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Saad Z Hossain
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Djinn City Kindle Edition

by Saad Z. Hossain (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 161 ratings
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"A delightful fantasy adventure with a YA spirit, a PG rating, and a rich introduction to Arabian mythology." —Kirkus Reviews

Indelbed is a lonely kid living in a crumbling mansion in the super dense, super chaotic third world capital Of Bangladesh. His father, Dr. Kaikobad, is the black sheep of their clan, the once illustrious Khan Rahman family. A drunken loutish widower, he refuses to allow Indelbed go to school, and the only thing Indelbed knows about his mother is the official cause of her early demise: "Death by Indelbed."


But When Dr. Kaikobad falls into a supernatural coma, Indelbed and his older cousin, the wise-cracking slacker Rais, learn that Indelbed's dad was in fact a magician—and a trusted emissary to the djinn world. And the Djinns, as it turns out, are displeased. A "hunt" has been announced, and ten year-old Indelbed is the prey. Still reeling from the fact that genies actually exist, Indelbed finds himself on the run. Soon, the boys are at the center of a great Diinn controversy, one tied to the continuing fallout from an ancient war, with ramifications for the future of life as we know it.

Saad Z. Hossain updates the supernatural creatures Of Arabian mythology—a superior but by no means perfect species pushed to the brink by the staggering ineptitude of the human race. Djinn City is a darkly comedic fanlasy adventure, and a stirring follow-up to Hossain's 2015 novel Escape from Baghdad!, which NPR called "a hilarious and searing indictment of the project we euphemistically call 'nation-building.'"
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  1. Book 1 of 4
    Djinn City
  2. Print length
    416 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    The Unnamed Press
  6. Publication date
    October 24, 2017
  7. File size
    1228 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
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  10. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A delightful fantasy adventure with a YA spirit, a PG rating, and a rich introduction to Arabian mythology." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Hossain blends picaresque fantasy, supernatural politics, and genetic science into a whirlwind of a tale... an imaginative, talented storyteller with a knack for both dark comedy and harrowing tragedy." ―Publishers Weekly

"Hossain’s rich, vivid, straightforward prose propels the story at a quick clip. Darkness looms on every page, yet he offsets the serious stakes with Joss Whedonesque quips... With man-eating wyrms, invisible airships, and eccentric genies, this fantasy-adventure will appeal to fans of The Golem and the Jinni (2013) and the Bartimaeus trilogy." ―Booklist

One of The Guardian's Best Books of the Year
"Bangladeshi author Saad Z Hossain’s Djinn City is set both in his home country and the realm of the Djinns. It’s a richly evocative adventure about a father and his half-Djinn son searching for one another – a sort of dark-fantasy Finding Nemo, as charming and funny as it is inventive and strange." ―The Guardian


Praise for Escape from Baghdad!

"Saad Hossain's perplexingly weird debut novel, Escape From Baghdad!, captures the pure insanity of the Iraq War. At the same time, it's not a war novel. Instead, it's a skillfully constructed literary IED that brings together the sharpest aspects from multiple genres. It's a Tarantino-esque Heart of Darkness set in war-torn Iraq, filled with absurdism and dark humor, a mash-up of satirical Joseph Heller-style comedy and sci-fi fantasy with a gratuitous mixture of good old-fashioned ultra-violence." — Colby Buzzell, VICE

"Set in the aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq, Bangladeshi author Saad Hossain’s debut novel is a riot of mordant humour and gonzo storytelling… The Gulf war may just have found its Catch-22." — James Lovegrove, The Financial Times

"Saad Z. Hossain’s Escape From Baghdad! may be the hippest, weirdest, most creative and visionary book yet to emerge from the full-on debacle that was W’s still-simmering Iraq war. Hossain's unique blend of satire, mythology and speculative fiction makes Escape a hold-onto-your-hat tilt-a-whirl joy to read. And, quite possibly, a future classic in its own right." — Jerry Stahl, author of Permanent Midnight, Happy Mutant Baby Pills, I, Fatty

One of Library Journal's Key Spring Titles for 2015

"Hossain daringly shows us that war isn’t just hell but absolutely insane." — Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

"Saad Hossain has given us a hilarious and searing indictment of the project we euphemistically call 'nation-building.' With nods to Catch-22, Frankenstein, The Island of Doctor Moreau and the Golem myth, Escape from Baghdad! weaves fantasy, absurdity and adventure into a moving counter-narrative to the myth of the just war." — Daniel José Older, NPR

"It’s a marvelous mix of genres, blending the visceral atmosphere of a war movie with the casual nihilism of Catch-22 or the original M.A.S.H. complete with an Indiana Jones–style treasure quest… A gonzo adventure novel that shreds the conventional wisdom that pulp can be pigeonholed." — Kirkus Reviews

"Escape from Baghdad! is a virtuoso performance, both utterly heartbreaking and riotously, laugh-out-loud funny... I wanted to stand up and applaud when it was finished, but I didn't want it to finish. I could not recommend it enough." — Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award winning author of Osama.

"Saad Z Hossain’s upcoming Escape from Baghdad! (The Unnamed Press, March 2015) is the sci-fi and fantasy writer’s debut novel, characterized as an Arabian–Nights–esque thriller. Having set the book in modern-day Iraq, Hossain started off his research reading blogs written by American soldiers in Iraq, and then braided together Norse and Greek mythologies." — Ploughshares

"Saad Hossain is the author of Escape from Baghdad!, an engrossing cross between Zero Dark Thirty and Raiders of the Lost Ark that takes a sobering look at America's troubled legacy in Iraq."— Bookslut

About the Author

Saad Z Hossain is the author of two novels, Escape from Baghdad! and Djinn City. He lives in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07775VCP7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Unnamed Press (October 24, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 24, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1228 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 161 ratings

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Saad Z Hossain

Saad Z Hossain

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
161 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Drew
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely loved it
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
I really enjoy reading a novel that can educate and entertain all at the same time. Saad brings me to a completely unfamiliar part of the world and walks me through the physical and social alley ways and streets of Bangladesh. There are the cultural references that have me referring to the Wilkipedia to understand more about the deities, locations and historical references that make this such a pleasant change from the typical urban fantastical fare.

Saad manages to do all of this while deftly fleshing out his characters and the story line without succumbing to a professorial tone that would quickly have made this gem of a book into a harder slog of interesting tidbits.
One person found this helpful
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Ashley
4.0 out of 5 stars A very fun read!
Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2019
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This book was my first dive into the world of South Asian fantasy, and now I don't want to leave it! Hossain's djinn and humans are complex, whimsical individuals and his vibrant characterization brings them to life on the page. The depth of lore, history, and character development, interwoven through the city of Dhaka, is reminiscent of that in Frank Herbert's Dune. I learned much more about South Asian culture than I had expected. Hossain's grasp of genetics is impressive, and I loved how it was written into the story.

Would have given 5 stars but the ending!! Don't want to give away spoilers, but I felt like it was very abrupt...

Fingers crossed for a sequel!
5 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars Colorful world full of strange djinns, magic and revenge.
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2018
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Great book with a rich full world. Makes me really want a sequel of Kaikobad’s adventures. Saad really takes his time to build and explain the world before the story gets going. You can tell that each Djinn has their own sense of style and weird sense of humor. I would even read another book full of just strange Djinn adventures.
3 people found this helpful
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Shakib Chowdhury
3.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic tale of Djinn and men
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2019
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Really enjoyed the wild and weird romp through Dhaka and the realms of Djinn. The dry humour keeps the writing interesting while the characters move the plot along. The ending however is very abrupt. And that’s the primary reason for a 3 star rating.
2 people found this helpful
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Jamie
5.0 out of 5 stars What if djinns were so real that they could, and would, mess with our world?
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2019
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Djinn City (Kindle Edition) by Saad Hossain

What if djinns were so real that they could, and would, mess with our world?

And what would happen of there were just a few select humans that were "privileged" enough to interact with them? This tale is an incredibly twisted, sad, funny, heart warming, punch in the gut. the author's writing style does assume that the reader has a modicum of intelligence, and also the ability to suspend your disbelief. Which you will gladly do as the story draws you in.
Besides, what self respecting djinn would care what any human thinks?
Just pick this up and read it!
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Well written, good characters and action, but cliff ending without even ending to current story arc.
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2018
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Well written, good characters and action, but cliff ending without even ending to current story arc. Overall a great n read with gifted writing, but no real ending whatsoever.
One person found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars A story within a story.
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2019
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Well crafted , fanciful and profound. Not a page turner, rather a read to be savored. Vivid word pictures like you have never seen.
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AKB
2.0 out of 5 stars Too long and I could not identify with the characters ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2018
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Too long and I could not identify with the characters. It kept reminding me of Harry Potter stories and falling short in comparison.
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Top reviews from other countries

Old Woman Grumpy
5.0 out of 5 stars Something new and different
Reviewed in Canada on January 8, 2019
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If you are getting bored with formulaic fantasy series, this is the book to try. Aside from being a first rate writer, Mr Hossain uses the elements of both Bangali and Muslim culture and mythologies to take a sharp, satirical look at the doings of his compatriots. Having lived in Dhaka for over three years relatively recently, I got an extra kick out of such scenes as the Djinn Conference at the Westin -- which plays out much as such things do, regardless of topic or participants. But you don't have to know the place to enjoy the book, and, for the first time in a long time I am *really* looking forward to a sequel!
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Musichound
5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT! BRILLIANT! VRILLIANT!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2018
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The best and most compelling book I have bought and read this year - and I am already up to 30 books. Amazing writing and storyline and I just did not want it to end. Witty and tragic and brilliant. Will probably be my book of the year and the sad thing is that not enough people will read what is basically a literary firecracker.
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