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The Forbidden Wish
The Forbidden Wish
The Forbidden Wish
Audiobook11 hours

The Forbidden Wish

Written by Jessica Khoury

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years, a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity, only to discover that she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?
As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 23, 2016
ISBN9781515971498
The Forbidden Wish
Author

Jessica Khoury

Jessica Khoury is the author of multiple books for teens and young readers. In addition to writing, she is an artistic mapmaker and spends far too much time scribbling tiny mountains and trees for fictional worlds. Her spare hours are spent video gaming, painting, or cooking badly. She lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with her husband, daughters, and sassy husky Katara.

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Reviews for The Forbidden Wish

Rating: 4.024038390384615 out of 5 stars
4/5

104 ratings12 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this and was happy it didn't end on a cliffhanger
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    IF YOU LOVE FAIRYTALE RE-TELLINGS PLEASE PICK THIS UP , YOU WONT REGRET IT !
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I thought this book was really great. It was a fun, light read with great mythology and a nice slow burn romance. I've always been a fan of jinn and while watching the movie Aladdin and encountering the tale of Aladdin and the lamp of the Arabian nights, I found the relationship between Aladdin and the jinn to be really captivating, and as a romance lover, I always wanted a story where Aladdin and the jinn fell in love. I picked up this book mainly for that reason and it was well worth it.

    My only complaint about the book is that I wish Zahra and Habiba had been in love romantically instead of seeing each other as "sisters" or "friends." Their love literally caused a war between the jinni and humans that had repercussions for 500 years afterward, Zahra uses the body of Habiba as her appearance and describes her looks as very beautiful and attractive in a way that isn't very friendly, and she's also telling the book to Habiba. I mean that's pretty gay. With this book, it's quite easy to adhere to death of the author and say that Zahra says their love was sisterly and only as friends because she could feel guilty over their love resulting in the Forbidden Wish, so that's what I choose to do and interpret Zahra as bisexual. Perhaps Zahra and Habiba were never shown to kiss, but their love story rang more romantic than familial to me! Besides, after you love someone so intensely, the brain often categorizes your love as familial since it's transitioned to a long term/more permanent love.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I guess I'm one of the minority that didn't like the book. Which is a shame because the premise was interesting.

    I couldn't connect with the characters or their supposed struggles. All the characters felt a bit flat, especially Aladdin, who's either drunk or standing around doing nothing in most scenes. I understand the author is trying to write strong female characters, but they need to remember the other characters who are also in the scene.
    The handmaidens were all flat stereotypes, you have the quiet, bookish one (sorry, I forget their names), the suspicious one, the one with the snake (I know that's not a stereotype, but I mean that they have only one feature differentiating them) etc. and they are all joined in their unshakeable loyalty to the Princess. You get a little bit of backstory with the one who's royalty in a different country, but nothing more than a paragraph.

    The love story was dull, I couldn't understand their attraction to each other and the token scenes (eg. stealing the pipe) dedicated to their budding relationship was too obvious and contrived.

    It felt like this book glossed over too much. Perhaps if it was a longer book, with more room to deal with the relationships between the characters, more exploration of their desires, I would have found this book more interesting.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A retelling of Aladdin from the perspective of the jinn, trapped in her bottle for hundreds of years after she was forced to betray her dear human friend by the ruler of the jinn. Now, she has one last opportunity for freedom, but only if she rescues a trapped jinn from the humans; to do so, she helps Aladdin pretend to be a prince and seek the favor of the princess. But there’s palace intrigue aplenty on the human side, and she and Aladdin are having some inconvenient feelings… Nicely done YA fantasy/romance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I found myself consumed by the intricate world and overwhelmed by the unique plot... There is just one word to describe it and that word is magical.

    It started out slow, but once Aladdin came along, the pace picked up and so did my heart beats. He was such a gorgeously flawed character. I swooned hard and fell more in love as the story progressed. If nothing else, you will love the love story. It's not exactly insta love because there is playful banter, but it's definitely a deep rooted thing that feels hundreds of year aged. It's gorgeous and tragic and just so many words wrapped into one.

    I had a few minor issues with the plot, but the scenic descriptions and setting overshadowed those. The book world seriously stole my breath. I could see smoke billowing, darkness falling, and bright colors blooming. Each chapter painted a new picture on my mind and I was entranced to say the least. There were shape shifting Jinns... I mean need I say more? It was a crazy whirlwind adventure that mysteriously found a happily ever after.

    I recommend it to middle eastern and retelling readers. The writing is seriously top notch.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An excellent book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is gold.

    The characters are brought to life through both lovely reflective phrases as well as jaunty dialogue. Aladdin is the perfect amount of cocky and angry, of reckless and intelligent. Zahra is a strong, if reserved, narrator, sharp in her observations and flawed in her actions. Together, their scenes are a great blend of playful and yearning, sharp and sensual. But the great characterization doesn’t stop there! Alongside them is an exciting supporting cast, which is chock full of challenging, feminist characters! In fact, in many ways it is the princess Caspida who stole the crown for me (heh) through her no-nonsense intelligence, political talent, and sheer badassery.

    Also, these characters are encased in a world that is brought to life through descriptions that hum with possibility. Zahra’s Neruby, Aladdin’s Parthenia, and the Shaitan’s Ambadya are created carefully, in language that feels ethereal and ancient all at once. Khoury’s writing is deliciously sensual. Every description is full of life, connects intimately together, and offers rich comparisons that I loved.

    The only thing that I felt short-changed on was the pacing. The world is clearly so intricate, the motivations of the characters layered with such complexity. I could have spent so much more time getting to know them, watching them navigate their way through the amazing political backdrop, the forbidden desires. It would have been spectacular to see the kind of romance that burns achingly slow, building a sweet tension as it progresses. Frankly, with more than one fantastic, politically savvy villain and several fierce protagonists, this could have been an intricately plotted trilogy, or more. It could have been an epic. Instead, we went through the complex machinations of the villains and the painful struggles of our protagonists at a speed only slightly slower than that of a roller coaster. Don’t get me wrong — this didn’t mean the book wasn’t lovely and enjoyable for what it did have. And perhaps it’s a mark of the strength of everything else this story had to offer, that I’m disappointed it didn’t go slowly, so there would be more!

    Jauntily witty one moment and strikingly sensual the next, overall this book is a wonderful blend of strong (feminist!) characterization, great world-building, and ethereal writing. Read it! ★★★★☆.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Zahra is a jinni, cursed to reside in a lamp for thousands of years and resigned to a lonely life granting wishes. However, the discovery of her lamp by Aladdin, a daring young thief, and a bargain made with the King of the Jinn offers her an opportunity to secure her freedom. But the last thing Zahra expects is to develop feelings for the headstrong, flirtatious Aladdin. Faced with an impossible dilemma, Zahra must choose between betraying the man she is growing to love and forfeiting her chance for a new life.This was simply lovely. Khoury's writing and lush descriptions are intoxicating. Mystical, enthralling, and a stunning re-imagining of the classic tale of Aladdin. The Forbidden Wish is heavy on the romance, but a charming, gorgeously crafted story heaped with fierce warrioresses (is this a word? If not, needs to be) and strong female friendships. A bright, lavish story filled with magic and one worth savoring.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I’m not sure what genre to call this novel--fantasy? Supernatural? Romance? Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and couldn’t put it down. I didn’t read the summary, so I had such a nice surprise reading the novel, but you won’t because the book jacket tells who the main character is, so I’ll just go with it.This story is told from a Jinn’s point of view. She’s been in her lamp for a very long time when she feels a presence; it’s a young man. She hopes he’ll keep advancing and release her from her lamp, which he does. Suddenly, the rooms built within the sand start to fall into the ground, so they run for their lives. Once they clear this danger, they are confronted with the future king of the country who wants to kill our young man. He must make his first wish: “I want to go home.”Arriving back home, Zahra (our Jinn) and Aladdin (our young man) have to decide what his other two wishes will be. Aladdin isn’t ruled by materialism, but he does want revenge for his parents’ deaths. Zahra makes a deal with the King of the Jinn that she can have her freedom if she finds and releases his son who has been captured. She comes up with the plan that Aladdin can be a prince, win the princess’s heart, become king, and destroy those who destroyed his family. As they invoke this plan, neither realizes the consequences of this wish. They also find themselves drawn to each other, which is forbidden.I couldn’t put the book down. I liked the writing and the characters. Zahra is not evil, but the Jinn are known for their manipulation. She destroyed her best friend, whom she loved because her nature betrayed her. Aladdin is adaptable. He charms everyone he meets, especially females. These characters are nicely developed, where you are IN the story, feeling sorry for both of them and wanting them to find a way out of the wish and be together
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Aladdin and the magic lamp. I loved that the story was narrated by Zahra, the female jinni. She was such a believable, compassionate, self-sufficient and powerful protagonist but at the same time suffered from regret and guilt because of her past. The writing was lush and exotic, the characters likeable and the dialogue humorous. It was terrific to have so many strong female characters who, instead of hating each other, supported and built each other up. The romance between Aladdin and Zahra was probably the weakest part of the story, but it was still cute and didn't detract from the story. Overall, an entertaining read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Gorgeous retelling of Aladdin that I adored. With epic romance, action packed adventure, great humor, and spectacular worldbuilding, this is sure to be a huge hit with all YA fantasy fans.Opening Sentence: I sense the boy the moment he sets foot in the cave.The Review:Zahra has been trapped in her lamp for 500 years. She was buried beneath what was once the greatest city in the world. It was ruled by a beautiful and generous queen whom was Zahra’s master and friend. But it is forbidden for jinni’s to love a human and the one time Zahra broke that rule it cost her dearly. Now all these years later she finally has a new master. An infuriating boy named Aladdin who is smart, handsome and dangerous.The world is different then Zahra remembered and it is now forbidden to use jinni magic. The humans and Jinni’s are at war and it isn’t safe for anyone to know Zahra’s true identity. As she waits for Aladdin to ask for his three wishes she is offered a deal she can’t refuse. The king of the Jinn will grant Zahra her freedom for help with rescuing his son. This deal should be a no brainier except it will require her to betray Aladdin and Zahra has started to fall for him. Will she take the deal or will she risk it all for love?Zahra is an amazing character that I loved instantly! She has a feisty personality and I really enjoyed how witty she is. She’s super intelligent, gorgeous, kind, and very relatable. Being a jinni means she has to grant her masters wishes but she always puts her own flair on the wishes she grants. She has had so much heartache in her life and it was easy to sympathize with her. She is an all powerful jinni but for most of her existence she has been lonely and unhappy. She is far from perfect but she honestly tries to do the right thing in every situation. She is a heroine you can respect and I loved everything about her.Aladdin is just as dreamy in the book as he was in the Disney show, actually he might even be more dreamy! He has that confident almost cocky attitude that I find irresistible, but at the same time he has a really good heart. He is smart, resourceful, charming, funny, and just an all around great guy. His relationship with Zahra is electric and they complement each other perfectly. Aladdin has had a very sad past so he has guarded his heart for a long time but Zahra seems to tear down all his walls without even trying. I loved the romance between them, it was sexy and sweet! Overall, I adored Aladdin and he was the perfect swoon worthy love interest!The Forbidden Wish is a gorgeous retelling of Aladdin and this book is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. I was instantly hooked from the very first page and found that when I wasn’t reading it, I was constantly thinking about it and wondering what was going to happen next. The pacing is spot on, there is amazing action, epic romance, a beautiful setting, phenomenal world building, and just an overall spectacular story. One of my favorite things was how Khoury created a completely fresh and new version of the story but she also blended moments from the original tale into her version so you knew it was an Aladdin retelling. Another thing I loved about this book was that it was a standalone. Now don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy series but every once in a while it’s refreshing to just be able to sit down and finish a story and not have to wait years for the ending. This is the first book I have read from Khoury, but rest assured after finishing this story I will definitely be checking out her other books. This book doesn’t hit shelves until February, but trust me when I say you should pre-order this one right now. It is now one of my most anticipated reads of 2016 and I would highly recommend it to all YA fantasy fans!Notable Scene:“Stop.” I dropped my wrists and step away, and he does the same, still caught up in mirroring me. Except that he is breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling with exertion, his eyes filled with a strange, wondrous, curious look as he stares at me. He moves closer, his eyes fixed on mine, and despite myself I cannot look away.Aladdin raises a tentative hand to my cheek. Immobile with both dread and longing. I can only stare up at him, flushing with warmth when he gently runs his hand down the side of my face. I shut my eyes, leaning into his touch just slightly, my stomach leaping. Longing. Wishing.I feel him leaning closer, bending down, his face drawing nearer to mine.FTC Advisory: Razorbill/Penguin Teen provided me with a copy of The Forbidden Wish. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.