Review Part 1 – Congregation by Kamila ShamsieKamila Shamsie is undeniably one of Pakistan’s biggest names when it comes to author popularity. Along with her counterpart Mohammad Hanif, she is the author I knew about before I knew much about Pakistani fiction. So it made sense to me that in an anthology about djinn which included stories by three Pakistani authors, her story would be the one near the beginning.That being said, this isn’t one of Shamsie’s better projects. Maybe she works better w...

*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*I have not read anything with Genies, nothing NADA! So when I saw this I jumped on the chance to read it. I love reading short story collections, you get to read from authors that you have never read from before and to see if you like their writing style. This collection of short stories is from authors all over the world and it is their take on the djinn and some of the myths,tales that they have h...

I think the best way I can review this to collection is to say that when I finished it, I clicked straight back to the table of contents, went down the list of authors, and added a stack of books to my TBR. It really is excellent. It ranges from Arabian Nights pastiche to modern day djinn from Pakistan to America, to future dystopias, to pure sci fi. There's huge diversity--women, POC, queer MCs--and a massive range of type of story, from lyrical-mystical to violent to romantic to horror. Absolu...

Wonderfully immersive and original stories.This collection was unlike most books I have read in recent years. Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin collected wonderful stories from all over the world showcasting the different types of Djinns (or Jinns, or Genies or whatever you would like to call them); this diversity of authors made for a really ecclectic and amazing collection. The stories told are unique and still relatable; every author brings something different to the table and every story is a s...

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.This is a collection of stories about djinn (jinn/genie/etc), a concept that can be found in a variety of cultures. The stories run the gamut in terms of genre and culture, with each author being allowed to write (and spell) djinn as they prefer (thank you editors for not homogenizing the spelling, it was appreciated!). While Neil Gaiman is probably the most popular author in the collection, I actually skipped that story (it's an ex...

I'll admit I was a bit wary when I picked up Djinn Falls In Love: tempted by authors such as K.J. Parker and Claire North, I worried that the collection itself might suffer from repetition. I needn't have worried. The collection demonstrates a truly staggering variety of perspectives on the concept of djinn, as well as mixing prose and poetry, vignettes and plot twists. As is mentioned in the foreword, the unifying theme of the collection is the humanization of the Other. The collection begins w...

This is such an interesting collection of stories all centered around the topic of djinn (aka genie) folklore. Some of these are retellings of ancient myths, others have multicultural influences, some are high fantasy and others are literary. Some stories are set in Africa, some in Arab counties, some in America, and even one on Mars. This is a great eclectic set that was very entertaining and thought provoking. I was provided a free Ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I've ra...

Thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review."When Allah created man out of clay, Allah also created the djinn out of fire."--Mahvesh Murad, from the Introduction.This is a really wonderful collection. I had no idea there were so many variations of djinn--good or evil, mischievous or kind, religious or deviant, and everywhere in between. The sheer variation of interpretation is what makes this a superior collection, as well, of c...

“Indeed We created man from dried clay of black smooth mud. And We created the Jinn before that from the smokeless flame of fire” (Quran 15:26-27)Up until quite recently, I was only familiar with the word “genie” as a descriptor for supernatural beings that have a reputation for living in old lamps and granting wishes. The stories in this collection use either “djinn”, “jinn” or “genie” to represent these entities that are very different from the Robin Williams-voiced, cute, animated character s...

Come, sit closer to the fire. That's better. See how the flames dance in your storyteller's eyes. Perhaps those flecks of orange, red and gold are merely reflections—but you must know that the eyes of djinn are also said to flicker in just this way. It makes no difference... whether we were created from quick fire or humble clay, all of us love stories. So come closer, and listen... For a themed anthology, The Djinn Falls in Love is extraordinarily, and satisfyingly, diverse. While remaining

It's been a while since I read an anthology. I had high hopes for this one as I'm more than keen on supernatural folklore. This collection contains twenty-one stories and poems on the theme of djinn - the spirit of fire. The anthology may shock readers raised on Disney cartoons. If the first thing you imagine when you hear about Djinn is a supernatural being living in an old lamp and granting wishes, you're lucky. A lot of discoveries and reveals wait for you on the pages of this anthology.The D...

Considering I don't really read short stories I was so surprised by how much I ended up loving this anthology all about the djinn.Almost all of the stories are extremely original and well written and most of them managed to include some moral of the story despite the limited length. There were only a few where I didn't understand what they were trying to get at and one that in my view didn't even include the djinn at all.. but aside from that, I was honestly really into most of them. In the case...

In brief - Some very good stories - 3.5/5 probably.In fullThis book has 21 stories on the subject of Djinns. With one or two exceptions these appear to be new stories. The djinns are mainly an Islamic concept and the spelling varies almost as much as the characteristics. They can be quite "devilish", they can grant wishes, they live for exceptionally long periods, they are magical and these terms really only scratch the surface of these beings that are created by godly fire. It's a subject that

***Note: I received a copy curtesy of Netgalley and Solaris / Rebellion Publishing in exchange for an honest review.A wide variety of short tales featuring very different types of djinns/jinns/genies, some anchored in reality, some in mysticism, others SF-ish. Some authors I already knew and read before, some I didn't even hear about, but I would check some more works from most of them.Below, each of the stories rated with its own stars and a few words of each.The Djinn Falls in Love by Hermes (...

I finally finished this book, after 10 days of reading one or two (or more) stories almost everyday. I have some closing thoughts that I'll share at the end of this review, after the individual reviews of the various short stories. . .The Djinn Falls in Love by Hermes, Read April 7, 2017.3.5 stars - goodThis was a one-page poem, on page 10 (page 11 gave us the poem in its original language ... Arabic?). If I understood it, it's the perspective of a djinn who is chained by love instead of by the

An excellent collection! There's a huge variety of stories in so many ways: a wide variety of genres, a wide variety of authors, a wide variety of ways in which the djinn are portrayed. That diversity makes for a really interesting collection that doesn't get repetitive even after twenty stories staring the same magical being.A couple of the standouts:"Congregation" by Kamila Shamsie was the first story, just after the opening poem. It was a great start to the collection since it uses the Qur'an...

Full review here, on my blog.It’s not often that I find an anthology in which I truly enjoy every story presented. I mean, it’s hard to please someone 100% of the time, amirite? That said, I didn’t dislike any of these stories, and that’s quite an achievement. I had only heard of 4 of the authors before, and only read 3 of them, so this was a lovely dive into a new an exciting world. I especially liked that this group of authors was really diverse, and I loved seeing the djinn from all these dif...

“Indeed We created man from dried clay of black smooth mud. And We created the Jinn before that from the smokeless flame of fire.” (Quran 15:26-27)As a Muslim, lore for me has been rather different than the lore you might have grown up with. Of course there are no such things as vampires, werewolves, tooth-fairies, or poltergeists, but Jinn? Jinn are real. Some in Pakistan say they dwell at the tops of trees, some use them as a means to caution children to not play outside past sunset. Don’t pic...

Hermes (trans. Robin Moger) — The Djinn Falls in LoveA poem.*** Kamila Shamsie — The CongregationA young man wakes up early to go to mosque one morning - and ends up in a bizarre alternate dimension where the djinn worship. He meets a supernatural being that he feels an odd affinity for - and it changes the course of his life.*** Kuzhali Manickavel — How We Remember YouThis might've been aiming for a Joyce Carol Oates kind of vibe. As an adult, a woman reminisces about a boy her circle of friend...

Anthologies are so much fun. This one was creative and varied, as you would expect when the topic is djinn. The stories I liked most:E.J. Swift — The Jinn Hunter’s ApprenticeFabulous futuristic atmosphere with just the right amount of plot and mystery.James Smythe — The Sand in the Glass is RightYou know it's well-written when nothing in the story makes sense but you're still utterly entranced.J.Y. Yang — Glass LightsPoignant and bittersweet and so real.Saad Hossain — Bring Your Own SpoonA cleve...