Natasha Leighton 's Reviews > The Stardust Thief

4.5 stars
The Stardust Thief is a beautifully written and utterly transportive One Thousand and One Nights retelling by Chelsea Abdullah who—in breathing new life into the classic, epic quest fantasy genre, with her endearing characters and gorgeously detailed world building—has reignited my love of all things adventurously quest-like.

In a land where Jinn are hunted for the magic in their blood and where their enchanted relics are illegal to possess, Loulie al-Nazari (the infamous Midnight merchant and seller of rare magical items) and her Jinn bodyguard embark on a quest to find a magic lamp. An item that—if found— could save or destroy everything Loulie loves most.

In this world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything-her enemies, her magic, even her own past- is not what it seems, and must decide who she will become to survive in this cutthroat reality.

I loved just how easy it was to lose myself in this magical world, the depth and complexity of the characters was amazing and I loved just how intricately their lives become as the story (and the action) progresses— the execution itself was beautifully subtle but exquisite nonetheless!

The incorporation of folklore throughout was also really lovely, and though her name isn’t expressly mentioned, I loved how prominent Shahrazad’s story (the storyteller who’s clever stories save her life and win her the heart of a Sultan) was, with her son (and his passion for thre oral storytelling tradition) being one of the main focuses of the plot. The stories are so vividly detailed and truly capture that magical sense of wonder you feel when hearing a really great, immersive tale that you return to again and again.

The characters were all super compelling; I loved the Midnight merchant, Loulie she’s smart, witty and incredibly strong, even if she doesn’t see herself that way—she’s a survivor just Aisha and Mazen (to some extents) and I loved just how their shared childhood trauma ultimately bonds them all in a way—bringing them closer to each other.

Mazen’s emotionally conflicting arc was superb but it was the Jinn we encounter thst really stole the show for me— the complexities woven into their magic and history was fascinating and I honestly can’t wait to see where this goes in the rest of the series.

If you love a plot twist, then you’re gonna be pleased as there’s soo many plot twistingly good, jaw-drop worthy moments that kept me coming back for more. And, like the eponymous Sultan eager for Shahrazad’s tales , I was desperate to find out what would happened next— there were many sleepless nights spent devouring Chelsea Abdullah’s lush, magic infused prose (I honestly never wanted it to end.)

Overall, this enchanting epic fantasy is a book you definitely want to get your hands on ASAP, trust me fantasy lovers—you’re going to love it!

Also, thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the e-arc.