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all content © VM (Vicky) Brasseur and licensed under CC BY-SA

Originally posted on 14 Sep 2024

less than 1 minute read

Back in April I read my first book by Chakraborty and enjoyed it greatly. Then I got distracted by other stories and forgot that the author has other well-regarded works. When I visted the office last month, a coworker reminded me of it when she mentioned that they’re some of her faves. Lucky me, my local library has all three in this series so I queued them up and am starting to get to them.

While a fantasy filled with djinn and peris and marid and other magical creatures, it takes place on a historical Earth. The story starts in Egypt and then moves eastward. Various locations along western Africa and eastern Asia play roles, giving readers a way to orient themselves as the plot unfolds. That plot is part politics, part magic, part history, part action, all balanced well.

I think I enjoyed the al Sirafi story more, but I still had a great time reading this one. I’ve already gotten the next book in the trilogy out of the library.