Book Review: Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed

Throne of the Crescent Moon  was simply a pleasure to read. Many times when you are going into a novel that proclaims itself to be the “first of a series” it can feel as if it is bogged down with so much information that the author has to put out there to lay the groundwork for the (lord knows how many) books that are to follow; it can occasionally seem as if the story itself is nearly a prologue to the much larger tale to come.

Not this one, though. From the opening page all the way through until I found myself closing the back cover, it was one of the more enjoyable stories I’ve read in quite a time.

Working with all the preconceptions of Arabian wonder and mystery that a reader might bring into Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed manages to both meet those expectations and then exceed them by turning any notions you might have about where the story and characters would eventually take you upon your ear.

Throne of the Crescent Moon is filled with djinns, ghuls, magic, murder, friendships, laughter, bravery, sorrow and one of the more genuinely evil characters I’ve encountered in the world of fantasy in a while — and it all flows and fits perfectly in a very scant 274 pages.

Trust me when I tell you that it reads like a much larger book; so much so that when you are done you are in shock at how much story came out of that few pages. I suppose what I’m trying to say (write) is that Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed is a book that will not disappoint if you are in the mood for a great story. It certainly did not disappoint me.. either during my initial read or the subsequent times i’ve found myself unable to resist visiting the world of Throne of the Crescent Moon again.

I cannot recommend it enough and I eagerly look forward to anything and everything that Saladin Ahmed may write in the future.