any good premises…
Nothing.
Just nothing.
Well, that’s what that book did. And Cinderella’s Dress too, now that I think about. Add some lackluster characters and insta love than those high hopes turn into...
Oh, when will this be over?
I wish I could say something nice about the world-building, but nope nothing here. Nothing about these jinnis to really distinguish them as jinnis. I guess the wishing was sort of fleshed out, but not that much.
Just like the characters and romances were barely fleshed out. The princess character, Zayele, was more or less a brat who after one kiss is in love and has found home. Forget about the place she lived most of her life.
And then there’s the jinni character, Najwa.
Gah…
Boring.
Bland.
Stupid.
My blog
Booklikes
Disclaimer: I received an ARC for Netgalley. This did not have any impact on my opinion of the book. Other than to be grateful to the publisher (Random House Children’s) for giving me the opportunity to read this book. The Fire Wish is released on July 22, 2014.
Be careful what you wish for indeed.
I have been wanting a jinni (or genie for all you Aladdin aficionados) YA book for years. Finally, 2014 seemed like it was the year for jinnis with this book and a couple of other jinn books being released.
Which is just surprising how much it sucks.
Yeah, I know a genie book that sucked.
Actually, this book reminded me of Cinderella’s Dress fabulous plot potential but horrid execution.
This is once again a book that is said to be about something but is really about nothing. Except bad insta love. And she patchwork flashbacks to give an attempt of a plot in the last half.
It doesn’t work, kids.
Let’s talk about genies for a minute before this review continues. Genies or jinnis as they’re called by non-Disney folks, have a relatively vague mythology (to westerners) that is really plum for YA picking. Most people’s knowledge of them really consist of the Robin Williams’ genie character. Which with his 90′s pop culture jokes is probably not the best role model.
Like for instance, the actual Aladdin story is set in China not Arabia. And it really doesn’t have that good of a moral lesson to it like in the movie (Aladdin keeps the genie enslaved for the rest of eternity).
The point is, genies and YA pretty blank slate. So, how can you fuck up on them.
Well, the way you fuck up on any good premises…
Nothing.
Just nothing.
Well, that’s what that book did. And Cinderella’s Dress too, now that I think about. Add some lackluster characters and insta love than those high hopes turn into...
Oh, when will this be over?
I wish I could say something nice about the world-building, but nope nothing here. Nothing about these jinnis to really distinguish them as jinnis. I guess the wishing was sort of fleshed out, but not that much.
Just like the characters and romances were barely fleshed out. The princess character, Zayele, was more or less a brat who after one kiss is in love and has found home. Forget about the place she lived most of her life.
And then there’s the jinni character, Najwa.
Gah…
Boring.
Bland.
Stupid.
August 30, 2016
3.5 stars!
Toen Luitingh-Sijthoff mij benaderde om met de facebookgroep waar ik beheer van ben (Young Adults Boeken en Series <3) een leesclub te beginnen met dit boek, was ik meteen van de partij! Het leek me aan het begin al een heel gaaf boek en toen ik de kans had om dit boek te recenseren, pakte ik die kans met beide handen aan.
Ik kon na wat oponthoud eindelijk beginnen in het boek en wat me als eerste opviel was dat het door de ogen van twee meisjes beschreven wordt (Zayele en Najwa) en dat de hoofdstukjes érg kort zijn. Het ene verhaal kan dit goed hebben, waardoor de leessnelheid omhoog gaat, maar bij dit boek zag ik het meer als een belemmering. Omdat je zo snel switched tussen de verschillende werelden (en die zijn écht heel verschillend), vond ik het lastig om me volledig in te leven in het meisje voordat we weer overschakelden naar het andere meisje.
Allebei de dames zijn erg verschillend, maar op een bepaalde manier ook gelijk. Niet alleen omdat ze sprekend op elkaar lijken, maar ook hun innerlijk past aardig goed bij elkaar. Ze zijn allebei dapper en sterk, maar wel bescheiden en een beetje verlegen. Ze hebben gelukkig ook genoeg verschillen, zo is Zayele een mens en houdt ze erg van de natuur, terwijl Najwa een djinn is (een wensengever, iets wat het dichtst bij een elfje komt denk ik, alleen dan wel stoer) en druk bezig is met leren en hogerop komen op de maatschappelijke ladder.
De werelden zijn erg mooi in elkaar verweven, de mensen tegenover de djinn’s. Lough heeft een hele nieuwe wereld, een heel nieuw soort karakter opgezet die enorm interessant is en die heel veel potentie heeft! Toch miste ik op bepaalde punten wat diepgang: wat kan een djinn nog meer? Welke vormen van djinn’s zijn er? Waarom hadden de mensen en de djinn’s nu precies ruzie en waarom kan dit niet opgelost worden met een verdrag of iets in die richting? Maar ook de mensenwereld miste ik een beetje. Je leest alleen over het dorpje van Zayele en het paleis, maar over de wereld daarbuiten zie je op twee of drie scènes na bijna niet. Dat vind ik erg jammer, ik denk dat er veel meer uit te halen viel.
De romantiek in dit boek is om van te smullen! Ik vond het erg leuk om te zien dat alles uit eindelijk op zijn eigen manier wel goed komt, al had ik het totaal niet aan zien komen. Het einde is voor mij het mooiste stuk uit het boek, dus als je eraan denkt om het boek weg te leggen, lees dan alsjeblieft door! Want het einde is fantastisch goed, heel spannend en het smaakt zeker naar meer!
3.5 sterren voor dit boek!
Toen Luitingh-Sijthoff mij benaderde om met de facebookgroep waar ik beheer van ben (Young Adults Boeken en Series <3) een leesclub te beginnen met dit boek, was ik meteen van de partij! Het leek me aan het begin al een heel gaaf boek en toen ik de kans had om dit boek te recenseren, pakte ik die kans met beide handen aan.
Ik kon na wat oponthoud eindelijk beginnen in het boek en wat me als eerste opviel was dat het door de ogen van twee meisjes beschreven wordt (Zayele en Najwa) en dat de hoofdstukjes érg kort zijn. Het ene verhaal kan dit goed hebben, waardoor de leessnelheid omhoog gaat, maar bij dit boek zag ik het meer als een belemmering. Omdat je zo snel switched tussen de verschillende werelden (en die zijn écht heel verschillend), vond ik het lastig om me volledig in te leven in het meisje voordat we weer overschakelden naar het andere meisje.
Allebei de dames zijn erg verschillend, maar op een bepaalde manier ook gelijk. Niet alleen omdat ze sprekend op elkaar lijken, maar ook hun innerlijk past aardig goed bij elkaar. Ze zijn allebei dapper en sterk, maar wel bescheiden en een beetje verlegen. Ze hebben gelukkig ook genoeg verschillen, zo is Zayele een mens en houdt ze erg van de natuur, terwijl Najwa een djinn is (een wensengever, iets wat het dichtst bij een elfje komt denk ik, alleen dan wel stoer) en druk bezig is met leren en hogerop komen op de maatschappelijke ladder.
De werelden zijn erg mooi in elkaar verweven, de mensen tegenover de djinn’s. Lough heeft een hele nieuwe wereld, een heel nieuw soort karakter opgezet die enorm interessant is en die heel veel potentie heeft! Toch miste ik op bepaalde punten wat diepgang: wat kan een djinn nog meer? Welke vormen van djinn’s zijn er? Waarom hadden de mensen en de djinn’s nu precies ruzie en waarom kan dit niet opgelost worden met een verdrag of iets in die richting? Maar ook de mensenwereld miste ik een beetje. Je leest alleen over het dorpje van Zayele en het paleis, maar over de wereld daarbuiten zie je op twee of drie scènes na bijna niet. Dat vind ik erg jammer, ik denk dat er veel meer uit te halen viel.
De romantiek in dit boek is om van te smullen! Ik vond het erg leuk om te zien dat alles uit eindelijk op zijn eigen manier wel goed komt, al had ik het totaal niet aan zien komen. Het einde is voor mij het mooiste stuk uit het boek, dus als je eraan denkt om het boek weg te leggen, lees dan alsjeblieft door! Want het einde is fantastisch goed, heel spannend en het smaakt zeker naar meer!
3.5 sterren voor dit boek!
January 2, 2015
I really really highly enjoyed this book. I was immediately drawn to it because...jinn...need I say more? Jinn are one of the coolest mythical beings, in my opinion(though U feel like I'm spelling it wrong) and I've never really read a book about them. Sure, I know there are one or two YA contemporary books involving Genies but this is deferent, this is Jinn and humans at war! It sounds completely epic, in my opinion, and does not disappoint.
It has lively flawed and awesome characters, a brilliantly vivid world and an epic premise. I loved every minute of this book, it's very fast-paced and once you learn to understand some of the words used for everything it really just flies by.
A Few Of My Favorite Things:
The characters: I loved both characters so much. At first I definitely preferred Najwa who is a Jinn who is forced to change places with Zayele. I found Najwa to be more entertaining and just liked her better, she's the more responsible contained one while Zayele is...anxious and...hyper, never thinks things through and all. But I did grow to like them both. They both have flaws and make some mistakes, but I loved reading from their perspectives.
I also really loved the side characters and the love interests. Both romantic relationships were subtle and kind of in the background which is how I prefer my fantasy, there just enough to give some swoon-worthy moments but not take over the plot.
The World. Definitely the best part. The author is brilliant and built an enthralling world that I loved so much. The magic of the Jinn and the history of the war was all so interesting and never once felt like a big info dump. It was all done very well.
Overall: I really really loved this book and can't wait for the next! The only downside is it was really fast paced and fairly short so at times it felt like nothing happened, or maybe too much happened..? I guess I felt the pacing was just a tiny bit off but not enough to really irritate or confuse me while reading it. I loved the mythology of the Jinn and the lamps and it....it's just awesome, okay?
This review can also be found @ The Story Goes...
April 30, 2014
3.5 stars
With simple yet lovely writing, a mystifying atmosphere and a rich setting, Lough builds a very enchanting and original world of jinnies that's unlike anything I've ever read in YA. This is very fun book: quick, uncomplicated, straightforward and easy to follow. There are plot lines that feel familiar, as well as a few bumps along the way, some logic mistakes and a few characters that suffered from a lack of characterization, but not much can be begrudged to the book because it is so simple and unassuming.
There are two first person POVs in the novel and it was sometimes a struggle to tell them apart from each other. They alternated in a strict pattern, but Zeyele and Najwa's voices were really easy to get confused as they were so similar. That's not to say that the girls themselves were alike. Lough sure put effort into giving them different personalities, but their narration styles were almost exactly alike. There's a bit of insta-love going on, but it is of the sweet variety that's a lot easier to turn a blind eye to.
The simplicity of this book is both a virtue and a fault in my opinion. It works in its favor because the overall story is cute, short and simple in itself, so building it up to be more than it could give would've really hurt the book in the end, but, as I read, I kept expecting something more. It feels more like a MG book than YA, the book lost some of the urgency in the process effectively reducing the impact and importance of the conflict, and, ultimately, didn't make much of an impression. Everything gets solved rather quickly and without many complications and the book rushes through the story, rarely leaving time for any of the events to cause an impact. This is a perfectly nice book, very entertaining and original, but I expected something a lot bigger and more spectacular. If you are looking for a simple, uncomplicated, pretty and fun book with tons of magic and romance, then this one is for you.
With simple yet lovely writing, a mystifying atmosphere and a rich setting, Lough builds a very enchanting and original world of jinnies that's unlike anything I've ever read in YA. This is very fun book: quick, uncomplicated, straightforward and easy to follow. There are plot lines that feel familiar, as well as a few bumps along the way, some logic mistakes and a few characters that suffered from a lack of characterization, but not much can be begrudged to the book because it is so simple and unassuming.
There are two first person POVs in the novel and it was sometimes a struggle to tell them apart from each other. They alternated in a strict pattern, but Zeyele and Najwa's voices were really easy to get confused as they were so similar. That's not to say that the girls themselves were alike. Lough sure put effort into giving them different personalities, but their narration styles were almost exactly alike. There's a bit of insta-love going on, but it is of the sweet variety that's a lot easier to turn a blind eye to.
The simplicity of this book is both a virtue and a fault in my opinion. It works in its favor because the overall story is cute, short and simple in itself, so building it up to be more than it could give would've really hurt the book in the end, but, as I read, I kept expecting something more. It feels more like a MG book than YA, the book lost some of the urgency in the process effectively reducing the impact and importance of the conflict, and, ultimately, didn't make much of an impression. Everything gets solved rather quickly and without many complications and the book rushes through the story, rarely leaving time for any of the events to cause an impact. This is a perfectly nice book, very entertaining and original, but I expected something a lot bigger and more spectacular. If you are looking for a simple, uncomplicated, pretty and fun book with tons of magic and romance, then this one is for you.
July 24, 2014
Bell, Book & Candle | Fire Wish Review
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
When I first heard of this book, I thought it would be amazing! I mean, how often do you get to read about jinns? It's so Aladdin; so chic.
When actually reading the book made my excitement die down a bit.
It's the first in the series, and an okay read. I really like the setting in today's Middle East; you don't see much of it in the book because the characters aren't roaming the lands, but what you do read is very descriptive. The pacing dragged here and there, and led me to skim pages in certain parts sometimes. There was this Freaky Friday swap-thing that was a little unexpected, not necessarily bad however.
The Najwa storyline was probably my favorite though. The dynamic between her and the prince was what I was most eager to read. Hashim is every it as conniving as Jafar
It's a little sad in certain parts, and left me shaking my head on how often humans let power and greed corrupt them. Not bad, but it could've been better.
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
When I first heard of this book, I thought it would be amazing! I mean, how often do you get to read about jinns? It's so Aladdin; so chic.
When actually reading the book made my excitement die down a bit.
It's the first in the series, and an okay read. I really like the setting in today's Middle East; you don't see much of it in the book because the characters aren't roaming the lands, but what you do read is very descriptive. The pacing dragged here and there, and led me to skim pages in certain parts sometimes. There was this Freaky Friday swap-thing that was a little unexpected, not necessarily bad however.
The Najwa storyline was probably my favorite though. The dynamic between her and the prince was what I was most eager to read. Hashim is every it as conniving as Jafar
It's a little sad in certain parts, and left me shaking my head on how often humans let power and greed corrupt them. Not bad, but it could've been better.
March 26, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I loved the story and can't wait to read the next in the series! This was the kind of book that has me marvel at how authors come up with such clever, creative stories.
January 1, 2019
This was essentially an Aladdin retelling, without Aladdin. The problem for me was that it took like ten chapters for me to even figure out who each character was! And this was when they trade places like Freaky Friday. After I finally figured out what was going on, I wasn't impressed with anything. There didn't feel like there was much happening and the stuff that happened was confusing to me. I might consider rereading this in physical form one day.
May 31, 2015
Deze recensie verscheen ook op http://www.zonenmaan.net
Een boek over Djinns en eens geen standaard vampiers of weerwolven? Dat klinkt goed, toch? Ik was dan ook erg blij toen LS Amsterdam dit boek aankondigde en naar Nederland heeft gehaald. Dit is een van die boeken die het Young Adult genre verrijken, omdat het én een nieuwe mythologie aanboort én een hele eigen sfeer heeft; de sfeer uit het Midden-Oosten.
Je merkt goed dat Amber Lough in het Midden-Oosten is geweest. De manier waarop ze de sfeer maar ook de omgeving omschrijft voelt echt realistisch aan. Ook de Djinn – met hun eigen ondergrondse maatschappij en eigenaardigheden – hebben een goede culturele bodem. Ik hou er erg van als schrijvers hun research in orde hebben, dus Amber verdiend een dikke pluim.
Zodra ik het boek opensloeg, merkte ik dat ik met een bijzonder boek te maken had. Ik had echter wel wat moeite om in het verhaal te komen, maar de bijzondere setting wist me te overtuigen dit boek niet meteen op te geven. Naarmate het verhaal vorderde kreeg ik ook meteen meer feeling voor het verhaal. Daarna weet Amber Lough je te verrassend met plottwist die achteraf misschien niet de meest originele keuze zijn, maar wel echt als een verrassing kwamen. Ik vind het echt goed als een schrijver er in weet te slagen de lezer volkomen op het verkeerde been te zetten.
Wat van mij dan wel weer wat meer uitgewerkt had mogen worden is de werkelijke verschillen tussen Djinn en mens. Hun oorsprong wordt goed verwerkt in het verhaal (zonder dat het saai wordt), maar ik mis een aantal kenmerken, bijvoorbeeld uiterlijke, die het verschil aangeven. Je kunt me niet wijsmaken dat mensachtige wezens die in een grot leven er net zo gezond uitzien als de mensen boven. Maar ach, wat zeur ik. De manier hoe alles uit wordt gelegd qua vuur en edelstenen is heerlijk.
De Vuurwens is een verhaal waarvan ik dacht dat het zou eindigen met heel veel vragen, maar achteraf voelde het als een afgerond geheel, maar met toch voldoende vragen over om te smachten op het vervolg. Het is een wonderbaarlijke setting waar de warmte van het Midden-Oosten en de rijkheid van kristallen je tegemoet komt. De Djinns zitten goed in elkaar en zijn origineel maar vooral geloofwaardig neergezet. Het voelde als een sprookje die niet zou misstaan in de verhalen van duizend-en-een nacht. Een echte aanrader voor de YA liefhebbers die wel de magie wil ervaren, maar even is uitgekeken op de standaard wezens.
Een boek over Djinns en eens geen standaard vampiers of weerwolven? Dat klinkt goed, toch? Ik was dan ook erg blij toen LS Amsterdam dit boek aankondigde en naar Nederland heeft gehaald. Dit is een van die boeken die het Young Adult genre verrijken, omdat het én een nieuwe mythologie aanboort én een hele eigen sfeer heeft; de sfeer uit het Midden-Oosten.
Je merkt goed dat Amber Lough in het Midden-Oosten is geweest. De manier waarop ze de sfeer maar ook de omgeving omschrijft voelt echt realistisch aan. Ook de Djinn – met hun eigen ondergrondse maatschappij en eigenaardigheden – hebben een goede culturele bodem. Ik hou er erg van als schrijvers hun research in orde hebben, dus Amber verdiend een dikke pluim.
Zodra ik het boek opensloeg, merkte ik dat ik met een bijzonder boek te maken had. Ik had echter wel wat moeite om in het verhaal te komen, maar de bijzondere setting wist me te overtuigen dit boek niet meteen op te geven. Naarmate het verhaal vorderde kreeg ik ook meteen meer feeling voor het verhaal. Daarna weet Amber Lough je te verrassend met plottwist die achteraf misschien niet de meest originele keuze zijn, maar wel echt als een verrassing kwamen. Ik vind het echt goed als een schrijver er in weet te slagen de lezer volkomen op het verkeerde been te zetten.
Wat van mij dan wel weer wat meer uitgewerkt had mogen worden is de werkelijke verschillen tussen Djinn en mens. Hun oorsprong wordt goed verwerkt in het verhaal (zonder dat het saai wordt), maar ik mis een aantal kenmerken, bijvoorbeeld uiterlijke, die het verschil aangeven. Je kunt me niet wijsmaken dat mensachtige wezens die in een grot leven er net zo gezond uitzien als de mensen boven. Maar ach, wat zeur ik. De manier hoe alles uit wordt gelegd qua vuur en edelstenen is heerlijk.
De Vuurwens is een verhaal waarvan ik dacht dat het zou eindigen met heel veel vragen, maar achteraf voelde het als een afgerond geheel, maar met toch voldoende vragen over om te smachten op het vervolg. Het is een wonderbaarlijke setting waar de warmte van het Midden-Oosten en de rijkheid van kristallen je tegemoet komt. De Djinns zitten goed in elkaar en zijn origineel maar vooral geloofwaardig neergezet. Het voelde als een sprookje die niet zou misstaan in de verhalen van duizend-en-een nacht. Een echte aanrader voor de YA liefhebbers die wel de magie wil ervaren, maar even is uitgekeken op de standaard wezens.
December 30, 2014
This was a pretty good read. I checked this out online through the Tennessee R.E.A.D.S. ebook library through my local library.
Zayele has been chosen to be taken to Baghdad to marry Prince Kamel by the evil Vizier Hazim who is her cousin. She goes with her cousin Rahela only to leave her little brother behind. When she catches sight of a jinni named Najwa, she forces a wish on her (a fire wish) to have them switch places and take her home. Can they reverse the wish before its too late and bad things happen? Read the book to find out.
This was a pretty good book by an author who shares my first name. I enjoy these type of Fantasy tales. Reading it I recognized the name Jafar which was the villain's name from Aladdin so this was a pretty good Young adult Arabian nights tale. It reminded me of Freaky Friday but with a jinni and a young peasant girl that switched places. I'd definitely recommend people who loved Aladdin to check this book out because I enjoyed it.
Zayele has been chosen to be taken to Baghdad to marry Prince Kamel by the evil Vizier Hazim who is her cousin. She goes with her cousin Rahela only to leave her little brother behind. When she catches sight of a jinni named Najwa, she forces a wish on her (a fire wish) to have them switch places and take her home. Can they reverse the wish before its too late and bad things happen? Read the book to find out.
This was a pretty good book by an author who shares my first name. I enjoy these type of Fantasy tales. Reading it I recognized the name Jafar which was the villain's name from Aladdin so this was a pretty good Young adult Arabian nights tale. It reminded me of Freaky Friday but with a jinni and a young peasant girl that switched places. I'd definitely recommend people who loved Aladdin to check this book out because I enjoyed it.
April 15, 2016
I was so excited about The Fire Wish. A Jin and a human girl trading bodies? Freaky Friday magic style!
I'm pretty disappointed. The plot was super predictable, which would've been okay if the characters were really good. They weren't. Simple characters lacked depth, romance was contrived. It read like a young middle-grade book, except that it wasn't interesting. Not horrible, just very boring.
I'm pretty disappointed. The plot was super predictable, which would've been okay if the characters were really good. They weren't. Simple characters lacked depth, romance was contrived. It read like a young middle-grade book, except that it wasn't interesting. Not horrible, just very boring.
Read
July 8, 2017I couldn't read this book fast enough. AMAZING story telling, GORGEOUS setting and description and imagery, awesome characters, and a fascinating, riveting plot. SO DARN GOOD WHERE IS BOOK TWO.
July 1, 2022
4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
De laatste tijd gaan bijna alle boeken over een futuristisch Amerika. Wie heeft nou niet De Honger Spelen of Inwijding gelezen? De Vuurwens is eindelijk een keer iets anders. Het speelt zich namelijk af in het Midden-Oosten.
Het verhaal gaat over Najwa, een djin en Zahereh, een mens. Zahereh is uitgehuwelijkt aan een prins en is opweg naar zijn paleis. Najwa is geobsedeerd door de mensenwereld en wil dolgraag weer eens naar de mensen.
De twee komen elkaar tegen op de boot waar Zahereh zit en ze doet een machtige wens: de vuurwens. Zahereh wenst dat ze vrij is en daardoor verwisselt ze per ongeluk haar leven met die van Najwa. Beide meisjes moeten zichzelf zien te redden in een nieuwe wereld: Najwa bij de mensen en Zahereh bij de djins. Lukt het hen om hun verwisseling geheim te houden?
Omdat De Vuurwens in het Midden-Oosten afspeelt, kan het duurde het even voordat ik door had hoe het leven daar in elkaar zit, maar door de makkelijkelijke schrijfstijl had ik het snel door.
Er zitten voor mij wel wat té veel clichés in, wat er voor zorgde dat het boek een beetje saai werd.
Dit werd voor mij wel weer gecompenseerd doordat het niet zich niet in Amerika afspeelde. Dat was eens geen cliché!
De laatste tijd gaan bijna alle boeken over een futuristisch Amerika. Wie heeft nou niet De Honger Spelen of Inwijding gelezen? De Vuurwens is eindelijk een keer iets anders. Het speelt zich namelijk af in het Midden-Oosten.
Het verhaal gaat over Najwa, een djin en Zahereh, een mens. Zahereh is uitgehuwelijkt aan een prins en is opweg naar zijn paleis. Najwa is geobsedeerd door de mensenwereld en wil dolgraag weer eens naar de mensen.
De twee komen elkaar tegen op de boot waar Zahereh zit en ze doet een machtige wens: de vuurwens. Zahereh wenst dat ze vrij is en daardoor verwisselt ze per ongeluk haar leven met die van Najwa. Beide meisjes moeten zichzelf zien te redden in een nieuwe wereld: Najwa bij de mensen en Zahereh bij de djins. Lukt het hen om hun verwisseling geheim te houden?
Omdat De Vuurwens in het Midden-Oosten afspeelt, kan het duurde het even voordat ik door had hoe het leven daar in elkaar zit, maar door de makkelijkelijke schrijfstijl had ik het snel door.
Er zitten voor mij wel wat té veel clichés in, wat er voor zorgde dat het boek een beetje saai werd.
Dit werd voor mij wel weer gecompenseerd doordat het niet zich niet in Amerika afspeelde. Dat was eens geen cliché!
January 21, 2018
3.5 stars
This was a fun quick read! Loved the world building especially in this.
This was a fun quick read! Loved the world building especially in this.
February 9, 2018
An incredibly fun and exciting variation on a classical tale! I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can't wait to see how the story concludes.
September 6, 2024
Very cool concept but just not executed that well.
July 10, 2014
The Fire Wish by Amber Lough is a new fantasy series featuring jin and based in an alternative Baghdad! Fire Wish tells the story of two girls, a jinni and a human, who switch places and subsequently discover that their warring peoples are much more similar than either had been raised to believe. Fire Wish is filled with beautiful jin caverns and magic along with a refreshingly diverse cast and setting. I am absolutely thrilled to see a fantasy series from a major publishing house tackling a setting based on something other than Medieval Europe, plus jin are just so cool! I mean hot >.> Both? ;-)
Note: I received an advanced copy of The Fire Wish from the publisher. Some things may have changed in the final version.
The Fire Wish by Amber Lough (The Jinni Wars #1)
Published by Random House Children's on July 22nd
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Length: 320 pages
How I got my copy: NetGalley
Amazon - IndieBound - Book Depository - Goodreads
Purchases made support this blog
A jinni. A princess. And the wish that changes everything. . . .
Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. Zayele is a human on her way to marry a prince of Baghdad—which she’ll do anything to avoid. So she captures Najwa and makes a wish. With a rush of smoke and fire, they fall apart and re-form—as each other. A jinni and a human, trading lives. Both girls must play their parts among enemies who would kill them if the deception were ever discovered—enemies including the young men Najwa and Zayele are just discovering they might love.
Strengths:
As I’ve already gushed a bit, I absolutely love the setting of The Fire Wish. Baghdad is described beautifully, the jin home is in a cavern covered in crystals and gems, and everything about the setting felt both fresh and familiar for the fantasy genre. The details that go into the settings, though, really bring it all together. The jin lake of fire is actually a normal lake but with various gases releasing from underwater vents that then catch fire on the surface!
The magic of the jin is probably my favorite part of course, because magic is awesome. The jin’s ability to teleport is described beautifully and both fits nicely with the jin we are familiar with from media while adding new twists to how exactly it feels to teleport. The history of the jin that is revealed was also clearly based on the Qu’ran, which I find awesome and refreshing.
Both of the girls have romance plot lines, but they stayed in the cute additions category and didn’t take over the plot, which was great to see. I’m completely happy reading about budding attraction between teens, but I much prefer it to be in the background while epic things happen ;-).
The Fire Wish is very much about two peoples who have been at war for a generation and young people realizing that they aren’t so different from each other and that the war needs to be stopped for the sake of both groups. I love that this message weaved into the setting of Baghdad and being marketed towards US teens given everything our generation has grown up with. The Fire Wish pulls this important message off without feeling preachy as well, making it all the better.
Weaknesses:
The writing of The Fire Wish really isn’t anything remarkable and even felt a bit simplistic at times. This worked for me fine since I was in the mood for an easier book, but even for YA it was fairly simplistic.
There is some emphasis at the beginning of The Fire Wish of the difference in personalities between Najwa and Zayele, however that difference didn’t really continue as The Fire Wish progressed. I definitely couldn’t open the book in the middle of a chapter and tell you who was narrating unless her name was mentioned.
The ending of The Fire Wish does have some scenes that clearly should pull at your heart-strings, but I just didn’t feel it. I cry easily at books and was actually even surprised to find myself unmoved. I can’t honestly put my finger on exactly why that is, but I guess I didn’t form as much of a connection with the characters as I thought I had.
Summary:
The Fire Wish is a refreshing YA fantasy that skillfully pulls from underused sources both for the fantastical elements and for the setting. I am very much looking forward to the second book and really hope that this is the beginning of a trend for YA settings. While the writing didn’t particularly move me, The Fire Wish was a fun and enchanting read and quite appropriate for bringing to the beach!
Note: I received an advanced copy of The Fire Wish from the publisher. Some things may have changed in the final version.
The Fire Wish by Amber Lough (The Jinni Wars #1)
Published by Random House Children's on July 22nd
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Length: 320 pages
How I got my copy: NetGalley
Amazon - IndieBound - Book Depository - Goodreads
Purchases made support this blog
A jinni. A princess. And the wish that changes everything. . . .
Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. Zayele is a human on her way to marry a prince of Baghdad—which she’ll do anything to avoid. So she captures Najwa and makes a wish. With a rush of smoke and fire, they fall apart and re-form—as each other. A jinni and a human, trading lives. Both girls must play their parts among enemies who would kill them if the deception were ever discovered—enemies including the young men Najwa and Zayele are just discovering they might love.
Strengths:
As I’ve already gushed a bit, I absolutely love the setting of The Fire Wish. Baghdad is described beautifully, the jin home is in a cavern covered in crystals and gems, and everything about the setting felt both fresh and familiar for the fantasy genre. The details that go into the settings, though, really bring it all together. The jin lake of fire is actually a normal lake but with various gases releasing from underwater vents that then catch fire on the surface!
The magic of the jin is probably my favorite part of course, because magic is awesome. The jin’s ability to teleport is described beautifully and both fits nicely with the jin we are familiar with from media while adding new twists to how exactly it feels to teleport. The history of the jin that is revealed was also clearly based on the Qu’ran, which I find awesome and refreshing.
Both of the girls have romance plot lines, but they stayed in the cute additions category and didn’t take over the plot, which was great to see. I’m completely happy reading about budding attraction between teens, but I much prefer it to be in the background while epic things happen ;-).
The Fire Wish is very much about two peoples who have been at war for a generation and young people realizing that they aren’t so different from each other and that the war needs to be stopped for the sake of both groups. I love that this message weaved into the setting of Baghdad and being marketed towards US teens given everything our generation has grown up with. The Fire Wish pulls this important message off without feeling preachy as well, making it all the better.
Weaknesses:
The writing of The Fire Wish really isn’t anything remarkable and even felt a bit simplistic at times. This worked for me fine since I was in the mood for an easier book, but even for YA it was fairly simplistic.
There is some emphasis at the beginning of The Fire Wish of the difference in personalities between Najwa and Zayele, however that difference didn’t really continue as The Fire Wish progressed. I definitely couldn’t open the book in the middle of a chapter and tell you who was narrating unless her name was mentioned.
The ending of The Fire Wish does have some scenes that clearly should pull at your heart-strings, but I just didn’t feel it. I cry easily at books and was actually even surprised to find myself unmoved. I can’t honestly put my finger on exactly why that is, but I guess I didn’t form as much of a connection with the characters as I thought I had.
Summary:
The Fire Wish is a refreshing YA fantasy that skillfully pulls from underused sources both for the fantastical elements and for the setting. I am very much looking forward to the second book and really hope that this is the beginning of a trend for YA settings. While the writing didn’t particularly move me, The Fire Wish was a fun and enchanting read and quite appropriate for bringing to the beach!
June 30, 2014
4 Awesome Stars
THE FIRE WISH was an exceptional book that I devoured so quickly. Then I became furious with myself for reading it so quickly, because I just wanted to continue Najwa and Zayele journey so badly!!
As this being my first jinni book, I was curious to see what was in store. And I am thrilled to say that I loved the the unique world-building, and the thick-plotted world in THE FIRE WISH!! And after reading this book and practically loving it, I know it will not be the last jinni book I read!! A jinni, and a princess trading lives??? YES, that is enough to make me want it. It's different then your normal YA book, and that's one reason I loved it!! And another reason I had to read it was that Aladdin was one of my favorite Disney movies growing up, and though it was different, it still had similarities, and I loved that!!
THE PLOT...
Najwa is a jinni living in the Kingdom Jinn, training in the Corps to be a spy in the upcoming war with the humans. But the day she breaches the humans wards in the Baghdad palace, everything changes. On her third trip sneaking past the palace wards, her luck finally runs out and she is caught by Zayele and forced to grant her a wish that will change both girls lives, forever...
Zayele is a human living with her tribe when the Vizier walks into their village and informs them that the Prince of Baghdad is looking for his first bride. But it's only when her father and the Vizier inform her that she will be Prince Kamal's first wife, and the Princess of Baghdad, that Zayele's world gets ripped out from under her, and her life is forever changed!
But when Zayele runs into the only thing that can save her from her horrible fate at being a bride to a man she doesn't love, she eagerly takes it! She forces Najwa, a jinni that snuck past the palace defenses to grant her a way out, but the wish doesn't turn out to be what she thought it would be.
With a wish went wrong, Zayele a human, and Najwa a jinni, find themselves switched and forced to live each others lives, if they can pull it off. Living in two very different worlds, and with the jinni and human war on the horizon, both girls know that getting caught as each other is not an option. One wrong move could cost them their lives...
Ooh, that was just a beautiful story on so many levels!! It was truly one of a kind, and with a writing that captivated and allured me, I know for sure that I will be reading more from this author!!
But I have to admit that the beginning of this book had me tempted to put it down for a while. But as the chapters went on, and I found myself slowly getting more attached to both characters, I just knew there was no putting this down, and that I HAD to stick it out to the end to find out what would happen to both this girls. And I am sooo happy that I did not let the slow beginning weigh my decision to DNF this for a while, because I would of been furious at myself to not reading it when I had the chance!!!
I was also a little skeptical when I started reading the dual POV's. I'm not to eager to jump into a book if it's told from two POV's. But surprisingly, it was easy to adjust to the two very different lives, and the change of character. And after a few chapters, I was quickly immersed into the flow of the story, and I thoroughly enjoyed both characters POV!!
Overall, I highly recommend THE FIRE WISH for any YA, fantasy fan who wants a different kinda read, with awesome characters, a ongoing war, and two very sweet romances that will have you yearning for more. If you can get past the slow start and the dual POV's, then I think any YA, fantasy fan will love this one as much as I did!!!
NOTE: I received an ARC from Random House for reviewing purposes. All opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way!!
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