Alif the Unseen
"G. Willow Wilson has a deft hand with myth and with magic, and the kind of smart, honest writing mind that knits together and bridges cultures and people. You should read what she writes."--Neil Gaiman, author of Stardust and American Gods
"Driven by a hot ionic charge between higher math and Arabian myth, G. Willow Wilson conjures up a tale of literary enchantment, political change, and religious mystery. Open the first page and you will be forced to do its bidding: To read on."--Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and Out of Oz
In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, a young Arab-Indian hacker shields his clients--dissidents, outlaws, Islamists, and other watched groups--from surveillance and tries to stay out of trouble. He goes by Alif--the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and a convenient handle to hide behind. The aristocratic woman Alif loves has jilted him for a prince chosen by her parents, and his computer has just been breached by the state's electronic security force, putting his clients and his own neck on the line. Then it turns out his lover's new fiancé is the "Hand of God," as they call the head of state security, and his henchmen come after Alif, driving him underground. When Alif discovers The Thousand and One Days, the secret book of the jinn, which both he and the Hand suspect may unleash a new level of information technology, the stakes are raised and Alif must struggle for life or death, aided by forces seen and unseen.
With shades of Neal Stephenson, Philip Pullman, and The Thousand and One Nights, Alif the Unseen is a tour de force debut--a sophisticated melting pot of ideas, philosophy, technology, and spirituality smuggled inside an irresistible page-turner.
"[A] Harry Potter-ish action-adventure romance [that] unfolds against the backdrop of the Arab Spring. . . . Improbably charming . . . A bookload of wizardry and glee."--Janet Maslin, The New York Times
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Community Reviews
Alif the Unseen
by G. Willow Wilson
Introduction
Alif the Unseen seems to confirm the trend that in-person book clubs (as opposed to Goodreads groups) donât pick books I particularly like.
Genre /Intended audience
Urban fantasy for adults, with middle eastern traditions of jinns, demons, and ifrits.
Narration
Close third person past tense from the POV of the main character Alif
Characters
Alif - a hacker in an unnamed/fictional middle eastern country
NewQuarter01 - an online friend
The Hand (Abbas Al Shehab) - a government security censor
Dina - Alifâs neighbor and childhood friend
Intisar - an upperclass woman, Alifâs lover
Vikram the Vampire - a jinn, known as a fixer to some humans
Azazel - a jinn, Vikramâs sister
Shakina - a jinn who aids Alif
Sheikh Bilal - a holy man who gives shelter to Alif and his friends
The Convert - a nameless American woman
Shaytan - the marid, a supernatural protector of Dina and the Convert
The Alf Yeom - a book of tales told by a jinn and transcribed by a human
Setting
Present day fictional unnamed middle eastern country, similar to Qatar or the UAE
Theme
Symbolism and metaphor as a means to convey truth
Plot
Alif is the online name of a young Indian-Arab hacker. He spends most of his time in the anonymous world of the internet, shielding people from government censors. That gets more difficult as a presence known as The Hand of God systematically tracks down perceived threats to the Emirate. In real life, Alif faces heartbreak as his illicit upperclass lover leaves him for a suitable marriage. Things go from bad to worse when the Hand breaches his computer and his ex-lover sends him a mysterious book, The Alf Yeom (The Thousand and One Days). Running for his life, he discovers the world of the Jinn, existing alongside the human world but unseen by most.
My Opinion
I liked much of Alif the Unseen, though overall it didnât wow me. Itâs an unusual take on urban fantasy due to its emphasis on middle eastern mythology, and itâs full of religious mysticism and symbolism. Even the most cynical characters accept their religion as a given.
Almost everything and everyone in the book is a symbol. People are rarely known by their given names. Only Dina, Alifâs childhood friend and neighbor, is consistently called by name. Even after we learn their real names, the online names of NewQuarter01 and The Hand are still used. Character development is nonexistent as each fulfills an archetypical role without deviation.
Alif is a passive main character, swept along by the story rather than driving it. Even his most important actions in the narrative are reactive. He starts the story as a spoiled entitled boy and ends up little changed. The book might have been more compelling if told from Dinaâs POV. I did like some ideas in the book - the use of stories to tell multiple levels of truth and a book that changes for each reader. The bookâs best features were depictions of the hidden world and stories from The Alf Yeom.
Once you realize the author has a history of graphic novels, shortcomings in character development make sense. Her writing style is good otherwise, and her ideas are interesting. It made for a lively book club discussion, though three members (out of ten) disliked it so much they didnât finish it and half the others had mixed feelings. The rest liked it.
I give it a solid three out of five stars for writing style, originality, and those stories within the story.
by G. Willow Wilson
Introduction
Alif the Unseen seems to confirm the trend that in-person book clubs (as opposed to Goodreads groups) donât pick books I particularly like.
Genre /Intended audience
Urban fantasy for adults, with middle eastern traditions of jinns, demons, and ifrits.
Narration
Close third person past tense from the POV of the main character Alif
Characters
Alif - a hacker in an unnamed/fictional middle eastern country
NewQuarter01 - an online friend
The Hand (Abbas Al Shehab) - a government security censor
Dina - Alifâs neighbor and childhood friend
Intisar - an upperclass woman, Alifâs lover
Vikram the Vampire - a jinn, known as a fixer to some humans
Azazel - a jinn, Vikramâs sister
Shakina - a jinn who aids Alif
Sheikh Bilal - a holy man who gives shelter to Alif and his friends
The Convert - a nameless American woman
Shaytan - the marid, a supernatural protector of Dina and the Convert
The Alf Yeom - a book of tales told by a jinn and transcribed by a human
Setting
Present day fictional unnamed middle eastern country, similar to Qatar or the UAE
Theme
Symbolism and metaphor as a means to convey truth
Plot
Alif is the online name of a young Indian-Arab hacker. He spends most of his time in the anonymous world of the internet, shielding people from government censors. That gets more difficult as a presence known as The Hand of God systematically tracks down perceived threats to the Emirate. In real life, Alif faces heartbreak as his illicit upperclass lover leaves him for a suitable marriage. Things go from bad to worse when the Hand breaches his computer and his ex-lover sends him a mysterious book, The Alf Yeom (The Thousand and One Days). Running for his life, he discovers the world of the Jinn, existing alongside the human world but unseen by most.
My Opinion
I liked much of Alif the Unseen, though overall it didnât wow me. Itâs an unusual take on urban fantasy due to its emphasis on middle eastern mythology, and itâs full of religious mysticism and symbolism. Even the most cynical characters accept their religion as a given.
Almost everything and everyone in the book is a symbol. People are rarely known by their given names. Only Dina, Alifâs childhood friend and neighbor, is consistently called by name. Even after we learn their real names, the online names of NewQuarter01 and The Hand are still used. Character development is nonexistent as each fulfills an archetypical role without deviation.
Alif is a passive main character, swept along by the story rather than driving it. Even his most important actions in the narrative are reactive. He starts the story as a spoiled entitled boy and ends up little changed. The book might have been more compelling if told from Dinaâs POV. I did like some ideas in the book - the use of stories to tell multiple levels of truth and a book that changes for each reader. The bookâs best features were depictions of the hidden world and stories from The Alf Yeom.
Once you realize the author has a history of graphic novels, shortcomings in character development make sense. Her writing style is good otherwise, and her ideas are interesting. It made for a lively book club discussion, though three members (out of ten) disliked it so much they didnât finish it and half the others had mixed feelings. The rest liked it.
I give it a solid three out of five stars for writing style, originality, and those stories within the story.
Alif the Unseen
by G. Willow Wilson
Introduction
Alif the Unseen seems to confirm the trend that in-person book clubs (as opposed to Goodreads groups) donât pick books I particularly like.
Genre /Intended audience
Urban fantasy for adults, with middle eastern traditions of jinns, demons, and ifrits.
Narration
Close third person past tense from the POV of the main character Alif
Characters
Alif - a hacker in an unnamed/fictional middle eastern country
NewQuarter01 - an online friend
The Hand (Abbas Al Shehab) - a government security censor
Dina - Alifâs neighbor and childhood friend
Intisar - an upperclass woman, Alifâs lover
Vikram the Vampire - a jinn, known as a fixer to some humans
Azazel - a jinn, Vikramâs sister
Shakina - a jinn who aids Alif
Sheikh Bilal - a holy man who gives shelter to Alif and his friends
The Convert - a nameless American woman
Shaytan - the marid, a supernatural protector of Dina and the Convert
The Alf Yeom - a book of tales told by a jinn and transcribed by a human
Setting
Present day fictional unnamed middle eastern country, similar to Qatar or the UAE
Theme
Symbolism and metaphor as a means to convey truth
Plot
Alif is the online name of a young Indian-Arab hacker. He spends most of his time in the anonymous world of the internet, shielding people from government censors. That gets more difficult as a presence known as The Hand of God systematically tracks down perceived threats to the Emirate. In real life, Alif faces heartbreak as his illicit upperclass lover leaves him for a suitable marriage. Things go from bad to worse when the Hand breaches his computer and his ex-lover sends him a mysterious book, The Alf Yeom (The Thousand and One Days). Running for his life, he discovers the world of the Jinn, existing alongside the human world but unseen by most.
My Opinion
I liked much of Alif the Unseen, though overall it didnât wow me. Itâs an unusual take on urban fantasy due to its emphasis on middle eastern mythology, and itâs full of religious mysticism and symbolism. Even the most cynical characters accept their religion as a given.
Almost everything and everyone in the book is a symbol. People are rarely known by their given names. Only Dina, Alifâs childhood friend and neighbor, is consistently called by name. Even after we learn their real names, the online names of NewQuarter01 and The Hand are still used. Character development is nonexistent as each fulfills an archetypical role without deviation.
Alif is a passive main character, swept along by the story rather than driving it. Even his most important actions in the narrative are reactive. He starts the story as a spoiled entitled boy and ends up little changed. The book might have been more compelling if told from Dinaâs POV. I did like some ideas in the book - the use of stories to tell multiple levels of truth and a book that changes for each reader. The bookâs best features were depictions of the hidden world and stories from The Alf Yeom.
Once you realize the author has a history of graphic novels, shortcomings in character development make sense. Her writing style is good otherwise, and her ideas are interesting. It made for a lively book club discussion, though three members (out of ten) disliked it so much they didnât finish it and half the others had mixed feelings. The rest liked it.
I give it a solid three out of five stars for writing style, originality, and those stories within the story.
by G. Willow Wilson
Introduction
Alif the Unseen seems to confirm the trend that in-person book clubs (as opposed to Goodreads groups) donât pick books I particularly like.
Genre /Intended audience
Urban fantasy for adults, with middle eastern traditions of jinns, demons, and ifrits.
Narration
Close third person past tense from the POV of the main character Alif
Characters
Alif - a hacker in an unnamed/fictional middle eastern country
NewQuarter01 - an online friend
The Hand (Abbas Al Shehab) - a government security censor
Dina - Alifâs neighbor and childhood friend
Intisar - an upperclass woman, Alifâs lover
Vikram the Vampire - a jinn, known as a fixer to some humans
Azazel - a jinn, Vikramâs sister
Shakina - a jinn who aids Alif
Sheikh Bilal - a holy man who gives shelter to Alif and his friends
The Convert - a nameless American woman
Shaytan - the marid, a supernatural protector of Dina and the Convert
The Alf Yeom - a book of tales told by a jinn and transcribed by a human
Setting
Present day fictional unnamed middle eastern country, similar to Qatar or the UAE
Theme
Symbolism and metaphor as a means to convey truth
Plot
Alif is the online name of a young Indian-Arab hacker. He spends most of his time in the anonymous world of the internet, shielding people from government censors. That gets more difficult as a presence known as The Hand of God systematically tracks down perceived threats to the Emirate. In real life, Alif faces heartbreak as his illicit upperclass lover leaves him for a suitable marriage. Things go from bad to worse when the Hand breaches his computer and his ex-lover sends him a mysterious book, The Alf Yeom (The Thousand and One Days). Running for his life, he discovers the world of the Jinn, existing alongside the human world but unseen by most.
My Opinion
I liked much of Alif the Unseen, though overall it didnât wow me. Itâs an unusual take on urban fantasy due to its emphasis on middle eastern mythology, and itâs full of religious mysticism and symbolism. Even the most cynical characters accept their religion as a given.
Almost everything and everyone in the book is a symbol. People are rarely known by their given names. Only Dina, Alifâs childhood friend and neighbor, is consistently called by name. Even after we learn their real names, the online names of NewQuarter01 and The Hand are still used. Character development is nonexistent as each fulfills an archetypical role without deviation.
Alif is a passive main character, swept along by the story rather than driving it. Even his most important actions in the narrative are reactive. He starts the story as a spoiled entitled boy and ends up little changed. The book might have been more compelling if told from Dinaâs POV. I did like some ideas in the book - the use of stories to tell multiple levels of truth and a book that changes for each reader. The bookâs best features were depictions of the hidden world and stories from The Alf Yeom.
Once you realize the author has a history of graphic novels, shortcomings in character development make sense. Her writing style is good otherwise, and her ideas are interesting. It made for a lively book club discussion, though three members (out of ten) disliked it so much they didnât finish it and half the others had mixed feelings. The rest liked it.
I give it a solid three out of five stars for writing style, originality, and those stories within the story.
Alif the Unseen
by G. Willow Wilson
Introduction
Alif the Unseen seems to confirm the trend that in-person book clubs (as opposed to Goodreads groups) donât pick books I particularly like.
Genre /Intended audience
Urban fantasy for adults, with middle eastern traditions of jinns, demons, and ifrits.
Narration
Close third person past tense from the POV of the main character Alif
Characters
Alif - a hacker in an unnamed/fictional middle eastern country
NewQuarter01 - an online friend
The Hand (Abbas Al Shehab) - a government security censor
Dina - Alifâs neighbor and childhood friend
Intisar - an upperclass woman, Alifâs lover
Vikram the Vampire - a jinn, known as a fixer to some humans
Azazel - a jinn, Vikramâs sister
Shakina - a jinn who aids Alif
Sheikh Bilal - a holy man who gives shelter to Alif and his friends
The Convert - a nameless American woman
Shaytan - the marid, a supernatural protector of Dina and the Convert
The Alf Yeom - a book of tales told by a jinn and transcribed by a human
Setting
Present day fictional unnamed middle eastern country, similar to Qatar or the UAE
Theme
Symbolism and metaphor as a means to convey truth
Plot
Alif is the online name of a young Indian-Arab hacker. He spends most of his time in the anonymous world of the internet, shielding people from government censors. That gets more difficult as a presence known as The Hand of God systematically tracks down perceived threats to the Emirate. In real life, Alif faces heartbreak as his illicit upperclass lover leaves him for a suitable marriage. Things go from bad to worse when the Hand breaches his computer and his ex-lover sends him a mysterious book, The Alf Yeom (The Thousand and One Days). Running for his life, he discovers the world of the Jinn, existing alongside the human world but unseen by most.
My Opinion
I liked much of Alif the Unseen, though overall it didnât wow me. Itâs an unusual take on urban fantasy due to its emphasis on middle eastern mythology, and itâs full of religious mysticism and symbolism. Even the most cynical characters accept their religion as a given.
Almost everything and everyone in the book is a symbol. People are rarely known by their given names. Only Dina, Alifâs childhood friend and neighbor, is consistently called by name. Even after we learn their real names, the online names of NewQuarter01 and The Hand are still used. Character development is nonexistent as each fulfills an archetypical role without deviation.
Alif is a passive main character, swept along by the story rather than driving it. Even his most important actions in the narrative are reactive. He starts the story as a spoiled entitled boy and ends up little changed. The book might have been more compelling if told from Dinaâs POV. I did like some ideas in the book - the use of stories to tell multiple levels of truth and a book that changes for each reader. The bookâs best features were depictions of the hidden world and stories from The Alf Yeom.
Once you realize the author has a history of graphic novels, shortcomings in character development make sense. Her writing style is good otherwise, and her ideas are interesting. It made for a lively book club discussion, though three members (out of ten) disliked it so much they didnât finish it and half the others had mixed feelings. The rest liked it.
I give it a solid three out of five stars for writing style, originality, and those stories within the story.
by G. Willow Wilson
Introduction
Alif the Unseen seems to confirm the trend that in-person book clubs (as opposed to Goodreads groups) donât pick books I particularly like.
Genre /Intended audience
Urban fantasy for adults, with middle eastern traditions of jinns, demons, and ifrits.
Narration
Close third person past tense from the POV of the main character Alif
Characters
Alif - a hacker in an unnamed/fictional middle eastern country
NewQuarter01 - an online friend
The Hand (Abbas Al Shehab) - a government security censor
Dina - Alifâs neighbor and childhood friend
Intisar - an upperclass woman, Alifâs lover
Vikram the Vampire - a jinn, known as a fixer to some humans
Azazel - a jinn, Vikramâs sister
Shakina - a jinn who aids Alif
Sheikh Bilal - a holy man who gives shelter to Alif and his friends
The Convert - a nameless American woman
Shaytan - the marid, a supernatural protector of Dina and the Convert
The Alf Yeom - a book of tales told by a jinn and transcribed by a human
Setting
Present day fictional unnamed middle eastern country, similar to Qatar or the UAE
Theme
Symbolism and metaphor as a means to convey truth
Plot
Alif is the online name of a young Indian-Arab hacker. He spends most of his time in the anonymous world of the internet, shielding people from government censors. That gets more difficult as a presence known as The Hand of God systematically tracks down perceived threats to the Emirate. In real life, Alif faces heartbreak as his illicit upperclass lover leaves him for a suitable marriage. Things go from bad to worse when the Hand breaches his computer and his ex-lover sends him a mysterious book, The Alf Yeom (The Thousand and One Days). Running for his life, he discovers the world of the Jinn, existing alongside the human world but unseen by most.
My Opinion
I liked much of Alif the Unseen, though overall it didnât wow me. Itâs an unusual take on urban fantasy due to its emphasis on middle eastern mythology, and itâs full of religious mysticism and symbolism. Even the most cynical characters accept their religion as a given.
Almost everything and everyone in the book is a symbol. People are rarely known by their given names. Only Dina, Alifâs childhood friend and neighbor, is consistently called by name. Even after we learn their real names, the online names of NewQuarter01 and The Hand are still used. Character development is nonexistent as each fulfills an archetypical role without deviation.
Alif is a passive main character, swept along by the story rather than driving it. Even his most important actions in the narrative are reactive. He starts the story as a spoiled entitled boy and ends up little changed. The book might have been more compelling if told from Dinaâs POV. I did like some ideas in the book - the use of stories to tell multiple levels of truth and a book that changes for each reader. The bookâs best features were depictions of the hidden world and stories from The Alf Yeom.
Once you realize the author has a history of graphic novels, shortcomings in character development make sense. Her writing style is good otherwise, and her ideas are interesting. It made for a lively book club discussion, though three members (out of ten) disliked it so much they didnât finish it and half the others had mixed feelings. The rest liked it.
I give it a solid three out of five stars for writing style, originality, and those stories within the story.
This book tried to be so much more than the author was capable of writing. While I love magical realism, this was not done well and fell flat. The characters are not very likeable, except for one (Dina) and maybe the demon Vikram. The main character, however, is so annoying and kind of dumb, and the character development and resolution at the end arenât a good enough payoff. To be honest, I still found him annoying. Sorry, I wanted to like this book, but I canât recommend it; I forced myself to finish it as quickly as I could so I wouldnât have to keep reading it.
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