The Djinn's Apple by Djamila Morani (Translated by Sawad Hussain)

I would like to thank Neem Tree Press and The Write Reads team for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher - Neem Tree Press

Published - Out Now

Price - £8.99 paperback

Historical fiction meets crime fiction in The Djinn's Apple, an award-winning YA murder mystery set in the Abbasid period―the golden age of Baghdad.

A ruthless murder. A magical herb. A mysterious manuscript.

When Nardeen’s home is stormed by angry men frantically in search of something―or someone―she is the only one who manages to escape. And after the rest of her family is left behind and murdered, Nardeen sets out on an unyielding mission to bring her family’s killers to justice, regardless of the cost…

Resilience is often a key part of any story. Bad things in fiction can often be spectacularly bad and so we have to see if our main characters can still win the day. How do you recover; are you still the same person before and where do you go next? It’s a story we all will feel some link to as we’ve all that that feeling we're lost and yet how do we bounce back to get through the next day and weeks to come. In the enthralling YA historical mystery tale The Djinn’s Apple by Djamila Morani we are taken to 9th century Baghdad for a tale of brutal murder, perseverance and revenge.

Nardeen’s family had the misfortune to belong to the Baramikas (a powerful family of Viziers) people who have fallen out of favour with the Caliph and now accused of treachery. Her father Bayan is just a studious doctor who tends rich and poor and Nardeen aims to learn all his knowledge and follow in his footsteps. But court intrigue has now placed the family in great danger and one terrifying night the family home is attacked and Nardeen only just escapes but finds her parents and siblings dead. She is taken to become a slave but just prior to this she manages to fall across the path of the famed physician Muallim Ishaq who knew her family. Muallim manages to help Nardeen become his student and also suggests she may be able to get revenge on the notorious yet powerful Al-Aesfi a former friend of the family and chief suspect in their murder. Nardeem has to overcome societal pressure to get close to her enemy but more danger and surprises are in store.

This is a fast paced yet absorbing tale that from the terrifying murder at the start takes us on to a journey and for me an unknown one to a place and time that I know very little about. We cover intrigue, science, romance and murder and I didn’t find the story that predictable at all. Morani paints a vivid and eloquent view of Baghdad in the period - stylish, educated and yet also dangerous. Upset the wrong person you and your entire family are in danger. The set piece where Nardeen only just about escapes with her life is powerfully written and you feel the sense of horror that builds as Nardeen realises what has happened to her family. The aftermath of the scene too is brutal

We assume we go straight into a revenge tale but then we have an equally interesting diversion into the Nardeen entering medicine and gaining a guardian/mentor in the form of Muallim who is the doctor all other doctors look up to, he’s filled with ancient knowledge and impressed by Nardeen’s excellent memory, eye for detail and knowledge already gained from her father we get a not quite father-daughter team both of whom struggle with their emotions and yet we see Muallim just over a few years train Nardeen and start to help her get her own career in medicine (in a time when this was considered impossible for women) but he also seems to think he can help her get her revenge. He’s a very mercurial yet compelling character who you never know what he will do next and I liked the way that Nardeen and him spar and yet also clearly respect each other. A refreshing dynamic that you don’t see too much of in fiction.

The latter phases of the book bring more intrigue and offer Nardeen hope of revenge which, as by now we care about her we do not want her to get into any trouble. Nardeen is our narrator throughout and the tension as to what the final outcome will be is held right up to the final pages. Lets say it’s satisfyingly not quite what I expected! But throughout Nardeen’s voice comes across really well - there is a lyrical nature to the storytelling helped by Nardeen using little sayings and capturing her emotional pain to make her feel like a person of a different time but yet also someone we recognise as very human, kind and yet finding a need revenge is burning through her. How will she react when she finally gets the evidence she needs?

The Djinn’s Apple is a great story (and deservedly won the English PEN award) that is refereshing doing different things with location, characgter and plotlines. It doesn’t drag its story out for too long and it’s got a character you really root for. Highly recommended and I think lovers of intelligent YA should pick this up!