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SynopsisIn a distant land far nearer than you might think—where firebirds nestled on the peaks of the mountains of the sun; where serpents had skins of precious jewels; where djinn cried fiery tears that lined their eyes with ash like kohl (but only when the very best of poets recited their ghazals); where the trees of the first forest warred for more land upon which to grow—there was a king who loved a woman as beautiful as the moon, and she betrayed him, and there was a queen who bore a son, and he was taken, and there was a girl who loved stories of adventure and heroes, until she found herself in the midst of one.
↳ in which there are djinn, a hopeless quest, a tangled web of love and loss, and many stories. |
Stats
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status: in progress
genre: new adult, high fantasy started: may 2022 - (original version: ~2007, first draft: 2023) |
pov: first
draft: second wordcount: 4.5k (updated 22. 11.25) |
Inspirations
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• The Wonders of Creation by Al Qazwini
• One Thousand and One Nights/Arabian Nights • Fairy tales of people kidnapped by the fae |
• Muslim beliefs
• Various Arabian, Persian, and Egyptian legends • Stories of people kidnapped by djinn |
Themes
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• mutual pining
• mysterious pasts • magic & djinn • female friendship • adventure |
• slow-burn romance
• loneliness & belonging • unrequited love • female leads • creatures & myths |
Characters
Shahira | a storyteller who vanished without a trace one night and returned months later without explanation to demand a divorce from Raoul
Intisar | the queen of Mourra, who is willing to do anything for the chance of saving her son, even if everyone believes it's impossible and that he's as good as dead
Qusaiy | Intisar and Haitham's only child, a four year old boy renowned for his beautiful voice and eidetic memory, who is kidnapped by the djinn
Haitham | the king of Mourra, who was betrayed by his first wife and never quite recovered from it, and is terrified of losing all he holds dear
The Nameless Queen | Haitham's first wife, a legendary beauty and poet, who conspired against Haitham with his half-brother, with whom she also had an affair
Raoul | Haitham's Wazir and childhood friend and Shahira's ex-husband, who holds a secret near and dear to his heart
Ilyas | Captain of the Guards of the palace, loyal to Raoul but even more so to Shahira, who is a giant with a gentle heart
Nilam | a Wayfinder, the twin sister to Ilyas and loyal friend to Shahira, who has a warcat named Zsa Zsa
Intisar | the queen of Mourra, who is willing to do anything for the chance of saving her son, even if everyone believes it's impossible and that he's as good as dead
Qusaiy | Intisar and Haitham's only child, a four year old boy renowned for his beautiful voice and eidetic memory, who is kidnapped by the djinn
Haitham | the king of Mourra, who was betrayed by his first wife and never quite recovered from it, and is terrified of losing all he holds dear
The Nameless Queen | Haitham's first wife, a legendary beauty and poet, who conspired against Haitham with his half-brother, with whom she also had an affair
Raoul | Haitham's Wazir and childhood friend and Shahira's ex-husband, who holds a secret near and dear to his heart
Ilyas | Captain of the Guards of the palace, loyal to Raoul but even more so to Shahira, who is a giant with a gentle heart
Nilam | a Wayfinder, the twin sister to Ilyas and loyal friend to Shahira, who has a warcat named Zsa Zsa
