Fire Boy

Djinn-Son Duology #1

by Sami Shah

From Sami Shah comes Fire Boy, the first of a two-part urban fantasy set in modern-day Pakistan, where djinns roam the street alongside corrupt cops, hustling beggars, and creatures from the darkest corners of Islamic mythology.

Growing up in Karachi isn't easy. Wahid has a lot on his mind: the girl he likes, mostly, but also choosing a good university and finding time to play Dungeons and Dragons. Oh, and the fact that he can see djinns, other-worldly creatures made of a smokeless and scorching fire. After a horrific car accident kills his best friend and djinns steal his girlfriend's soul, Wahid vows to find out why. Fortunately, he has help in finding the djinns that tried to kill him. Unfortunately, that help is from the darkest of all spirits, the Devil himself …

Fire Boy is filled with supernatural entities and high-paced action, but it also gives the reader a vivid insight into life in Pakistan.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Mythology, Science Fiction Fantasy

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2016

About the author

Sami Shah is a multi-award winning comedian, writer, journalist and broadcaster.

Sami’s autobiography, I, Migrant, was nominated for the NSW Premier's Literary Award, the WA Premier's Literary Award, and the Russell Prize for Humour Writing.

He has also written Boy of Fire and Earth, a critically acclaimed urban fantasy novel, and Islamic Republic of Australia, a non-fiction exploration of religious belief.

Sami has also contributed multiple essays and short stories to various anthologies and collections, and most recently wrote the satirical Gadfly column for The Saturday Paper.

Sami Shah is the Ambassador-at-Large for PEN Melbourne

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe it or not, I think this is a very solid beginning.

The novel is an easy and engaging read, with plenty of fascinating crossover cultural bits between Pakistan and nerdy western practices, *(Thank you for the crossover between Moorcock's Elric and D&D, I think that was pretty well Awesome and A Half,)* and a delightful exploration of the Djinn World and Its History. I got sucked right into Wahid as a character, his friends, and the situation that he has found himself. The writing is engaging and smooth and the many interludes were just as fun as the main text.

So why did I just say this was just a very solid beginning? Oh, I may be wrong about that. We're actually pretty strongly through the middle of the novel, where the reveals come in play nicely and a wonderful new character comes into play. The action is now in full swing.

The only thing is... well... there's no climax. There's no final action. This isn't a complete novel. There is no end. There's just the part where I really, really want to go and then the text stops. It's not even a cliffhanger, because at least there's the peak and then the tumble off the peak in a cliffhanger. This is just... coitus interruptus.

Why don't I give this less stars, then? Because I was really enjoying myself. I want to read more. I'm going to read more. I'm hooked and it's delightful and I've got a real big sympathy for the devil thing going on right now.

Assuming that this novel picks up where it ought to and I can ignore this little interruption, I might just start raving about the book.

Here's to the future! :) *clink*

[K.J. Charles]

I heard of this on Twitter: a fantasy set in Pakistan and inspired by its mythology and culture, own voices author. I am bored to tears with a lot of current fantasy and the endless parade of straight white men grimdarking their way through vaguely Europe-with-dragons analogues. So I grabbed it.

And it is mostly fantastic. It’s violent, really scary. (I feared it might be YA because of the 18yo hero, but no. It’s brutal.) Super vivid and fluent writing, wildly imaginative, fantastic use of the setting and mythology. Twisty plot, engaging geeky asthmatic protagonist. A tremendous read.

But. But there is not one single female character with agency. The women exist only to help, or to motivate the hero/plot; almost all the minor characters are male. We barely get to see the girlfriend before she’s abducted. I mean, this isn’t a sexist book, let alone a misogynistic one. The author obviously feels passionately about violence against women, and men are victimised and attacked just as much and with as much relish as women. (Yay equal opportunity horrible death!) It’s just all about men.

It’s not fair to ask any one author to redress all the wrongs of everything, especially in a book that does so much in the teeth of the sad puppies. This book is really good in itself, and triumphant in use of setting and mythology; it is a perfect example of the desperate need for SFF to diversify because it is simply *far more interesting* than the same old Tolkien/GoT dullardry. I haven’t enjoyed a fantasy so much in ages. Only, it I’d have enjoyed it a lot more if the women had been more than plot drivers, that’s all.

I recommend this if you’re okay with full-on horror/violence--and with the fact that this is End of Part One and does not conclude the story in any way *at all*. I am totally buying the second one, but I really hope the author moves on from Man World and I see no reason why he shouldn’t.

[Aims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rehman and his wife, Mumtaz, live a simple, routine life in the Pakistani city of Karachi. They have no children of their own, but their quiet days are lived with a steady pattern of work, morning walks and cooking. But when Rehman goes for one of his walks one morning, strange things start to happen; one thing leads to another and one night, Rehman is visited by a djinn who leaves with Rehman a child, named “Wahid.” Fire Boy picks up seventeen years later; Wahid is a lanky teenager with breathing problems, who saw his first djinn very early on in his childhood. He’s living a seemingly normal life now though; he’s like any other boy. He loves comics, has two best friends with whom he talks about things like Dungeons & Dragons, parties and girls- but little does Wahid know that his life is going to be turned upside down very, very soon. When tragedy hits, the unassuming Wahid is thrown full-force into a dangerous, terrifying situation.

Fire Boy has a fast-paced, gripping plot full of so many settings all around Pakistan’s urban capital, Karachi. Despite being a “foreign” book (I hate that phrase, but understand that this is how the book may be categorized), Shah’s portrayal of urban life is universal. Karachi has its own set of issues, but at large, it’s a lot like any other city. It’s “foreign,” sure, but the portrayal is relatable, and even profound. Shah provides an incredibly nuanced, complex view of Pakistan as a whole. The novel’s main character is perhaps in the lower-upper-class, or the upper-middle-class bracket, and has privileges that most people do not have. It’s not a story about poverty or the hardships of living in a non-Western society, even though I imagine it’s incredibly tempting to take what people expect you to write (for example, stories about poverty and terrorism) and do the complete opposite, while still staying true to the essence of your setting.

Let me expand: there aren’t many wildly popular Pakistani stories out there that reach Western society, but those that do are almost always monstrous portrayals. You read them and wonder if that’s what hell on earth looks like. Oh, the misogyny! Oh, the poverty! Oh, the barbaric violence and terrorism! And look, I’m not naive- nor am I blind. All those things are very valid, very true aspects of Pakistani society- but that’s not all there is. Shah’s main character is in a privileged position; he’s not impoverished, he is not a woman, and he isn’t having conflicting issues with religion. This is a fantasy story that many teenagers – brown or not – will relate to. But at the same time, none – NONE – of the problems in society and community are ignored. We have background discussions of corruption, the bitterness among citizens, portrayals of poverty, misogyny and hardships without them ever seeming preachy, without them ever seeming like “this is what the book is about.” Talk about terrorism as if it’s routine-life, the little details about what teachers say in school out of prejudice- all so authentic, so genuine, so true to some of my own experiences without ever seeming like they were there because they had to be. It was there in addition to a very solid, gripping horror/paranormal/urban-fantasy story, and that’s what made Karachi so real.

Fire Boy is genuinely terrifying- or at least it was to me. It’s chock full of Islamic and South Asian mythology; things like djinn (entities in Islamic mythology which are made of smokeless fire, some evil and some not) and chudails or pichal peris (witches, often disguised as ethereal, beautiful women whose feet are backwards). These are creatures who have haunted my dreams ever since I was a child. In Pakistan – which is an overwhelmingly majority-Muslim country – everyone has a djinn story. Everyone. Which is not to say that everyone’s superstitious and believes in the supernatural; it just means that it’s a topic everyone has something to contribute to. When our parents didn’t like us playing out on the street too late, they used to say, “There are djinn and chudails in the trees! Don’t stay out late; they’ll get you!” Driving around late at night in Pakistan in an area not too densely populated, every lone woman you see on the side gets labelled pichal peri (“Do you see her feet? Are they facing backwards?”) – sometimes seriously, other times by people like my father who just like to scare the shit out of their kids.

I don’t know if these creatures and how Shah plays around with the tropes surrounding them will terrify someone unfamiliar with the lore, but they did me. I will say that Shah does a wonderful job of relaying “foreign” information to the reader. The explanations of the lore are done seamlessly without every seeming info-dumpy, and because the lore that is specifically South Asian (like the chudails) has such little written material on it, he has a lot of room to play around with their entities. Shah wields the lore skillfully; this is the only horror novel that managed to keep me up at night, and I say that without any sort of exaggeration.

But despite all my raving and gushing, Fire Boy has its flaws. I definitely think the characters could have been developed more, and it could also have more meat to its structure; so, I would have liked more descriptions about Wahid’s daily life, his friendships, his relationship with his parents. There could have been more exploration outside of the fantasy aspect, just to add more substance to the people. I also think Wahid’s disability could have been explored more; in the second half, I felt that it was largely ignored and his vulnerabilities are what made him such an intriguing, gripping character in the beginning that I was a little bummed. But outside of these flaws, Fire Boy is beautifully written, extremely nuanced and just a solid, solid book.

Finally: often in talks about diverse representation in literature or the media, people put aside their biases and take a more political, more formal stance- I do that too. It’s great to look at an important topic objectively, but do you understand the depth of what you’re talking about unless you’ve experienced what representation will mean? I don’t think so. Fire Boy was not an emotional read with regards to content, but I was emotional reading it. Because I related more to this shy, introverted, awkward young brown kid living in a country full of so many contrasts than I ever have reading about anything else. I’ve been a proponent of diversity in literature for a long time now, but I don’t think I understood the extent of its importance until I felt what this book made me feel, and for that alone, I owe Sami Shah everything.

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[ZOEY · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you are a Pakistani kid you are bound to hear really horrifying ghost stories growing up-it's a rite of passage.

As someone who was born in Karachi and still lives there - I grew up hearing stories of "pichal pairi" (a witch with beautiful hair and drop dead gorgeous looks but really hairy legs and twisted feet-who would entice men on abandoned roads/dead alleys and eat their hearts/liver.)
and the usual folk tales about Djinns , "adam-khor deo" ( ogres that eat humans), and the mermaids of the Indus River that supposedly live in dams??!

So stumbling upon this book on goodreads made my day.
I can't wait to read this X)

[Anum Shaharyar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the most obvious complaint about this book is the ending. For a duology, it offers literally no closure in any of its numerous plot lines, leaving everything not open-ended, but rather just… drifting. The ending doesn’t even have the decency of a cliff hanger, and sort of just hangs there. It’s as if Sami Shah wrote a whole novel, then flipped it open roughly in the middle and decided to turn it into a duology (which, it turns out, is actually what happened, since according to this interview it was initially written as a single novel, then split into a duology by the Australian publishers. It was later printed as a single novel by the Indian publisher).

That noticeable problem aside, this is actually a fascinating attempt at South Asian fantasy, and that’s primarily because of the setting. As a Karachiite born and bred, I have an obvious fondness for stories set in this city, but that doesn’t mean just any story will do. Sometimes the writing can be atrocious, or the characters flat and pointless, and then even the setting isn’t enough of a saving grace. That disappointment thankfully doesn’t arise in Fire Boy, because Sami Shah – following in the likes of works by Kamila Shamsie – writes about Karachi like it’s a character. The city is alive, and filled with the most amazing sort of creatures bound to inhabit a place so dark and dangerous.

And by amazing I meant creepy and familiar, two combinations I have had very limited experience with in the literature world. As far as urban fantasy goes, South Asia has very rarely been the location for such stories. This makes Sami Shah’s novel, which brings literally every desi horror story character into the plot, so very dear to me and my poor unrepresented heart. While the canon for most avid Pakistani readers has been a western setting of elves, orcs, dwarves and white men trudging around dragon-infested lands, Shah ignores all of that in favour of djinns and churails, supernatural entities that one hears of more commonly in Pakistan in casual conversations, or during late night sleepovers.

Wahid was seven years old when he saw his first djinn.

Keeping the conversation of whether to spell it as djinn or jinn aside for now, this book introduces us to all these paranormal creatures through the eyes of one Wahid, a teenager whose time is filled with hanging out with his two best friends, worrying about his board exams, and thinking about Maheen, a girl he has a crush on. As a protagonist, Wahid is both whiny and funny, sometimes a pointless character and then back to being an active participant in his story, fluctuating wildly between a character I cared about or someone who was only a conduit for the story Shah wanted to tell. Following the tried and tested trope of The Hero’s Journey, Shah throws Wahid’s life into a tail spin when, on his way home from a party, Wahid along with Maheen and one of his best friends Amir, encounters a fatal accident at the hand of a couple of djinn. When these djinn steal Maheen’s soul, Wahid sets out on a journey to get it back, encountering characters such as the Physics professor trying to channel djinn energy or the young street child known as the King of Karachi, all leading him along a path from where he might trace a lost soul, all the while knowing no one will believe him.

These things happen. They happen all the time, in fact. And they care not a whit whether we believe in them.

I think an obvious flaw, and one that has been pointed out in numerous other places, is the fact that the women in this story are basically, well, pointless. They exist only in terms of moving the hero’s story forward, and have absolutely no agency. This is not to say that the book itself is misogynistic – Shah makes it a point to talk about violence against women repeatedly, adding to his narrative characters such as the pichal parree, a common Pakistani myth about a witch with backward-facing feet who in this particular story haunts Karachi’s seaside.

“I am what is left of the woman who dies at the hands of men,” she said. “I am her revenge.”

But the point still remains that Maheen, possibly the only female in this novel to serve a function (and even then for barely any significant part of the narrative), only exists solely so that Wahid can go and ‘save her’. Her soul stolen by the jinns (not even because of something she’s done, but as part of Wahid’s relationship to the supernatural) serves only as a starting point for our hero to begin his journey into the underbelly of Karachi, and eventually to the world of the jinn themselves, accompanied by the most interesting of companions.

“Who are you?”
“I,” said the figure, bowing grandiloquently, “am Azah-zeel. Some people call me Shaitan. But I prefer Iblis.”

It is only by the saving grace of filling of story with a chockful of desi supernatural entities does Sami Shah retain interest. And the brilliant thing about being one of the first ones to write these stories is that you have a lot of leeway in how to manoeuvre your fictional creations. Amongst the common myths that I’ve grown up with in Karachi is the tale of the mithai left uncovered at night in sweet shops, which jinn then come and eat, leaving empty containers for the owners to pack again for the next night. Shah incorporates all these sleepover stories into his tale, making it a part of Wahid’s journey through Karachi in search of Maheen’s soul.

The brothers protested, explaining that customers were unlikely to frequent a shop in which they would be slapped by invisible hands … The sufi gave this a great deal more thought, and finally told them to make a gift of the finest deserts they made every day to the djinn. The tree had been cut, the shop built and every day they selected the best sweets from their kitchen and made an offering of them.

My only other issue with the book might be that the violence feels gratuitous in some of the scenes. While I’m not averse to a little blood and gore, having read enough grimdark to get used to the feel, it’s always immediately obvious when it’s necessary, and in this story it’s mostly not. In most of Shah’s scenes, the violence goes overboard, with more intestines spilling out and more heads detaching from bodies than are really needed. I’m not sure why Shah does this, especially in a book that’s so clearly targeting a YA market, but the extended torture scenes could have been cut.

Overall though, the story is fascinating, both for people who’ve lived in the city, since there are ten million points of reference to life in Karachi, and also for people who’ve never encountered these specific Islamic or South Asian myths. It might not be the best thing I’ve read overall, but it does manage to hit the right notes on a number of occasions. For that, it goes on the recommended list.

**

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

I have lots of thoughts about this one. Review to come.

**

Review of part two here.

[Lukasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people think djinns live in lamps and grant wishes while dressed in turbans. Nothing further from the truth. Djinns are terrifying, capricious and proud creatures. Made of fire, they're stronger, faster and deadlier than any human. When you meet one, don't ask him for a favour. Be polite and careful not to offend him. Who knows, maybe you'll survive?

Shah's Fire Boy and Earth Boy duology (in some regions published as a single volume called Boy of Fire and Earth) blew my mind. I loved this book. It's a dark, funny, and compelling urban fantasy tale based in Pakistan's biggest city - Karachi. A young boy, Wahid, comes to terms with his unique abilities and sets out on an adventure to recover the soul of the girl he loves from vengeful djinns.

Helped by the devil himself, Wahid will cross the line between worlds and explore Sufi mysticism. Sounds New-age-y? It shouldn't. Shah's raw talent, unexpected turns and twists, and an intelligent plot make this tale compelling and genuinely surprising.

As a westerner, I found the eastern setting and mythology fascinating and fresh. From Dajjal to the djinns or Pichal Pairee — the novel introduces various Islamic mythical creatures in all their splendour. The mythology and cosmology derived from Qur'an explore the notion of the multiverse and thin layers between mythical and physical. I absolutely loved the passages of the book that delved into metaphysics and theology. Plus, Iblis (The Devil himself) shines as a secondary character.

Wahid is a dorky, instantly likeable protagonist. He loves comic books and fantasy and has no idea how to approach the girl he likes. Following him on the journey of self-discovery never failed to entertain (or terrify). While Wahid's arc builds upon Chosen One and Coming of Age tropes, it does so with great style.

I think some readers may have a problem with females' representation in the book - the ones we meet are perfect victims, old hags, or flirtatious types.

The tone of the book switches between funny and gritty. When the story gets violent, it pulls no punches. Some scenes and deaths shocked me. Djinns get terrifying and I'm thoroughly impressed with their portrayal.

The city becomes a character as well (literally). Shah loves Karachi. Deeply. I've never been to Pakistan, but somehow he made me feel what it would be like to walk through vibrant and dangerous streets of this city. Home to over a dozen ethnic communities, Karachi is diverse and volatile, sometimes frightening but also magnificent. The Fire Boy reads like a dark ode to Karachi displaying its darkest secrets. I need to go there one day.

It seems the author intended the duology to be a single volume. In the West it's published as two books, in India as one. My advice - don't treat it as a duology. It doesn't work as one at all. That's why I rate both books as one.

Shah's Reap short story shines in Djinn Falls in Love anthology. The combination of Shah's talent, creativity and engaging storyline propel Fire Boy and Earth Boy to my 2018' best reads.

[Sunil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first heard of Fire Boy from Midnight in Karachi's Mahvesh Murad, and I was instantly intrigued by the idea of a djinn-infused urban fantasy set in Karachi. The description of the book sounded pretty fun, and the publisher was happy to provide me with a non-final version to review. The book wasn't quite what I expected, though.

Fire Boy starts off strongly enough, with a very creepy djinn encounter and then, uh, vigorous djinn-induced masturbation that appears to result in the birth of our hero, Wahid, who takes some time to grow into a teenage protagonist. As we move toward the real start of the story, Sami Shah gives us wonderfully horrifying interludes, tales of djinns and other monsters that reminded me of some of the interludes in American Gods. While the marketing claims urban fantasy, I'd say this is closer to a horror novel in some respects; it's at its most effective when Shah is delivering these nightmarish scenes. I loved the worldbuilding; it seems that nearly every story I read about djinns has a different conception of them. Here, it's very much based on Islam and the Quran, and it includes another sort of monster whose origin I'm unfamiliar with. In addition to the mythological worldbuilding, the real-world portrayal of Karachi was fascinating to this ignorant Westerner, showing how utterly common bombings are, to the point where they're mentioned as casually as we're beginning to treat mass shootings over here. Also I guess you have to drive a car to get to your different classes?? The things you learn from reading books, folks.

But for all its strengths, the book frustrated me in minor and major ways. An early reference to a childhood friend moving "like a walrus" made me wince, as did the use of "transsexuals" as a noun (I know hijra are a thing in South Asia, but I'm so used to seeing more positive trans representation now that seeing them only as a stereotype here struck me). The book is very dudely, and while Wahid is less of a bro than his two friends, that general male-gaze-y vibe put me off, especially when there are no female characters with agency in the book. The one major female character is a love interest who exists to motivate Wahid. Hell, even a female djinn gets fridged. The dudely vibe also extends to vulgarity; if you haven't seen the phrase "sister fucker" in a book enough, well, here you go. I don't mind profanity at all, but it came off as needlessly crass, creating a dirty, depraved tone further enhanced by a scene of graphic torture. Which just...Wahid seems like a fun guy, and I feel like he's in the wrong book. He's likable enough (especially being a Dungeons and Dragon DM), but I didn't feel connected to him as a character so much as I enjoyed him as a vehicle for navigating me through the cool world Shah was describing. Which is...what this book ends up being, basically. It leads up to Wahid discovering what we already knew from the first chapter, and then...it just ends, with no resolution. It's only half a story! Yes, a lot of really cool things are introduced in the last few chapters, but they're all setup when you haven't solved any of the problems in this book.

Fire Boy offers up some great worldbuilding, and it moves swiftly, but it's ultimately unsatisfying, its strengths not enough to overcome its flaws.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rep: Pakistani characters, Muslim characters

Warnings: explicit violence, abuse, misogyny, possession, exorcism, rape mention, torture, slurs, gendered slurs, ableism, self-harm

[RG · Rating 2 out of 5]

A well written urban fantasy based around Islamic mythology (Djinns). I just found the plot a little too slow for me. More a not for me type novel than a bad novel.

[Shenwei · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's been a while since I've read something so immensely creepy, intense, and suspenseful. This book transports you onto the streets of Karachi and probes into the darkest parts of the city's landscape. o.o

[Wasio Abbasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was first published at Digital Saeen.

There are times when you come across a work of fiction that is authentic to the core and a breath of fresh air. Sami Shah's 'Fire Boy' is one such work which is not only a pleasant surprise but also grounded to the folklore of subcontinent. The novel belongs to High Fantasy category where it explores the life of a young man named Wahid who doesn't know he is half Djinn.

There have been works of fiction that tried to tackle the fabled Djinns of the Islamic belief system. Even Hollywood tried its hand with the movie 'Jin' with impressive graphics, but it failed to gain mainstream approval. Sami Shah dealt with various folklore elements, famous in this part of the world, expertly to really feel the moments of panic, wonder and even lust. Wahid, a person who is made of both clay and fire, is in search of Djinns when a powerful Djinn vanishes, taking away the soul of his love, Maheen.

The story explores Karachi's underbelly when Wahid is suggested he may find his answer from the King of Karachi. He also gets to see the inside life of Abdullah Shah Ghazi's Mazaar and spends time at the beach while hiding from the world. He experiences life of the 'other side' of the bridge, the areas that are not posh, and see how common man lives. In his search for Djinns he also find out their attraction to the sweets left behind in the sweetshops and he also comes face to face with the fabled witch of subcontinent ... Pichal Pairi (twist foot).

The story has a smooth flow, starting from morning walk of a businessman and glides down the years as Wahid came into the world and grows up to be man of principles, strongly bonded with his two friends. His life represents typical experience of an O Levels kid who went to school, then tuition and spent quality time with his best buddies. And that life got upside down in a freak accident when he was attacked by two powerful Djinns.

The characters of Wahid, his friends, the love of his life Maheen and even some of the side characters are beautifully crafted, particularly a special Djinn that is introduced later in the story ... one upon whom the doors of the fabled 'Djinn' world are closed.

From fantasy perspective Sami Shah may not have used eloquent language like Usman Tanveer Malik, whose depiction of Pakistan's folklore has been recognized internationally, but has utilized the best storytelling narrative found in most modern fantasy stories. One cannot feel the difference between the narrative of Fire Boy and those of bestsellers of Fantasy genre. Being a plot driven story it is as engaging as any good fantasy book out there, some of which are even mentioned in Sami's work since Wahid has a lot of interest in reading fantasy novels. One cannot help but wonder if Sami Shah modeled Wahid's personality based on his own reading habits. I have personally never seen any local author mentioning Dungeons & Dragons board games, a favorite of every fantasy addict around the globe, and Wahid is shown playing it for years with his best buddies.

Fire Boy is definitely worth the read and is recommended even if you don't really like fantasy. The alternate take on Djinns and Karachi's folk lore is enough to attract both fantasy readers and realist ones alike.

[Rusalka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across Sami Shah as he was a panelist on a show on tv about television shows and movies. And endeared himself to me as he argued passionately for scifi/fantasy/action hero movies/tv shows and loved every minute of them. You gotta love a passionate, articulate nerd. I then found out he was a comedian and author, particularly with a book out at the time titled The Islamic Republic of Australia and a fantasy YA series. I had to look him up.

So I did, and this is the first in the fantasy series. And note I leave out YA. This is not a YA book. Yes, the protagonist is 17. But repeat after me: JUST * BECAUSE * A * PROTAGONIST * IS * A * TEENAGER * DOES * NOT * MAKE * THE * BOOK * YA.
Once more for the publisher down the back.

This is a full on book with rape, violence, torture and more. It's full of mythology, fantasy/urban fantasy elements, and borders on horror in parts. And that is great, but that should be the genres it plays in. It shouldn't be dumbed down to the age of the main character and thus dissuading others to read it. It also shouldn't be pressed into an 11 year old's hands with no knowledge or support for the reading matter because the characters are 16/17. Arbitrary publishing bullshit lines annoy the hell out of me.

The story itself was good. It follows our teenager finding out that Djinn and other elements of Pakistani folklore and mythology exist, and trying to reconcile and deal with the consequences of that. As well as other unexpected happenings along the way. I learnt a lot about Pakistani folklore. I had no idea there were beings who loved pastries, and I feel like I should have working in a bakery for years.

So I learnt a lot, and it was different to any other story I had read before. I didn't love it, but if I stumble across the second, I wouldn't mind finding out how it all ends for Wahid.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to see Sami Shah at a talk about the supernatural in different cultures last year in Melbourne, and I've been wanting to read Fire Boy since the event. It was a good start to the short series, and I'm looking forward to Earth Boy.
If you've never read a single thing about djinns or chudails or other worldly creatures from Muslim culture, this book is an excellent place to start. If you do know what they are, you're still going to enjoy this story.
If you hate cliffhangers, hold off until Earth Boy is published so you don't drive yourself mad. There's action in Fire Boy, but I have a feeling Shah is saving the good stuff for the end.

[Cora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fire Boy is the story of a teenager in Karachi, Pakistan named Wahlid who is attacked by Djinn while driving his friends home from a party. The Djinn cause his car to crash, killing his best friend and putting the girl he has a crush on in a coma. In order to save the girl, Wahlid must solve the mystery of why the Djinn attacked him, find them, and retrieve the piece of the girl's soul that was stolen. The story was filled with Islamic mythology that was both familiar and new to me. The author did a good job of integrating the mythology into present day Pakistan and explaining to the reader without taking me out of the story with an information dump. I am looking forward to reading more of Wahlid's story. One warning though - the book just ends midway through the story so if you do not like cliffhangers consider having the sequel Earth Boy ready. They are both relatively short books so they can easily be read together as one big story.

[Linna H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an easy and addicting read!! The book was very well structured with an amazingly immersive world and just the right amount of weird, cool and wacky to make me fall for this book.

Don't read the blurb it spoils a lot just go in blind :)

[Alan Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, a pleasant departure from the usual urban fantasy we read in the west. The setting of Karachi and the basis of all the mythology in Islam, and djinns in particular, is brilliantly realised. My only complaint is that it's book one of a duology and, while that's not an issue in itself, it just ends. No resolution, no cliffhanger, it just stops halfway through the story. It's concluded in Earth Boy, which is out now, but I really don't understand why it isn't one book. Fire Boy is only 300 pages, so it's not like putting both together would have been an issue. Anyway, that bit of infuriating weirdness aside, this is an excellent book and I recommend it. The word Boy in the title might make you think it's lighter fare or YA, but it's not. The protagonists are late-teens, but this is a dark and brutal read. It's great, but buy both volumes of the duology together to get one story!

[Paige Belfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just... wow. I honestly loved this book so dang much. It is pretty graphic in some scenes so it wouldn't be for everyone, but I found it to be incredible.
Fire Boy is a brilliant change of pace from the standard urban fantasy. Non-Western fantasy/horror, engaging style, and a compelling cast of characters. It's everything I could have hoped for. It is a fantastic piece of work and I'm so keen to get my hands on the sequel to devour that too.

[Jazz Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginative, amusing and at times over the top, Sami Shah's Boy of Fire and Earth takes inspiration from the holy book and weaves a fairly credible fantasy world peopled by djinns, half people, the devil and such. Half-djinn, Wahid, sets out to bring back the stolen soul of his friend, who is in a coma and encounters many perils on the way as he goes to hell and back.

[MasterSal]

A fantasy book set in Karachi … let me run you down to get a copy …

[Read3r’z Re-Vu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really engaging and fantastic read!!! Yes this is urban fantasy – yes the story is a work of fiction – however, it accurately references Islamic beliefs and terms throughout the story which worked really well with the plot and it intrigued a lot of my non-Muslim friends into asking more questions about Islam and wanting to learn more, it bridged some gaps from a different angle.

This epic Urban Fantasy follows the story of Wahid whose birth and ability to see jinn (creatures made of smokeless fire) remains a mystery. He’s growing up in Karachi, Pakistan and he’s a typical geek boy – really into Dungeons and Dragons, comics and games. In an ill-timed, fatal car accident, Wahid witnesses a jinn stealing his friend’s soul and he vows to get her back. Wahid is wrongfully accused of causing the accident and is on the run having to source help from the most darkest of all spirits – the Devil himself.

Some scenes were rather violent and freaky however, the story line was captivating and the dialogue was quite witty and clever. It is very well written, action packed – and suspenseful. For those who don’t take well with jinn or the supernatural, I strongly advise reading during daylight hours. Due to the themes and level of violence in the story, it is not suitable to readers under 15 years of age. I highly recommend this story for urban/fantasy fiction fans as it is very different to what you may have read before.

Please remember, this story is a work of fiction with reference to Islamic beliefs. For further reading and understanding on the Islamic beliefs that are referenced in the book, please refer to Islamic books, the Quran or Hadith.

I am really looking forward to the sequel!!!

- Annie

[Avery (Book Deviant) · Rating 4 out of 5]

See more of my reviews on my blog the Book Deviant

Fire Boy would have been an amazing book if the publisher hadn't ruined it with the official summary. When you decide to pick up this book, avoid any provided summary if it goes further than the car crash. I ended up waiting the entire book for the events of the summary to happen, only to realize that the publisher provided summary literally summarizes the whole book, rather than just what a reader needs to know in order to get into the novel.

Other than that one problem, Fire Boy is an amazing, original urban fantasy novel that pretty much anyone would love. Not only does it include an awkward but determined protagonist, but there is the perfect amount of humor and horror written in. Despite the plot being slow to my tastes, I was kept up late with the culture and uniqueness of the setting.

Wahid is such a realistic character, with his awkwardness and determination and open inquisitiveness that made his such a believable character. He even as asthma! The same goes for Arif and Hazma, Wahid's other friend, both of which I found just as enjoyable and honest. Shah was able to create such interesting and three-dimensional characters that one could fall in love with quickly. While Maheen is important to the story, she isn't it in as much as she could have been. Right when Wahid starts to get to know her, the crash happens, and unravels everything.

Probably the strongest point in Fire Boy is the setting and the culture Shah wove in. I loved learning about Karachi and Islam, as well as all the legends and folklore that come with it. The basis of having djinn in the real world, as well as the heaven/hell idea and basically all of the folklore was so intricate and interesting. The culture enhanced the world Shah was attempting to build, making it more believable, especially to those of the religion or culture.

four star - Overall?

Fire Boy was an extremely enjoyable read. The characters and culture added a distinctive feeling to the story, making this one-of-a-kind story an amazing find. Although I really disliked the pacing of the story, and the summary provided really ruined my expectations, I was still happily surprised and excited for the conclusion, Earth Boy.

Would I Recommend?

As someone not of the Pakistani and Islamic culture, I would recommend, although I would also suggest reading own voices reviews as well. I would recommend Aimal's review, as it goes much more in-depth than mine above, as well as being own voices.

Trigger warning: gore, torture, murder, and mentioned (non-graphic) sexual assault.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wahid thinks he’s just a normal teenager growing up in Karachi, Pakistan. He attends school, plays Dungeons and Dragons with his friends, and crushes on a cute girl in his class. He has no idea that he’s the son of a djinn.

Everything changes for Wahid when two djinn attack a car he’s driving. His best friend is killed, and the girl he likes soul is stolen. In his quest to find the djinn who did this, Wahid becomes immersed in the supernatural side of Karachi.

I don’t think I bothered to read the blurb before I started Fire Boy. So it wasn’t until around 30% in when the girl’s soul is stolen that I realized this was going to be a “rescue the damsel” plot line. Most of my problems with Fire Boy stem from just how lacking the female characters are. The girlfriend is the most important female character… but she has practically no character. She’s one of those female characters who could be replaced with a sexy lamp and the story wouldn’t change. She has no personality or presence. Her role in the story is the damsel in distress, existing to give Wahid a rescue based quest. It’s a plot line I’ve seen a thousand times before, and it’s tired and sexist. I want more from the books I read.

What’s frustrating is that at other times the narrative addresses violence against women. The author clearly had good intentions, but female characters are still seriously lacking.

The other serious issue I had with Fire Boy is that it’s not a complete story. There is no narrative arc, no climax. It simply stops. It’s like one book was arbitrarily split down the middle. I don’t mind books ending in a cliffhanger or clearly being the beginning of a series, but I want them to have their own arc and climax. I still want the structure of a complete story even if it’s not complete. I didn’t get this with Fire Boy.

On the positive side, I think Shah did a wonderful job weaving the fantastical into Karachi. Shah does for Karachi what Gaiman did for London in Neverwhere. He takes a modern day cityscape and fills it with a hidden magical side, this time based specifically in Pakistani myth. The result is beautifully vibrant.

I’m not going to read the second book unless I hear that it improves in regard to female characters. However, I doubt this will happen. While Fire Boy was too male centric for my taste, it still may appeal to anyone looking for Pakistani urban fantasy.

Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.

[N.G. Peltier · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: graphic violence, graphic description of car accidents, rape mention.

This book was thrilling, creeping and so intriguing. Listen i read this during the day i wasn't playing! But i enjoying this story about djinns and the boy who can hurt them. The story unfolded in a way that left me wanting to know what TF was going to happen next. But oh so creepyyyyyyy and gruesome! There's no skimping on the violence here. So heed the trigger warnings.

There's a particularly gruesome scene with a dude decapitating a woman and yeahhhhh. This leads me into my major problem with this. The distinct lack of female characters with any agency. They either appear on page when possessed by a djinn and eventually end up dead. Or are there to further Wahid's story i guess. Liiike we get introduced to the girl he likes and then she's barely there before her soul gets ripped out by a vengeful djinn after Wahid kills another djinn.

Wahid is an intriguing character, buut yeh I really wish there were more women in this who got to do something! other than die.

But I must say, each djinn we do meet were unique and terrifying!! like i did not want to read this at night for a reason lol. My fave djinn is Iblis. He was funny and charming to me, especially since Wahid seemed so exasperated by him, after he summons Iblis. So i'm looking forward to seeing more of Iblis and Wahid's banter as they travel to the Kaf to retrieve Maheen's soul

Another character that intrigued me was the Chudail. A women with twisted feet who killed men. They haunt the roads at night, killing those unlucky enough to stop and help them. The Chudail's story was sad but all too prevalent: ‘I am what is left of the woman who dies at the hands of men,’ she said. ‘I am her revenge.’ I want to see more of her! I was intrigued by the backwards feet as in Caribbean folklore we have douens who are children wit backwards feet. creepy right?

We get introduced to the djinns and Chudail in such a compelling way, before we even get to Wahid's story. That really set the tone and scare factor for what was to come.

I'll be checking out the sequel but fingers crossed for that to be less scarce on the ladies.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. What was the last urban fantasy you read set in Karachi?

So, yeah, that's cool. Djinn and stuff. The writing style is a little old fashion maybe, I liked it though, a nice change of pace.

Why am I not rating it higher though...

- It's only the first half of the story, it ends abruptly, basically just after they step through the portal to travel to Kaf.

- It starts very slowly, despite being a fairly short, and quick read. In fact, and this is probably a sign, this is one of those books that feel the need to start out by showing you the main character's conception and birth. Seriously? Ok, he's half djinn, we got that from the cover copy. in medias res, flashbacks. Invented for a reason, people. It's 2018, not 218. People got shit to do, and many other entertainment options, respect their time.

- The main character, Wahid, is perfectly likable as an MC, but he's incredibly passive early on, and when he does actually start to do stuff he does it sort of non-commitally. For instance, he finds someone who knows a bit about djinn, but then when the man tells him all the djinn have left, he just gives up and wanders off, doesn't bother to share any information that might have allowed the man to help him.

- Perhaps it's the passivity, I can't really put my finger on a specific reason, but up until the very last few pages, I was entirely unsure if I cared enough to bother continuing with the second book. Iblis helps, though I kind of expect him not to stick around.

So, TLDR: I think I'll continue with book 2, but I already feel like this would have been better had it been a single book and a lot of the fluff been trimmed from the first half, or worked in as later flashback or revelation.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully engaging urban fantasy set in Pakistan. Filled with mythology concerning Djinns but set very much in modern day, Fire Boy was a fabulous change from a western culture setting. Wahid, our young hero, has a hard enough time coping with everyday life, trying to find the courage to ask the girl he fancies out, choosing the right University, and the fact that he has been able to see djinns since he was little. When he is attacked by such creatures Wahid now finds himself on a mission of revenge, while being on the run from more earthly authorities. Very fast paced, quite horrific in parts and the occasional sexual references make this fall into the older half of Young Adult market. Very much looking forward to the second book, coming later this year.

[Kaleido Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this glimpse into another culture through the lens of urban fantasy.

Despite the predominant Islamic themes, there's a lot of shared pop culture references that make it an easy world to slip into.

The major plot points are fun to discover, so I won't mention them here - but the writing is crisp, incisive and when it comes to the horror elements, surgically skin peeling.

I've heard that some people are infuriated by the ending, but as part of a duology, I think the balance between satisfaction and intrigue for part 2 is well-handled.

Highly recommended.

[Bonni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot think of a better way to learn about culture and religion than reading it (for me anyway).
This boom was filled to the brim with amazing new things for me to learn about. The best thing was that the book was filled to the brim with topics that are often considered too much for young adults, but Shah wasn't trying to protect anyone with this book.
I can't speak highly enough for authors who aren't afraid to write!

[Keith Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, majestic and bleakly dark

I love how wild and unkempt it is almost as if this was a first draft that never saw the backside of an editor. It is rough and raw and that fits the content, half young adult fantastic coming of age adventure and half unrelentingly grim horror story. Characters suffer and die while the bleak unjust cruelties of the world are on full display.

[Michael Earp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting, well paced and visceral. This book knows how to take ancient folklore and use it to grab your spine and make you pay attention. Fantasy that is foreign, fresh, and entirely engrossing. Filled with djinns (and some humans) that absolutely creeped me out. Highly recommended!

[Zoha Ahsan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, where to start? One this review is not spoiler-free. Two, I decided to purchase this book on a whim and boy, do I absolutely consider it money-well-spent. My go to fantasy novels are usually variations of different Game-Of-Thrones- like settings yet, the mythology, one derived from Islamic interpretations and legends and myths surrounding Karachi, instantly sucked me in.

Karachi feels like the Karachi of my childhood. The constant-yet-mundane way terrorist attacks are shown and discussed in the book by characters feel like every other conversation I once had with my family and friends. It’s big and beautiful and vast and real. The author does justice to what life was like in the city back in the days of continuous strikes, target killings etc.

(Perhaps I’m a bit biased, living in Karachi for a majority of my life, I can easily imagine Wahid in places like Tariq Road, Clifton etc)

Wahid is a wonderful character. He’s an extremely related teenager living out the normal life of a Karachiite. Both his friends are delightful characters, realistic, supportive and caring. Especially Hamza. I felt terrible for what happened to him. Hamza, himself, felt justifiably angry but it was so refreshing that he didn’t blame Wahib for any of his sufferings. Another intriguing character was ‘DA KING oF Karachi’. Bloody hell, I wish he could have joined in the journey to Kaf with Wahid and the Devil. I felt the chapters featuring him were far too short. Would love to see him again in the sequels, with a pivotal focus on his character alone. (cuz he’s that awesome). I have mixed feelings about Shatan. Not really sure what to think of his downfall being not about pride but jealousy and fear. His introduction was pretty badass so kudos on that.

I only have two hitches with the story; one was the almost ridiculous reveal of the army having relations with Dajins and second was Maheen. For the first, I mean I pretty much have a good suspension of disbelief but this one moment in the book made me go “LOL” and not in a good way. The latter was more of me being annoyed at Maheen being used as a plot device. It was clear that this wasn’t really the intention of the author but still throughout the book, I couldn’t help but feel as such. I’m glad though that Wahid didn’t get any sort of reward for saving her by having Maheen be wary of him after such an out-of-the-world experience. 

But still, would it have been too much to ask to make Maheen a member of Wahid’s group of friends? It might have made Wahid’s feelings and later actions to help her far more justifiable. It would have made the last chapter with Wahid and her more impactful. It might have also allowed Maheen to have a personality, rather than just being a random stranger who our MC had a crush on.

But despite all that, this was one of the only recent books I have read that I would recommend to everyone and anyone. You would definitely enjoy this fantastic mixture of Fantasy and Urban legends.