Reviews with content warning for Blood - The Daughters of Izdihar

[This review can also be found on my BLOG]

**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**

CW: violence, gun violence, blood, injury, murder, death, police brutality, sexual harassment, medical trauma, sexism, misogyny, classism, homophobia, lesbophobia, fire/fire injury, grief, abortion
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An unputdownable debut, The Daughters of Izdihar is a story with captivating magic and a stirring fight for independence.

Set in a lush, historic Egypt inspired fantasy world where a profoundly patriarchal society is as prejudiced to those with rare elemental ‘weaving’ powers as it is to its women, two women’s lives intertwine through the activist group The Daughters of Izdihar and their fight for their rights as both women and weavers.

Our protagonists are Nehal, a noble woman with a fiery disposition coerced into an arranged manage to get her family out of debt, who craves the opportunity to better learn to control her water weaving powers and join the Alamaxa Weaving Academy. And Giorgina, a more reserved and subtly defiant working class woman with earth weaving powers of her own, who’s solace in life comes from contributing to the Daughters of Izdihar and working at a local bookshop.

“There are times when you must speak. Even if you can’t change the other person. If you don’t speak, then they have succeeded in changing you.“

Hadeer Elsbai has done a fantastic job at narrating an engaging storyline that cuts deep at your emotions and the parallels to real world prejudices made it hit all the more harder. I think the mastery particularly comes from how the two perspectives we follow were not only distinct in their personalities, but having two protagonists of different social backgrounds gave the story that much more significance.
They may be different in status and demeanour but Nehal and Giorgina have much in common when it comes to the challenges they face with their families, their relationships/love, their powers and wider society. I found myself equally infuriated and inspired by their individual journeys and the situations they faced and the very real endurance of women that this story lays bare.

“Didn’t the reality of the oppression matter more than the language they used to fight it?”

My main criticism is that while the descriptions and sense of atmosphere of the settings are captured pretty well, I thought the worldbuilding was a little loose especially when it came to the magic system. Though the handful of abilities used throughout the book made for some exciting moments of action, they weren’t really explained or developed on much. We get a few details on the pantheon of Gods that the powers are said to come from and a few training scenes at the academy but the magic definitely had less of a focus than the overarching political plot.

The intrigue here was twofold, that of the more personal human rights level and then the machinations relating to international relations occurring in the background that slowly gained more prominence. The tensions, fast moving narrative and compelling determination of these characters will keep you hooked to the very end. And with how everything closes off in this first instalment I am now going to be counting the days until I can get my hands on book 2!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars

Content Warnings

ezwolf's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I absolutely LOVED this book and I absolutely adored Nehal! Both Giorgina and Nehal were wonderfully well written and interesting characters, but I really enjoyed Nehal’s “I will not hesitate to call you out on your bullshit” attitude. Also the fact that she comments on every pretty woman that crosses her path.

I was a little hesitant about the marriage plot point but the way that Nehal and Nico go from tentative allies to the partnership they have by the end of the book is great. The acknowledgment that neither of them wanted to be married to each other but can help each other get things they want was so much fun to read about.

This book does a great job of covering a lot of important topics from women’s rights in general, voting rights for women, abortions, purity culture, wealthy privilege, etc.

The wait for the next book to come out will be worth it, I have no doubt!

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings

gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I loved that this book told a story set in a more modern Egypt! The Daughters of Izdihar tells a harrowing tale of two girls, Nehal and Georgina, both on a journey towards freedom and choice, in a country on the brink of war. I enjoyed role of the technological levels of this story, the juxtaposition between trains and palanquins showcasing a country seemingly on the path to the future while being heavily held back by restrictions on women and their personhood. The colorful descriptions of the fashion, the cuisine, and the architecture were immersive and aids in pulling the reader into the story.

I liked the magical weaving element of the story, though I felt that at times, this component of the story felt more like an afterthought. The beginning of Nehal's story leads with a burning desire to attend the Weaving Academy due to her struggle to learn the skills of weaving on her own. Yet, the very moment she attains everything she had been striving for, Nehal never has to struggle to rise in strength and skill. Further on in the story, Nehal's fast-learned ability quickly culminates to dire consequences, but I would've liked to see a little more of the Weaving Academy.

Georgina's journey with weaving, while featuring a wildly contrasting story, had similar tones to Nehal's. With Georgina, I liked that her story showed the difficulties of weaving while coming from a less privileged background. But again, at times, it felt like her weaving abilities only come into the story as a method to lead into the next act of the book and I would've liked to see more of her relationship with her weaving abilities.

One of my struggle with the story was feeling like there were times when the actions and thoughts of the characters were told to the reader, as opposed to being showed to the reader, leading to the characters occasionally feeling very one-dimensional. For example, upon being given new information, the reader is told Nehal is reflecting on the consequences, without further delving into her thought process involved in the choices she must make about the issue at hand.

In a story showcasing police brutality and the escalation of violence at the hands of cops, I found it odd and a little distasteful that there was pro-cop rhetoric within this book. When the characters have to deal with the police force, Nehal reflects that "... there were some like Shaaban who were honorable and dedicated to maintaining the peace.." While not being a full endorsement for police, this line of thinking is all too similar to rampant "not all cops" arguments, and I did not enjoy that the issue is not reflected upon further in the story.

In the end, I did like this book for the magic elements and the setting, and the cliffhanger has me waiting impatiently for the sequel!

Content Warnings

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