The forbidden wish by jessica khoury5/20/2023 The twists and turns were exhilarating, and the ending neatly wrapped things up. I never felt like the story was dragging or taking unnecessary detours. In this book, there are multiple antagonists, mortal and jinn, which makes for more conflict and subplots and adds to the suspense. The pacing of the story is perfect, skillfully balancing adventure, romance, and political intrigue. I think calling it a “retelling” almost undersells the book because despite certain familiar elements and characters (Aladdin, the genie, the princess, the devious vizier, etc.), it also introduces a lot of the author’s own creations, plot-wise, and character-wise. It’s also a wonderful expansion upon and re-imagining of the original tale, in large part because its representation of women is far less two-dimensional and far more kickass, compared to the original. In the end, Zahra must choose between freedom and love.Īlthough this story is a retelling of Aladdin, it is so much more and so much better than the Disney movie (which was a mess of racist/orientalist stereotypes, ugh). Then, the King of the Jinn offers her a freedom–for a price. She is bound by magic to fulfill three wishes for him. The boy who frees her from the lamp is Aladdin, an orphaned thief who’s bent on revenge for his parents. My Summary: Zahra, the most powerful of the jinn, returns to the world of mortals after centuries of being trapped below ground.
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