Other jinn quickly offer her a bargain from their ruler: he will free her from the lamp if she rescues his son, imprisoned in Aladdin’s home city-a deal with a strict time limit. Jinni Zahra, long imprisoned in her lamp, has languished for hundreds of years in a dead city as punishment for a mysterious transgression against her kind, one that also resulted in the betrayal of the warrior queen who last held the lamp, whom Zahra still mourns with the term of endearment “Habiba.” A young thief guided by a magic ring finds the city and lamp, freeing her. Ages 12 up.A Middle East–inspired fantasy version of “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.” Playful chemistry (Aladdin promptly nicknames the shapeshifting Zahra 'Smoky') and Khoury's assured storytelling should make it easy for readers to lose themselves in this rich and complex story of allegiances and betrayal. Secondary characters unwittingly entwined in Aladdin's and Zahra's plans such as the princess Caspida, niece of the man who killed Aladdin's parents are portrayed as vividly as the leads, and as the feelings between Zahra and Aladdin deepen, fulfilling their goals becomes ever more complicated. Despite this and unlike most jinni Zahra has maintained a soft spot for humans, and when Aladdin takes possession of the lamp, their relationship evolves as they become allies: Aladdin seeks to avenge the death of his parents, and Zahra hopes to escape her imprisonment by freeing a jinn prince. Zahra is a powerful jinni who has been doomed to the prison of her lamp and the whims of humans for thousands of years. In a departure from her scientific thrillers, Khoury (Kalahari) offers a vibrant reimagining of the story of Aladdin's lamp. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?Īs time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of the Aladdin story from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.īut when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity-only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years-a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. 'This is Aladdin like you've never imagined.'- Renée Ahdieh, author of The Wrath and the Dawn Maas, author of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series

a rare, glittering jewel of a novel.'- Sarah J. 'Lush, romantic, and exquisitely written.

The forbidden wish by jessica khoury