The Bird King is a colorful tale set in the times when Spain is expanding it's land. Magic and luck fill this tale of adventure.
Fatima is a concubine to the sultan of Granada. She lives a pampered life as the Sultan's favorite but has no freedom. She dreams of the world outside the place. Placating her is her friend Hassan a red headed scribe who has a magical talent; what ever map he draws become reality. Fatima has him draw her windows showing off the world she will never see. When a delegation comes to Granada to discuss the sultan's surrender, Fatima makes a friend with the woman who comes with them. But soon Fatima finds out there are ears everywhere and Hassan is wanted for crimes against the Holy Church. Fatima breaks him out of the palace with the help of djinn. But what is next? where will they go? How will they create a new start?
G. Willow Wilson spins an intracrine tales capturing the tales of the djinn and magic. I was swept away with the imagery of lands I hadn't seen and loved getting an inside look./. It is the writer's lush discerption that pull y9ou into the worlds.
Unfortunately, the characters are flat. There isn't much growth. Fatima finally breaks out of her self importance at the very end of the book. While she does things that admirable, most of the time it is not because of a good heart and care for others. She continues to act like a pampered palace dweller through the novel ever truly adapting to her surrounding. It is truly only her anger that motivates her and keeps her gong. She is brave but she doesn't understand any life outside her own.
But the overall tale of magic and faith make the book worth reading. My favorite parts are the last portion of book when magic is explored more. It is here where you wish you had more insight into the characters.
The bird King is fantastical but it's characters are not.
Fatima is a concubine to the sultan of Granada. She lives a pampered life as the Sultan's favorite but has no freedom. She dreams of the world outside the place. Placating her is her friend Hassan a red headed scribe who has a magical talent; what ever map he draws become reality. Fatima has him draw her windows showing off the world she will never see. When a delegation comes to Granada to discuss the sultan's surrender, Fatima makes a friend with the woman who comes with them. But soon Fatima finds out there are ears everywhere and Hassan is wanted for crimes against the Holy Church. Fatima breaks him out of the palace with the help of djinn. But what is next? where will they go? How will they create a new start?
G. Willow Wilson spins an intracrine tales capturing the tales of the djinn and magic. I was swept away with the imagery of lands I hadn't seen and loved getting an inside look./. It is the writer's lush discerption that pull y9ou into the worlds.
Unfortunately, the characters are flat. There isn't much growth. Fatima finally breaks out of her self importance at the very end of the book. While she does things that admirable, most of the time it is not because of a good heart and care for others. She continues to act like a pampered palace dweller through the novel ever truly adapting to her surrounding. It is truly only her anger that motivates her and keeps her gong. She is brave but she doesn't understand any life outside her own.
But the overall tale of magic and faith make the book worth reading. My favorite parts are the last portion of book when magic is explored more. It is here where you wish you had more insight into the characters.
The bird King is fantastical but it's characters are not.