Forbidden Wish

by Jessica Khoury

• ISBN10: 0606400001
• ISBN13: 9780606400008
• Publish Date: 24 January 2017 (first published 23 February 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 13 September 2023
• Imprint: Turtleback Books
• Edition: Bound for Schools & Libraries ed.
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

“As the poets say, stories are truth told through lies.”

The Forbidden Wish is an Aladdin retelling with some familiarities, but the author manages to put their unique spin on a well-known tale. 

The story is told through the PoV of the jinni, Zahra, who is an awesome main character. She's smart, witty, badass and cunning and embodies the characteristics that I would expect from a jinni - ancient and a little jaded from her experiences with the world, but still hopeful and human. I loved her character arc.

Zahra is one of many strong female characters in The Forbidden Wish. The female characters are badass, strong and smart and I love the bonds of friendship and sisterhood. The women are definitely the driving force of the story. 

Aladdin seems like a fun character to write about because he's a thief and scoundrel with the potential to be so much more. He's one of the iconic 'diamond in the rough' types and his character and personality traits are so Aladdin-like.

The romance is a major part of the story, but it never overpowers the plot and is well-written. I love the forbidden romance trope and slow-burn romances and the relationship between Aladdin and Zahra develops organically. 

The world is inspired by Arabian folklore and stories and the world, the magic and the plot is interesting. The Forbidden Wish is more character-driven and the plot progression is slow-paced, but I enjoyed the story and the atmosphere. I also loved the twist about the ring. It made so much sense. 

The writing style is beautiful and metaphoric, but it makes the characters seem a little distant. The narrative style could be a stylistic choice, because Zahra is a jinni and she isn't meant to seem human or relatable (even though she is), but it's like there's a wall between the reader and the story and I couldn't fully immerse myself in the world.  

There is a minor issue, which is a me-problem, but the villains are traditionally 'bad' and while this doesn't negatively impact the story, I prefer more nuanced villains. 

The Forbidden Wish is a unique take on the Aladdin story and while it has a compelling main character, strong female characters, an interesting world and is well-written, there's some aspect that makes the story and characters feel distant.

“He is the sun, and I am the moon. We must stay apart or the world will be thrown out of balance.”

4 or 5 stars? I DON'T KNOW!! But either way, it was lush and beautiful. I had some *minor* issues, but definitely worth reading.
Full review to come. Once I get my thoughts in order...

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: The prose was beautiful, accented by great narration. Plot aside, I absolutely loved The Forbidden Wish. Trouble is, paranormal romance basically never works for me. Yes, the synopsis made it clear that the romance would at least partially steer in that direction, so I was setting myself up for it. Nonetheless, I'm glad I've read it, though I wish the focus on Queen Roshana would've been more extensive. Her relationship with Zarah interested me a great deal more than Zarah's with Aladdin. Perhaps if this one hadn't been so bent on conforming to a retelling, then that direction would've resulted in a much more epic story.

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury is a retelling of Aladdin, and as soon as I heard that, I knew I had to read this book. And then discovering that it was being retold from the genie's - or jinni's - perspective, and that in this retelling, the jinni is female, I was even more excited to read it! And The Forbidden Wish is fast paced, action packed wonder, full of magic and excitement!

Zahra is a jinni who has been trapped in her lamp for 500 years. When Aladdin, a homless pick-pocket, is drawn to her lamp by a magic ring, she is finally released from her captivity. The vizier to the King killed Aladdin's parents in front of him, and with the help of Zahra, he wants to seek his revenge. Zahra suggests he wish to become a prince and try to seek the hand of Princess Capsida, and once they are wed and he has power over the vizier, he can make his life a misery. What Aladdin doesn't know is that Zahra has been given a message from the Lord of the Jinn, Nardukha; his son, Zhian, has been captured and is being held in the palace. If she can free him, Nardukha will grant Zahra her freedom. Zahra's plan isn't to help Aladdin at all, but to get herself in the palace. But the longer she spends with Aladdin, the harder she finds it to abide by the number one rule of the Jinn: don't fall in love with a human.

The Forbidden Wish is a completely epic story. It's a fast paced and action packed high fantasy based on the story of Aladdin from The Arabian Nights. So much happens, it's non-stop. It's almost like two stories in one; the story of Aladdin and his time in the palace, trying to woo Princess Capsida despite her being betrothed to Prince Darian, the vizier's son, and the story of Zahra, her involvement in the fall of Queen Roshana 500 years ago, and her quest for freedom present day by trying to find Zhian and free him. There are obstacles in both their paths, and time is of the essence as Zahra only has one month to find him and release him before Nardukha and all the jinn will destroy Aladdin's town Pathenia,everyone in it, and will kill Zahra. And even then, when it looks like everything will finally come to it's conclusion, there is this twist, and the story takes a shocking direction. Things were pretty awesome already, but then the action is taken to another level, and it's so much woah! Epic in a grand scale!

I would have liked to have seen more of Aladdin; for the most part, he's more of a tool for Zahra at first, a way for her to get into the palace, and because of that, we get more of Zahra than Aladdin. For a retelling of his story, it was a bit of a shame to not have more of him and his life. I would have liked to have got to know him better. But Zahra narrates the story, telling her story, and it's a fascinating one. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if it was told in dual narration, but the story in physical format is 352 pages - I read the eBook, but even with that I knew it was long because of how long it took for the bar to move - so if it was in dual narration, it would have been seriously long.

The romance didn't do it for me, sadly. I didn't really feel it, and wasn't wowing or swooning. For me, it wasn't developed enough; there was more of Zahra in her head and her thoughts on how she was going to accomplish things for her and Aladdin - even when they're together - than there is of her focusing on him and how she feels about him. Though the moments we do have are sweet and tender, and even a little steamy, I just didn't feel it.

The Forbidden Wish is such an amazing story, and I absolutely loved it! There is so much happening, so much to discover, and so much about Zahra's past to try and work out. The Forbidden Wish was absolutely gripping, and such a thrill to read! If you enjoy retellings and/or high fantasy set in a Middle Eastern/South Asian inspired setting, I would highly recommend getting this book on your TBR ASAP!

[bookishzelda]

The Forbidden Wish is one of those books that completely enchanted me. I have always like Jessica Khoury’s writing style but I have to say that this was one of my favorite books from her. It was so easy to be completely absorbed into Aladdin and Zahra’s world. This has to be one of the best retellings I have ever read and The Forbidden Wish has an eternal place on my favorites shelf.

There are different types of World Building. You can have large worlds with many nations and places and then you have smaller worlds with extremely lush details. I felt like this was more on the smaller with very lush details. We spend a lot of time in the main city and palace but every piece that is a part of it really brings everything to life. I felt completely engrossed in this setting, people and culture of the book. Very well done.

The lore of the Jinni is taken from the Arabian Mythology but Jessica Khoury really makes it her own. She flushes out the tales and gives you such a great mental visual of them.

I loved that Zahra as the narrator is telling the story as though she is speaking to her former master. It was a great way to really make you feel involved in the story as though you are that past person. Such a unique way to write it.

Zahra is a great character herself. She is strong and fierce and holds her secrets close to her heart. She does not want to open up to anyone because she finds it difficult to trust. She has many good reasons for this but as the story progresses we really start to see different sides of her. It’s like you have to crack through her shell to get to the light inside her which is where Aladdin comes in.

Well, Aladdin is quite the charming devil. He is this perfect mix of clever and sly but also has an innocence to him. He’s the thief with the heart of gold of course. I absolutely loved this portrayal of him and found myself swooning. I’ve read many different Aladdin retellings and I can’t say that’s always been the case for me.

I love this book so much I want to reread it already. The Forbidden Wish transported me into a magical world and stole my heart.