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Every Rising Sun
Named one of NPR's Books We Love
In this riveting take on One Thousand and One Nights, Shaherazade, at the center of her own story, uses wit and political mastery to navigate opulent palaces brimming with treachery and the perils of the Third Crusade as her Persian homeland teeters on the brink of destruction.
In twelfth century, Persia, clever and dreamy Shaherazade stumbles on the Malik’s beloved wife entwined with a lover in a sun-dappled courtyard. When Shaherazade recounts her first tale, the story of this infidelity, to the Malik, she sets the Seljuk Empire on fire.
Enraged at his wife’s betrayal, the once-gentle Malik beheads her. But when that killing does not quench his anger, the Malik begins to marry and behead a new bride each night. Furious at the murders, his province seethes on rebellion’s edge. To suppress her guilt, quell threats of a revolt, and perhaps marry the man she has loved since childhood, Shaherazade persuades her beloved father, the Malik’s vizier, to offer her as the next wife. On their wedding night, Shaherazade begins a yarn, but as the sun ascends she cuts the story short, ensuring that she will live to tell another tale, a practice she repeats night after night.
But the Malik’s rage runs too deep for Shaherazade to exorcise alone. And so she and her father persuade the Malik to leave Persia to join Saladin’s fight against the Crusaders in Palestine. With plots spun against the Seljuks from all corners, Shaherazade must maneuver through intrigue in the age’s greatest courts to safeguard her people. All the while, she must keep the Malik enticed with her otherworldly tales—because the slightest misstep could cost Shaherazade her head.
This suspenseful first-person retelling is vividly rendered through the voice of a fully imagined Shaherazade, a book lover whose late mother bestowed the gift of story that becomes her power. Created over fourteen years of writing and research, Jamila Ahmed’s gorgeously written debut is a celebration of storytelling and a love letter to the medieval Islamic world that brings to life one of the most enduring and intriguing woman characters of all time.
In this riveting take on One Thousand and One Nights, Shaherazade, at the center of her own story, uses wit and political mastery to navigate opulent palaces brimming with treachery and the perils of the Third Crusade as her Persian homeland teeters on the brink of destruction.
In twelfth century, Persia, clever and dreamy Shaherazade stumbles on the Malik’s beloved wife entwined with a lover in a sun-dappled courtyard. When Shaherazade recounts her first tale, the story of this infidelity, to the Malik, she sets the Seljuk Empire on fire.
Enraged at his wife’s betrayal, the once-gentle Malik beheads her. But when that killing does not quench his anger, the Malik begins to marry and behead a new bride each night. Furious at the murders, his province seethes on rebellion’s edge. To suppress her guilt, quell threats of a revolt, and perhaps marry the man she has loved since childhood, Shaherazade persuades her beloved father, the Malik’s vizier, to offer her as the next wife. On their wedding night, Shaherazade begins a yarn, but as the sun ascends she cuts the story short, ensuring that she will live to tell another tale, a practice she repeats night after night.
But the Malik’s rage runs too deep for Shaherazade to exorcise alone. And so she and her father persuade the Malik to leave Persia to join Saladin’s fight against the Crusaders in Palestine. With plots spun against the Seljuks from all corners, Shaherazade must maneuver through intrigue in the age’s greatest courts to safeguard her people. All the while, she must keep the Malik enticed with her otherworldly tales—because the slightest misstep could cost Shaherazade her head.
This suspenseful first-person retelling is vividly rendered through the voice of a fully imagined Shaherazade, a book lover whose late mother bestowed the gift of story that becomes her power. Created over fourteen years of writing and research, Jamila Ahmed’s gorgeously written debut is a celebration of storytelling and a love letter to the medieval Islamic world that brings to life one of the most enduring and intriguing woman characters of all time.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published July 18, 2023
126 people are currently reading
12822 people want to read
About the author
Jamila Ahmed
3 books107 followersJamila Ahmed is a Pakistani-American writer and lawyer. Her writing focuses on the stories and histories of the South Asian and Muslim diaspora. She is a graduate of Barnard College, where she studied medieval Islamic history, and Harvard Law School.
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August 21, 2023
In a Nutshell: Not a retelling of the original Arabian classic but a spinoff with Shaherazade at the helm. Mixed feelings. The storytelling elements retain the same spirit and appeal as in the original, but Shaherazade’s personal story is somewhat YA-ish in writing approach (though not so in content.)
Story Synopsis:
Think about certain bookish terms we use while reading or reviewing. Story-within-a-story, cliffhanger ending, unreliable narrator,… All of these originated in a compilation of Middle-Eastern folk tales written in Arabic during the ‘Islamic Golden Age.’ Titled ‘Alf Laylah wa-Laylah’, we know this collection by its English title, ‘One Thousand and One Nights’, or the more popular ‘Arabian Nights.’ Even if you haven’t read the English adaptation, you would be aware of some of its stories, such as “Alibaba and the Forty Thieves”, “Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp”, and “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor”. (Strictly speaking, they are not considered part of the original Arabic collection but were added much later by the French translator Antoine Galland. But that’s a story for another day as this review is already too long.)
The framing device for the current book is somewhat similar to the original. The main story is about Shaherazade trying to save her neck (literally!) by narrating a story to her new husband. But this book doesn’t stop at that. Rather, it focusses on a triple agenda: Shaherazade’s personal life (her marriage, her relationship with her sister and her dad, and her other interactions), the local socio-historical events (Christian French crusaders attacking the Muslim-governed empires, local politics), and of course, Shaherazade’s stories (fully-formed narratives that stand on their own.) I’ll analyse each aspect separately:
I. The Main Story: Shaherazade’s Personal Life
Shaherazade is the heroine of the original tale. Her sacrifice saves the life of many young girls, and she also saves the young Sultan from committing more unjustified murders. That angle is retained in this book as well, though Shahriyar murders only four wives before Shaherazade marries him in this retelling. However, Shaherazade isn’t portrayed as the benevolent girl that you might expect. Other than being a masterful narrator, she is quite a judgemental and conniving girl, using her brain and her tongue to manipulate people into following her ideas.
I am honestly not sure how to feel about her. On the one hand, there’s nothing like a Machiavellian character to provide a layered reading experience. On the other hand, Shaherazade doesn’t come across as consistent, wavering between intelligence and naïveté as per the demands of the plot. Some of her decisions were just befuddling! I am not sure if her young age was kept as a factor in her depiction because her portrayal was very much like a YA protagonist, which is NOT a compliment because I hate the “my heart did this, my cheeks did that, my stomach did something else’ kind of writing. As she goes only from nineteen to twenty in the course of this 430-page book, don’t even expect her to grow in maturity.
Shahriyar, on the contrary and despite some of his cruel actions, is an excellently written character until almost the end. His motivations are clear, and his decisions come from the head after his heart is broken. I loved the depth in his character, and wished all the characters had been so well fleshed out. Sadly, most of the remaining characters didn’t match up.
Surprisingly for a woman-oriented story, not one female character shows depth. Rather, all are somewhat flat and monotonous in the roles . Shaherazade’s sister Dunya would have been memorable because her arc had some amazing potential. But she is left on the sideburner except when she is needed to propel the novel in a different direction. I wish she had been utilised better.
II. The Socio-Politico-Historical Aspects:
The novel also highlights the threat to the town of Bam by the Oghuz Turks, and the even larger threat to the local Seljuk Empire through the invading French Crusaders who used their Christian faith to attack all “infidels”.
On the positive side, it was refreshing to see the perspective of a Muslim woman on the upcoming threats, with the Crusaders being shown as villains, so unlike most other stories that have the roles reversed. I loved this more accurate take on the Crusades, which were nothing but a mislabelled invasion of human rights.
At the same time, the Muslims aren’t cast as picture-perfect, and their patriarchal, misogynistic ways are visible in many scenes. But here too, there is a kind of balance. Shaherazade seems to be a part of many discussions with top-rung Muslim leaders, mostly while accompanied by Shahriyar, but sometimes, even on her own strength. This revolutionary feminist portrayal took me a while to adjust to, because I simply couldn’t digest the idea of a young girl being allowed in courts and allowed to speak to men not from her family, and even being present during military strategy discussions. However, the author’s parting note states that the era did have female Muslim leaders, and women were allowed a voice, unlike what current society insists. I will take her word for it for I am sure she has researched more into the topic.
III. Shaherazade’s Tales:
The framing device lends itself to multiple stories within stories that Shaherazade narrates in a gamut of raconteurial styles. Some of her stories are self-contained. Some have one character having multiple adventures (just like Sinbad does.) At times, the characters in her stories begin narrating a story of their own. These narrated stories cover a variety of genres such as romance, adventure, crime, fantasy and horror. I am not sure if author Jamila Ahmed actually wrote these stories for the book, or if she adapted some of the lesser-known tales from the original for this narrative. Either way, she has done a marvellous job on this aspect. Every story that Shaherazade narrates is a treat.
The only negative of the above is that Shaherazade‘s regular storytelling interrupts the main story: that of her own life. In the original book, this didn’t matter much as we hardly get to know anything about Shahriyar and Shaherazade. Their only purpose there was to be a conduit for the stories. However, as they both get a much meatier role in their retelling, waiting for their story in between the extended secondary tales was a test of my patience.
The Overall Writing Style:
Again, mixed feelings. The world-building is excellent, and I could visualise the gritty deserts as well as the lavish palaces easily through the author’s words. But this doesn’t mean that I could overlook the YA-kind of rambling in Shaherazade’s first person pov and the lack of character development.
This is such a complicated storyline, so to bring all the threads to a neat ending would have been a tough task, especially considering that this is a debut work. But the author manages this mostly well. It departs much from that of the original, but isn’t necessarily bad. In a way, I guess I like this better as it is more realistic, and Shahriyar is not absolved of all his sins. But it is too rushed and feels like a hasty tying up of all that’s left to discuss.
There are many Arabic/Persian words in the writing. As many of these are similar to Urdu/Hindi, I had no problem figuring out the meanings, but Western readers might need a glossary. At times though, there is a literal translation of the regional phrases and this sounds quite funny in English. For instance, “mere kaleje ka tukda” literally means “a piece of my liver” but is an idiom indicating someone dear. So to see one character call another “Oh my liver” made me burst into chuckles. It just doesn’t work in English!
🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 16 hrs 13 minutes, is narrated by Sulin Hasso. Her narration is quite brilliant. When Shaherazade’s stories begin, Hasso’s voice also changes pitch to a greater oratory style. I loved her performance.
That said, keep in mind what I told you about the story structure. This book has Shaherazade’s personal story where she also has a tendency to go into her imagination and take a saunter there, as well as the local social and political upheavals in addition to many of her narrated stories, some of which are spread over several narrative sessions interspersed within her personal life story, and some of which contain sub-stories narrated by the characters in Shaherazade’s tales. If simply reading this sentence made your head reel in confusion, stick to reading the book. I’d recommend the audio version only to those attuned to hearing complicated multi-track stories on audio.
All in all, this is an ambitious debut, and it meets several of the high standards it sets. But it would have worked better for me had the characters been more layered. While I have mentioned that the writing style is somewhat YA, do note that this is by no means a YA book and gets quite gory at times, just as the original did.
Recommended but not to everyone and not with enthusiasm. As a character-oriented story, the novel takes its time to progress. So if you are looking for quick thrills and surprising twists, this isn’t for you. But if you want to try an unusual kind of historical fiction, and set in a location you normally read only hackneyed things about courtesy the global media, this is a good one to try. It pays a nice modernised homage to one of the earliest folktale anthologies ever and also reminds us of how culturally rich the Islamic world once was; this attempt deserves praise.
I do think this would work better for Western readers who aren't much aware of the original as they wouldn't fall in the same comparison trap as I did.
3.25 stars.
My thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company for the DRC, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of “Every Rising Sun”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
1191 ADE. Persia. When nineteen-year-old Shaherazade discovers that Malik Shahriyar’s wife Fataneh is cheating on him, she let’s Shahriyar know about his wife’s infidelity through an anonymous poem. Shahriyar is devastated at the actions of the wife he treasured so much that he has her beheaded. He doesn’t stop at this, but marries three more virgins and has them beheaded after the wedding night. To stop the townspeople from rebelling and also put an end to the Malik’s murderous plans, Shaherazade volunteers to be Shahriyar’s next bride, much against the wishes of her father, the Malik's vizier. Shaherazade plans to use her storytelling talent to narrate a story every night, and leave it hanging in a way that the Malik will allow her to live another day just to know what happens.
The main story comes to us in the first person perspective of Shaherazade.
Think about certain bookish terms we use while reading or reviewing. Story-within-a-story, cliffhanger ending, unreliable narrator,… All of these originated in a compilation of Middle-Eastern folk tales written in Arabic during the ‘Islamic Golden Age.’ Titled ‘Alf Laylah wa-Laylah’, we know this collection by its English title, ‘One Thousand and One Nights’, or the more popular ‘Arabian Nights.’ Even if you haven’t read the English adaptation, you would be aware of some of its stories, such as “Alibaba and the Forty Thieves”, “Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp”, and “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor”. (Strictly speaking, they are not considered part of the original Arabic collection but were added much later by the French translator Antoine Galland. But that’s a story for another day as this review is already too long.)
The framing device for the current book is somewhat similar to the original. The main story is about Shaherazade trying to save her neck (literally!) by narrating a story to her new husband. But this book doesn’t stop at that. Rather, it focusses on a triple agenda: Shaherazade’s personal life (her marriage, her relationship with her sister and her dad, and her other interactions), the local socio-historical events (Christian French crusaders attacking the Muslim-governed empires, local politics), and of course, Shaherazade’s stories (fully-formed narratives that stand on their own.) I’ll analyse each aspect separately:
I. The Main Story: Shaherazade’s Personal Life
Shaherazade is the heroine of the original tale. Her sacrifice saves the life of many young girls, and she also saves the young Sultan from committing more unjustified murders. That angle is retained in this book as well, though Shahriyar murders only four wives before Shaherazade marries him in this retelling. However, Shaherazade isn’t portrayed as the benevolent girl that you might expect. Other than being a masterful narrator, she is quite a judgemental and conniving girl, using her brain and her tongue to manipulate people into following her ideas.
I am honestly not sure how to feel about her. On the one hand, there’s nothing like a Machiavellian character to provide a layered reading experience. On the other hand, Shaherazade doesn’t come across as consistent, wavering between intelligence and naïveté as per the demands of the plot. Some of her decisions were just befuddling! I am not sure if her young age was kept as a factor in her depiction because her portrayal was very much like a YA protagonist, which is NOT a compliment because I hate the “my heart did this, my cheeks did that, my stomach did something else’ kind of writing. As she goes only from nineteen to twenty in the course of this 430-page book, don’t even expect her to grow in maturity.
Shahriyar, on the contrary and despite some of his cruel actions, is an excellently written character until almost the end. His motivations are clear, and his decisions come from the head after his heart is broken. I loved the depth in his character, and wished all the characters had been so well fleshed out. Sadly, most of the remaining characters didn’t match up.
Surprisingly for a woman-oriented story, not one female character shows depth. Rather, all are somewhat flat and monotonous in the roles . Shaherazade’s sister Dunya would have been memorable because her arc had some amazing potential. But she is left on the sideburner except when she is needed to propel the novel in a different direction. I wish she had been utilised better.
II. The Socio-Politico-Historical Aspects:
The novel also highlights the threat to the town of Bam by the Oghuz Turks, and the even larger threat to the local Seljuk Empire through the invading French Crusaders who used their Christian faith to attack all “infidels”.
On the positive side, it was refreshing to see the perspective of a Muslim woman on the upcoming threats, with the Crusaders being shown as villains, so unlike most other stories that have the roles reversed. I loved this more accurate take on the Crusades, which were nothing but a mislabelled invasion of human rights.
At the same time, the Muslims aren’t cast as picture-perfect, and their patriarchal, misogynistic ways are visible in many scenes. But here too, there is a kind of balance. Shaherazade seems to be a part of many discussions with top-rung Muslim leaders, mostly while accompanied by Shahriyar, but sometimes, even on her own strength. This revolutionary feminist portrayal took me a while to adjust to, because I simply couldn’t digest the idea of a young girl being allowed in courts and allowed to speak to men not from her family, and even being present during military strategy discussions. However, the author’s parting note states that the era did have female Muslim leaders, and women were allowed a voice, unlike what current society insists. I will take her word for it for I am sure she has researched more into the topic.
III. Shaherazade’s Tales:
The framing device lends itself to multiple stories within stories that Shaherazade narrates in a gamut of raconteurial styles. Some of her stories are self-contained. Some have one character having multiple adventures (just like Sinbad does.) At times, the characters in her stories begin narrating a story of their own. These narrated stories cover a variety of genres such as romance, adventure, crime, fantasy and horror. I am not sure if author Jamila Ahmed actually wrote these stories for the book, or if she adapted some of the lesser-known tales from the original for this narrative. Either way, she has done a marvellous job on this aspect. Every story that Shaherazade narrates is a treat.
The only negative of the above is that Shaherazade‘s regular storytelling interrupts the main story: that of her own life. In the original book, this didn’t matter much as we hardly get to know anything about Shahriyar and Shaherazade. Their only purpose there was to be a conduit for the stories. However, as they both get a much meatier role in their retelling, waiting for their story in between the extended secondary tales was a test of my patience.
The Overall Writing Style:
Again, mixed feelings. The world-building is excellent, and I could visualise the gritty deserts as well as the lavish palaces easily through the author’s words. But this doesn’t mean that I could overlook the YA-kind of rambling in Shaherazade’s first person pov and the lack of character development.
This is such a complicated storyline, so to bring all the threads to a neat ending would have been a tough task, especially considering that this is a debut work. But the author manages this mostly well. It departs much from that of the original, but isn’t necessarily bad. In a way, I guess I like this better as it is more realistic, and Shahriyar is not absolved of all his sins. But it is too rushed and feels like a hasty tying up of all that’s left to discuss.
There are many Arabic/Persian words in the writing. As many of these are similar to Urdu/Hindi, I had no problem figuring out the meanings, but Western readers might need a glossary. At times though, there is a literal translation of the regional phrases and this sounds quite funny in English. For instance, “mere kaleje ka tukda” literally means “a piece of my liver” but is an idiom indicating someone dear. So to see one character call another “Oh my liver” made me burst into chuckles. It just doesn’t work in English!
🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 16 hrs 13 minutes, is narrated by Sulin Hasso. Her narration is quite brilliant. When Shaherazade’s stories begin, Hasso’s voice also changes pitch to a greater oratory style. I loved her performance.
That said, keep in mind what I told you about the story structure. This book has Shaherazade’s personal story where she also has a tendency to go into her imagination and take a saunter there, as well as the local social and political upheavals in addition to many of her narrated stories, some of which are spread over several narrative sessions interspersed within her personal life story, and some of which contain sub-stories narrated by the characters in Shaherazade’s tales. If simply reading this sentence made your head reel in confusion, stick to reading the book. I’d recommend the audio version only to those attuned to hearing complicated multi-track stories on audio.
All in all, this is an ambitious debut, and it meets several of the high standards it sets. But it would have worked better for me had the characters been more layered. While I have mentioned that the writing style is somewhat YA, do note that this is by no means a YA book and gets quite gory at times, just as the original did.
Recommended but not to everyone and not with enthusiasm. As a character-oriented story, the novel takes its time to progress. So if you are looking for quick thrills and surprising twists, this isn’t for you. But if you want to try an unusual kind of historical fiction, and set in a location you normally read only hackneyed things about courtesy the global media, this is a good one to try. It pays a nice modernised homage to one of the earliest folktale anthologies ever and also reminds us of how culturally rich the Islamic world once was; this attempt deserves praise.
I do think this would work better for Western readers who aren't much aware of the original as they wouldn't fall in the same comparison trap as I did.
3.25 stars.
My thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company for the DRC, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of “Every Rising Sun”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
August 16, 2025
DNF.
This novel attempts a retelling of the classic One Thousand and One Nights from the perspective of Scheherazade. While it starts with a promise by staying true to the familiar narrative framework, it quickly veers into a direction that feels uninspired. The initial chapters establish an intriguing setting and character dynamics, but as the story progresses and the author introduces their own original elements, the narrative begins to falter.
One of my main issues with this retelling is the characterization of Scheherazade. Rather than portraying her as a nuanced figure who embodies the complexities of martyrdom or feminism, the author presents her choices in a way that ultimately undermines her character. The pivotal moment comes when Scheherazade cheats on her husband—a man who, driven by jealousy and betrayal, has a history of executing his wives after discovering infidelity. This decision feels not only reckless but also diminishes any sympathy or respect I had for her at the start. It struck me as a shallow twist, one that casts her in a negative light rather than offering a compelling exploration of her motivations.
Furthermore, the tales she weaves to delay her execution lack depth and intrigue. Instead of the captivating stories that fans of the original tales might expect, her narratives feel tedious and unoriginal, failing to captivate either her husband or the reader. I found myself wishing for a more engaging plot or a more profound insight into her character. In fact, her stories were so mundane that I genuinely questioned why her husband's mercy was worth seeking; I wouldn't have spared her life just to hear the conclusion of those uninspired tales.
All in all, I am left feeling deeply disappointed. This retelling had the potential to explore rich themes and complex characters, but ultimately, it falls short. The initial promise of a fresh perspective on such a beloved classic dissipated, leaving behind a narrative that feels lackluster and unfulfilling.
This novel attempts a retelling of the classic One Thousand and One Nights from the perspective of Scheherazade. While it starts with a promise by staying true to the familiar narrative framework, it quickly veers into a direction that feels uninspired. The initial chapters establish an intriguing setting and character dynamics, but as the story progresses and the author introduces their own original elements, the narrative begins to falter.
One of my main issues with this retelling is the characterization of Scheherazade. Rather than portraying her as a nuanced figure who embodies the complexities of martyrdom or feminism, the author presents her choices in a way that ultimately undermines her character. The pivotal moment comes when Scheherazade cheats on her husband—a man who, driven by jealousy and betrayal, has a history of executing his wives after discovering infidelity. This decision feels not only reckless but also diminishes any sympathy or respect I had for her at the start. It struck me as a shallow twist, one that casts her in a negative light rather than offering a compelling exploration of her motivations.
Furthermore, the tales she weaves to delay her execution lack depth and intrigue. Instead of the captivating stories that fans of the original tales might expect, her narratives feel tedious and unoriginal, failing to captivate either her husband or the reader. I found myself wishing for a more engaging plot or a more profound insight into her character. In fact, her stories were so mundane that I genuinely questioned why her husband's mercy was worth seeking; I wouldn't have spared her life just to hear the conclusion of those uninspired tales.
All in all, I am left feeling deeply disappointed. This retelling had the potential to explore rich themes and complex characters, but ultimately, it falls short. The initial promise of a fresh perspective on such a beloved classic dissipated, leaving behind a narrative that feels lackluster and unfulfilling.
March 12, 2025
Retellings are notoriously more miss than hit for me. That aside, I could not get over Shaherazade's stupidity. She displays notoriously pick-me girl behavior. "I'm different. I'm not like the other girls. I can save him." Spoiler alert. She is none of the above.
🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio
🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio
September 21, 2023
I will stand for absolutely zero criticism of this book.
Not just any Scheherazade retelling - this evokes her as a Seljuk noblewoman, swept into the historical context of a waning Seljuk empire, a jealous Abbasid caliphate, a painful jihad alongside Salahuddin Ayyubi against the crusading Franks.
And throughout it all - Scheherazade's tales, told to save her life and that of the fair maidens of her home, to a Shahryar who is and is not the monster everyone thinks he is. And Scheherazade herself, who caused it all to happen.
Scheherazade's story is rich with historical detail, embellished in the most beautiful way - a way that subtly brings forward female characters in a Muslim context. The tales Scheherazade tells evoke both the original Arabian Nights, and the lush worldbuilding of the Daevabad series.
The ending broke my heart and left it crushed and I just... I don't know if I can trust any other novel for the rest of 2023, to do for me what this book did.
Not just any Scheherazade retelling - this evokes her as a Seljuk noblewoman, swept into the historical context of a waning Seljuk empire, a jealous Abbasid caliphate, a painful jihad alongside Salahuddin Ayyubi against the crusading Franks.
And throughout it all - Scheherazade's tales, told to save her life and that of the fair maidens of her home, to a Shahryar who is and is not the monster everyone thinks he is. And Scheherazade herself, who caused it all to happen.
Scheherazade's story is rich with historical detail, embellished in the most beautiful way - a way that subtly brings forward female characters in a Muslim context. The tales Scheherazade tells evoke both the original Arabian Nights, and the lush worldbuilding of the Daevabad series.
The ending broke my heart and left it crushed and I just... I don't know if I can trust any other novel for the rest of 2023, to do for me what this book did.
Read
November 26, 2023I have a lot to say about this book. A lot. But before I start, I would like to refute some false ideologies—and, sorry to say, blasphemy—for those who aren’t Muslim. Okay, bismillah:
1. It is completely forbidden for Muslims to drink alcohol/wine. The “Muslim” characters in this book do so freely, but our religion strictly does not permit this.
2. Allah ﷻ is the Lord of All Worlds. There were multiple stories within this book where alternate worlds existed and Allah’s Lordship was “unknown", astaghfirullah. This is, so, so, so incredibly wrong and blasphemous. If you would like to write a book filled with such fantasy and myths, it should not be done riding on the back of Islam. We have an obligation to represent Allah ﷻ as Exalted and Glorified as He is, or we should, out of respect, not represent Him at all if we can’t do it properly.
3. Allah ﷻ is All-Powerful. Nothing could ever, ever, ever, ever fight or defeat Him. Once again, there were many tales of jinns and monsters that stood a chance against Allah ﷻ, authubillah, Exalted is He above such claims. In Islam, jinns—even Satan himself—fear Allah ﷻ, nothing overrides His Decree, nothing overrides His Power.
4. We do not equate anyone to our beloved Prophet ﷺ as was done in this fictitious tale. Especially a man who, in this story, could never hold a candle to our Nabi.
5. The last story that Shahrezade told included a description of Angel Jibrael’s voice, may Allah’s peace be upon him, that is not specified by our religion. We do not indulge in such characterisations.
6. There were many other small innovations in this book that do not pertain to Islam.
Due to the above, I will not rate this book. I was sourly offended—especially because the author is Muslim—by the utter disregard of the basics of the monotheism of Islam. This book would have been a completely different experience had the author treaded more carefully.
I do not know what to say. I cannot lie, this was a beautiful and detailed tale of medieval Persian war and history (which, by the way, was very confusing at first—no explanations to the political system whatsoever) and the pain of the sacrifice of women, the pain of loving the idea of someone versus loving their reality, the pain of war and all the loss that comes with it, the pain of losing your homeland, the pain of losing family.
The main characters Shahrezade and Shahryar were deeply intricate characters, so very gripping and heartfelt, and the family bonds between Shahrezade, Baba and Dunya were utterly gut-wrenching. Atsiz, on the other hand? I hated him and all that came with him. He popped out of nowhere and the author’s hope of making us like him was far from successful. Furthermore, the first half of the novel was tedious to go through—I am sorry to say, but Shahrezade’s stories were so boring. It picked up (regarding both Sharezade’s tales and the story itself) after the Seljuk army sets off to war.
I cannot believe it took this author fourteen years to write this novel—it shows, it is very detailed and dense with history and culture and rich characters (save Atsiz). It is unfortunate to see her efforts thrown down the drain, but if one wants to include Islam in a story, one must respect our Lord and represent Him as He truly is, in all His Glory and Power. اللهم اغفر لنا ذنوبنا
1. It is completely forbidden for Muslims to drink alcohol/wine. The “Muslim” characters in this book do so freely, but our religion strictly does not permit this.
2. Allah ﷻ is the Lord of All Worlds. There were multiple stories within this book where alternate worlds existed and Allah’s Lordship was “unknown", astaghfirullah. This is, so, so, so incredibly wrong and blasphemous. If you would like to write a book filled with such fantasy and myths, it should not be done riding on the back of Islam. We have an obligation to represent Allah ﷻ as Exalted and Glorified as He is, or we should, out of respect, not represent Him at all if we can’t do it properly.
3. Allah ﷻ is All-Powerful. Nothing could ever, ever, ever, ever fight or defeat Him. Once again, there were many tales of jinns and monsters that stood a chance against Allah ﷻ, authubillah, Exalted is He above such claims. In Islam, jinns—even Satan himself—fear Allah ﷻ, nothing overrides His Decree, nothing overrides His Power.
4. We do not equate anyone to our beloved Prophet ﷺ as was done in this fictitious tale. Especially a man who, in this story, could never hold a candle to our Nabi.
5. The last story that Shahrezade told included a description of Angel Jibrael’s voice, may Allah’s peace be upon him, that is not specified by our religion. We do not indulge in such characterisations.
6. There were many other small innovations in this book that do not pertain to Islam.
Due to the above, I will not rate this book. I was sourly offended—especially because the author is Muslim—by the utter disregard of the basics of the monotheism of Islam. This book would have been a completely different experience had the author treaded more carefully.
I do not know what to say. I cannot lie, this was a beautiful and detailed tale of medieval Persian war and history (which, by the way, was very confusing at first—no explanations to the political system whatsoever) and the pain of the sacrifice of women, the pain of loving the idea of someone versus loving their reality, the pain of war and all the loss that comes with it, the pain of losing your homeland, the pain of losing family.
The main characters Shahrezade and Shahryar were deeply intricate characters, so very gripping and heartfelt, and the family bonds between Shahrezade, Baba and Dunya were utterly gut-wrenching. Atsiz, on the other hand? I hated him and all that came with him. He popped out of nowhere and the author’s hope of making us like him was far from successful. Furthermore, the first half of the novel was tedious to go through—I am sorry to say, but Shahrezade’s stories were so boring. It picked up (regarding both Sharezade’s tales and the story itself) after the Seljuk army sets off to war.
I cannot believe it took this author fourteen years to write this novel—it shows, it is very detailed and dense with history and culture and rich characters (save Atsiz). It is unfortunate to see her efforts thrown down the drain, but if one wants to include Islam in a story, one must respect our Lord and represent Him as He truly is, in all His Glory and Power. اللهم اغفر لنا ذنوبنا
April 30, 2023
Ahmed's debut novel is breathtaking. Her prose is lyrical and rhythmic, and she paints a vivid description of the danger, temptation, and urgency Shaherazade faces. The plot is incredibly well-paced. The story explores relationships and identity from a range of angles, and it made me reflect on the need to intentionally choose who we want to be to our loved ones and how we want to stand in this world. (Also, how was Ahmed able to think of so many unique stories-within-stories?! Amazing.)
Want to read
August 13, 2025Retelling of One Thousand and One Nights!!! 😋😋
May 18, 2023
She was not safe. No woman was ever safe, anywhere in this world.
from Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed
This richly imagined novel inspired by One Thousand and One Nights offers a vibrant Shaherazade, a flawed woman discovering the limitations of love and the power of words. She controls her husband’s rage and advises him in military and political decisions; Shahyar tells her, “You should have been born Malik.”
As an idealistic thirteen-year-old at the Malik Shahyar’s wedding, she imagined the handsome couple madly in love. Witnessing his wife’s infidelity, she writes a letter of warning to the Malik, who discovering his wife in the act has her murdered. In his anger, he marries and murders two more wives before Shaherazade offers herself, sure her pure love and gift of storytelling will win the Malik’s heart. The tale she spins for the Malik is of a young woman disguised as a man whose adventures offers Shahyar respite from his worldly cares.
Shaherazade follows Shahyar as he travels to join Saladin fighting the Frankish Crusades. Unable to break through to Shahyar’s heart and ignite his love, Shaherazade can’t stop thinking about the Emir who has proclaimed his love for her.
I was engrossed by Shaherazade’s story and her exotic world. But, I became too eager to follow the frame of her story to really truly appreciate the tale embedded within. With the book over 400 pages long, I wanted to learn what happens to her and began to speed read through her tale.
Viewing the Crusades through the eyes of those defending their homeland may be eye-opening to some readers.
I was enchanted by Shaherazade’s exotic world: the descriptions of the spiced food that made my mouth water, the gorgeous fabrics and colorful carpets I could see in my mind’s eye, the cool gardens and the scorching desert sun. But we are also taken into the horrors of war, with the Franks and with vying tribes, with all its death and destruction.
Inspired by one of the world’s most influential collection of folk stories, Every Rising Sun is sure to enchant.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
from Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed
This richly imagined novel inspired by One Thousand and One Nights offers a vibrant Shaherazade, a flawed woman discovering the limitations of love and the power of words. She controls her husband’s rage and advises him in military and political decisions; Shahyar tells her, “You should have been born Malik.”
As an idealistic thirteen-year-old at the Malik Shahyar’s wedding, she imagined the handsome couple madly in love. Witnessing his wife’s infidelity, she writes a letter of warning to the Malik, who discovering his wife in the act has her murdered. In his anger, he marries and murders two more wives before Shaherazade offers herself, sure her pure love and gift of storytelling will win the Malik’s heart. The tale she spins for the Malik is of a young woman disguised as a man whose adventures offers Shahyar respite from his worldly cares.
Shaherazade follows Shahyar as he travels to join Saladin fighting the Frankish Crusades. Unable to break through to Shahyar’s heart and ignite his love, Shaherazade can’t stop thinking about the Emir who has proclaimed his love for her.
I was engrossed by Shaherazade’s story and her exotic world. But, I became too eager to follow the frame of her story to really truly appreciate the tale embedded within. With the book over 400 pages long, I wanted to learn what happens to her and began to speed read through her tale.
Viewing the Crusades through the eyes of those defending their homeland may be eye-opening to some readers.
I was enchanted by Shaherazade’s exotic world: the descriptions of the spiced food that made my mouth water, the gorgeous fabrics and colorful carpets I could see in my mind’s eye, the cool gardens and the scorching desert sun. But we are also taken into the horrors of war, with the Franks and with vying tribes, with all its death and destruction.
Inspired by one of the world’s most influential collection of folk stories, Every Rising Sun is sure to enchant.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
December 5, 2023
i had rlly high hopes for this book but i think it fell flat for me. not that this book isn’t beautiful, but i think i had certain expectations coming into it and so when it didn’t deliver, i was left disappointed. ig in that sense, the blame is partially on me.
loved the prose, her writing is so gorgeous and she captures the time period so well. food descriptions were a personal fav but she just has a way with words. also loved the historical aspect and how accurate it was, u can def tell the author has researched and u can picture everything so vividly.
i actually loved shaherazade, she was so human w her thoughts, actions and emotions and i loved that she had flaws and shortcomings. her relationship w dunya and honestly plenty of other characters was explored so well.
def my fault for thinking this book had a romance subplot bc it very much didn’t, shahera and shahryar were just an accurate depiction of many marriages during the time period. i think tho, that this kinda left me grabbing onto nothing bc plot wise, there wasn’t enough going on to hook me. first third was rlly good, halfway was def dragging, and somehow managed to finish the last third cos it picked up a little bit.
icl i also didn’t feel too much in this book? not sure why, like obviously i can acknowledge the emotion in it and the words were able to convey that, but it never hit any heart strings for me.
also the stories…..god those got incredibly tiresome. there were a few that were very shirk-y, like to the point it was kinda uncomfortable but otherwise i just didn’t care for them that much.
tl;dr - a book w beautiful writing, immersive and accurate historical descriptions and interesting characters, but that fell short plot wise and left me wanting for way more.
loved the prose, her writing is so gorgeous and she captures the time period so well. food descriptions were a personal fav but she just has a way with words. also loved the historical aspect and how accurate it was, u can def tell the author has researched and u can picture everything so vividly.
i actually loved shaherazade, she was so human w her thoughts, actions and emotions and i loved that she had flaws and shortcomings. her relationship w dunya and honestly plenty of other characters was explored so well.
def my fault for thinking this book had a romance subplot bc it very much didn’t, shahera and shahryar were just an accurate depiction of many marriages during the time period. i think tho, that this kinda left me grabbing onto nothing bc plot wise, there wasn’t enough going on to hook me. first third was rlly good, halfway was def dragging, and somehow managed to finish the last third cos it picked up a little bit.
icl i also didn’t feel too much in this book? not sure why, like obviously i can acknowledge the emotion in it and the words were able to convey that, but it never hit any heart strings for me.
also the stories…..god those got incredibly tiresome. there were a few that were very shirk-y, like to the point it was kinda uncomfortable but otherwise i just didn’t care for them that much.
tl;dr - a book w beautiful writing, immersive and accurate historical descriptions and interesting characters, but that fell short plot wise and left me wanting for way more.
December 21, 2023
For the life of me, I don't get how she managed to stay alive and get what she wanted with these tales. They weren't captivating or intriging at all !
The initial 200 pages deserved a five-star rating, yet the absence of character development (especially for Sherazade), the shallowness of other characters, and the futility / the complete uselessness of Atiz transformed the reading experience into a laborious task.
Also, the recurring blasphemy really really stuck in my craw.
The initial 200 pages deserved a five-star rating, yet the absence of character development (especially for Sherazade), the shallowness of other characters, and the futility / the complete uselessness of Atiz transformed the reading experience into a laborious task.
Also, the recurring blasphemy really really stuck in my craw.
August 31, 2024
Ever since I was a little girl, I've been completely fascinated by Arabian Nights, so from the moment I picked this up I was thoroughly sucked in. About 8 hours later & I've just finished the book of 423 pages. To say I was hooked would be an understatement.
There has clearly been a lot of research, time, & effort put into the creation of this, but what shines above all else is the bringing of life to the many tales that are told. This was so vivid in my memories of Arabian Nights & this retelling did not disappoint in any way! Dare I say that thanks to the addition of brand new adventures & settings that I like it better??
The only reason–and I still feel hesitant about this–that I can't give it an outright 5 stars (but it certainly has earned a 4.5) is because of the occasional YA-trope-feel I got from the love triangle plot line. Otherwise, the characters felt very real & human, and I especially loved the raw but unbreakable bond between sisters. And even though I'm one to get easily bored by politics & talk of war, I found myself being interested in these parts of the story as well! I'll be thinking about this one for a while.
There has clearly been a lot of research, time, & effort put into the creation of this, but what shines above all else is the bringing of life to the many tales that are told. This was so vivid in my memories of Arabian Nights & this retelling did not disappoint in any way! Dare I say that thanks to the addition of brand new adventures & settings that I like it better??
The only reason–and I still feel hesitant about this–that I can't give it an outright 5 stars (but it certainly has earned a 4.5) is because of the occasional YA-trope-feel I got from the love triangle plot line. Otherwise, the characters felt very real & human, and I especially loved the raw but unbreakable bond between sisters. And even though I'm one to get easily bored by politics & talk of war, I found myself being interested in these parts of the story as well! I'll be thinking about this one for a while.
June 29, 2023
I really wanted to like this one! A retelling of A Thousand and One Nights from Sheherezade's perspective sounded wonderful, but this was a big let down. It had some serious pacing issues; 416 pages and almost nothing happened. The author seems to be hinting at a sequel but it would have been much better to make this into a singular book with a satisfying conclusion; or increase the romance and make this into a polyamorous love story because the bones are there for it. I also couldn't tell if Ahmed was aiming for a YA or an adult audience. The description of war and carnage were bland and unrealistic and dragged on. The highlights of the book were the stories that Sheherezade told and I found myself wishing those stories were the whole book rather than the snooze fest I was reading. I'm extra disappointed because the author is clearly skilled at writing at the sentence level but the story organization and structure were lacking.
2.5/5
2.5/5
June 2, 2025
Прекрасна книга,която те пренася в един различен и вълшебен свят!И историята на Шехерезада,и приказките,които тя разказва са толкова интересни,че се откъсваш от света,докато четеш.Върнах се в детството си. 🙂
October 26, 2023
6 stars.
this book is able to capture and address so many themes under the guise of a story. it has everything; from the irony to the characters, the world, the empowerment, the writing, the depth, the emotions, and the morally gray actions. it has everything. the whole time i read this book, i was not in my suburban home but instead, i was in medieval persia going through trial after trial along with shaherazade. i was happy, ecstatic, and i was sad and remorseful. i was angry, but i was content. i went through the countless battles, i was riding alongside the army, i was there when several were beheaded. i felt the grief, the anger, the resentment, the regret, but i also felt the gratitude, the love.
the writing can only be described as beautiful, artful even. it felt as if each word was delicately written with the strokes of a paintbrush, by a masterful hand. the characters were conflicted, they were wrong, but they were also right in their own way.
overall, this was perhaps the most beautiful yet human book i have ever read.
this book is able to capture and address so many themes under the guise of a story. it has everything; from the irony to the characters, the world, the empowerment, the writing, the depth, the emotions, and the morally gray actions. it has everything. the whole time i read this book, i was not in my suburban home but instead, i was in medieval persia going through trial after trial along with shaherazade. i was happy, ecstatic, and i was sad and remorseful. i was angry, but i was content. i went through the countless battles, i was riding alongside the army, i was there when several were beheaded. i felt the grief, the anger, the resentment, the regret, but i also felt the gratitude, the love.
the writing can only be described as beautiful, artful even. it felt as if each word was delicately written with the strokes of a paintbrush, by a masterful hand. the characters were conflicted, they were wrong, but they were also right in their own way.
overall, this was perhaps the most beautiful yet human book i have ever read.
July 23, 2024
Probably 3.5, been in a (ongoing) reading slump so hard to asses.
A retelling of The Thousand and One Nights, this book whisks you away into 12th century Persia, and into the world of brave Shaherazade. Split into four parts, we get the origins of the legend of the mad king who kills his new brides, to Shaherazarde growing into her precarious role of Khatun to Palestine and the third crusade and the fate of the Seljuk's, all from the point of view of a young muslim girl. And of course there are stories within the story woven by Shaherazade.
Arabic words and phrases are used frequently, so be ready to use some google translate! Im also annoyed that one of the stories within the story was left unfinished....
A retelling of The Thousand and One Nights, this book whisks you away into 12th century Persia, and into the world of brave Shaherazade. Split into four parts, we get the origins of the legend of the mad king who kills his new brides, to Shaherazarde growing into her precarious role of Khatun to Palestine and the third crusade and the fate of the Seljuk's, all from the point of view of a young muslim girl. And of course there are stories within the story woven by Shaherazade.
Arabic words and phrases are used frequently, so be ready to use some google translate! Im also annoyed that one of the stories within the story was left unfinished....
July 13, 2025
When Shaherazade anonymously informs the Malik Shahriyar of his wife's infidelity, she never imagines the madness - and the murders - to follow. Desperate to save the kingdom and Shahriyar himself, she nominates herself to be his bride, gambling her life on her storytelling. But between the ongoing Crusades and political tensions with neighboring kingdoms, Shaherazade may have bitten off more than she can handle.
This is a historical reframing of the world-famous Arabian Nights, placing the storyteller Shaherazade and her murderous husband Shahriyar firmly at the tail end of the 12th century and transforming them into people of that time. As such, while Shaherazade's stories are threaded through the book, the plot is mainly focused on her efforts to bring the king to his senses and her growing dissillusionment.
Some parts of this book worked really well for me, and others not at all. Shaherazade and Shahriyar are fascinating characters both, the former not at all as noble and self-sacrificing as the framing story has you expect, and the push and pull between them as she wrestles for his soul with her tales - as well as whether her art really can solve all problems and save the day - is dark and fascinating. Ahmed's prose is lush and the world she brings to life is so rife with details you can almost taste the mouth-watering dishes she described. I also enjoyed Shaherazade's stories, though the longest one following Jauhera was unfortunately sometimes dull.
However, the plot is a bit meandering - we go to Acre and back, but we hardly engage in the Crusades. And characters besides Shahriyar, Shaherazade, and her family are somewhat thinly sketched, which is an issue considering some of them are quite important. I also found myself extremely frustrated with Atsiz, whose relationship with Shaherazade seems to come out of nowhere and does nothing to cause problems. I understand why it's needed for the thematic arc of the story, but frankly, he's dull and Shaherazade's behavior seems both illogical and - worse - out of character.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This is a historical reframing of the world-famous Arabian Nights, placing the storyteller Shaherazade and her murderous husband Shahriyar firmly at the tail end of the 12th century and transforming them into people of that time. As such, while Shaherazade's stories are threaded through the book, the plot is mainly focused on her efforts to bring the king to his senses and her growing dissillusionment.
Some parts of this book worked really well for me, and others not at all. Shaherazade and Shahriyar are fascinating characters both, the former not at all as noble and self-sacrificing as the framing story has you expect, and the push and pull between them as she wrestles for his soul with her tales - as well as whether her art really can solve all problems and save the day - is dark and fascinating. Ahmed's prose is lush and the world she brings to life is so rife with details you can almost taste the mouth-watering dishes she described. I also enjoyed Shaherazade's stories, though the longest one following Jauhera was unfortunately sometimes dull.
However, the plot is a bit meandering - we go to Acre and back, but we hardly engage in the Crusades. And characters besides Shahriyar, Shaherazade, and her family are somewhat thinly sketched, which is an issue considering some of them are quite important. I also found myself extremely frustrated with Atsiz, whose relationship with Shaherazade seems to come out of nowhere and does nothing to cause problems. I understand why it's needed for the thematic arc of the story, but frankly, he's dull and Shaherazade's behavior seems both illogical and - worse - out of character.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
August 29, 2023
This is a very complicated 3 stars, i think this was a very well written book, I felt transported by it theres a clear love of stories and it feels very clearly researched but at the same time I was almost more intrigued by the premise of the end of the book (ie Dunya's story). This is one of those books where things happen but don't really happen which for me means the writing and character work needs to be really strong and honestly I would say the writing was strong and for the most part (some exceptions in terms of the minor/supporting characters) I enjoyed the character work.
I will say the ending cemented this as a 3.5 because I do love a slightly tragic open ending! See below a mishmash of thoughts I had about the book
In many ways this is a tale that explores what it means to be a woman beholden to the moods and whims of men, in this case one man's doubts lead to the deaths of multiple innocent women. He faces little personal recourse everyone looks to guide him but no real censure and the main concern is with the violence erupting in the streets combined with a city already in a precarious political place. I will say it makes sense that we see Shaherazade empathise endlessly with Shahryar, she struggles between seeing him for the man he is and the boy she knew and loved but in many ways the narrative paints him as a victim alongside his dead wives. Theres one quote that highlights this I think:
No one has held a mirror to him and demanded a reckoning. Who would? Who cares enough about Altunjan, Shideh and Inanj? Who cares enough about Shahryar
She married him to save other women, to assuage her own guilt, to finally have the man she coveted all those years but also because she feels someone should rescue Shahyar as if this will redeem him, as if he is capable of it. I do understand this approach given that we see this story all through Shaherazade eyes and I understand why she thinks this is the only option to keep her homeland stable. But I don't think I can really empathise with him the way our main character does. Could this be an expression of her idealism and youth sure!
As I kept reading and thinking back over the book I think Shaherazade sees the version of him that murders his wives and the joyful man before that as different people but the narrative implicitly shows us that he has always had this capacity for brutality. He explains at one point the way his mother needled his father into taking power for himself, telling him to "be strong", in the end this fruitless pursuit ended in the deaths of his parents but that left a seed within him, to never at any cost allow yourself to be seen as weak. His fathers last words "be strong" clearly stuck with him and its clear he would commit any act if he could justify it with the knowledge that he does it to prove his strength. I prefer this reading of it and honestly while the book does at times feel like its asking you to sympathise with him I think its balanced well with the fact that this is coloured by Shaherazade's POV and that other people do hold his actions against him in the way they treat him/with him.
I saw a review refer to her characterisation as inconsistent, intelligent and shrewd one second and naive the next but I think it makes sense. In many ways this is a coming of age for Shaherazade she will make mistakes, and fall back into her youthful idealism from time to time. I think its significant to note that every tale she tells always end with the triumph of good over evil (for the most part) once her sister and friend note how unlikely this one woman's good fate was in a story she toldand she responds "i give her hope".
Each story tells us something about her but this one and her commentary on it when challenged highlight her most enduring feature, her capacity for hope and firm belief in happy endings. This is balanced with the death and suffering she witnesses (the 4 wives dead at the maliks hand, the tale of the garrison and their families murdered in the crusades, etc) which hardened her in some moments, when she uses the words of Shahryars mother against him to propel him to action, it is spurred by fear and grief and I think any "inconsistencies" are similar in this way. Other characters including her husband reference how they seem to see her as a child one second and realise how grown she is the next. I think this is a deliberate choice to show us that shes coming up to a moment of change shes in flux between the woman shew becoming and the girl shes leaving behind. I will say she makes one dumb decision that pissed me off! But other than that I liked her!
I do think its fair to say other female characters are a little underdeveloped and honestly so are other male characters, they exist to be part of the story with clear enough goals and places in the plot that I don't mind too much. I especially wanted more from Mahperi and Atsiz .
It was hard to believe at times that she could sway the with a story but it is the central conceit of this tale that her stories save her life why not extend it
I might change my rating in future but yep 3.5 sums it up for now and I look forward to reading more from this author.
I will say the ending cemented this as a 3.5 because I do love a slightly tragic open ending! See below a mishmash of thoughts I had about the book
In many ways this is a tale that explores what it means to be a woman beholden to the moods and whims of men, in this case one man's doubts lead to the deaths of multiple innocent women. He faces little personal recourse everyone looks to guide him but no real censure and the main concern is with the violence erupting in the streets combined with a city already in a precarious political place. I will say it makes sense that we see Shaherazade empathise endlessly with Shahryar, she struggles between seeing him for the man he is and the boy she knew and loved but in many ways the narrative paints him as a victim alongside his dead wives. Theres one quote that highlights this I think:
No one has held a mirror to him and demanded a reckoning. Who would? Who cares enough about Altunjan, Shideh and Inanj? Who cares enough about Shahryar
She married him to save other women, to assuage her own guilt, to finally have the man she coveted all those years but also because she feels someone should rescue Shahyar as if this will redeem him, as if he is capable of it. I do understand this approach given that we see this story all through Shaherazade eyes and I understand why she thinks this is the only option to keep her homeland stable. But I don't think I can really empathise with him the way our main character does. Could this be an expression of her idealism and youth sure!
As I kept reading and thinking back over the book I think Shaherazade sees the version of him that murders his wives and the joyful man before that as different people but the narrative implicitly shows us that he has always had this capacity for brutality. He explains at one point the way his mother needled his father into taking power for himself, telling him to "be strong", in the end this fruitless pursuit ended in the deaths of his parents but that left a seed within him, to never at any cost allow yourself to be seen as weak. His fathers last words "be strong" clearly stuck with him and its clear he would commit any act if he could justify it with the knowledge that he does it to prove his strength. I prefer this reading of it and honestly while the book does at times feel like its asking you to sympathise with him I think its balanced well with the fact that this is coloured by Shaherazade's POV and that other people do hold his actions against him in the way they treat him/with him.
I saw a review refer to her characterisation as inconsistent, intelligent and shrewd one second and naive the next but I think it makes sense. In many ways this is a coming of age for Shaherazade she will make mistakes, and fall back into her youthful idealism from time to time. I think its significant to note that every tale she tells always end with the triumph of good over evil (for the most part) once her sister and friend note how unlikely this one woman's good fate was in a story she toldand she responds "i give her hope".
Each story tells us something about her but this one and her commentary on it when challenged highlight her most enduring feature, her capacity for hope and firm belief in happy endings. This is balanced with the death and suffering she witnesses (the 4 wives dead at the maliks hand, the tale of the garrison and their families murdered in the crusades, etc) which hardened her in some moments, when she uses the words of Shahryars mother against him to propel him to action, it is spurred by fear and grief and I think any "inconsistencies" are similar in this way. Other characters including her husband reference how they seem to see her as a child one second and realise how grown she is the next. I think this is a deliberate choice to show us that shes coming up to a moment of change shes in flux between the woman shew becoming and the girl shes leaving behind. I will say she makes one dumb decision that pissed me off! But other than that I liked her!
I do think its fair to say other female characters are a little underdeveloped and honestly so are other male characters, they exist to be part of the story with clear enough goals and places in the plot that I don't mind too much. I especially wanted more from Mahperi and Atsiz .
It was hard to believe at times that she could sway the with a story but it is the central conceit of this tale that her stories save her life why not extend it
I might change my rating in future but yep 3.5 sums it up for now and I look forward to reading more from this author.
July 13, 2025
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of this book review, I want to state that I've never read "One Thousand and One Nights," and this book is a retelling of that story. Now, let’s talk about the characters. I liked the ideas behind these characters, but I don’t think the proper work was done on their arcs. Shaherazade is our main character and the POV we follow throughout the book. It makes a lot of sense for a woman who grew up at the court of the Malik to be observant and gain power throughout the story. However, we don't actually see that development taking place.
The whole middle of the book lags, with not a whole lot happening when the proper character work could have been done. Yes, this is about a massive journey from Persia to Palestine, covering miles and miles of land. Once we get to the last quarter of the book, there’s a sudden shift, and Shaherazade emerges as this powerful woman. While I think that transition is understandable, we, as readers, don’t see that growth unfold in the text; we have to fill in those gaps ourselves. I don’t believe that’s how books should be written. Again, I like the idea, but I just don’t think it was properly executed.
I did like the atmosphere, and I would say that was my favorite part of the book. Some of the world-building, especially in Baghdad, was very vivid and somewhat reminiscent of when we visited Essos in "Game of Thrones." I was really intrigued by the settings, and it made me want to research all the names and groups of people that I was hearing about. However, that was also one of my problems with getting immersed in the story. I found it challenging to engage because I didn’t have a background in all these different cultures and terms. This could just be my ignorance, but I feel like a book really needs to immerse you in its world and build that world for you so you can understand it. Unfortunately, that wasn’t done here.
On the positive side, the book did inspire me to research these cultures and this time period in the medieval Islamic world.
Let's talk about the writing style, as it relates to my earlier point about being immersed in the story. I found myself really having to focus to grasp what I was reading in the main storyline. Shaherazade is portrayed as a storyteller, which makes sense since she tells stories that are woven into the narrative of "Every Rising Sun." However, while trying to understand this world we’ve been thrown into, I found myself facing a fictional story within the story. I had to rearrange everything in my mind, questioning what is fiction in this world, what is real, and what important information I was supposed to take in. It was just very overwhelming for me to read.
Again, maybe if I had a better understanding of the Islamic world during medieval times, this book would have been easier for me to navigate. But I do think that the writing style could have been improved to avoid making me feel like I was being thrown from one story to the next and back again.
As I mentioned in the earlier paragraphs about the character work, this book starts out very fast-paced. It took me a little while to read because I was trying to adjust to the story, the culture, and the world-building. A lot was happening, and there was plenty of political and court intrigue, which I really enjoy in my historical fiction. However, once we reached the actual journey, it felt long, boring, and repetitive. The story was told over and over, with little scenes depicting the struggles of being on the road, such as dealing with plague, battles, and the inner turmoil between harems of women. You would think all of that would be intriguing, but the way it was written made it feel dull.
Then we get to the end, where things start to pick up again, but everything feels so sudden that it lacks the necessary buildup. All that time spent in the middle of the book felt like a waste. I felt like I wasted my time reading all of that when there could have been proper character work taking place. I do think this book lacks some logic; it makes sense how an observant girl could become powerful and how someone who immerses herself in stories and learns about the world around her could emerge as a strong woman. Yet, we don’t actually see this development; we’re just told that it happened.
This book didn’t do much for me, but I do think it could be a good historical fiction choice for those who enjoy young adult fantasy set in a desert, Middle Eastern-inspired world. If you like those themes, you might appreciate this one, but overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book.
https://izzyreads.blog/2025/07/13/eve...
The whole middle of the book lags, with not a whole lot happening when the proper character work could have been done. Yes, this is about a massive journey from Persia to Palestine, covering miles and miles of land. Once we get to the last quarter of the book, there’s a sudden shift, and Shaherazade emerges as this powerful woman. While I think that transition is understandable, we, as readers, don’t see that growth unfold in the text; we have to fill in those gaps ourselves. I don’t believe that’s how books should be written. Again, I like the idea, but I just don’t think it was properly executed.
I did like the atmosphere, and I would say that was my favorite part of the book. Some of the world-building, especially in Baghdad, was very vivid and somewhat reminiscent of when we visited Essos in "Game of Thrones." I was really intrigued by the settings, and it made me want to research all the names and groups of people that I was hearing about. However, that was also one of my problems with getting immersed in the story. I found it challenging to engage because I didn’t have a background in all these different cultures and terms. This could just be my ignorance, but I feel like a book really needs to immerse you in its world and build that world for you so you can understand it. Unfortunately, that wasn’t done here.
On the positive side, the book did inspire me to research these cultures and this time period in the medieval Islamic world.
Let's talk about the writing style, as it relates to my earlier point about being immersed in the story. I found myself really having to focus to grasp what I was reading in the main storyline. Shaherazade is portrayed as a storyteller, which makes sense since she tells stories that are woven into the narrative of "Every Rising Sun." However, while trying to understand this world we’ve been thrown into, I found myself facing a fictional story within the story. I had to rearrange everything in my mind, questioning what is fiction in this world, what is real, and what important information I was supposed to take in. It was just very overwhelming for me to read.
Again, maybe if I had a better understanding of the Islamic world during medieval times, this book would have been easier for me to navigate. But I do think that the writing style could have been improved to avoid making me feel like I was being thrown from one story to the next and back again.
As I mentioned in the earlier paragraphs about the character work, this book starts out very fast-paced. It took me a little while to read because I was trying to adjust to the story, the culture, and the world-building. A lot was happening, and there was plenty of political and court intrigue, which I really enjoy in my historical fiction. However, once we reached the actual journey, it felt long, boring, and repetitive. The story was told over and over, with little scenes depicting the struggles of being on the road, such as dealing with plague, battles, and the inner turmoil between harems of women. You would think all of that would be intriguing, but the way it was written made it feel dull.
Then we get to the end, where things start to pick up again, but everything feels so sudden that it lacks the necessary buildup. All that time spent in the middle of the book felt like a waste. I felt like I wasted my time reading all of that when there could have been proper character work taking place. I do think this book lacks some logic; it makes sense how an observant girl could become powerful and how someone who immerses herself in stories and learns about the world around her could emerge as a strong woman. Yet, we don’t actually see this development; we’re just told that it happened.
This book didn’t do much for me, but I do think it could be a good historical fiction choice for those who enjoy young adult fantasy set in a desert, Middle Eastern-inspired world. If you like those themes, you might appreciate this one, but overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book.
https://izzyreads.blog/2025/07/13/eve...
July 27, 2023
An absolutely outstanding work! The author made this retelling seem more like a portal to the time period than most. Her use of similar sources to my thesis made me really bond with her. :D I can't wait to own a copy myself.
July 24, 2023
This was such a compelling read! I simultaneously learned so much about Islamic medieval history, mythology and lore, and was entertained the entire time by Shaherezade’s voice, stories, and complicated relationships. The strong, brave Muslim woman’s story we all needed. Highly recommend.
August 30, 2023
10/10!!!!! BEST BOOK!!!!!! SUCH!!! A GOOD!!! STORY!!!! AAAAAAA!!!! i couldn't read this fast enough, UGH it was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! seriously!!! it was heartbreaking and breathtaking and magical and spellbinding. I am SO glad I read this. this book is a MASTERCLASSES in storytelling. I can't praise this book enough. i wish i could tell the author how much this means to me. this story will sit with me forever, i am so glad its a part of me now!
February 7, 2024
this book starts out really strong when it has the scaffolding of the original shaherazade story to provide structure - those parts were good enough that i renewed the book from the library because i simply had to read more. but once it departs from the original story and starts doing its own thing, it starts to sag more and more as it becomes clear the author can't really write much of a plot. lots of meandering around with no development, random events just sort of happening, lots of plot threads or apparent chekhov's guns that fizzled out or resolved themselves anticlimactically. up until the very end i was wondering how the story was going to end because it didn't seem to be building up to anything - the ending itself was also like, sure, i guess this is happening now. the storytelling aspect also became less and less relevant - in the beginning shaherazade was really using storytelling to drive the plot, but by the end her stories were just interludes that barely seemed to do anything, it felt like we were going "oh hey, remember that she likes to tell stories?" shaherazade's stories themselves were also incongruously modern in their style and approach, and relied too much on weird abstract magic stuff rather than the more concrete simple archetypal stuff this kind of folkloric story is usually made of.
i did really enjoy how historically grounded this book was. the islamic golden age is one of my favorite periods of history to learn about and all the details here were rich and delicious. i also loved the first few chapters where things were still following the original story of shaherazade, and the last few chapters were also haunting and made me emotional (even if they felt unearned). the prose was also often beautiful even if other times it felt kind of YA-y. so those were some good things about it. but all in all it seems that this author is a historian before she is a fiction writer, and it shows in both the strength of the historical grounding and the weakness of the plot.
i did really enjoy how historically grounded this book was. the islamic golden age is one of my favorite periods of history to learn about and all the details here were rich and delicious. i also loved the first few chapters where things were still following the original story of shaherazade, and the last few chapters were also haunting and made me emotional (even if they felt unearned). the prose was also often beautiful even if other times it felt kind of YA-y. so those were some good things about it. but all in all it seems that this author is a historian before she is a fiction writer, and it shows in both the strength of the historical grounding and the weakness of the plot.
July 4, 2023
I love this book. A retelling of A Thousand and One Nights told though the eyes of Sheherazade, the illustrious storyteller.
When Shahryar, a Persian king, discovers that his beloved wife has been unfaithful, he has her killed and begins a descent into madness. He marries a second, third, and fourth time, with each marriage ending the very next morning with the brutal execution of his innocent new bride.
Sheherazade, a vizier’s daughter with a talent for storytelling, witnesses this and volunteers herself as the king’s next wife, in the hope that she can restore Shahryar’s sanity and even win his love. On their wedding night, mere hours before she is due to be executed, she tells the ruler a tale - but does not finish it. Shahryar is intrigued and agrees to let her continue the tale the following night, and Sheherazade has won herself an extra day. How long can Sheherazade keep the mad king’s interest, when her life hangs in the balance? And when she follows him into war, crossing Persia, Baghdad and Palestine, can she stop herself from making the same mistake that caused all of this?
EVERY RISING SUN is an epic retelling, loaded with intrigue, yearning and betrayal, that will keep you utterly hooked. The prose is really well-written, the plot is pacy and the characters are well fleshed out so you really begin to understand them as people.
When Shahryar, a Persian king, discovers that his beloved wife has been unfaithful, he has her killed and begins a descent into madness. He marries a second, third, and fourth time, with each marriage ending the very next morning with the brutal execution of his innocent new bride.
Sheherazade, a vizier’s daughter with a talent for storytelling, witnesses this and volunteers herself as the king’s next wife, in the hope that she can restore Shahryar’s sanity and even win his love. On their wedding night, mere hours before she is due to be executed, she tells the ruler a tale - but does not finish it. Shahryar is intrigued and agrees to let her continue the tale the following night, and Sheherazade has won herself an extra day. How long can Sheherazade keep the mad king’s interest, when her life hangs in the balance? And when she follows him into war, crossing Persia, Baghdad and Palestine, can she stop herself from making the same mistake that caused all of this?
EVERY RISING SUN is an epic retelling, loaded with intrigue, yearning and betrayal, that will keep you utterly hooked. The prose is really well-written, the plot is pacy and the characters are well fleshed out so you really begin to understand them as people.
September 4, 2023
I really tried to like this--I WANTED to like this so much, but I just couldn't get through it. Maybe I arrived to this novel with a very biased opinion since one of my favorite things to watch growing up was the 2000 miniseries Arabian Nights which does what this author is trying to do (expand Scheherazade's story from the original One Thousand and One Nights text) but the miniseries just does it way better. In the miniseries, Scheherazade is mature, strong, interesting, and smart. In this novel, she is immature, naïve, and boring. The character is an adult, yet her POV in the novel sounds like a 13 year old. There is no way the Scheherazade in this book could actually hold the attention of the sultan and keep herself alive night after night through stories. I just couldn't stand her and at the halfway point I gave up and just skipped around until the end. Also, the tales she told just did not grab my attention. All of it was just a miss for me and I truly feel bad for thinking that, but it is what it is...
March 13, 2025
I’m a bit conflicted about what to say about this book. I was intrigued by the story’s beginning, but a substantial part of the middle was challenging to get through. I seriously contemplated if I had finally entered this ‘reading slump’ I heard so much about.. It wasn’t until the end of the book, that I was once more pulled back into the tale.
2-3 stars?
2-3 stars?
August 22, 2023
a little too YA for me, but a wonderful retelling.
May 19, 2024
3.5 rounded up!
I am apparently in my era of reading retellings of classic stories.
This book was dense and took my forever to get through because there are stories within stories within stories and I found myself getting confused sometimes.
The writing in this was beautiful and you can tell how heavily researched it is. I loved reading from this perspective and looking into the themes of morality and feminine power.
I am apparently in my era of reading retellings of classic stories.
This book was dense and took my forever to get through because there are stories within stories within stories and I found myself getting confused sometimes.
The writing in this was beautiful and you can tell how heavily researched it is. I loved reading from this perspective and looking into the themes of morality and feminine power.
May 21, 2024
Loved reading this while visiting Andalusia- the Muslim architecture was a perfect way to feel immersed in the story. This was so different than the other retelling I had read- which was all magic and happy endings. Instead this was more realistic and forlorn. I never got the happy ending I was hoping for but I loved the history, the power of stories and the parallels drawn throughout.
August 28, 2023
guys this book is so good so far im loving the stories shaherazad is telling
I had a lot of time to read this novel today, and it was gorgeous. 4.5 stars. this is a retelling of the story 1001 Arabian nights, a staple of my childhood. shaherazad is what i imagine powerful queens to be like in the stories of old that prove that women played a role in society though they weren't afforded the same freedom as men. the stories shaherazad spins remind me of the books my mother read me when i was younger, full of adventures and lessons to be learned. the way she shapes the world with her tales emphasizes the point that stories have the power to change the world. im not sure how i felt about the open ended conclusion of the story, but there was a strange beauty in it. her story is not finished, and neither will the book give her a conclusion. what i thought was beautiful was the family bonds in the story. i feel like often, found family is frequent but the idea of a loyal family bound by blood doesn't exist. to shaherazad, her family means the world, and she goes to every length to protect them. the writing is so so so stunning, and i look forward to future novels by this author.
“Men and women before you have been betrayed, and men and women after you will be betrayed. But to be betrayed is not to be broken, and to be broken is not to become a killer.”
“Shaherazade, you are my life, my liver, the light of my eyes, my firstborn, my Khatun - I want to press all these endearments to you to hold in the years that come.”
I had a lot of time to read this novel today, and it was gorgeous. 4.5 stars. this is a retelling of the story 1001 Arabian nights, a staple of my childhood. shaherazad is what i imagine powerful queens to be like in the stories of old that prove that women played a role in society though they weren't afforded the same freedom as men. the stories shaherazad spins remind me of the books my mother read me when i was younger, full of adventures and lessons to be learned. the way she shapes the world with her tales emphasizes the point that stories have the power to change the world. im not sure how i felt about the open ended conclusion of the story, but there was a strange beauty in it. her story is not finished, and neither will the book give her a conclusion. what i thought was beautiful was the family bonds in the story. i feel like often, found family is frequent but the idea of a loyal family bound by blood doesn't exist. to shaherazad, her family means the world, and she goes to every length to protect them. the writing is so so so stunning, and i look forward to future novels by this author.
“Men and women before you have been betrayed, and men and women after you will be betrayed. But to be betrayed is not to be broken, and to be broken is not to become a killer.”
“Shaherazade, you are my life, my liver, the light of my eyes, my firstborn, my Khatun - I want to press all these endearments to you to hold in the years that come.”
September 29, 2023
4.5 stars
High school Shaazia needed to read this so much.
High school Shaazia needed to read this so much.
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