Usman T. Malik

This had been on my to-read list for ages and ages, but the fact that it seems to be available only in digital form kept me away -- even though that form was free on the Tor website. I finally got around to it mostly because it was a good fit for a prompt on StoryGraph's Onboarding Reading Challenge.

I struggle with reading fiction on a screen unless it's fan fiction, which has its own place in my brain. I wonder if that's part of why I ended up rating this four stars instead of five -- not any fault of the story's own, but that my brain was getting impatient with all the scrolling -- without the markers of page turning or chapters to keep my bearings/progress.

Or maybe there just weren't enough women.

But this story is rich and lush and layered with history and setting and myth and magic. I hope to encounter Malik again in longer/paper form someday.… (mehr)

As a child, Sal was always fascinated by the stories his grandfather would tell of his life in Pakistan. And the story he loved more than any other was the one of the Mughal princess. Her family's protector was a jinn who lived in a eucalyptus tree. And even though few people believed her, Sal's grandfather wasn't a big skeptic. And though Sal's grandfather never said it, Sal always felt there was something more to the story.
When Sal's grandfather dies, he feels compelled to go check out the source of the stories. Even his girlfriend, Sarah, can see that he seems distracted. Perhaps if he goes to Lahore, he can put the fantastic stories to rest. But instinct is a powerful force, and there may just be more waiting for Sal than he expected.

This is a novella, and I often find reviewing short fiction to be difficult. One of the biggest reasons is that it's hard to give a synopsis without giving too much away. And because I tend to review based on my reaction, it's harder to keep from spoiling key parts of the story.

What I did like about this particular story is the way it's framed. There are so many themes that one can see here: family, travel, exploring your past, fantasy, etc. But it's woven together in a seamless way. I feel like this is one of those that is likely to mean something a bit different to each reader. And those are some of the best stories to read and share.… (mehr)