The Stardust Thief

By: Chelsea Abdullah

Narrated by: Nikki Massoud, Sean Rohani, Rasha Zamamiri

Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, this book weaves together the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.

Neither here nor there, but long ago....

Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land—at the cost of sacrificing all jinn.

With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultan’s oldest son to find the artifact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen, and confront a malicious killer from Loulie’s past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything—her enemy, her magic, even her own past—is not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.

©2022 Chelsea Abdullah (P)2022 Orbit

Critic reviews

"The Stardust Thief is a dream written upon a page—absorbing, lingering, and poignantly told. Abdullah weaves a sweeping adventure of tales within tales, while laying bare the ways those we love can both uplift us and break our hearts." (Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter)

"A thrilling adventure about found families, ancient magic, and stories that linger...I thoroughly enjoyed it." (S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass)

"Shimmering with magic, The Stardust Thief is a gripping adventure set against an immersive world. Abdullah masterfully crafts a tale, with equally chaotic and lovable characters, that reads like it is meant to be told around the fire beneath a starlit sky." (Aamna Qureshi, author of The Lady or the Lion)

Good story, needs new narrators

The male narrator made the story very difficult to like because all of his female voices were the same and they sounded like total ditzes.

Narration Problems

I read this book in print and liked it so well that I bought the audio version. Boy was I disappointed! The narration was poor, the voices inauthentic and unconvincing. I thought the story itself would draw me in but the ultra-feminine voice of Loulie and the lack of authority in the voice of her Jinn companion left me bored and frustrated. After listening to the first few chapters I gave up and returned it.

Far exceeded my expectations!!

This book!!! I knew this was going to be epic and quick notes version... it definitely did not disappoint! Even though I received an eARC of this book, it sounded so good and the voice actors were so gifted, they sealed the deal... I had to have it on audiobook so... I bought it and you know what?? I am thankful I did. I'm considering gifting copies to a few friends, that's how much I enjoyed it! It did have a few slow spots but the baground's ambiance and the character's kaleidoscopic essences were enough to smoothe over any sluggish spots. BUT don't worry... it picks right back up and when it does?? Wooo weee does it get good! I'd say that the last 10 (or so) chapters were more than worth the price of admission and the very last few reveals are both heartbreaking and hopeful. And where 2 of the 3 MCs end up??
*** Chef's Kiss ***

This managed to put forth a cast of characters so enchanting that I was won over by each and every one of them... except for 1... you know who you are!! I loved the rest fiercely, even all 3 MCs in their own ways. I don't want to give away too much but let me say that I just now reached the end and I want to start it over again... and that's not like me.


Overall:
This remastered version of A 1001 Arabian Nights was a skillful homage that boasts a lush backdrop and equally beguiling chatacters all steeped in beautifully Own Voice represented Mythology told in Abdullah's dreamy prose. The audiobook both blew me away and reigned me in, helpless to look away. The 3 narrators were exceptional and brought this gem vividly to life. Ok, enough much deserved fangirling. This more than scratched the itch left behind by the absence of the Daevabad Trilogy... if you were a fan, you're going to Love this! I can't wait to see where this story goes from here! Bring on book #2!!

*** I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ***

entertaining

Entertaining story, but very predictable and left me feeling like something was missing at the end.

Nice imagery and character development

Enjoyed the book for its imagery and characters. As book 1 of series I was concerned it would be slow paced, but I was pleasantly surprised at the constant action and every changing locations. Fun read.

WoW!! #1 read of my year! Beautifully thrilling adventure!

Why did I wait so long to read/listen to this!?! What a magical and thrilling story! I loved the 3 main characters and I hope we get more of all 3. The bonds that formed through their impossible tasks forced upon them, the betrayals and sacrifices each one made… had my heart in a chokehold! Loved the ending and I can’t wait for more! The writing and world building was incredible. I felt like I was somewhere in the desert in Egypt or Sudan it was so magical. The Arabian nights song from Aladdin kept playing in my mind during the street markets scenes. And the magic of the mythical Jinns… incredible! I need more! 5/5 stars!! Just wonderful!!

Fantastic narration

I read this as a combo audio and book. This was a great book. Doing it both ways was fantastic. I loved the storyline and can’t wait for the next one.

This story sucked me in and didn’t let me go. I loved it all.

The narrator’s did a great job. The storytelling was my favorite parts.

Epic Desert Fantasy with Jinn and Stories

I love epic fantasy with adventure, strong female characters, and found family. Lately, I've also been keeping an eye out for fantasy books with deserts and jinn, so this was right up my alley. My fingers were crossed as I started this book, hoping it wasn't going to be another let down. This was FANTASTIC. Credit where it's due - this book deserves all the praise it's been getting.

This isn't a retelling. You can see the influence from One Thousand and One Nights, but this is an original story that combined a lot of familiar ingredients. The story begins slowly, so it may not appeal to readers/listeners who prefer a faster pace. In multi POV books, I usually struggle to truly engage with all the POV characters, so it's always a good sign when I find myself liking all of them. All the narratives felt essential and interesting. All three were excellently portrayed. I loved the reversal of roles with some of the main male and female characters; it was so convincing. I loved it start to finish, and I will be re-reading this before the next installment comes out.

The narration was solid. I didn't have any trouble engaging with the POV characters, but it could have been better. This book is so epic, so the narration should have been epic too. With three narrators, this production was primed for success.

This audiobook was a credit well spent. The author has stated that her original story was about twice as long, and I am very interested in seeing some of those deleted scenes and side stories released in a collection.

Masterful world building and story telling

Books this immersive and rich are rare.

Borrowing from legends, folktales, and myths, Abdullah weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, surprises, and mystery. Morally gray characters enhance the story and are as infuriating as they are compelling.

With its female protagonist, Stardust Thief is a satisfying blend of Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code, and 1001 Arabian Nights.

It’s my new favorite book and with luck, the sequel due in 2025 will be just as good and worth the wait.

Too Slow for me but good story

I was really looking forward to this story as it is a soft re-telling of 1001 Dark Nights and Aladdin.

I really couldn’t get in to this book until I was about 80% through. I felt like it was slow and I wasn’t super attached to any of the characters except for Qadir. I feel like he really made the book for me!

I did like the unique component of the enchanted artifacts and what they represented and also the idea of the Jinn. The deceptions were surprising and the last bit had a ton of action with a pretty good cliffhanger. I just can’t get past the slow moving pace from the start.

I hope the future books will move a little faster and I definitely think I will read the next one to find out what happens!

Read this if you like:
🧞‍♂️Stories within a story
🧞‍♂️ Aladdin with more espionage and deceit
🧞‍♂️ Multiple POVs