lawbooks600's review against another edition
3.0
Representation: Asian main character
Trigger warnings: Terrorism, racism, sexism, near death experiences, military violence and war themes, hospitalisation
5/10, I picked this up a while back from one of the two libraries I go to and the latter has more modern books than the former so I chose from that one I was really hoping that I would enjoy this since I typically like fantasy novels like this, too bad this isn't the case since I found so many issues within this, where do I even begin. It starts off with the main character Khadija whose surname I don't know yet and she is forced to marry a man her father already chose for her much to her disappointment and the only way she can escape is through the sky and a hot air balloon and this must've been set a while back if inventions like aeroplanes, electricity and even airships weren't described. Anyways apparently Khadija meets another character called Jacob and he plays quite a critical role later on in the book and soon enough it is revealed that the country they live in called Ghadaea or something along those lines is oppressing a certain type of people called hari and they do magic which they don't like and the tensions start to brew the further I went in. And there's where the problems start to show, for starters the characters aren't even that well written and didn't experience any character development and second of all is the worldbuilding, it's barely explained which left me more questions than answers like where did the hari come from, how can they do magic and what are the jinn, I just don't know. Towards the end of the book the conflicts come to a head when there were acts of terrorism and then Khadija and Jacob were involved in a big revolution which left them in a sorry state wrapping this up in a cliffhanger and a low note. I'm not sure whether I'm going to read book two in the series but maybe that could explain some plot elements.
Trigger warnings: Terrorism, racism, sexism, near death experiences, military violence and war themes, hospitalisation
5/10, I picked this up a while back from one of the two libraries I go to and the latter has more modern books than the former so I chose from that one I was really hoping that I would enjoy this since I typically like fantasy novels like this, too bad this isn't the case since I found so many issues within this, where do I even begin. It starts off with the main character Khadija whose surname I don't know yet and she is forced to marry a man her father already chose for her much to her disappointment and the only way she can escape is through the sky and a hot air balloon and this must've been set a while back if inventions like aeroplanes, electricity and even airships weren't described. Anyways apparently Khadija meets another character called Jacob and he plays quite a critical role later on in the book and soon enough it is revealed that the country they live in called Ghadaea or something along those lines is oppressing a certain type of people called hari and they do magic which they don't like and the tensions start to brew the further I went in. And there's where the problems start to show, for starters the characters aren't even that well written and didn't experience any character development and second of all is the worldbuilding, it's barely explained which left me more questions than answers like where did the hari come from, how can they do magic and what are the jinn, I just don't know. Towards the end of the book the conflicts come to a head when there were acts of terrorism and then Khadija and Jacob were involved in a big revolution which left them in a sorry state wrapping this up in a cliffhanger and a low note. I'm not sure whether I'm going to read book two in the series but maybe that could explain some plot elements.
siobhanthebookworm's review against another edition
3.0
I had such high hopes for this book, but I was quite disappointed. For most of the book it looked like it was going to get a 3.5/4⭐️, but the ending completely ruined it. There was no resolution to any of the issues, no culmination of the romantic plotline, and the leaders still held their prejudices. This book should not have been a standalone, it would have worked so much better as a series, then the ending would not have been so rushed. I really hope the author writes a sequel, because this desperately needs one. I think the concept of this book is amazing and could have been really interesting and worthy of more stars if it had been executed correctly. Same for the worldbuilding and mythology, it has so much potential but everything felt very rushed and I think the story might have worked better without the fantasy elements and if it had just been a political commentary. The political and social aspects of this book were very interesting, but the ending left nothing resolved. As for the characters, I really liked Jacob’s character. His story was the most compelling and intriguing, very realistic, very complex and full of nuances, and I found myself enjoying his chapters the most. Whilst I liked Khadija as a character, I felt there was something missing with her, a lack of depth/motivation that made her less compelling. I feel that she had potential to be an amazing female protagonist, but something went wrong. The prose too at times seemed quite trivial and almost childish, which made some scenes quite painful to read, but this might just have been because it was Marufu’s first novel. Overall, I did like the book, but it definitely could have been explored better and, if my hopes of a sequel came true, I would read it to get the answers I need.
beathebumblebee's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Classism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Violence and Murder
mekeisha's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
filliefanatic's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
3.5
expected it to be aimed at a higher audience, but still pretty good.
mellyqueen's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hollybollybingbong's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, the descriptions were brilliantly done, and I thought the story itself was very unique and refreshing. I found the pacing odd in the last fight, it felt like it was over far too quickly, especially as this was the main bit the rest of the book was building up to.
lizouzou's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Balloon Thief was a story that I have decidedly mixed feelings about. Maybe it was because I had a very stop and start experience with it.
The beginning of the novel was really strong. It had easy-to-follow worldbuilding, snappy and fast-paced plotting, and strong characterisation. I really liked the fact that Aneesa Marufu included a.
I think the problem started when Marufu tried to introduce a secondary male character and make him the MC's, and despite Marufu's attempts to make it work, I just didn't feel any chemistry between them. When they finally
And while the main conflict between the Ghadaeans and the Hāri was established well - as were the rebel groups that play a key role in the novel - it later became a bit too heavy-handed for my liking. I also felt the ending was rushed.
It was a fun read with some good action scenes, but ultimately I didn't fall in love with it.
The beginning of the novel was really strong. It had easy-to-follow worldbuilding, snappy and fast-paced plotting, and strong characterisation. I really liked the fact that Aneesa Marufu included a
Spoiler
trans character called Anam, I thought that arc was really well doneI think the problem started when Marufu tried to introduce a secondary male character and make him the MC's
Spoiler
love interestSpoiler
kissSpoiler
I didn't feel it at all.And while the main conflict between the Ghadaeans and the Hāri was established well - as were the rebel groups that play a key role in the novel - it later became a bit too heavy-handed for my liking. I also felt the ending was rushed.
It was a fun read with some good action scenes, but ultimately I didn't fall in love with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Blood, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Genocide
Minor: War