Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

Alif the Unseen

by G. Willow Wilson

'I will tell you a story, but it comes with a warning; when you hear it, you will become someone else.'


He calls himself Alif - few people know his real name - a young man born in a Middle Eastern city that straddles the ancient and modern worlds. When Alif meets the aristocratic Intisar, he believes he has found love. But their relationship has no future - Intisar is promised to another man and her family's honour must be satisfied. As a remembrance, Intisar sends the heartbroken Alif a mysterious book. Entitled The Thousand and One Days, Alif discovers that this parting gift is a door to another world - a world from a very different time, when old magic was in the ascendant and the djinn walked amongst us.

With the book in his hands, Alif finds himself drawing attention - far too much attention - from both men and djinn. Thus begins an adventure that takes him through the crumbling streets of a once-beautiful city, to uncover the long-forgotten mysteries of the Unseen. Alif is about to become a fugitive in both the corporeal and incorporeal worlds. And he is about to unleash a destructive power that will change everything and everyone - starting with Alif himself.

Reviewed by Beth C. on

5 of 5 stars

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This is the first time EVER that I felt compelled -repeatedly- to underline passages in a book that were either so beautifully written, or made a point so well, that I couldn't get them out of my head and needed to mark them.

The story is so timely, and the added mystical and religious elements were a wonderfully complex addition to a story that is essentially about technology, it's pros and cons, and the way it has altered every detail of our lives. As one character says, "...something fundamental has changed about the world in which we live. We have reached a state of constant reinvention. Revolutions have moved off the battlefield and on to home computers. Nothing shocks one anymore. We are living in a post-fictional era.".

It's a fascinating book, and one that makes some very good points. Plus, it has action, a bit of romance, and characters that could be found in almost every country in the world. This is one of the few books I've read lately that I can easily see myself going back and reading it again and again - and I'm certain that when I do, I will find more passages that compel me to underline them too.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 5 July, 2012: Finished reading
  • 5 July, 2012: Reviewed