The Forbidden Wish Paperback – January 24, 2017

Actual rating: 4.5 starsI'm going to admit, when I first bought this book, I had some doubts. Retellings are always so hit or miss for me these days. I don't know if this is because there are so many now, and so few are actually well done, or what. But suffice to say, now even with retellings that sound really good, I am full of doubt when going into the actual book. However, as you can telling by my rating, I had nothing to worry about with The Forbidden Wish. This is a gorgeous retelling of the story of Aladdin that will appeal to every reader. I never thought I would enjoy this novel as much as I did, but this book drew me in from the very first page, and I never wanted to stop reading. Jessica Khoury's writing gave me chills with its beauty, and swept me away to foreign lands that I never wanted to leave.One of my favorite aspects of this book was the girl power! First, our jinni, Zahra is a female, and she is one of my new all time favorite female leads. She is powerful, bad-ass, and strong. She doesn't back down from fear or trouble, preferring to confront it head on and let nothing stand in her way. Can I get an AMEN! However, beneath the tough shell that Zahra has, she is also flawed in many ways. In this, she becomes extremely relatable. While obviously not in the same exact ways, I think a lot of people will be able to relate to the struggles that Zahra faces. At the end of the day, Zahra is very lonely and sad because of past actions. But in the process of helping Aladdin, she realizes that there is a whole new world (sorry I couldn't help myself!) that she can discover! Her past actions do not define her.In addition to Zahra being an awesome female lead, we have the princess, who doesn't feel challenged by Zahra, instead wanting her as a friend and confidant. There is never a time in this story where they are battling each other, and this is something I very much appreciated in this story. This book could have taken an entirely different direction if these two girls would have chosen to be enemies, and I can tell you that it would have hurt this novel a great deal. The princess herself is tough-as-nails, and has a take-no-prisoners personality. The princess has a group of female warriors who, along with herself, are working to right wrongs that are occurring in the kingdom.The romance in this novel was also extremely well done. First and foremost, there was no insta-love! Major win right there!! Jessica Khoury gets big bonus points for this in my book. But even though the reader is expecting Zahra and Aladdin to fall in love due to the synopsis, the love between them never feels forced. Jessica Khoury writes this novel in a way that the romance that blossoms between them is natural and normal. She never writes this novel as if the entire purpose of the book is to get Zahra and Aladdin together. There is a very important story outside of the romance, and this story is what is more important. The romance between Zahra and Aladdin is simply another element of the story, not the story itself.Overall, I highly recommend this novel to all readers. The writing is enthralling and captivating, sweeping you away to desert lands filled with forbidden love, adventure, and betrayals at every turn. Everything about this book is perfection, and it is a must read. Don't miss out on this retelling!Happy reading :)

Mystical, magical, marvelous—those are the words I’ll use to describe THE FORBIDDEN WISH by Jessica Khoury. It was lush, teeming with beauty, and the read was worth every minute of my time.When a novel takes place in the magical lands of Arabia, I’m instantly intrigued. Make that a retelling, and I’m doubly excited to give it a try. In Jessica Khoury’s twist on the Aladdin story, we get the story from the genie’s point of view. And this genie is a girl—a feisty one at that!I loved Jessica Khoury’s debut, ORIGIN, and I had no doubts going into THE FORBIDDEN WISH, other than a teeny fear because I disliked my last Aladdin retelling, A WHOLE NEW WORLD. Rest assured, this retelling exceeded my expectations.If you think you know the outcome of this story, if you think it follows the classical tale of Aladdin with minor twists: you’re wrong, and you’re in for a real treat.Zahra, the genie, has her own agenda when summoned from the lamp after centuries. An agenda that’s quickly blurred when she begins to feel more than she should for her master, Aladdin. She knows how her feelings are doomed to fail, much like the way they did with her mysterious Habiba, mentioned within the first few pages. When I read that word, Habiba (beloved, female), I knew there was heartbreak involved. I was saddened almost instantly. I loved Zahra more than I thought I would—it’s rare for me to love a protagonist, but Zahra was one I quickly adored. She was constantly fighting a battle to stay good, human, or follow her own ‘dark’ desires like the Jinn that she is.As the story progresses, we’re introduced to more of the Aladdin characters we know so well, but the story as a whole is more twisted than that, and I relished every bit of it.I loved the characters—from the good-hearted ones, to the wrongful ones, to the ones who are both good and bad, like Zahra and her thief of a master. Khoury weaves the lush world of Arabia in a swirling mist of intrigue and excitement. Her world-building skills have only improved since her debut years ago. I love that the story takes place across a few kingdoms, one of them clearly more symbolic of Persia, judging by the character names (you should know, there’s no representation of P in Arabic!). It’s clear Khoury put a lot of research into her latest, despite the story being firmly rooted in fantasy.The suspense was palpable. And the romance! Forbidden and doomed to fail, it was painful, yet I delighted in every moment of it, knowing it could end at any moment.My only qualms with THE FORBIDDEN WISH was the ending, and how the conflict is resolved. It wasn’t confusing, but I found the boundaries Khoury had set as the story progressed were crossed for the conclusion. Borders were blurred, and what didn’t seem possible, even in the realm of fantasy, suddenly was. But as far as explanations go, the ones we’re provided with did make sense, but it bothered me enough to make note of it here. At the same time, it didn’t deter from my enjoyment of the story, so it’s quite ignorable!In the end, I flipped over the last page with a satisfied smile on my face, for THE FORBIDDEN WISH was just what I had wanted, needed. Gorgeous writing, magical world-building, and characters ready to steal your heart, Jessica Khoury’s THE FORBIDDEN WISH is a glittering gem that you must have for yourself.

It’s gorgeous. It wasn’t perfect, hence the 4 stars, but I can’t stress enough how much you should read this one.Demon of fire. Monster of smoke. Devil of sand and ash. Servant of Nardukha, Daughter of Ambadya, the Nameless, the Faceless, the Limitless. Slave of the Lamp. Jinni.Zahra has been a Jinni for over 4000 years, ever since she made a terrible mistake and fell into the hands of the Shaitan, King of the Jinn. She’s spent 500 of those years trapped inside a lamp. Her friendship with the human queen Roshana brought down destruction on both their heads; while Roshana was killed, Zahra’s punishment was to be locked away in the lamp without any contact.Until Aladdin comes.He’s just a teenaged thief, but he stole a powerful ring from the prince of his city, and the ring leads him to her lamp. As with all her masters, Zahra can grant him three wishes. What does he want most in the world? Revenge. The vizier (the sultan’s younger brother) killed his father, and Zahra is going to help him turn into a prince so he can infiltrate the castle, marry the princess Caspida, and throw the vizier into the dungeons.Zahra has her own reasons for being eager to help. The King of the Jinni has promised her freedom if she carries out a task for him. But the task involves Aladdin’s death, and she soon struggles over her desire for liberty from the lamp, versus her burgeoning love for Aladdin. The princess is also not a figure to be underestimated, and she has her own ideas of what to do with her life.One thing to be clear about straightaway: this is a very love-heavy book.If you aren’t sold on the romance, the entire premise of the book will be lost to you. You have to believe that Aladdin loves Zahra, and that Zahra loves Aladdin. I personally had no problem with the latter. Since the whole book is from Zahra’s perspective, we could feel her initial loneliness, her disbelief that she could be attracted to a human boy while she’s an immortal Jinni. Khoury did a spectacular job on the characterisation : I genuinely felt like Zahra was 4000 years old on one hand, and 17 on the other.I’m slightly less sold on Aladdin loving Zahra. For one, he’s a huge flirt. We get lots of scenes showing us that he’s never lacked for female companionship. It also feels a little bit to me like maybe he only fell in love with her because she’s, you know, the mysterious gorgeous all-powerful Jinni. I understand that since we don’t get his point of view I’d always be a bit more doubtful about him anyway, but I wish I could feel more confident in his love for her.Still, ultimately I’m satisfied with the romance . Which is good, because like I said, the romance is genuinely what drives the plot forward. It’s not just there for the sake of it.I also loved the girl power. Princess Caspida is smart, ruthless, and surrounded by a coterie of equally smart and ruthless girls who would lay down their lives to protect her. The female bonds within the novel are great to read about. Chief among those is the friendship between Zahra and Roshana. In fact, Zahra frequently speaks in second person, addressing Roshana, and the memory of their relationship underlies every word in the novel.The mythology was perfect too. Khoury has Syrian ancestry; I’m not Arab myself, but as a Muslim, it was interesting to read about Jinni and the Shaitan and other such aspects of Arab culture.OverallThe book isn’t the truest to the original Aladdin story, but having the genie be female was a brilliant twist and Khoury pulls it off perfectly. Zahra’s narratorial voice is possibly the best thing about The Forbidden Wish. Highly recommended!

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury is a retelling of Aladdin, and as soon as I heard that, I knew I had to read this book. And then discovering that it was being retold from the genie's - or jinni's - perspective, and that in this retelling, the jinni is female, I was even more excited to read it! And The Forbidden Wish is fast paced, action packed wonder, full of magic and excitement!Zahra is a jinni who has been trapped in her lamp for 500 years. When Aladdin, a homless pick-pocket, is drawn to her lamp by a magic ring, she is finally released from her captivity. The vizier to the King killed Aladdin's parents in front of him, and with the help of Zahra, he wants to seek his revenge. Zahra suggests he wish to become a prince and try to seek the hand of Princess Capsida, and once they are wed and he has power over the vizier, he can make his life a misery. What Aladdin doesn't know is that Zahra has been given a message from the Lord of the Jinn, Nardukha; his son, Zhian, has been captured and is being held in the palace. If she can free him, Nardukha will grant Zahra her freedom. Zahra's plan isn't to help Aladdin at all, but to get herself in the palace. But the longer she spends with Aladdin, the harder she finds it to abide by the number one rule of the Jinn: don't fall in love with a human.The Forbidden Wish is a completely epic story. It's a fast paced and action packed high fantasy based on the story of Aladdin from The Arabian Nights. So much happens, it's non-stop. It's almost like two stories in one; the story of Aladdin and his time in the palace, trying to woo Princess Capsida despite her being betrothed to Prince Darian, the vizier's son, and the story of Zahra, her involvement in the fall of Queen Roshana 500 years ago, and her quest for freedom present day by trying to find Zhian and free him. There are obstacles in both their paths, and time is of the essence as Zahra only has one month to find him and release him before Nardukha and all the jinn will destroy Aladdin's town Pathenia,everyone in it, and will kill Zahra. And even then, when it looks like everything will finally come to it's conclusion, there is this twist, and the story takes a shocking direction. Things were pretty awesome already, but then the action is taken to another level, and it's so much woah! Epic in a grand scale!I would have liked to have seen more of Aladdin; for the most part, he's more of a tool for Zahra at first, a way for her to get into the palace, and because of that, we get more of Zahra than Aladdin. For a retelling of his story, it was a bit of a shame to not have more of him and his life. I would have liked to have got to know him better. But Zahra narrates the story, telling her story, and it's a fascinating one. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if it was told in dual narration, but the story in physical format is 352 pages - I read the eBook, but even with that I knew it was long because of how long it took for the bar to move - so if it was in dual narration, it would have been seriously long.The romance didn't do it for me, sadly. I didn't really feel it, and wasn't wowing or swooning. For me, it wasn't developed enough; there was more of Zahra in her head and her thoughts on how she was going to accomplish things for her and Aladdin - even when they're together - than there is of her focusing on him and how she feels about him. Though the moments we do have are sweet and tender, and even a little steamy, I just didn't feel it.The Forbidden Wish is such an amazing story, and I absolutely loved it! There is so much happening, so much to discover, and so much about Zahra's past to try and work out. The Forbidden Wish was absolutely gripping, and such a thrill to read! If you enjoy retellings and/or high fantasy set in a Middle Eastern/South Asian inspired setting, I would highly recommend getting this book on your TBR ASAP!

Wow, did I love this book. I had heard good things before I decided to pick it up, but, guys, I'm super impressed. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.The Forbidden Wish is a beautiful re-imagining of the story of Aladdin, full of magic, action and romance.The writing is rich and imaginative; the magic of the Jinn was described with such ease, and it was so easy to get lost in the sprawling desert landscapes and wondrous palaces.I loved the depth of the characters, my favourite being Zahra. Zahra is the jinni of the lamp, bound to serve the owner and grant them three wishes. She has served many a cruel and selfish master, and after around 4,000 years of such an existence, she has grown bitter and without hope. Basically, the girl needs some beauty sleep - but she can't sleep, the Jinn don't sleep (bummer).However when Aladdin finds her, he reawakens the hope she has lost and rekindles the fire within her soul. Aladdin is charming, albeit a little foolish, and he reads very similarly to the Aladdin others might be familiar with. He is the perfect companion to bring out Zahra's loving and kind nature (although he is not the first to do so). I love that the story is told from Zahra's perspective as opposed to Aladdin's.The princess, Caspida, is feisty and defiant and yearns to be a just ruler, and her hand-maidens are super bad-ass. Their sections of the story were among my favourite (sign me up for that girl gang, plz).The romance in the story is lush and enchanting, and I very much enjoyed this element - which is saying something as I'm not normally one for a lot of romance (pass the bucket) - but this was really captivating and truly genuine.I also enjoyed the little touches, like how Zahra occasionally addressed her thoughts to Roshana, the friend she had once lost, calling her Habiba (dear friend). It really added another dimension to the story, and I loved the sentiment.The descriptions of the Jinn remind me of Rebel of the Sands (Alwyn Hamilton), which is probably another reason why I enjoyed this book, as I loved the Rebel of the Sands. I liked the darkness of the Jinn, they aren't 'watered down' or anything like that. They are wondrous in description, but they are truly cruel and deceptive.The ending is satisfying and beautiful, and was an excellent conclusion the novel.Overall, this is an enchanting read, and I would encourage everyone to give it a go, even if fantasy or re-tellings aren't really your thing. The writing is superb.

This isn't the Disney story at all. Its richer, it has more magic and honour and swoon moments than I was ever expecting. And I've been wholly won over.This story isn't about Aladdin, its about a girl who has had to make everyone's wishes whilst her wishes always end up in suffering.How's that for a reason to fall for Zahra?There are plenty more besides that!For me this was about a cast of strong females who weren't going to be held back by culture and what men said and in the end, they save the day.Read this if you want to be transported to another world, to have your emotions soar up then down and question whether the wishes you ask for are better than the wishes you work for.Jessica, take a bow. You have crafted a stunning story that every girl should read!;

This has such a fantastic premise and I thought it would be wonderful and whisk me away to this wonderful Aladdin retelling, however, I found the plot to be very slow and I couldn't fall in love with the characters the way I wanted to.Lovely writing but it was a chore to finish. Sorry!