The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni, #1) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Jul 29, 2015 Nancy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, magical-realism

Although this book was long, it was so well written and so subtly constructed that I found I simply couldn't put it down. I was drawn in to the story immediately. At first I wondered where some of the apparently unconnected threads fit in, but as the story developed it became clear and everything came together in the end. What I loved about it was that it wasn't just a fantasy story, it was a musing on faith, on consequences and on life. I loved how the two vastly different characters of the Gol ...more

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Jul 07, 2016 Book Concierge rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 19th-century, new-york, historical-fiction, friendship, concierge, strong-women, library

From the book jacket [This] novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. … Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert.

My reactions
Gosh, I really wanted to like this book. I looked forward to learning more about the myths of these two cultures – ancient Judaism and Syrian lore. But it never really captured my ...more

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Jan 21, 2017 Sam rated it liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, books-of-2017

I really enjoyed this novel, but I just can't quite bring myself to give it that fourth star. The writing is wonderful, it's certainly an original take on the folklore behind both the golem and the jinni, but it took me far too long to actually feel invested in the story.

I felt that it took too long for things to start meshing together. Chava's story especially I found to drag a lot in the first 150+ pages. Until she meets Ahmad, honestly, she's a very boring character to follow. Partially that ...more

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Jun 16, 2016 Krysta rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book was recommended to me as part of a Goodreads Recommendation Swap in one of my Goodreads groups.

I had a feeling this was not going to be my new favorite when I picked it up, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
I thought the book started off slow, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it was boring. At first, I didn't understand why there were so many characters and I started confusing people (especially because some of them had similar names.)
Once things started picking up, I enjo ...more

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Apr 05, 2014 Rusty rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I liked this story very much. It was well written, there was action, problems and solutions. It's original and a good read that kept the reader involved. What I didn't feel was quite right was that a jinni who has lived hundreds of years should suddenly begin to act like a human in so many ways. In addition, I found it difficult to accept that a golem begin to feel love. All in all, however, I do recommend this book. It's well done. ...more

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