“On a cloudless night, inky dark, with only a rind of a moon above, the Golem and the Jinni went walking together along the Prince Street rooftops.”
Summary:
Chava and Ahmed are supernatural entities born of different walks of life, but they somehow come to intersect in the heart of New York City in 1899. They have drastically polar ideals about how to live life, and this story is ultimately about them coming to reconcile these differences that they see between themselves and the world.
***Genre: Urban fantasy, Magical realism, Romance, Historical fiction
It’s stunning.
This book has a level of finesse that blows my mind. The seamless incorporation of Arabic lore into a lush steampunk setting beautifully mirrored the sense of timelessness that you perceive through these characters’ eyes, and it was extremely moving: this book is a surprisingly accurate portrayal of immigration in 1899, but it’s all at once magical, suspenseful, and wholly compelling in the end.
Because to start, the author handles these entities’ struggles to adopt human standards in an incredibly sensitive way! Chava’s naivete and modesty are in constant discord with Ahmed’s cynicism and promiscuity, yet the way these polarizing constructs change and compromise for one another by the end is a beautiful progression to behold; the distinct clash of culture lays down a very strong fort for this story to begin exploring cerebral themes of love, free will, marriage, and sexism, and I loved it.
Furthermore, talk about a bitchin’ awesome villain. This agent of chaos slithers in and out of the narrative in a wholly unsettling manner, and his looming presence offered a delicious kick of drama to keep the momentum going. Everything I’ve said up until this point might have bored you, but no worries–this book is all at once creepy, ominous, and suspenseful, and it will entertain you.
So yeah, while this book is a slow burn, there’s something new and tantalizing always being set in motion to counter that, and I never felt bored as a result. So if you’re a YA reader who likes epic premises, or a classic lover who loves cerebral morals, this book is where both groups can find common ground: this story is very well-balanced, and it’s one of the best standalones I’ve read in years.
All of us are lonely at some point or another, no matter how many people surround us. And then, we meet someone who seems to understand. She smiles, and for a moment the loneliness disappears.Recommended? Yes!
I highly recommend this book for ages 15 and up. There’s sexual content in this book (nothing too explicit though), but the prose is rich and easy to read, and the fable-like story-telling prose is reminiscent of books like The Alchemist and The Night Circus. It’s an accessible read, and it will definitely capture your whimsies.
This book is a great example of story-telling: it’s digestible, offers a perfect balance between intellectualism and entertainment, and it never becomes bloated or pretentious. The open-ended sense of finality is highly satiating, and I walked away feeling like I internalized something very important from this experience.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a standalone that’s not too burdensome, I strongly recommend this one. It’s smart, rich, and entertaining, and it will leave you completely satisfied, which is the highest compliment I can ever pay a book.
My rating: 5/5 frogs
