Heather’s Bookshelf: The Jinn and Two Kingdoms
Author: Peter W. Blaisdell
Released: 04/27/22
Genre: Literary Fantasy/Historical Fiction
“However, despite their hallucinatory nature and physical dangers, portals were touchpoints between the human world and the netherworld of assorted demons and a very long-lived and insanely ambitious king. As such, they were traveled by supernatural beings intent on exporting malice and magic to a realm beyond their own.”
“The Jinn and the Two Kingdoms” introduces Thiago (a jinn), Lubna (a woman purchased into slavery and assigned as a librarian), and Lila (Thiago’s ex-lover, demon, and yes it is complicated). Thiago seeks to steal a treasure through a portal that connects his world to medieval Arabia.
In an attempt to keep the treasure away from others seeking it, Thiago makes a map and a poem that have to be used together to decipher the whereabouts. When Lila betrays Thiago, he turns to others, including Lubna, for help.
Along the way, they encounter interesting characters including a group of vikings, all seeking the same treasure. If the king he stole from finds the treasure first, he will use it to invade the human world. Will Thiago and Lila find the treasure first or will all be lost?
Trigger Warning: violence, slavery, sexism, theft
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The setting is different than a majority of fantasy books I’ve read. It combines interesting sites with historical fiction in an effective combination. The main protagonist, Thiago, is an intriguing character. He’s certainly flawed, but he’s also driven, intelligent, and kind of funny in that some of his decisions are just so terrible. The other main character, Lubna, is equally intriguing, but much more intelligent and internally strong while facing the challenges of being a female and slave. The story is told through multiple points of view, but Thiago’s is by far the most interesting and most telling. However, I found the pacing of this story to be a little challenging. Some parts moved quickly and I found others dragged on. I think this was mostly because there were portions that felt repetitive. Especially when moving between dialogues, there were parts that repeated what the reader already knew and sometimes what another character had just mentioned. I also found the ending to be rushed. The great majority of the tale sets up the ending which felt abrupt. The ending did feel complete while also finishing in a way that could offer sequels and future world building.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A fantasy tale in a historical setting with two different, but equally as intriguing protagonists.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Peter W. Blaisdell
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Find it for purchase here or Kindle Unlimited
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