Ibrahim the Magician

by S.J. Revich

Evening has fallen in the little Moroccan village of Kalim. The mountains in the distance glow purple in the fading light, while in the village itself a nightly ritual begins. An old man takes his place beside a crackling fire and is immediately surrounded by the eager faced children of the village. The old man is the Ancient Storyteller of Kalim, and this night, as every other night, he will cast a magivc spell over his young listeners with tales of courage and adventure set in the colorful past of the Jewish people in the mysterious East. He will conjure up images of strange lands, of exotic palaces and noisy bazaars, of brave heores and foul cowards, of people and places veiled by the gathered mists of time. Together, these stories form the exciting new series entitled "Tales from the East"...

Ibrahim the Magician is the first book in this series. It is the gripping story of a Jewish magician with remarkable skills who lives a happy, contended life with his family until his only daughter is captured by pirates. From that time on, Ibrahim is driven by one obsession - to find and rescue his beloved daughter. Together with his sons, who also serve as his assistants, Ibrahim sets out on his journey, performing his wonderful magical acts in palace after palace of the Muslim princes of North Africa always searching, always hoping for a clue to the whereabouts of his daughter. When that clue finally comes, it leads Ibrahim to the fabled capital of one of the most powerful caliphs in the world. Suddenly, Ibrahim and his sons find themselves caught in a web of intrigue which threatens their very lives, and Ibrahim must call on all his ingenuity and one astounding magical act if he is to save himself and his children.

In this first book, S.J. Revich has demonstrated his consummate skills as a spellbinding storyteller of the first order. Created for the young reader, these stories are sure to delight readers of any age who are young at heart and love a thrilling story. So curl up, and let the Ancient Storyteller of Kalim take you on a journey into the imagination fo one of the most delicious reading experiences in a very long time.

Genres: Fiction

126 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Oriyah N · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of a mixed bag. The writing was somewhere between decent and impressive, and the story was gripping enough, but with some serious shortcomings. Without going into spoilers, there is a lack of explanation in some areas that detracts from the story and its credibility, and a few details that WERE included made no sense. The actions and attitudes towards women was not wonderful, as was their general passivity. While one could chalk it up to the times and setting, for a book read by young impressionable frum readers, especially when the book wasn't concerned with tremendous detail vis a vis historical accuracy, I don't think this was all that appropriate. A shame.