Mythology

The Stardust Thief (Sandsea Trilogy #1)

Author: Chelsea Abdullah

Average Rating: 4.13 / 5

Trigger Warnings:

Neither here nor there, but long ago…

Orphaned as a young girl, Loulie al-Nazari quickly learned how to survive. Now she’s thriving as the infamous Midnight Merchant. Assisted by her trusted jinn bodyguard, she’s the most successful seller of illusive (and illegal) magical artifacts in Madinne.

When Loulie catches the attention of the powerful Sultan and is “invited” to the palace, she’s not expecting to come face-to-face with the bumbling young man she recently saved from a murderous jinn. Unbeknownst to her, Loulie had saved Prince Mazen, the sultan’s youngest son, from a perilous fate. Unfortunately her good deed won’t keep her from being blackmailed by the Sultan to find an ancient and powerful lamp that’s buried deep in the desert and, if the legends are correct, has the potential to decimate all jinn and bring life to the barren sands.

To avoid the executioner, Loulie finds herself on a treacherous path with the sultan’s brutish oldest son and one of his jinn-murdering Thieves. Somehow she must face the journey’s perils while also keeping her bodyguard’s secrets, which are deeper than even she knows. 

Attacking ghouls, a jinn queen who knows how to hold a grudge, and a vindictive killer who shares history with each of the travelers will threaten the success of their mission. Out in the dunes illusion and truth will blend as legend becomes reality. And long hidden secrets will cause Loulie to question everything, even the most constant person in her life. What will she take from this knowledge and who will she become?

Corinna : 4/5 

I was really looking forward to this because of the Middle Eastern mythology. When I read the synopsis, I definitely expected more of an Aladdin vibe, which it was not, but there were some parts that were familiar. I really enjoyed the main character Loulie, she is a complex character that has dimension. She is part lost orphan, part independent merchant, part strong female who also fights her dependence on Qadir, her jinn bodyguard. Her arc includes struggling with how to reconcile these differences within herself.

I liked how the author switched points of view each chapter between Loulie, Mazen, and Aisha. I would have liked a few chapters from Qadir to round it out. I did feel that some scenes in the desert were drawn out and unnecessary, and some scenes were difficult to follow because there were so many moving pieces, but Abdullah kept me interested and surprised me a few times with things I didn’t see coming. 

Overall, the writing was fresh and new and I am excited to read the second installment in the trilogy which comes out February 2024, as The Stardust Thief definitely leaves you wanting more.

Lydia : 4/5

The Stardust Thief is the first book of a planned trilogy, and wow, what a great start to the story. I don’t have prior experience with reading Middle Eastern mythology so this was all brand new for me. I will warn you though, it is a slow burn. 

The aspects I loved about this book were the introduction to the culture – from the outfits, to the dancing, to the language – I learned a ton and enjoyed it all. I also really liked the characters and how the author decided to write their perspectives and scenes. You will experience the story from Mazen, Loulie and Aisha’s point of view. The only character I wasn’t invested in was Mazen because I felt like he had a weak disposition and a subpar character arc.

Overall, I thought this was a great book and I plan to read the other books in the trilogy. 

Megan : 4.5/5 

What an adventure! This book was fantastic. It captured my attention from the start and held on until the end. I don’t know much about Middle Eastern mythology, so it was interesting reading about the mythical beings and legends. Abdullah does a really good job of explaining the beings and building up her world. Incorporating the cultural importance of storytelling into the larger plot was excellently done.They provided the perfect conduit for explaining history without just stating facts. I wish she had added more, but maybe that’ll be a book two thing. 

The point of view (POV) jumps between multiple characters, which works well for a story that has a few subplots overlapping with the main adventure. Aisha was a surprising voice that I enjoyed reading more than I thought I would. The snippets of her past and the reasons for her loyalty were well written. The details were explained for context and not as excuses for her behaviour. I’m excited to see what happens with her character and how she’s going to reconcile with the final events of book one. Mazen started out as such a lackluster character. There was potential, but of all the main characters, he was the most bland. Thankfully as the story progressed, so did his arc. I believe he still has a lot of character building to do, so hopefully that continues into book two. Qadir was by far the best character! I wish we could’ve had chapters from his POV, but after that ending, maybe we finally can. My guesses about his past developed throughout the novel, but my initial thought turned out to be correct.

The only struggle I had was in some of the fight scenes. It took a bit more concentration to figure out what exactly was happening and where everyone was. Overall, this book was brilliant and I’m so excited for book two to be released in 2024.

Sharaya : 4/5

I haven’t read many books that are based in Arabian mythology and I enjoyed The Stardust Thief immensely. I definitely want to explore more fantasy that pulls from that part of the world. I liked that Abdullah included common Arabic phrases, clothing, food, etc. In the first few chapters, I did have to look up some phrases, but I soon got the hang of it. 

This is not a retelling of Aladdin! You’ll come across familiar stories like the genie in the lamp, the forty thieves, and the sultan’s wife who tells stories every night in order to keep from being executed, but Loulie’s story is fresh and exciting. 

A few caveats to my 4 stars. I do think that the story could have been shortened by one or two side adventures, and I did sometimes have trouble following the action during fight scenes. These felt chaotic and fluid, and it was hard to track all of the moving parts because of the magic, illusions, and internal voices that were flying around. Also, I really wish that Abdullah had given us chapters from Qadir’s POV (Loulie’s jinn bodyguard). There were chapters from each of the other three travelers, but none from his. 

I would definitely recommend this book if you like fairy tales, fables, and retellings.

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