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desiree930 's review for:
The Forbidden Wish
by Jessica Khoury
I’ve had this book on my shelves for probably close to a year. If I’d known how much I’d enjoy it I would’ve picked it up immediately.
This book was fun and entertaining, with an cute and angsty romance that left me with a big dumb grin on my face.
What I liked:
1. An Aladdin retelling told through the POV of the jinni? Yes, please! I thought the author did a good job at incorporating parts of the source material while still creating her own story.
2. World Building. I thought the author did a nice job creating this world. It felt rich and lush and I would love to read another story set in this world.
3. Characters. At first, I wasn’t really feeling Aladdin’s character, but as he and Zhara spent more time with each other I warmed up to him. I thought she was a great character and loved how the author revealed her past to us in such an organic way. It didn’t feel info-dumpy in the slightest.
4. The romance. I really liked the slow-burn, angst-filled romance between these two characters. It’s one of the better ones I’ve read recently.
5. It’s not a series! Yes, there is a short prequel (I believe it’s novella-length) but for all intents and purposes, this book is a standalone, which I think is awesome. This story with these characters didn’t need to be three books long. This was the perfect length to create an engaging and satisfying story. It’s probably one of my favorite standalone fantasies.
6. Girl Power and friendships. I loved Caspida and her Handmaidens, and also the friendship that grows with them and Zhara. There isn’t all the negativity that usually accompanies these types of books, and I really appreciated that. Plus, all these ladies are badasses, and it makes me so happy!
What I didn’t like:
1. There were a few moments where the pacing felt a bit off and it felt just a little slow near the end. Even though the tension was building, there were a couple of scenes that could’ve been shortened a bit.
2. I wish we’d gotten more of Aladdin’s background before he wishes to be a prince. He wasn’t as developed in the beginning as I wanted, and it may have helped to get a little more of his background fleshed out.
I don’t have much in the way of critiques. Was it a perfect book? No. But I was super entertained by it. I feel like it was a case of the right book at the right time. I will check out more from this author in the future.
This book was fun and entertaining, with an cute and angsty romance that left me with a big dumb grin on my face.
What I liked:
1. An Aladdin retelling told through the POV of the jinni? Yes, please! I thought the author did a good job at incorporating parts of the source material while still creating her own story.
2. World Building. I thought the author did a nice job creating this world. It felt rich and lush and I would love to read another story set in this world.
3. Characters. At first, I wasn’t really feeling Aladdin’s character, but as he and Zhara spent more time with each other I warmed up to him. I thought she was a great character and loved how the author revealed her past to us in such an organic way. It didn’t feel info-dumpy in the slightest.
4. The romance. I really liked the slow-burn, angst-filled romance between these two characters. It’s one of the better ones I’ve read recently.
5. It’s not a series! Yes, there is a short prequel (I believe it’s novella-length) but for all intents and purposes, this book is a standalone, which I think is awesome. This story with these characters didn’t need to be three books long. This was the perfect length to create an engaging and satisfying story. It’s probably one of my favorite standalone fantasies.
6. Girl Power and friendships. I loved Caspida and her Handmaidens, and also the friendship that grows with them and Zhara. There isn’t all the negativity that usually accompanies these types of books, and I really appreciated that. Plus, all these ladies are badasses, and it makes me so happy!
What I didn’t like:
1. There were a few moments where the pacing felt a bit off and it felt just a little slow near the end. Even though the tension was building, there were a couple of scenes that could’ve been shortened a bit.
2. I wish we’d gotten more of Aladdin’s background before he wishes to be a prince. He wasn’t as developed in the beginning as I wanted, and it may have helped to get a little more of his background fleshed out.
I don’t have much in the way of critiques. Was it a perfect book? No. But I was super entertained by it. I feel like it was a case of the right book at the right time. I will check out more from this author in the future.