Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Women fighting for equal rights in an Egyptian inspired tale with a touch of magic.

The story is interesting but the characters are a bit insipid, they had a lot of potential but they were not fully realized which takes away a bit of the interest in the story.

Nevertheless, it ends on a bit of a cliff hanger so I'll would be very interested on reading the second book.

The Daughters of Izdihar es una fantasía feminista que hace gran hincapié en la sororidad. Con una ambientación inspirada en Egipto y con dos protagonistas muy contrastadas, Hadeer Elsbai narra una historia de lucha por la igualdad, de enfrentamiento al patriarcado, pero todo imbricado con unos poderes que son los que dotan de la parte fantástica a la novela.


Nehal es una joven de clase alta que se ve abocada a un matrimonio de conveniencia por la situación económica de su familia, cuando su verdadero deseo es dedicarse a la vida militar gracias a su poder de controlar el agua.

Giorgina es una joven trabajadora que pensaba mejorar de situación gracias al amor de su vida, de alta alcurnia, pero sus esperanzas se ven truncadas cuando Nico se compromete con Nehal a instancias de su familia. Su poder para controlar la tierra no le servirá de nada en estas circunstancias.

Sus vidas se verán entrelazadas principalmente por las Hijas de Izdihar, un movimiento feminista que dedica sus recursos a luchar por la igualdad entre hombres y mujeres, reclamando ante el parlamento el voto femenino, financiando las escuelas secundarias para que las mujeres estén mejor formadas y tengan más oportunidades y en general, intentando contribuir a una mejor distribución de la riqueza.

Me ha gustado sobre todo el hecho de que las dos protagonistas sean de extracción social dispar, ya que podemos observar cómo cada una actúa de una manera muy distinta. Los privilegios a los que está acostumbrada Nehal y sus conexiones familiares le ofrecen una protección con la que Giorgina no puede ni soñar. Sus actitudes, por tanto, son muy diferentes aunque sus objetivos acaben convergiendo.

A veces me parece que se expone una visión demasiado idealizada de las protestas, como si las cosas se consiguieran fácilmente cuando sabemos que los cambios muchas veces vienen acompañados por sangre. No obstante, hacia el final de la novela vemos como la ruta no beligerante muchas veces queda en punto muerto.

Sobre el sistema mágico no se proporciona mucha información, aparte de la consabida división entre clases de manipulación de elementos. Me interesa mucho el contexto histórico, ya que una catástrofe causada por los poderes en el pasado es la que ha dado forma a gran parte del contexto sociopolítico de la zona. Y me parece muy acertado que las emociones influyan en el control de la magia, ya que se usa como principal excusa sobre la “debilidad” de las mujeres para el uso de la magia su supuesta incapacidad de controlar sus reacciones.

Espero con curiosidad la segunda y última parte de esta serie.

I was a bit burned out from fantasy when I picked this up but oh gosh this put me in the mood immediately. I loved reading this novel, it was just everything I love in fantasy: unique characters who feel like real people, elemental magic, magic school and a rich world building. The fact that this has the suffragettes at the forefront of the story makes it even better. Oh and the pacing is great, there's always something happening, stakes getting higher and higher, until the ending takes you OUT.

I received an ARC of the book from the publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I honestly didn't think much about suffrage until I started reading this thought-provoking New Adult novel which centres around the fight for gender equality through a magical, middle-eastern inspired setting. It helped that the male lead was also named Nico but really, the way that he's portrayed (progressive but yet, unwilling to partake in activism) was great for stirring those of us who are more reserved (or perhaps, safe in our distance from the cause) to be more involved in our commitment towards progress. That aside, I loved how well the characters worked with one another to create a very nuanced and sophisticated take on the topic by showing the importance of putting ourselves in the shoes of another, so as to better understand their motivations. Shout out especially to Nehal's mother who is absolutely hilarious (and frighteningly familiar).

In terms of it's more fantastical aspects, Hadeer's execution of the universe's magic system was also quite impressive. While it did remind me a lot of the second most important work of spec lit after the Bible, Avatar, i.e. the good one and not the one about colonising aliens, I do like how it moves beyond the theatrics of grand power displays to engage with the character's emotional core. The highlight of this was of course, seeing Nehal's powers translate into something that must be a nod to the Nickelodeon series which Hadeer skilfully developed into a brilliantly intense scene.

That said, I do feel like the story crafting could be a lot better. While Nehal is in many ways, the blood-pumping heart that drives the action of the story, it. seems to me like she was privileged over Giorgina who is the mind who more accurately embodied the story's message. So on that front, it did bother me that the structure deviated from the alternating chapters that it started with. On top of that, while I am aware that I am reading this novel in its proof stage, I feel like the language can be a lot more polished. I mean, there was one chapter where I had to read 'ululation' and its various forms about a hundred times. Finally, without getting too much into spoilers, I was also really thrown off by the court scene where someone was invited to speak in what could hardly be considered a testimony when they were neither at the crime scene nor even directly involved with any of the parties involved. Like that was just strange.

All things considered, this was an enjoyable if not eye-opening read that truly excels in showing the importance of moving across social classes to achieve goals and make productive differences in society so yes, this is a book that I would not hesitate to recommend.

3.5 stars
The Daughters of Izdihar is an Egyptian-inspired feminist fantasy. I enjoyed the difference in the 2 POVs and their class which gave it a bit more depth, but it still lacked some nuance, the characters could be quite grating and the fantasy element felt more like set up for the sequel. I did really like the unexpected sapphic romance and the end, which promises an exciting sequel showing more of the world and magic!

“She would become the person she wanted to be, rather than the one everyone expected her to be.”

This book follows Nehal and Giorgina who come from vastly different backgrounds but are united in a common cause, fighting for women’s rights and justice for women.
This book fueled my own fire of wanting to fight for justice for women and I just loved how we see this in the story.
We are shown the way that women are pushed down and controlled and denied an education and the double standards where men are free to do what they want but women doing the same will cause destruction not only to her life but every other woman in her family.
We see how women have had enough and rally under an activist who uses her privilege to fight for all women no matter their background. Honestly I could write a whole essay on how wonderfully the book shows the nuance and varying views amongst women and the challenges they face. I just loved this book and story so much.
Nehal and Giorgina are so different from each other and I loved that we got to see how women who have different personalities and ways of fighting for themselves can still be united and both show strength and courage. They were not pitted against each other but showed us that there isn’t a single mould for us.
It was especially amazing to see that it was women of colour fighting the fight.
We also see a male character who says he’s an ally but doesn’t want to actually speak up and we see the discussions around how men can be true allies and use their privilege to speak up on our behalf and support us.
The story had me hooked and had a really interesting magic system and the second half was especially action packed. I cannot wait for the sequel

The Daughters of Izdihar is a debut modern-Egyptian history inspired high fantasy with themes of suffrage, female empowerment and exploring queerness in an oppressive world. I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and wants to dabble in fantasy.

I loved the world building and magic system in this book. It felt a little like the elemental magic in Avatar: The Last Airbender but applied to a world more like ours.

The story follows Nehal, a spoiled, strong-willed aristocrat and Giorgina, a bookseller from the poorer rungs of society, as their lives interweave. Both characters are starkly different and I enjoyed how their alternating chapters contrasted in tone. I loved the sapphic romance and was pleasantly surprised by the love interest.

The only issue I had was that the author kept repeatedly telling us about the oppression women in this world faced rather than showing us. This, by no means deterred me from enjoying the story.

Given that this is a debut and the first in a duology, I can’t wait for the next book and anything else Hadeer Elsbai writes.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for an eARC.

I picked this one up for two reasons. Firstly, it was getting a lot of chatter amongst friends and secondly it was influenced by the Egyptian women’s campaign for greater rights.  I can definitely see the influence and it’s always nice to get more fantasy that isn’t mythical middle Europe middle ages. The book follows two POV characters,  Nehal, a very spoiled and petulant rich young woman who wants to study at a magical university which has only recently opened to women and Giorgina, who works in a bookshop whilst secretly campaigning for greater women's rights. I really wasn’t a fan of Nehal. She goes through the bulk of the novel blundering through events and suffers little consequence for her actions. While this does change as the novel progresses, and some of the rougher spots are smoothed away, I still wasn’t fond of her - although she does provide a great deal of agency to what might otherwise be a much slower-paced story.  Nehal and Giorgina are foils for different arguments for change - one being direct action, the other being slower, sustained change however some of the nuances are lost in favour of a quick paced story as should be the case for a duology.  All in all, it does what it aims for well and with a lot of flair but isn’t necessarily for me.

Many Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the digital review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
There is so much going on in this book, that I honestly don’t know where to start, so by far this is the best example of world-building that I have seen in a long time, It is so rich and compelling, you can almost smell the thick river and the smell of the sea, taste the spices and colours in this fantastic world, built by the talented Hadeer Elsbai. It’s also fantastic to see so many queer representations in this book, with so many strong female characters, however, I do tend to feel that there was so many characters that it took away from the main storyline, I felt like I was skipping back passages to remember who they were.
One of the other difficulties of this book for me was the female rights area, this was a keen theme of the book, and while it’s an important theme, it felt like this almost came political. Female and queer rights are an important topic, but this overcame the story, to what is essentially a fantasy book. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did, I just wish the author could have had more magic and less activism.
Overall, a great read and I would be happy to have this book on my bookshelf

Favourite Parts: The Academy
Recommendations: For anyone that loves strong female characters with fantastic world-building
Rating: Four Stars

While I continue to cheer for every instance of non-Western and queer-focus SFF that gets published, the level of enjoyment varies — some of it is due to the thought put into writing one or another aspect I care about, some of it is editing, some character work. I went into it hoping to love it, but none of the aspects of the book captured my imagination long enough to make me crave to know more about the characters or the world, I felt it was a bit basic? Maybe acceptable if this is your first foray outside western secondary world SFF, but I hope the style elevates with sequels.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really loved this book, particularly for its strong female protagonists and the way they are both flawed characters but still manage to stand up for what's right. Nehal is a spoilt society princess, whereas Giorgina is a stubborn working-class woman, but eventually they manage to work together despite their differences and stand up to the oppressive patriarchal figures in their lives. It's also a book that shows how feminism might work in non-Western societies. I'm really looking forward to reading the next installment of this series.

A very promising debut and a very promising start to a series! Great themes and character dynamics, efficient world building, and a magic system that gave me all the Avatar: The Last Airbender vibes I need in my life. Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this work!

This book was really good. Reminded me a bit of Avatar the Last airbender in a way with the magic system but set in an Arabic/Indian type country in a time where there are no womens rights. They can't vote, no say in who they marry, are lucky if they can go to schools and work normal jobs etc. The Daughters of Izdihar are a group of women fighting for their rights and beliefs in this world where there are some people gifted with weaving abilities such as water weaving, where the person can control an element.
Really enjoyed the weaving aspect to the story and how this ties in with the womens rights, politics and war.
The main character Nehal did annoy me at times which brought it down to a 4 but otherwise really enjoyed this story and really liked Nico. Was also great getting 2 different POVs and how the characters are different but the same in many ways.
Looking forward to book 2 after that ending. Need to know what is going to happen.

The Daughters of Izdihar shows us a world (not far from our own) where women have no rights and must do their fathers or brothers' bidding. It is also a world where weaving skills are frowned up and tensions rise as the Daughters try to reclaim their rights in society.

The plot appealed to me right away and I was so excited to read it. I am disappointed to say I have decided to not finish my review copy and these are the following reasons:
*I saw this marketed as an adult book but the writing reads very young and awkward to me.
*I feel no motivation to continue and 30% the characters and the writing haven't hooked me in.

Ultimately, there isn't necessarily anything wrong with this book. It isn't the right book for me.

However, I hope it finds its readers so if you're reading this and you love fantasy, mythology and stories about rebellious women, then The Daughters of Izdihar is the book for you!

Read the majority of this in a day! I loved it so much. This book made me feel so many emotions from sadness, anger, and pride. I loved both the main female character, who were both very strong women in different way. I loved the magic system, and the main characters learning the strength of their powers the more they used them. The way it ended... I can not wait for the next instalment of this series! Hadeer did a fantastic job with the writing of this story with the plot and also pacing. There wasn't one part of the book I was bored.

The reason I'm not posting my review at the moment: when your parent company comes to terms with strikers, I will post my opinions of this book. Thanks so much!

A book full of political intrigue, romance and heart-wrenching action. I really enjoyed this one! it was so impactful and full of deadly characters, intrigue and villainy. I had heard only amazing things, and as this is a debut, it's even more interesting to see what else this author can come up with! Such a fabulous concept!

Utterly fantastic! This story has everything! Lovable characters, a unique magic system, fantastic Arabian inspired worldbuilding, a fast-paced exciting plot, romance, feminism, queerness and political intrigue! This novel is about striving for your dreams in the face of a society that doesn't support you. The sheer dogged determination is infectious and I couldn't put this book down. I loved that suffrage and the politics of feminism was put front and centre of this fantasy novel, was really interesting to read without being preachy.
I instantly fell in love with Nehal, who is isn't afraid to speak her mind, even when it gets her in trouble, which it does repeatedly, but she provides great comic relief. The scenes between her and her mother were priceless. She certainly has a lot of room to grow, which I hope to see more of in the next instalment in this duology. Also, what a cliffhanger?!

3 stars

Thank you to Net Gallery for an advanced copy of The Daughters of Izdihar in exchange for an honest review. 

Hadeer Elsbai's debut fantasy novel includes well constructed world building and a gripping storyline. However, I feel that the characters are rather surface level and that they undergo little to no growth throughout the novel. I hope they will be given more depth in the second installment of this duology. 

Similarly, while I like the concept of the magic system of 'weavers' who can control the elements, their abilities are only touched upon, and I would love for the extent of the protagonists' abilities to be explored upon.

I really enjoyed the history of this world, how integral suffrage is to the storyline, and how there seems no easy solution for even the wealthiest of characters. However, although it is acknowledged that Nehal is selfish and privileged, by the end of the novel she remains content in her own ignorance. She also seems much more naive than her age and consequently comes across as a lot younger than her peers and love interests which I found a little jarring. So far, I've enjoyed the two romances but would also like them to be explored more and to be given more focus. 

Overall, I think this is a really good fantasy book and a great debut, but there is definitely room for more growth and depth in the second installment.

I was enchanted by this soooo much, it’s a fantastic mix of romance, magic, feminism and politics (but not boring politics honestly) . I loved the rebellion, the drive for equality, you connect so much with them and the cause, I loved the writing it was so beautifully crafted, the atmosphere was entrancing and I just couldn’t put it down. Thoroughly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an honest opinion