Baba Ali and The Clockwork Djinn: A Steampunk Faerie Tale by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Day Al-Mohamed – Review by Carrie Reed

Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn: A Steampunk Faerie Tale by Danielle Ackley-McPhail
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 stars!

I never thought this genre would hold my interest but I was intrigued and thoroughly entranced in this story. This book is about Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves but with a steampunk twist. First off, I have never read the original story, so I have nothing to compare this retelling against. This story took me to a fantastical world with magic and adventure. It is fun to see how Ali reacts and solves the mysterious puzzle box he receives. Ali is on his way home after his father’s death and seems to be the only one able to restore his family’s name and honor, and proves time and time again that he can handle anything that life throws at him, seeing as how he is attacked multiple times on his journey home. It was also interesting to see someone of Arab descent in England and how he lived at that time, that aspect plus the magical element made the story that much more interesting for me. Throughout the book Ali encounters magical and mechanical creatures, which I thought were nicely written into the story. I wish there was a little more in the lines of romance but, even without, it was still very fun. I would definitely recommend this book.

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