I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book. (Requested back in 2022 – I am currently working through my backlog of reviews.
A young merchant specialising in selling illegal magic captures the sultan’s attention and is coerced into a perilous journey that no one has yet to conquer. With the aid of her jinn bodyguard, Loulie al-Nazari, also known as the Midnight Merchant, is forced to traverse the desolate deserts in search of an ancient lamp that can restore the lands, but at the cost of sacrificing all jinn. With no alternative but to comply, she embarks on this treacherous mission with the sultan’s eldest son and guard, who harbour their secrets, to survive ghouls, vengeful ghosts, and a killer from Loulie’s past. The jinn and their magic are a treacherous mirage, and it’s up to Loulie to weather the storm or risk losing everything she holds dear.
This book was probably one of my most anticipated reads for 2022, and I’m annoyed at myself for finally taking so long to read it. Loulie al-Nazari is a street-smart businesswoman who collects magic-infused items and sells them to the highest bidder. Her patrons are unaware she uses the help of Qadir, a jinn who found himself led to Loulie at a young age, not long after her village was massacred. Since then, they have made themselves a great pair, using Qadir’s help to make money by selling items most adventurers dream of discovering. But her skills have not gone unnoticed, and the Sultan calls upon her to search for an item that has led many to their deaths. Mazen, son of the legendary storyteller and the Sultan’s youngest, finds himself in a predicament when his oldest brother, Omar, catches him sneaking out of their guarded palace to listen to the local storytellers. When his father sends Omar to accompany Loulie, Mazen, who is wearing magic jewellery, hides his true identity. He joins her instead, guarded by one of Omar’s Forty thieves, Aisha. Thus begins the journey with four polarising people who can only hope they don’t kill each other before the jinns can.
The Stardust Thief is delightful and compelling and an all-around chaotic story. My expectations were indeed high for this. With vivid prose at an exhilarating pace, Abdullah takes the entire cast on a journey almost akin to hell and back. The changing perspectives are opposites but equally entertaining. I nearly felt bad for Mazen’s chapters because I thought Loulie’s POV would be the more substantial chapters, but the inept prince holds his own, considering his travelling partners include a jinn, a merchant and a member of the Forty Thieves. Aisha, our thief, as mentioned earlier, is an exciting addition whose perspective I found to be some of the best chapters in the book.
The main issue I had with the story is that it spends so much time developing the characters and the world around them that by the time the plot has to take precedence, the end result feels rushed. The story feels like it ended much earlier than it should. At almost 500 pages, it felt like a huge disservice to the book to wrap up the ending so quickly.
In all, The Stardust Thief is a love letter to oral storytelling. It is a rich and gripping story that unfolds into an exhilarating adventure that closes its final chapter in an almost disappointing way, but nonetheless, I will be avidly waiting for the rest of Loulie’s story with anticipation.
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