FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile
Narrators Priya Ayyar and Nikki Massoud accentuate the differences in the status of two women. In an Egyptian fantasy society, women are fighting for suffrage and control over their lives. Ayyar introduces the listener to Nehal, the daughter of a family that knows privilege. Ayyar’s portrayal captures Nehal’s haughty persona; she is aggressive and ambitious with little thought to those who are not of her class. Giorgina, as portrayed by Massoud, also knows her place, but she is meek and unintrusive, as befits her lower class. Both narrators are adept at reflecting subtle changes in personality as Nehal and Giorgina interact with each other, with the man they have in common, and with men in authority. This debut audiobook is the first installment of the Alamaxa Duology. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
10/03/2022
Elsbai’s rocky epic fantasy debut and duology launch suffers from uneven worldbuilding that is simultaneously elaborately detailed in its Egyptian-styled setting and cartoonishly shallow in its presentation of misogyny and societal inequities. In Ramsawa, the power of weaving—elemental magic granted by the gods to only a few—is barely tolerated, and only truly accepted in men. Young noblewoman and waterweaver Nehal Darweesh grudgingly acquiesces to a financially driven arranged marriage to Nico Baldinotti after the pair agree to a deal: she’ll allow him to keep his lover, bookstore clerk Giorgina Shukry, as a concubine if he’ll sign the papers for Nehal to attend the newly opened Weaving Academy. Giorgina and Nehal meet through the Daughters of Izdihar, a group of radical women agitating for women’s right to vote, many of whom are hiding weaving abilities. Their involvement opens themselves to the wrath of powerful men in a country on the brink of war, but the camaraderie of the group helps them find the courage to defy expectations. It’s a promising premise, but there’s a frustrating lack of nuance to the gender relations. Meanwhile, a slight secondary arc about Nehal’s realization of her own queerness yields a depiction of cultural homophobia as hamfisted as the rest. This disappoints. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
Elsbai’s Egyptian-inspired fantasy world is compelling and fascinating.” — Washington Post
"A wondrously rich fantasy that highlights the true struggle to revolutionize a society. You will cheer and mourn alongside Nehal and Giorgina as they dare to discover new magic, fight for a more just society, and find love in unexpected places. A debut not to be missed!" — Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
“Forbidden magic, social revolution, and political intrigue—in The Daughters of Izdihar, author Hadeer Elsbai has written a powerful story of sisterhood, love, and struggle within a rich, vibrant world with complicated characters that leap from the page to smash the patriarchy!” — P. Djèlí Clark, author of A Master of Djinn
“With a focus on women, magic, and political schemes, this novel is cleareyed regarding social issues, timely, and above all, an engrossing fantasy. Sympathetic yet flawed characters set against a complex society on the edge of change bring this novel to vibrant life.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This debut fantasy is an impressive feminist feat, with immersive world building, fascinating, complex characters, and a plot that hooked me from start to finish.” — Buzzfeed
"Recommended for fans of unique settings and feminist fantasy, like The City of Brass, by S. A. Chakraborty, A Master of Djinn, by P. Djeli Clark, or The Power, by Naomi Alderman." — Booklist
"The Daughters of Izdihar is a gorgeous, clever feminist fantasy novel rich with magic, politics, hunger and fire. An absolute must-read." — Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne
“Action-packed, magic-filled, and led by two fierce, vividly-rendered women, The Daughters of Izdihar is a compelling and empowering debut.” — Ava Reid, bestselling author of Juniper & Thorn
"The Daughters of Izdihar is a thrilling tale of two women’s fight for rights in their patriarchal society, peppered with elemental magic, politics, and a relentless desire for that which is wrongly forbidden. I loved the characters—each one flawed but also trying their hardest to make things right." — Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter
"A powerful fantasy novel filled with clever magic, intriguing politics, and compelling characters who forge a path toward justice, no matter the obstacle." — Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief
"I had such a wonderful time with these ladies—these magnificent, complex, compelling ladies, who yearn and strive and rage so vividly and relatably! I thrilled at their magical discoveries and relished the steel of their grim determination in the face of oppressive expectations and their own justified fears." — Davinia Evans, author of Notorious Sorcerer
"An absolutely enthralling tale of two women striving for a better world. Filled with magic and politics, The Daughters of Izdihar grips you and doesn't let go. I couldn't put it down!" — Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Queens of Renthia series
"Hadeer Elsbai has set a wonderful story set in a beautifully imagined world, one I predict will have most readers on tenterhooks for the conclusion to this duology. It is absolutely a must-read for anybody who enjoys feminist fantasy stories, and one I will recommend for years to come." — Fantasy Book Critic
Library Journal
11/01/2022
DEBUT In Alamaxa, privileged princess Nehal and working-class Giorgina have two things in common: their rights as adults to determine their own fates are completely subjugated, and neither has been permitted training in the element-based magic with which they were both born—because they are women. By different paths, they make their way to the Daughters of Izdihar, a clandestine organization fighting for equal rights. That political agenda arouses the ire of traditionalists, and a neighboring empire is using the resulting upheaval as cover for their own agenda—subjugating their enemies through misinformation or war—all while taking out Alamaxa's best hope of victory before it ever has a chance to fully flower. VERDICT Elsbai's debut feminist fantasy, inspired by modern Egyptian history, provides an in-depth exploration of a society on the edge of revolution and war. The fight for women's rights is centered here, but it is clear that more is yet to come in book two of this projected duology.—Marlene Harris
FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile
Narrators Priya Ayyar and Nikki Massoud accentuate the differences in the status of two women. In an Egyptian fantasy society, women are fighting for suffrage and control over their lives. Ayyar introduces the listener to Nehal, the daughter of a family that knows privilege. Ayyar’s portrayal captures Nehal’s haughty persona; she is aggressive and ambitious with little thought to those who are not of her class. Giorgina, as portrayed by Massoud, also knows her place, but she is meek and unintrusive, as befits her lower class. Both narrators are adept at reflecting subtle changes in personality as Nehal and Giorgina interact with each other, with the man they have in common, and with men in authority. This debut audiobook is the first installment of the Alamaxa Duology. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-10-26
Two young women fight for their freedom in the midst of political upheaval, threats of war, and suspicions about the magic they wield.
In the kingdom of Ramsawa, based on a fantastical Egypt, Nehal Darweesh is forced to agree to a marriage to help her family settle her father’s gambling debts. Nehal, however, will not go quietly and manages to convince her new husband, Niccolo Baldinotti, to allow her to enroll in the Alamaxa Academy of the Weaving Arts to study waterweaving. Nico is equally uninterested in the marriage, as he intended to marry Giorgina Shukry until his father learned she was of a lower status. Giorgina, meanwhile, unbeknownst to her family, has joined the Daughters of Izdihar, a group of women from all levels of society fighting for their rights—to a vote, to education, to a life not subservient to men. Soon, Nehal too becomes interested in the Daughters of Izdihar and is drawn to their charismatic leader, Malak Mamdouh. Power, however, is not so easily given up, and the Daughters of Izdihar face both scorn and violence. Meanwhile, factions within the government and outside of Ramsawa’s borders continue to view the magical ability to control an element, taught at the Alamaxa Academy, with suspicion and fear. As tensions threaten to boil over, Nehal and Giorgina must both come to an understanding of themselves, their places within society, and their powers both tangible and intangible before they can finally and decisively fight for their own freedom. Reminiscent of Tamora Pierce’s fantasies, but all grown up, with a focus on women, magic, and political schemes, this novel is cleareyed regarding social issues, timely, and above all, an engrossing fantasy.
Sympathetic yet flawed characters set against a complex society on the edge of change bring this novel to vibrant life.
