The Balloon Thief
- Published by Chicken House
I love Fantasy books so I couldn’t wait to dive in and start this series.
For Khadija, the only escape from her father’s arranged betrothal is the sky. When she spots a rogue hot air balloon fighting against its ropes, she leaps at the chance for adventure.
Khadija soon finds an unlikely ally in a poor glass maker’s apprentice, Jacob. But Jacob is a hāri, and Khadija a Ghadaean.
The hāri are oppressed and restless―their infamous terrorist group, the Hāreef, have a new fearsome leader. And the ruling Ghadaeans are brutal in their repression. Soon, a deadly revolution threatens their friendship and their world. The Hāreef use forbidden magic, summoning jinn―wicked spirits made of fire―to enact their revenge, forcing Jacob and Khadija to choose what kind of a world they want to save…
This spellbinding world of friendship, forbidden magic; of stolen hot air balloons and one girls’ choice to seek her own destiny was a magnificently thrilling and unputdownable read that swept me into a world of magic I never wanted to leave. This is an world that would be alien to us as this is a completely different culture.
. This is An absolutely stunning debut that I literally devoured—I was utterly immersed in the dazzling worldbuilding with lush and colourful descriptions (I loved the descriptions of Qasrah and Intalyabad.) But, Aneesa Marufu also doesn’t shy away from heavier themes such as racism, misogyny and extremism which, though emotionally evocative (especially in regards to many of the characters’ personal experiences), still manages to keep the tone rather uplifting.
The author Used grief to connect so many of the characters we encountered and it was really thought provoking; seeing the various methods each character devised to cope—and how it changed, motivated or influenced their actions and how this made them the characters they turned out to be
I found the initial perceptions Khadija and Jacob have about one another are slowly disproven, as they get to know one another and realise their similarities far outweigh their differences. After reading this book I still didn’t fancy a hot air balloon ride but I knew I wanted to read more of these characters so I was pleased when a second book was announced.
An Emerald Sky: the stunning sequel to The Balloon Thief
I was so looking forward to reading this book and I ended up reading it over the course of the night.
After the epic battle of The Balloon Thief, Khadija, Jacob and Darian are heroes. But then Khadija learns that her sister, Talia, has been kidnapped and taken to the jinn realm of Al-Ghaib.
Khadija and Darian go to her rescue. But Darian is strangely changed since the battle that cost him his heart. Khadija will need all her wits about her if she’s to outfox her sister’s captor – and perhaps, save the boy she loves . . .
This jumps straight in where we left the last book. They have all been released from hospital but they are all changed characters,
Nobody is changed more than Darian who has had his heart ripped out and simply doesn’t care about anything.
Again the author is brave enough to tackle racism and how women are seen in some cultures
This is a dual narrative split between Khadija’s magical quest to rescue her sister, and Jacob’s embroilment in a political mystery. Full of ancient djinn, epic adventure and heartrending romance Explores love, politics, equality and racism in a highly original South Asian-inspired fantasy world.
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