The Djinn's Apple by Djamila Morani Blog Tour

 I've stepped back from blog tours recently. Trying to find that work-life balance (which I still haven't found). 

However when I was asked if I could take part in the tour for Djamila Morani's short novel The Djinn's Apple, the title itself had me intrigued enough that I felt excited to even be asked to be involved with it.

Historical fiction meets crime fiction in The Djinn's Apple , an award-winning YA murder mystery set in the Abbasid period—the golden age of Baghdad. 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…

This is a very mixed genre book, YA and historical fiction combined with crime and mystery.

But I can tell you . . . it works!

Winner of the English Pen award, Morani has written a tale that is quite unique.

Set in Baghdad, we follow our protagonist Nardeen as she seeks revenge on those who dared to kill her family.

It was clear from the beginning just how strong and determined Nardeen was.

Even when faced with such hardship and sorrow, she never lost sight of her end goal. I think it was this initial loss that really made Nardeen who she was. Using those emotions to help her grow and evolve. Anger and grief can be strong motivators.

What I found interesting was how she kept everyone at a certain distance. 

She was living with Muallim Ishaq for a long time, learning so much from him but it was clear that she never fully let him in.

Split into two parts and written with short, sharp chapters. The story remained fast-paced throughout. and I liked how the ending was sort of left open. The possibility of a sequel? Even though I'm not very knowledgeable when it came to the religion and the politics, it still made an impact. Definitely thought provoking.

The only thing I wasn't sure on was the romance element. I'm not sure it was absolutely necessarily, more of a filler.

Overall an entertaining book.

From a reader perspective if I didn't already know, there was nothing to indicate that the story had been translated. And I appreciated the glossary at the back as it gave me an extra understanding of certain elements of the story.

You'll have to read it yourself to see if justice prevailed.