Review: The Dream Of A Thousand Nights by Shira Anthony

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: Novel
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Blurb: Neriah, the crown prince of Tazier, escapes his father’s deadly wrath with the help of a Jinn named Tamir. Knowing that the other Jinn would find and punish him for falling in love with a human, Tamir takes Neriah’s memories of their brief time together and leaves him with only a jade pendant as a token of his love. Tamir is then stripped of his powers and imprisoned for his crime.

Ten years later, Neriah is still on the run from the King’s assassins, but each night he dreams of a lover whose face he cannot see and whose name he does not know, but who fills his heart with peace. Tamir, freed at last from his prison cell, poses as a pleasure slave and offers to serve the prince. Although Neriah does not recognize Tamir, he falls in love with the powerless Jinn. But just when Tamir has earned Neriah’s trust, he is forced to betray it. There may be no hope of mending their broken relationship, but Tamir is determined to see Neriah on his rightful throne—even if it costs the Jinn his life.

Reviewed by Kristen: I love the setting and idea of the story, but I'm a torn about the actual story.

The characters are amazing. I love Tamir and Neriah. Both are complex and I understand why they act the way they do.

What makes me torn about this is that there's a part of the story that is blurring the lines of consensual sex and just plain rape between one of the main characters and a Jinn. While Tamir didn't object, he didn't really have a choice because Jinns are these beautiful creatures that no human can resist. I just don't know what to feel about that part. I get why it was included and it would feel less if it wasn't there, but I'm not a fan of this theme.BUT, and the but is huge, I loved everything else about this book.

Shira Anthony created a unique tale I want to reread over and over again (skipping the consensual sex/rape part). She even got me to like the Jinn (Amir) that seduced Tamir in the end, although he was my mortal enemy no 1 during most part of the book.

Now I'm totally excited and looking forward to Amir's story. I want him to see for himself what love is all about and to see the errors of his way, while still finding love!

A