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AAQA
In this haunting reimagining of the timeless warning, 'Be careful what you wish for,' a young man discovers an ancient lamp. Driven by curiosity over caution, he unwittingly unleashes a formidable Ifrit; a fiery genie fueled by vengeance and bound in blood.
At first, his wildest dreams come true. With his best friend Kevin, the two revel in their wishes coming true. But what begins as fantasy soon mutates into a nightmare. Each wish comes with a price, each blessing warped.
Dark, suspenseful, and laced with creeping dread, Aaqa is a haunting descent into the seductive pull of power, the weight of ancient curses, and the terror of realizing too late that the greatest horror… is getting exactly what you asked for.
At first, his wildest dreams come true. With his best friend Kevin, the two revel in their wishes coming true. But what begins as fantasy soon mutates into a nightmare. Each wish comes with a price, each blessing warped.
Dark, suspenseful, and laced with creeping dread, Aaqa is a haunting descent into the seductive pull of power, the weight of ancient curses, and the terror of realizing too late that the greatest horror… is getting exactly what you asked for.
- GenresHorror
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 13, 2025
12 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 21, 2025
Well well well... Where was this little gem hiding!!
I am really fussy with my horrors. I need them to be original, gripping and have some really creative elements...
This one nailed it. A group of friends end up unleashing an ancient evil and they have to deal with the aftermath...
I thought the characters were actually well defines and gave the whole story a really nice realistic element.. I always find that the more I can connect with the characters, the better I like a story and the more invested I am in them surviving.
If you are a bit squimish... This is your warning... There is a ton of gory scenes and some totally shocking narrratives.. I was totally hooked.
My only complaint.. It got wordy in places which effected the flow and pace for me. I know what the author was trying to do but it wasn't necessary in my opinion.
It was a really solid horror though. I am actually really impressed!
4 stars
I am really fussy with my horrors. I need them to be original, gripping and have some really creative elements...
This one nailed it. A group of friends end up unleashing an ancient evil and they have to deal with the aftermath...
I thought the characters were actually well defines and gave the whole story a really nice realistic element.. I always find that the more I can connect with the characters, the better I like a story and the more invested I am in them surviving.
If you are a bit squimish... This is your warning... There is a ton of gory scenes and some totally shocking narrratives.. I was totally hooked.
My only complaint.. It got wordy in places which effected the flow and pace for me. I know what the author was trying to do but it wasn't necessary in my opinion.
It was a really solid horror though. I am actually really impressed!
4 stars
June 25, 2025
This novel has a premise which I've never read in a horror book previously and, for the most part, it works. I can always appreciate an author doing something different and in this case, a "genie" in a bottle is the catalyst for a whole lot of horrifying deaths.
Instead of a bottle, Josh steals an old lamp from his father. One night he takes a closer look and rubs it. What comes out isn't really a genie as we would understand it but a mythical creature known as a Jinn. It claims to be bound to Josh since he is the one to set it free and Josh can basically have it as his "slave". But this Jinn is evil, angry, vengeful, and has no regard for humans.
As Josh asks for and receives whatever he requests, he'll soon discover that everything comes at a price. Pretty soon, horrific brutal deaths befall his friends and those around him. But is it the Jinn or other malevolent creatures seeking their own revenge?
At first the narrative flows along nicely as we're introduced to the main players involved. There's Josh, his love interest, his mother, and a group of friends who grew up together. I'm assuming they're young people since some of them have jobs but their age group is never talked about. Some of them still live at home, some don't.
I enjoyed the back and forth between Josh and the Jinn. It's a truly dark creature with an absolute disgust for humanity. Joshs' love interest tells him to get rid of it but he doesn't. The thing is, this creature isn't really a secret as Josh shows it off to his friends despite the obvious threat.
After his best friend dies in a most bizarre manner even the police are stumped. Then another friend dies, and another, and another until the police suspect Josh even though the circumstances of their deaths would make that impossible.
What we're left with is a cat and mouse game between human and monster. As I said, for the most part that works.
We'll get the answers for whatever's going on at the end but I enjoyed getting to that more than the ending itself. It read like an old movie where the evil villain explains his dastardly plans to the good guy. I would have rather had some mystery left to ponder.
Despite my minor misgivings, this novel is unique enough to enjoy, has a lot of great deaths, bloodshed, and scares, and I would recommend it if you're a horror fan.
I received an ARC of this book through Reedsy. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Instead of a bottle, Josh steals an old lamp from his father. One night he takes a closer look and rubs it. What comes out isn't really a genie as we would understand it but a mythical creature known as a Jinn. It claims to be bound to Josh since he is the one to set it free and Josh can basically have it as his "slave". But this Jinn is evil, angry, vengeful, and has no regard for humans.
As Josh asks for and receives whatever he requests, he'll soon discover that everything comes at a price. Pretty soon, horrific brutal deaths befall his friends and those around him. But is it the Jinn or other malevolent creatures seeking their own revenge?
At first the narrative flows along nicely as we're introduced to the main players involved. There's Josh, his love interest, his mother, and a group of friends who grew up together. I'm assuming they're young people since some of them have jobs but their age group is never talked about. Some of them still live at home, some don't.
I enjoyed the back and forth between Josh and the Jinn. It's a truly dark creature with an absolute disgust for humanity. Joshs' love interest tells him to get rid of it but he doesn't. The thing is, this creature isn't really a secret as Josh shows it off to his friends despite the obvious threat.
After his best friend dies in a most bizarre manner even the police are stumped. Then another friend dies, and another, and another until the police suspect Josh even though the circumstances of their deaths would make that impossible.
What we're left with is a cat and mouse game between human and monster. As I said, for the most part that works.
We'll get the answers for whatever's going on at the end but I enjoyed getting to that more than the ending itself. It read like an old movie where the evil villain explains his dastardly plans to the good guy. I would have rather had some mystery left to ponder.
Despite my minor misgivings, this novel is unique enough to enjoy, has a lot of great deaths, bloodshed, and scares, and I would recommend it if you're a horror fan.
I received an ARC of this book through Reedsy. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
October 25, 2025
⭐ Rating: 4/5 ⭐
🙏 Thank you to BookSirens for the ARC.
📝 Short Summary
When a mysterious artifact releases something ancient and merciless, the promise of power quickly turns into a curse of unimaginable horror. AAQA twists the familiar “genie in a bottle” tale into a demonic nightmare, where every wish carries a brutal price.
💭 Full Review
What a ride this story got under my skin in the best possible way. I love it when a book takes a familiar myth and warps it into something sinister, and Omar M. Ahmed did exactly that. From the first page, there’s this eerie undercurrent, a sense that something ancient and wrong is waiting just beyond the veil. You feel it watching, waiting for someone foolish enough to set it free.
The writing is sharp and vividly unsettling, striking a balance between supernatural dread and grounded human fear. The atmosphere drips with tension, dark rooms humming with whispers, shadows that move when you’re not looking. It feels cinematic, almost ritualistic, pulling you deeper with each chapter. And when the horror hits? It hits hard. There’s a cold, creeping inevitability to it all, the kind that leaves you tense long after you’ve closed the book.
What I especially loved is how the story weaves morality into the terror. Every wish, every decision, has a ripple effect that feels chillingly real. It’s not just gore for shock’s sake; it’s punishment, consequence, and cosmic justice all wrapped in blood and smoke.
Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely. If you crave supernatural horror with ancient curses, eerie folklore, and a chilling sense of doom, AAQA delivers. Just remember: not every wish should be granted.
🧠 Trigger Warnings: body horror, gruesome death, violence
🎭 Tropes / Genre Tags: horror, thriller, fantasy, be careful what you wish for, lasting consequences
🙏 Thank you to BookSirens for the ARC.
📝 Short Summary
When a mysterious artifact releases something ancient and merciless, the promise of power quickly turns into a curse of unimaginable horror. AAQA twists the familiar “genie in a bottle” tale into a demonic nightmare, where every wish carries a brutal price.
💭 Full Review
What a ride this story got under my skin in the best possible way. I love it when a book takes a familiar myth and warps it into something sinister, and Omar M. Ahmed did exactly that. From the first page, there’s this eerie undercurrent, a sense that something ancient and wrong is waiting just beyond the veil. You feel it watching, waiting for someone foolish enough to set it free.
The writing is sharp and vividly unsettling, striking a balance between supernatural dread and grounded human fear. The atmosphere drips with tension, dark rooms humming with whispers, shadows that move when you’re not looking. It feels cinematic, almost ritualistic, pulling you deeper with each chapter. And when the horror hits? It hits hard. There’s a cold, creeping inevitability to it all, the kind that leaves you tense long after you’ve closed the book.
What I especially loved is how the story weaves morality into the terror. Every wish, every decision, has a ripple effect that feels chillingly real. It’s not just gore for shock’s sake; it’s punishment, consequence, and cosmic justice all wrapped in blood and smoke.
Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely. If you crave supernatural horror with ancient curses, eerie folklore, and a chilling sense of doom, AAQA delivers. Just remember: not every wish should be granted.
🧠 Trigger Warnings: body horror, gruesome death, violence
🎭 Tropes / Genre Tags: horror, thriller, fantasy, be careful what you wish for, lasting consequences
July 17, 2025
Wishes Gone Wicked
This spooky story kicks off with a guy finding an old lamp—and yeah, he lets out a genie, but not the friendly kind. At first, it’s all fun and games, but things go south fast. Every wish twists into something creepy. If you like demons, dark surprises, and scary twists, this one will keep you up at night.
This spooky story kicks off with a guy finding an old lamp—and yeah, he lets out a genie, but not the friendly kind. At first, it’s all fun and games, but things go south fast. Every wish twists into something creepy. If you like demons, dark surprises, and scary twists, this one will keep you up at night.
September 18, 2025
I was drawn in by the blurb and Aaqa did not disappoint! Nothing scares the pants off me more than a good horror story and anything to do with demons is going to rope me in immediately. This was an interesting spin on the classic genie story, very creepy and dark, 100% perfect for kicking off spooky season.
October 3, 2025
Very good read. Solid writing throughout. Don't want to say too much to avoid spoilers. Just read this book if you like horror stories that are not just the same formula. I'll be looking forward to reading more from this author. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 23, 2025
Wishmaster Meets Aladdin..
Entertaining Horror.
Entertaining Horror.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews