“Even a thief may have honor, and even a jinni may have a heart.”
Do you like Aladdin? A good action-packed fantasy? Diverse settings? Romance that isn’t insta-love? Because The Forbidden Wish is all of those things and more. It contains a plot that managed to hold my attention the entire time, female-empowering characters, and a cute love interest.
This is a retelling of Aladdin with a unique concept—this time the jinni is the main character, and she’s a girl. Zahra has been trapped inside a magical lamp for four thousand years, and she hasn’t had a Master to grant wishes to in hundreds of years. That’s where Aladdin steps in.
“I sense the boy the moment he sets foot in the cave.
For the first time in centuries, I stir.
I am smoke in the lamp, and I curl and stretch, shaking off the lethargy of five hundred years.”
Aladdin was a lovable, mischievous thief. His personality was genuinely sweet and kind of nerdy. He wasn’t exactly swoony compared to some love interests (*cough* Khalid *cough*) but he was really cute and I liked him.
He was also a bit of a womanizer and was familiar with all the girls in the village, a trait I found surprisingly attractive. He wasn’t a bit shy about all the girlfriends he’d had and I liked this confident side to him.
“You betting on me, handsome?”
Aladdin grins. “You busy later?”
She shrugs and pops her knuckles, her eyes traveling over his shoulders and torso. “I think I could spare a minute.”
I loved Zahra as a narrator. She was spunky and clever, but had an aura of unbearable sadness surrounding her that broke my heart. Being bound to a lamp for so long, Zahra had time to reflect on the Queen she used to love like a sister, but who died a terrible, mysterious death long ago that is somehow connected to Zahra.
When Zahra is offered her freedom from the King of the Jinn in exchange for rescuing a kidnapped jinni, her plans get foiled when she finds herself beginning to care for Aladdin in the way that jinn are forbidden to care for humans.
I enjoyed the banter between Zahra and Aladdin. Their relationship slowly grew from a wary friendship into a tender romance. I should add that the dialogue got the teensiest bit cheesy at times—especially toward the end—but honestly, I kind of liked it and it was all part of the fun.
This was a dazzling, exciting fantasy that was one of the better retellings I’ve read. The writing was so gorgeous that I honestly had a hard time choosing which of the beautiful quotes to use in my review. The ending was awesome, with the perfect amount of action and closure. I would totally recommend it to fantasy lovers.
“And what do you know of love?”
“That it must be a choice.”
“Oh, my naïve thief.” I pause briefly to meet his gaze. “Love is rarely a choice.”
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