DISCLAIMER: A copy of The Djinn’s Apple was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to The Writes Reads Tour and Neem Tree Press for having me on the tour.

Summary

A ruthless murder. A magical herb. A mysterious manuscript.

When Nardeen’s home is stormed by angry men frantically in search of something—or someone—she is the only one who manages to escape.

And after the rest of her family is left behind and murdered, Nardeen sets out on an unyielding mission to bring her family’s killers to justice, regardless of the cost…

Review

The Djinn’s Apple follows young Nardeen as she struggles through her trauma and grief after her entire family is murdered. Nardeen won’t give up until she has avenged her families deaths. Dangerous secrets are uncovered, and resilience is tested in this dark, heart-rending novella.

While it does prescribe to darker themes throughout, there is an inspiring tale woven into the despair. As the novella is set in the 9th century, it may be expected that women would not have had equal opportunities to men. The difference where Nardeen is concerned is that her father and mentor see her potential. They actively encourage her to strive for greatness and to succeed in the medical field.

This is the first time I’ve read any text about this time period and I found it interesting to learn about Baghdad during the Abbasid period. I appreciated that the author provided a glossary as it helped to truly understand the context for the story. Due to the length of this story, it is action-packed from start to finish and fast-paced. It could lead to feeling slightly rushed in places, but that didn’t dissuade me from reading it. It has also been translated excellently by Sawad Hussain.