Thoughts 
by Renee Ahdieh, Listening Library 2015, 10’38”
Narrator: Ariana Delawari
for #Diversiverse 
What’s it ABOUT: A very vivid and imaginative, dramatic and romantic retelling of the A Thousand and One Nights tale. And as much as I wish I knew more about that, I don’t think it matters. It was as sweeping and enticing a tale – all the way through.
I would recommend this for fans of Daughter of Smoke and Bone — [I had originally mentioned Eyes Like Stars here but upon re-reading this a few days later I see my error. But then, maybe not. If you loved BOTH DoSaB and ELS, then you will likely enjoy TWatD, ok?] In other words, I sense this would be well-received by enthusiastic fans of YA. Which is quite appropriate.
We have one tough young lady who schemes a crazy idea to get very close to a bad guy and UH OH!!! – feels a connection with the monster. There’s love and passion and drama and sword fighting and beautiful horses and friendship and family and not knowing WHOM to trust!!!
I enjoyed listening to this but I might not continue with the series because… I’m just rarely a series kind of reader. But I really do think this would be a great one if you love YA, love series, and love action and love.
Rating: Four slices of pie. Although, no pie references were given, let’s go with FIG PIE cuz I really like fig pie.
Sounds like too much fantasy for me even though everyone seems to be loving it.
Actually, there was very little fantasy in this. Hints of it for later but otherwise, not what I call fantasy. Though, in re-reading what I wrote to give you that impression, I see that I referenced a book in error. NOT Eyes Like Stars but rather Daughter of Smoke and Bone and yes, DoSaB is very fantasy. Sorry about that. And it’s not the fantasy component but the breathless YA feel of love and that ’emergency of feelings’ — that is what I want to compare. 🙂
Oh, are you reading Salman Rushdie’s newest book? It’s very informed by the Thousand and One Nights stories, and I liked it quite a bit.
No, I might someday? I still keep thinking I should finish Midnight’s Children – that’s his, yes?
I just began this on audiobook because I love the Arabian nights but the somewhat flowery language (very stereotypically YA, I feel) has me pausing a bit. The audiobook narrator seems really forceful, too, which I am not sure if I like…. But I love Arabian nights so much!
Hey! it’s YOU! Hello. Hope you end up liking it. Most definitely more YA than the YA I usually read. If that makes sense…
Haha, it does. I admit I almost burst out laughing when the caliph did the hair tuck for Shehrezade (after, of course, she tucked her own hair behind her ear impatiently a few times in front of him). I need to email Jill about that 😀
I might have already!!