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The Golem and the Jinni #3
The Gates of Midnight
Not yet published
Expected 15 Sep 26The long-awaited final installment in the award-winning, bestselling Golem and the Jinni trilogy.
At the beginning of The Hidden Palace, the second book in Helene Wecker’s Golem and Jinni trilogy, Ahmad the jinni travels to Syria with the copper flask that holds the captured wizard Yehudah Schaalman. There in the desert he buries the flask for all time . . . or so he thinks.
In The Gates of Midnight, the riveting conclusion to the saga of the Golem and teh Jinni, it’s 1930 and three decades have passed since Schaalman’s defeat. Chava the golem quietly tends to her house and garden in Brooklyn, hoping to create a refuge for other magical beings. Meanwhile, Ahmad has found employment as an architect in Chicago, helping to build its towering skyline above the prairie.
But all is not well in the desert. Schaalman has managed to trick an unsuspecting passerby into digging up the flask, and now it passes from hand to hand as the wizard possesses his victims -- first a French soldier traveling to New York, then a small-time mobster—all in an effort to get to Chava, the only one who can release him from his prison.
Meanwhile others are gravitating to New York as well: Ahmad, who has lost his job following the 1929 stock market crash; the mysterious Thomas Beshara, a riveter on the rising Empire State Building, who also has hidden ties to Chava and Ahmad; and Kreindel Altschul, who still grieves her own destroyed golem Yossele. Does the reluctant Kreindel hold the key to saving Chava from Schaalman’s revenge? Will Schaalman succeed in escaping the flask, binding Chava to his will, and re-enslaving Ahmad? Or can they find a way to finally defeat him and free themselves from his power? An earth-shaking finale to the brilliant trilogy.
At the beginning of The Hidden Palace, the second book in Helene Wecker’s Golem and Jinni trilogy, Ahmad the jinni travels to Syria with the copper flask that holds the captured wizard Yehudah Schaalman. There in the desert he buries the flask for all time . . . or so he thinks.
In The Gates of Midnight, the riveting conclusion to the saga of the Golem and teh Jinni, it’s 1930 and three decades have passed since Schaalman’s defeat. Chava the golem quietly tends to her house and garden in Brooklyn, hoping to create a refuge for other magical beings. Meanwhile, Ahmad has found employment as an architect in Chicago, helping to build its towering skyline above the prairie.
But all is not well in the desert. Schaalman has managed to trick an unsuspecting passerby into digging up the flask, and now it passes from hand to hand as the wizard possesses his victims -- first a French soldier traveling to New York, then a small-time mobster—all in an effort to get to Chava, the only one who can release him from his prison.
Meanwhile others are gravitating to New York as well: Ahmad, who has lost his job following the 1929 stock market crash; the mysterious Thomas Beshara, a riveter on the rising Empire State Building, who also has hidden ties to Chava and Ahmad; and Kreindel Altschul, who still grieves her own destroyed golem Yossele. Does the reluctant Kreindel hold the key to saving Chava from Schaalman’s revenge? Will Schaalman succeed in escaping the flask, binding Chava to his will, and re-enslaving Ahmad? Or can they find a way to finally defeat him and free themselves from his power? An earth-shaking finale to the brilliant trilogy.
464 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 15, 2026
About the author
Helene Wecker
10 books4,199 followersHelene Wecker’s first novel, The Golem and the Jinni, was awarded the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature, the VCU Cabell Award for First Novel, and the Harold U. Ribalow Prize, and was nominated for a Nebula Award and a World Fantasy Award. Its sequel, The Hidden Palace, was published in June 2021. A Midwest native, she holds a B.A. in English from Carleton College and an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing from Columbia University. Her work has appeared in literary journals such as Joyland and Catamaran, as well as the fantasy anthology The Djinn Falls in Love and Other Stories. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and children.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
✦ Book Review: The Gates of Midnight (The Golem and the Jinni #3) by Helene Wecker
✧ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ, @HarperCollins
➤ 𝚂𝚈𝙽𝙾𝙿𝚂𝙸𝚂
Three decades after the events of The Hidden Palace, Chava the golem and Ahmad the jinni have built separate lives while remaining connected by memory and longing. But when the imprisoned wizard Yehudah Schaalman begins maneuvering his way back into the world, old enemies and new allies are drawn together for one final confrontation. Set against the backdrop of New York and Chicago in 1930, the concluding novel in the trilogy blends history, folklore, magic, and humanity into an epic finale.
➤ 𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂
Helene Wecker continues to create one of the most unique fantasy worlds I've read, blending history, folklore, and mythology into a setting that feels both magical and believable. Her characters remain the heart of the series, and I continue to enjoy seeing where their journeys take them. That said, I found this book, much like the previous installments, to be a slower read. The pacing is deliberate, and there were stretches where the story felt more like it was unfolding than driving forward. It isn't a criticism so much as the style of the series, but readers looking for fast-paced fantasy may find it requires a bit of patience. Even so, the rich historical setting, thoughtful character development, and satisfying conclusion made the journey worthwhile. While it may not be a book I raced through, it was one I appreciated by the time I reached the final page.
✧ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ, @HarperCollins
➤ 𝚂𝚈𝙽𝙾𝙿𝚂𝙸𝚂
Three decades after the events of The Hidden Palace, Chava the golem and Ahmad the jinni have built separate lives while remaining connected by memory and longing. But when the imprisoned wizard Yehudah Schaalman begins maneuvering his way back into the world, old enemies and new allies are drawn together for one final confrontation. Set against the backdrop of New York and Chicago in 1930, the concluding novel in the trilogy blends history, folklore, magic, and humanity into an epic finale.
➤ 𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂
Helene Wecker continues to create one of the most unique fantasy worlds I've read, blending history, folklore, and mythology into a setting that feels both magical and believable. Her characters remain the heart of the series, and I continue to enjoy seeing where their journeys take them. That said, I found this book, much like the previous installments, to be a slower read. The pacing is deliberate, and there were stretches where the story felt more like it was unfolding than driving forward. It isn't a criticism so much as the style of the series, but readers looking for fast-paced fantasy may find it requires a bit of patience. Even so, the rich historical setting, thoughtful character development, and satisfying conclusion made the journey worthwhile. While it may not be a book I raced through, it was one I appreciated by the time I reached the final page.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am something of a completist in that I like to finish books or series that I have started. As I have gotten older I have abandoned a lot more books mid read that I used to. I say this because I have mixed feelings about this series. I loved the first book (The Golem and the Jinni) but didn't love the second (The Hidden Palace). So I was interested to read the third (The Gates of Midnight) and see if it was more like the first or second.
It turned out to fall closer to the second. I enjoyed it but didn't love it. The story just takes a while to find its momentum. Partly because it is telling the story from multiple character's perspective (Chava, Ahmad, Kreindel, Schaalman, Thomas, Willy, etc.) and partly because it is not really a thriller or action type story. The more you enjoy the characters and their stories the more you will enjoy this book. For me, there was a little too much going on at times. The near constant shifting of perspectives undermines pace and the psychologizing of everyone's life wore thin.
I think if you like historical fiction with a fantastical element and you enjoyed the first two books you will appreciate this concluding volume. I am glad I was able to read it but it didn't wow me like the first book did.
It turned out to fall closer to the second. I enjoyed it but didn't love it. The story just takes a while to find its momentum. Partly because it is telling the story from multiple character's perspective (Chava, Ahmad, Kreindel, Schaalman, Thomas, Willy, etc.) and partly because it is not really a thriller or action type story. The more you enjoy the characters and their stories the more you will enjoy this book. For me, there was a little too much going on at times. The near constant shifting of perspectives undermines pace and the psychologizing of everyone's life wore thin.
I think if you like historical fiction with a fantastical element and you enjoyed the first two books you will appreciate this concluding volume. I am glad I was able to read it but it didn't wow me like the first book did.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
The final novel is Helene Wecker's Golem and the Jinni trilogy brings the story to a most satisfying conclusion. It takes an audacious writer to take two supernatural beings from different religious traditions and plop them into New York's Lower East Side in the 1890s. Helene Wecker's trilogy builds on the first book as Chava the Golem and Ahmad the Jinni struggle to discover how they will live in a changing world as physically they do not change at all.
It's 1929 in The Gates of Midnight and many things have changed, but what remains constant is Wecker's commitment to the truth of Chava and Ahmed, who they are and what they can and cannot do. They are the creatures they were created to be, but they've learned how to survive in this world and have even planned for their own endless futures. I don't consider this a fantasy series but rather an exploration of the mythology of two ancient mystical beings. It's rich and pure, this book, and it brings an excellent series to a worthy close.
Thanks to Edelweiss + for a DRC of The Gates of Midnight in exchange for my honest review.
It's 1929 in The Gates of Midnight and many things have changed, but what remains constant is Wecker's commitment to the truth of Chava and Ahmed, who they are and what they can and cannot do. They are the creatures they were created to be, but they've learned how to survive in this world and have even planned for their own endless futures. I don't consider this a fantasy series but rather an exploration of the mythology of two ancient mystical beings. It's rich and pure, this book, and it brings an excellent series to a worthy close.
Thanks to Edelweiss + for a DRC of The Gates of Midnight in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Absolutely compelling conclusion to this well-loved trilogy. What a gift from the author. If you aren’t familiar with The Golem and the Jinni, it’s a blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and Jewish folklore. As with the other stories, there are multiple perspectives.
I don’t want to spoil any of the goodness within these pages, but the third book has brought the story full circle. It was enjoyable from start to finish. I highly recommend the trilogy, especially if you read and loved The Golem and the Jinni and have not yet picked up the follow-up books.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
I don’t want to spoil any of the goodness within these pages, but the third book has brought the story full circle. It was enjoyable from start to finish. I highly recommend the trilogy, especially if you read and loved The Golem and the Jinni and have not yet picked up the follow-up books.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I enjoyed this book. The character development and world-building are excellent. I also loved how the story was told; it was well-paced and never got bogged down. The magic system was consistent throughout and although I am normally not a fan of romance, I thought the level of romance in the book was perfect. Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper for the digital review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A fitting conclusion(?!) to the Golem and Jinni series, with a bunch of thrills and twists along the way.
July 31, 2026
This trilogy is so incredibly special: the mix of historical fiction, fantasy and magical realism. It really hit the spot for me in all three books. The historical research that has gone into all books is so well done, and is blended greatly with the different characters.
While in the first two books, the pacing is somewhat more languid and the tension has breaks, this book is all high stakes all throughout the book. It was lovely to get back to Chava and Ahmed around 1929, and also other characters from the first books. I finished this book very quickly because I had to know how it ended. It is quite a tense read, but Wecker makes it worth your while. I am very sad that Chava and Ahmed have concluded their adventures, but I think this was the perfect way to end it. All throughout you wonder who and how people are connected, and it comes together in a very satisfying conclusion. I would recommend the trilogy to anybody and look forward to reading Wecker's future works.
I have both read the three books on my ereader, as well as listened to Val McDermid read the first two. I hope that in the future we could get a full cast of actors/narrators reading it.
While in the first two books, the pacing is somewhat more languid and the tension has breaks, this book is all high stakes all throughout the book. It was lovely to get back to Chava and Ahmed around 1929, and also other characters from the first books. I finished this book very quickly because I had to know how it ended. It is quite a tense read, but Wecker makes it worth your while. I am very sad that Chava and Ahmed have concluded their adventures, but I think this was the perfect way to end it. All throughout you wonder who and how people are connected, and it comes together in a very satisfying conclusion. I would recommend the trilogy to anybody and look forward to reading Wecker's future works.
I have both read the three books on my ereader, as well as listened to Val McDermid read the first two. I hope that in the future we could get a full cast of actors/narrators reading it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews