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A Tale of Two Djinns

by Mina Khan (Goodreads Author)

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 39 ratings · 19 reviews

A TALE OF TWO DJINNS is a sexy paranormal Romeo & Juliet story with genies, feminists, kickass action & adult fun.

Akshay, warrior prince of the earth djinns, earns the title of Crown Prince at a high cost when he loses his best friend in a battle against ancient enemies, the water djinns. Heartsick, he escapes to Earth to mourn.

Nothing gets the biological clock ti...more

Paperback, 142 pages

Published April 11th 2012 by Rashda Khan (first published March 8th 2012)

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Genies/Djinn/Suspended Animation In Romance

3rd out of 53 books — 27 voters

Best Romance/Paranormal Romance Books with Strong Women Characters

8th out of 13 books — 6 voters

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Mar 31, 2012 Alisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

(Review originally posted at Book Lovers Inc)

After reading Mina Khan’s previous book, The Djinn's Dilemma, I was charmed by the djinn characters, and supremely intrigued by the thought of further exploration of the djinn world she’d hinted at. A Tale of Two Djinns made precisely such an exploration, taking place almost completely in the djinn world and featuring a couple of djinn protagonists. Unsurprisingly, I loved the world-building and loved the characters.

I like how the main characters, Aks...more (Review originally posted at Book Lovers Inc)

After reading Mina Khan’s previous book, The Djinn's Dilemma, I was charmed by the djinn characters, and supremely intrigued by the thought of further exploration of the djinn world she’d hinted at. A Tale of Two Djinns made precisely such an exploration, taking place almost completely in the djinn world and featuring a couple of djinn protagonists. Unsurprisingly, I loved the world-building and loved the characters.

I like how the main characters, Akshay and Mina, move from their initially physical, primal attraction to a progressively deeper understanding of each other’s personalities, their true selves beyond the titles and responsibilities that they’re otherwise known for. Notably, the attraction between Akshay and Mina was hot. ^_^ Playful and flirty at first, then progressively punctuated with sweet, smile-inducing bits. I’m not sure who I liked more of the duo; they worked so well in tandem because the quirks in one brought out the same in the other. Akshay’s strength and intensity to Maya’s firey will. His protectiveness to her nurturing. Their respective senses of loyalty. They rocked equally!

What was really interesting about the romantic development, however, was that it was based on deception. There are reasons–believable, understandable reasons–for the two main characters to hide crucial details about themselves, and by extension to prevent the other from getting too close. As a reader, nothing gets on my nerves quicker than the introduction of a profund misunderstanding between a potential couple just for the sake of (needlessly) prolonging a dilemma. This story had no such device, for the actions and behaviors were all included for reasons of self-preservation (literally and figuratively). That alone was a breath of fresh air amongst romantic plot devices.

While the djinn world setting was magical and surreal feeling, there was a fine grit of darker things coating the surface that I found intriguing. The ripple-effect brought on by conflict; the suddenness and seeming senselessness of loss; the consequences of misperceptions and prejudice. None of those things weighed down the tone of the story with their inclusion; rather, they provided some heft, a measure of realism.

There was a very important, relevant theme in particular that was laced throughout the story, and that was the oft-marginalized role of women in societies. The inclusion of this element was not too obvious, but rather demonstrated in small ways, and as part of the larger plot structure. There was one scene in particular in which a group of female royals sit by, secretly influencing decision-making with their wisdom, but limited in their ability to lay claim to such intelligence and evenhandedness. I found myself thinking about and paying closer attention to those cues, and by the end was left with more than the expected warm-fuzzies of a romance (of which there was plenty, mind you); I thought, “Well, what if I found myself in such a position? What would I do?” I love that I was thinking such things, above and beyond romance itself.

Because of its thematic complexity, its strong and magnetic characters, and its vivid setting, A Tale of Two Djinns is easily a keeper. I’m a fan of the author and the series now, and I truly can’t wait for the next foray into this world!(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 24, 2013 Carin rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Tale of Two Djinns is a Romeo and Juliet meets the Djinn fantasy world of Mina Khan.
Being a fairly short novel at around 150 pages we get a wonderful story but not a huge amount of background.
Shay is the oldest son of the King of the earth djinn and Maya is a lesser princess of the water djinn, the Earth and Water djinn have been at war for many years causing problems in both kingdoms. When Shay and Maya meet up at a bar in the Earth realm neither knows the others real identity.

This is a we...more

1 like · like · see review

May 11, 2012 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-uf

I have never read a book with Djinn or genies as the characters so I was intrigued when I got this opportunity. I loved it!

The plot was about two warring groups of Djinn- the earth and the water djinn. The war was over water rights and mistaken prejudice about each other. In the midst of this war, a prince of the earth djinn and a princess of the water djinn meet in the human world both seeking a temporary night of passion and through a mishap end up spending much more time together. The extra...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 01, 2012 Lady Raven RAVE! rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, novella-romance, series-romance

(http://romancenoveljunkies.com/Mina_K... ) reviews

4.5 stars

BRIEF SUMMARY

Maya, princess of water Djinns needs to produce an heir. So, out of desperation and without marrying she decides to have a one night stand. The man she meets without knowing his identity is Akshay, prince of earth Djinns. Both families are feuding and with that comes assassins and complications.

THOUGHTS

This definitely felt like a Romeo and Juliet concept with a twist, then add a paranormal and fantasy feel to it and you’re...more

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Jeannie Platt rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a fast read, which i enjoyed... It starts and ends with a battle... Which is pretty cool... The infulence of culture and myth along with the sexual relationship of Maya and Akshay burns up the pages. What was supposed to be a one night stand on Maya's part turned into something more.Between both hiding their true status and djinn type from the one other, shady family members and disturst... Can love survive when war is constant between two cultures of djinn?

Betrayal, fighting, sex, magi...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 05, 2012 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mina Khan’s Book, A Tale of Two Djinns is a blend of the medieval and the modern, of fantasy and realism. This was my first experience reading about Djinns and I loved it. I really enjoyed the imagery of the Djinns abilities over the elements.

Maya and Shay were trapped between their families and their people in a bitter situation that had dragged on too long. And what made the book so satisfying was that they refused to allow their family’s prejudice to affect how they felt about each other. Th...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 05, 2012 Has rated it 3 of 5 stars

Full Review posted at The Book Pushers:

http://thebookpushers.com/2012/07/03/...

I am always drawn to books which feature Djinns because they are one of my favourite supernatural beings and it is interesting to see the different takes some authors have on them. With A Tale of Two Djinns by Mina Khan, the Djinns are divided into different elemental groups such as water or earth. Maya, who is a princess and a witch of the Water Djinn, is also one of the powerful warriors for her tribe. However after...more Full Review posted at The Book Pushers:

http://thebookpushers.com/2012/07/03/...

I am always drawn to books which feature Djinns because they are one of my favourite supernatural beings and it is interesting to see the different takes some authors have on them. With A Tale of Two Djinns by Mina Khan, the Djinns are divided into different elemental groups such as water or earth. Maya, who is a princess and a witch of the Water Djinn, is also one of the powerful warriors for her tribe. However after a difficult battle with the Earth Djinn, Maya was injured defending her lands, and while she is recuperating she is pressured by her family to take a break as well as to find a man so she could beget an heir.

Unbeknownst to Maya, who goes for some R and R at a cowboy dive bar on earth to look for some fun and a potential father for her baby. The candidate she’s drawn to is her enemy, Akshay who is the heir to the Earth Djinn. She had fought with him a few days before but is totally unaware that he is the enemy and a Royal Earth Djinn at that! They are instantly attracted to each other and share a very steamy night together but things go downhill when they are attacked by an Air Djinn and Maya gets injured in the fight and Shay takes her to his lands to recover. But she then realises she’s hooked up with an Earth Djinn and a Royal one at that and is in danger of her real identity being discovered.

This is really cute and enjoyable novella, with an exciting and fast paced opening battle scene. The world-building with different types of Djinns linked with elements was imaginative and established very well and I loved the rich descriptions of the setting and how the magic worked. I also loved the magical elements linked to each different type of Djinn and it was a great take on these mythical beings.

I also liked the differences between each elemental Djinn societies – With Maya’s tribe, women have equality and can become warriors while Akshay’s family women are relegated to being wives and mothers and are coddled. Although the Earth Djinn’s lands are facing a huge drought and one of the reasons why they are in a war with the Water Djinns is due to access to water.

The romance between Maya and Shay was also engaging and the love scenes sizzled with sensual tension. However, I did wish there was more time expanding the love story because I felt it was pretty rushed because it was a matter of days that they fell in love. I couldn’t really believe they would have such strong feelings for each other especially since they both come from opposing backgrounds and there was the true bond/mated trope which wasn’t really explored enough for me. I know this is a novella so there was time constraints but I do wish the book was longer because it would have made the romance much more stronger for me.

Nonetheless both main characters were fleshed out and likeable and the premise and setting really made the story for me although I wished there was more time in the Djinn world. And I would have liked more on Maya’s witch’s ability because again due to the shortness of the story, there wasn’t much of an explanation on why it was so important and different to other Djinns and how that linked to her bond with Shay especially towards the end. But I hope there is a full book set in this world because it was vivid and vibrant and I loved the tone and the setting in the Djinn realms.

A Tale of Two Djinns romance was a bit rushed to my liking but the rich world-building and setting made up for that. With two appealing lead characters and sensual and imaginative love scenes, this was a lovely, quick and enjoyable read and I think this is a really promising series.

I give A Tale of Two Djinns a C+(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 06, 2013 Missy Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars

This isn't my first book about djinn, but it was a different take on them. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the setting, and the characters.

Akshay is the Crown Prince of the Earth djinn. Their greatest enemy is the water djinn who sell them barely enough water to live. After a grueling battle, Akshay goes to the human realm to unwind and forget about everything. He runs into a beautiful djinn named Maya who is only interested in getting him into bed. He doesn't know she is hiding a lot of secrets...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Laurie (Bitten by Paranormal Romance) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-request, paranormal-romance, requests, novella-ebooks, favorites

Mina Khan, writes very sexy novellas that will have you wanting more and she shows this again in A Tale of Two Djinns it’s truly romantic and very hot! I read this novella in one setting, I just couldn’t quit.

Akshay and Maya are enemies, but once they met in the bar as humans there’s no stopping them from doing the naughty and let me tell you, once they start they can’t keep their hands off of each other but when one slips up and shows their true form, well things take a dreadful turn.

You’ll fin...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 InD'Tale Magazine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-may-june, genre-paranormal-urban-fantasy, rating-3-5-star

3.5 stars

InD'Tale Magazine Premiere Issue, May/June 2012

The full review by Ana Smith is here

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Apr 30, 2013 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had not read about Djinns before, but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed reading A TALE OF TWO DJINNS. An afternoon's delight!!

1 like · like · see review

Apr 01, 2012 Buffy Armstrong rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books-read

I really enjoyed this romantic novella. I love djinns and the world Ms. Khan created did not disappoint. It was clever and sexy and most of all touching. I instantly like the two main characters and wanted them to find love together. A strong, honorable man and a smart, tough woman is a winning combination! Did I mention this book was sexy?

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 01, 2013 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaway-wins, adult

Quickie Thoughts

Well...that was strange. I loved the idea of Djinns, but we never got to see what they can do or what makes them special. They do live in an alternate dimension which was interesting. The story moved entirely too fast. It seemed to jump from one scene to another with not much in between. Shay and Maya were supposedly having a one night stand in the human world, then BOOM, they're "heartmates" and she's pregnant. Of course, they're from enemy clans who are at war, but their love s...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 04, 2012 Katie Reus rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you enjoy a Romeo and Juliet theme (with a happy ending) you'll love this paranormal novella! This was a quick, sensual read. Longer review to come soon.

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 05, 2012 Meda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: prn-uf

A grown up fairy tale for grown ups. Love!

1 like · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Hasien rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, novella

I really enjoyed this story.

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 19, 2012 Natacha P rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, romance

I won this through GoodReads giveaway.

This is a HOT HOT HOT entertaining little number!! Given its length it can be devoured in a few hours (depending on how fast one reads), which is exactly what I did since I couldn't put it down. Hunky men, strong women, action, sex, love, and humor make for a delightfully sexy read.

In a word: LOVE!!

1 like · like · see review

Mar 26, 2012 Alvin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very well written characters, fast paced action, smoking hot love scenes & thought provoking.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 23, 2012 Ana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: zz-read-in-2012, zz-indtale, paranormal

3.5 stars

Reviewed for InD'Tale magazine. The review can be found here.

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Jun 16, 2013 Linh marked it as to-read

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Jun 13, 2013 Trisha marked it as to-read

Shelves: signed-by-author

Jun 11, 2013 Mina Khan rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: my-books

Jun 07, 2013 Jadestorm marked it as to-read

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May 17, 2013 Lindsey ( United By Books Reviews) marked it as to-read

May 09, 2013 Arianna marked it as to-read

May 09, 2013 Gabrielle ~ Bhlack Benehvolence ~ marked it as to-read

May 06, 2013 Mrs. Missive marked it as to-read

Shelves: rt13-author

May 03, 2013 Sandy marked it as to-read

Shelves: para-romance

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About Mina Khan

Mina Khan is a Texas-based writer and food enthusiast. She daydreams of hunky paranormal heroes, magic, mayhem and mischief and writes them down as stories. Between stories, she teaches culinary classes and writes for her local newspaper. Other than that, she's raising a family of two children, two cats, two dogs and a husband.

She grew up in Bangladesh on stories of djinns, ghosts and monsters. Th...more

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“Should she slam his head into the bar or toss her beer on him? Damn shame to waste good beer.” — 6 people liked it

“Soft woman and hard metal...unexpected & sexy as hell. Had she been real?” — 3 people liked it

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