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106th out of 799 books
—
4,578 voters
The Book of Wonders
by
Jasmine Richards (Goodreads Author)
Magic, Djinn, Ogres, and Sorcerers. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings, long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan—a terrifying usurper who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.
When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she...more
When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she...more
Hardcover, 416 pages
Published
January 17th 2012
by HarperCollins
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Thirteen-year-old Zardi lives in the kingdom of Arribitha, where the sultan has banned magic, and anyone even heard talking about magic can be arrested. Her best friend is Rhidan, a mysterious foreigner who was found abandoned as a baby and raised by Zardi's family. Rhidan longs to know of his origins, and receives a clue from Sinbad the Sailor, but he must flee before Rhidan can get more answers.
The sultan of Arribitha is cruel and evil, and forces young girls to be take the position of "Prais...more
The sultan of Arribitha is cruel and evil, and forces young girls to be take the position of "Prais...more
Harper, 2012
Fantasy
400 pages
Recommended for grades 4-6
The kingdom of Arribitha is ruled by a nasty Sultan that has outlawed all use of magic. But doing away with magic is nothing compared to what the sultan does to his praisemakers. Praisemakers are young unwed girls in his kingdom that he imprisons and orders to sing his praises each morning for the city to hear. But only for ninety days. At the end of the ninety day term the praisemaker is released on his grounds to be hunted down, in the Sult...more
Fantasy
400 pages
Recommended for grades 4-6
The kingdom of Arribitha is ruled by a nasty Sultan that has outlawed all use of magic. But doing away with magic is nothing compared to what the sultan does to his praisemakers. Praisemakers are young unwed girls in his kingdom that he imprisons and orders to sing his praises each morning for the city to hear. But only for ninety days. At the end of the ninety day term the praisemaker is released on his grounds to be hunted down, in the Sult...more
I'm a fan of (much of) the Arabian Nights, and was delighted to run across this middle grade novel, which repurposes elements from the tales -- Sinbad, djinnis, the roc, mistaken identities, wishes governed by complicated rules -- but without the racism and misogyny that permeates the original tales. So far, so good. But, the book's writing leaves much to be desired. Rather than the characters' personalities driving the plot, the plot (and author's need to work in exposition) drives the characte...more
It took me until the end of chapter 3 to get interested in the story and the characters, but chapter 4 really set things up well and I was anticipating quite an adventure. Unfortunately, although I really wanted to like this one, it just didn't do it for me. The premise is clever, but I found myself with so many questions, particularly the character motivations. My favorite character in the book - and the only one whose motivation I totally get - was Nonna (Zardi's grandmother) and we don't see...more
Review via Cracking the Cover
Sinbad. Aladdin. Scheherazade.
They’re names that evoke exotic locales and swashbuckling adventures. Now you can add another name to that list — Zardi.
Zardi is the main character in Jasmine Richards‘ “The Book of Wonders,” an exciting new adventure for middle readers.
In the kingdom of Arribitha, magic is taboo. Fantastical beings have long been banned. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories of these things, but even those can call the rage of the sultan, who ru...more
Sinbad. Aladdin. Scheherazade.
They’re names that evoke exotic locales and swashbuckling adventures. Now you can add another name to that list — Zardi.
Zardi is the main character in Jasmine Richards‘ “The Book of Wonders,” an exciting new adventure for middle readers.
In the kingdom of Arribitha, magic is taboo. Fantastical beings have long been banned. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories of these things, but even those can call the rage of the sultan, who ru...more
Zardi enjoys her life in Arribithia with her grandmother, older sister Zubeyda and her friend Rhidan, a foreign orphan being raised by her family. Rhidan doesn't know his part, but when the two run into the sailor Sinbad in the port, he mentions that Rhidan looks like the people of the Black Isle. Zardi's father is an advisor for the sultan, who has banned magic from the kingdom, but not even this keeps the family safe-- Zubeyda is chosen to be the sultan's next "praisemaker" which will result i...more
Thirteen-year-old Zardi is the daughter of the Sultan’s closest adviser. She lives with her family and Rhidan, a ward of the state since he was found on their shores as a baby years ago. Rhidan doesn’t look like anyone else in their country, and he knows nothing about where he is from.
When the cruel Sultan imprisons Zardi’s sister and father she is desperate to find a way to free them and end the Sultan’s iron-fisted rule over her country. If she and Rhidan can find a sailor named Sinbad, who se...more
When the cruel Sultan imprisons Zardi’s sister and father she is desperate to find a way to free them and end the Sultan’s iron-fisted rule over her country. If she and Rhidan can find a sailor named Sinbad, who se...more
I received this as apart of the Once Upon a Twilight ARC Book Tours.
Zardi lives in a world with Magic, Djinn, Ogres, and Sorcerers. However, the Sultan has banned magic in the kingdom of Arribitha. Even speaking of magic, could get you arrested. Ironic.
Zardi has a mysterious companion in Rhidan, who was abandoned as a baby. When given a clue about his past, by Sinbad the sailor, he is compelled to find the answers.
In Arribitha the Sultan forces young girls in the position of 'praisemaker'. The...more
Zardi lives in a world with Magic, Djinn, Ogres, and Sorcerers. However, the Sultan has banned magic in the kingdom of Arribitha. Even speaking of magic, could get you arrested. Ironic.
Zardi has a mysterious companion in Rhidan, who was abandoned as a baby. When given a clue about his past, by Sinbad the sailor, he is compelled to find the answers.
In Arribitha the Sultan forces young girls in the position of 'praisemaker'. The...more
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I'm never quite sure how I'm going to feel about a Middle Grade book. Clearly, I love YA, but Middle Grades are hit or miss for me. I get nervous when Middle Grade is paired with other aspects that make me second guess whether I'll like a book, such as being high fantasy or longer than I expected (again, hit or miss mentality). I need not have worried. The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards is a solid hit.
As soon as I started the first chapter, I was eager to continue. There is an ease of story...more
As soon as I started the first chapter, I was eager to continue. There is an ease of story...more
originally posted on my blog: http://newborrowedused.blogspot.com/2...
My Thoughts: I've found when I'm having trouble finishing books, if I pick up an MG book it helps get me out of my slump. This book was no exception. I enjoyed both the world and the characters that the author brought us. Some may seem familiar, there is a correlation to Aladdin and Arabian Nights. We even have the characters searching for Aladdin to take over ruling Arribitha from the evil Sultan.
There were times throughout...more
My Thoughts: I've found when I'm having trouble finishing books, if I pick up an MG book it helps get me out of my slump. This book was no exception. I enjoyed both the world and the characters that the author brought us. Some may seem familiar, there is a correlation to Aladdin and Arabian Nights. We even have the characters searching for Aladdin to take over ruling Arribitha from the evil Sultan.
There were times throughout...more
The Book of Wonders is an engaging Middle Grade tale by Jasmine Richards. I was pleasantly surprised as this reading level is sometimes hit or miss with me. But The Book of Wonders is a fun, extraordinary and smoothly written tale of magical beings and a young Zardi who loves the fantastical. Though the book is slow to start, after about 100 pages, it really picked up. And the slow start didn't bother me much because the world is so creative and well written.
The plot and characters are unique an...more
The plot and characters are unique an...more
While clearly aimed at a younger audience this book is the type that would have crossover appeal for those who do not normally read YA/Childrens books.
You will find names you know in this one (Aladdin and Sinbad) but the story really belongs to Zardi and Rhidan, a young girl and her best friend who set out on an adventure to figure out how to save Zardi's sister and father from the evil sultan and find out who Rhidan is (he was abandoned as a baby, taken in by Zardi's family).
Nice pace? Yup! Ma...more
Through the writing style, it was pretty evident that this was a first novel, but I admire the author for going for it and writing the story. I liked the concept and the settings. I haven't read too many retellings of the Tales of the Arabian Nights, so it was nice to have a break from the traditional fairy tale retellings. However, I had a hard time relating to the main character--frankly, I thought Zardi was rather bratty. I liked Rhidan much better. I think it was largely due to the hair. I l...more
I’d like to thank Once Upon a Twilight for giving me the opportunity to be on this book review tour.
Now, on with the show . . . er . . . review!
I have to admit that I was a little leery about reading this book because of the age range but I trudged along and slowly got swept away in Zardi’s adventures. I have to say, she was very brave for only being thirteen and I admired her for that. She was a little firecracker and when she set her mind to doing something, she followed through until it was f...more
Now, on with the show . . . er . . . review!
I have to admit that I was a little leery about reading this book because of the age range but I trudged along and slowly got swept away in Zardi’s adventures. I have to say, she was very brave for only being thirteen and I admired her for that. She was a little firecracker and when she set her mind to doing something, she followed through until it was f...more
The Book of Wonders is a wonderful book to read to grammar school children. It isn't scary or difficult for a child to understand. One of things I love about the book is that one of my favorite heroes, Sinbad is in it. I haven't read any recent books about Sinbad and I do find it is refreshing to see him through a child's eyes (the character Zardi's eyes).
Like all thirteen year old, Zardi loved fantastical stories of genies, mythical creatures, and heroes. She was charmed by Sindbad,the storytel...more
Like all thirteen year old, Zardi loved fantastical stories of genies, mythical creatures, and heroes. She was charmed by Sindbad,the storytel...more
This is a wonderful middle grade book. I may have to purchase my own copy so I can share it with my kids.
This book takes on Persian folk lore. As some of the main cast of characters we have Scheherazade, Sinbad, Aladdin is mentioned, Djinn, etc. Many characters we have come to know and love are combined to form a new story.
This is a great adventure where we meet a cyclops, Roc, metal giant, sorcerer, and a snake lady. There is enough magic and adventure to keep the attention of a middle grade re...more
This book takes on Persian folk lore. As some of the main cast of characters we have Scheherazade, Sinbad, Aladdin is mentioned, Djinn, etc. Many characters we have come to know and love are combined to form a new story.
This is a great adventure where we meet a cyclops, Roc, metal giant, sorcerer, and a snake lady. There is enough magic and adventure to keep the attention of a middle grade re...more
It is a good solid offering for a wide range (Sister's Grimm to Lightening Thief and Cornelia Funke)fans of fantasy and/or adventure. Although it is set in some non-specific “olden” time, I think the characters will appeal to readers of contemporary fantasy, as well as high fantasy. Bonus points for a real friendship and true loyalty between a boy and girl that is not a love interest. Also, for being in a non-Western arena, it has a Northern Africa/Middle Eastern type setting. I think the langua...more
This was a fun and exciting fantasy adventure about a brave girl named Zardi and her epic quest to defeat an evil sultan and rescue her sister. There was nonstop action and lots of character building, and the descriptions of the different settings took my breath away and kept me hooked in the story. What I loved best though, is that this story makes references to lots of old mythology stories, like with the djinni's, 'Open Sesame', and with Zardi herself, whose full name is Scheherazade, like th...more
First Impression: Just reading the description of The Book of Wonders gives me a sense of adventure. When I heard the name Sinbad, it brought me to think about Aladdin and the other tales of Arabian Nights and made me more excited to read this book.
While Reading: I was drawn in from the beginning. Richards sets up a rich world, full of an evil sultan, a deadly hunt, and a boy with a mysterious past. Zardi sees her own sister and father captured before her and decides to embark on a journey to fi...more
While Reading: I was drawn in from the beginning. Richards sets up a rich world, full of an evil sultan, a deadly hunt, and a boy with a mysterious past. Zardi sees her own sister and father captured before her and decides to embark on a journey to fi...more
I picked this up for my 11 year old son who is a voracious reader of voluminous chapter books. This sounded like it would be up his alley. I didn't pre-read it, but it is such a disappointment. I forced him to read the first six chapters. Usually if I can get him to engage the first five or so chapters of a book he'll usually get into it even if it started off "slow" for him. But no amount of cajoling or begging on my part can get him to continue any further with this book. He said of the first...more
OTHER. JOURNEY. The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards is an Arabian fantasy story following Scheherazade, called Zardi and her loyal compainion, Rhidan, with a mysterious family background. Zardi, who must save her sister from the terrible fate of being killed by the sultan, starts on a quest with the help of some forbidden magic. She meets djinns and rocs and evil witches along the way, but the quest becomes a race against time as sub-plots emerge to mess up Zardi's plan.
I picked this book up...more
I picked this book up...more
Fun story. Liked the tie-in to the 1001 Arabian Nights and Sinbad. The adventures were fun, a bit scary but entertaining. The kids sure loved hearing it - I read it aloud to my two.
Thought the writing style was a bit flaky - the way the characters spoke and acted - not entirely realistic to the characters they were in the Arabian tales - Sinbad, for instance, was way too lovey-dovey,sweet and kind. While that was clunky at times, the story was still very engaging!
Didn't like that the story didn'...more
Thought the writing style was a bit flaky - the way the characters spoke and acted - not entirely realistic to the characters they were in the Arabian tales - Sinbad, for instance, was way too lovey-dovey,sweet and kind. While that was clunky at times, the story was still very engaging!
Didn't like that the story didn'...more
When I started The Book of Wonders, I admit that my expectations were pretty low. I'd just finished a depressing string of middle-grade fantasy novels, and why should this book be any better? Well, whys and wherefores aside, The Book of Wonders delighted me and absolutely overcame all my objections within the first chapter.
From the beginning, I loved the subtle way in which the story parallels Arabian Nights. The main character, Scheherazade, is both like and unlike the famous storyteller we kno...more
From the beginning, I loved the subtle way in which the story parallels Arabian Nights. The main character, Scheherazade, is both like and unlike the famous storyteller we kno...more
Jul 29, 2012
næntsi
marked it as to-read
I'm at the halfway point. I think I'll be dropping this one. I started reading it while on a long bus ride downtown. When I got there I sat down in an outside court and read some more of it while enjoying the nice weather. I finished some more, and had gotten to where I am now. 50%. It's very nicely divided, since that marks the start of a new chapter.
Now, I don't hate this book, or anything extreme like that. It's just rather unexciting, because the moment there is any sort of reason to be exci...more
Now, I don't hate this book, or anything extreme like that. It's just rather unexciting, because the moment there is any sort of reason to be exci...more
You should all know by now that I am a sucker for pretty book covers. And The Book of Wonders was no exception. I wanted this book the from the moment I saw the gorgeous cover. And I did buy it :D Because not just the cover made me want it. Also really loved the summary. Really like MG books; and this was awesome :)
The plot in this book is really, really good. I liked it a whole lot. And I enjoyed the writing as well. But the reason this is a four star and not a five star, is because when the ch...more
The plot in this book is really, really good. I liked it a whole lot. And I enjoyed the writing as well. But the reason this is a four star and not a five star, is because when the ch...more
Zardi, short for Scheherazade, loves hearing stories about the times when magic was plentiful and abundant in the land of Arribitha. But those times are gone, ever since the evil sultan, Shahryar, came to power and forbade anyone from even talking about magic. When her sister, Zubeyda, is taken to be the sultan's next praisemaker - a job that always results in the girl's death - and her father is imprisoned, Zardi and her friend Rhidan must seek out Sinbad, and hope that the sailor's tales of la...more
13 yr old Zardi lives and her best friend Rhidan do everything together. The two live in Arribitha where magic is forbidden by the sultan. Anyone got using magic of any kind risk imprisonment or death. The sultan is cruel and vicious to his people, Zardi's father is the sultan's vizier, a kind of aid. This is position Zardi father hoped to keep some of the sultan's hideous acts to a minimum. However the sultan feels betrayed, and he takes Zubeyda, Zardi's older sister prisoner as his new praisem...more
I don’t know where to start so I will just jump in with both feet. When I first saw the cover it was intriguing and read the synopsis and I was hooked. The world of djinn, ogres, magic is some place I wanted to explore. The story was creative with the appearance of famous characters like Sinbad and the mention of Aladdin. Put a new twist on the Sinbad myth it gave the history of the book of wonders a point of reference and weight, and had a nice flow. I fell in love with Zardi her character was...more
A fantastic debut that's full of adventure, fantasy, friendship and a whole lot of charm. I felt like a kid all over again while reading this compelling story. There's something about a well written middle grade book that reminds me of the excitement I had when I first started reading them (what feels like eons ago), and this book has that excitement. The journey with Zardi and her best friend Rhidan isn't just thrilling, it was completely engaging. The world of Arribitha screams of adventure, b...more
3.5 stars
The Book of Wonders was a book I was very excited for. I adore fantasy, and middle grade fantasy always has this quality about it that rocks. It was a cute book, but was not everything I had been hoping for.
I found The Book of Wonders to have a slower start - it took me about 150 pages before I really got into the story. The world was very creative. I loved that right away when I started reading, within a few chapters, I had a grasp on the world. The story never went where I was expecti...more
The Book of Wonders was a book I was very excited for. I adore fantasy, and middle grade fantasy always has this quality about it that rocks. It was a cute book, but was not everything I had been hoping for.
I found The Book of Wonders to have a slower start - it took me about 150 pages before I really got into the story. The world was very creative. I loved that right away when I started reading, within a few chapters, I had a grasp on the world. The story never went where I was expecti...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Could this be a elementary school read aloud? | 3 | 8 | Feb 16, 2012 07:49am |
Jasmine Richards was born in London, grew up in a library, and was the first in her family to go to university. After graduating from Oxford, and following a brief stint at New Scotland Yard, Jasmine chose a career in publishing over being the next Sherlock Holmes. Today she's a senior editor at a leading British publishing house. She now lives in Oxfordshire with her husband in an old wool mill....more
More about Jasmine Richards...
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