Sami Shah

I love djinn stories that acknowledge that there are different types of djinn, and not only does Fire Boy do that, but also introduces other beings as well. Wahid's bumbling is endearing and a great way for the uninformed reader (ME) to better understand this particular Karachi. I loved the interludes that were alternated at the beginning of the book, but felt a little confused and bereft when that format fell off. Anyhow, it was a fast-paced read that particularly took off once Wahid met the King of Karachi (boy, did I love all the supporting characters in this book!), and I can't wait to make the journey into Kaf.… (mere)

Believe it or not, I think this is a very solid beginning.

The novel is an easy and engaging read, with plenty of fascinating crossover cultural bits between Pakistan and nerdy western practices, *(Thank you for the crossover between Moorcock's Elric and D&D, I think that was pretty well Awesome and A Half,)* and a delightful exploration of the Djinn World and Its History. I got sucked right into Wahid as a character, his friends, and the situation that he has found himself. The writing is engaging and smooth and the many interludes were just as fun as the main text.

So why did I just say this was just a very solid beginning? Oh, I may be wrong about that. We're actually pretty strongly through the middle of the novel, where the reveals come in play nicely and a wonderful new character comes into play. The action is now in full swing.

The only thing is... well... there's no climax. There's no final action. This isn't a complete novel. There is no end. There's just the part where I really, really want to go and then the text stops. It's not even a cliffhanger, because at least there's the peak and then the tumble off the peak in a cliffhanger. This is just... coitus interruptus.

Why don't I give this less stars, then? Because I was really enjoying myself. I want to read more. I'm going to read more. I'm hooked and it's delightful and I've got a real big sympathy for the devil thing going on right now.

Assuming that this novel picks up where it ought to and I can ignore this little interruption, I might just start raving about the book.

Here's to the future! :) *clink*… (mere)

Fire Boy is the story of a teenager in Karachi, Pakistan named Wahlid who is attacked by Djinn while driving his friends home from a party. The Djinn cause his car to crash, killing his best friend and putting the girl he has a crush on in a coma. In order to save the girl, Wahlid must solve the mystery of why the Djinn attacked him, find them, and retrieve the piece of the girl's soul that was stolen. The story was filled with Islamic mythology that was both familiar and new to me. The author did a good job of integrating the mythology into present day Pakistan and explaining to the reader without taking me out of the story with an information dump. I am looking forward to reading more of Wahlid's story. One warning though - the book just ends midway through the story so if you do not like cliffhangers consider having the sequel Earth Boy ready. They are both relatively short books so they can easily be read together as one big story.… (mere)

I initially received this as a free ebook from BookBub or similar marketing site; I have subsequently purchased a physical copy

Tightly written, beautifully realised urban fantasy. Deft weaving of political, religions, and personal aspects of the lives of the characters. Religious aspects are possibly a little heavy handed for those who are already familiar with Islam, but as a reader from a different religious tradition, I found it helpful. Similarly, I suspect some of the level of detail in the setting would be excessive for people familiar with Karachi and the way of life of its upper classes, but for me, it was useful to give a sense of place. The characterisation is good, but not great - I had difficulties with distinguishing some of the up-and-coming young men from scene to scene, and even the villains were a little mechanical at times, but the main character came through quite clearly as the spoiled only son of a somewhat wealthy family.

My main complaint is the ending - the story just seemed to stop, without any really clear idea of having achieved more than setting the scene for a bigger story. Given that this is part one of two, I have hopes of the sequel.… (mere)