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“Wilson instills imaginative storytelling in her
debut novel set in the modern Middle East…Wilson skillfully weaves a story linking
modern-day technologies and computer languages to the folklore and religion of
the Middle East. For readers ready for adventure and looking for original
storytelling, this excellent novel supersedes genres as easily as its
characters jump from one reality to another.”
— Library Journal
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“Wilson provocatively juxtaposes ancient Arab
lore and equally esoteric computer theory.”
— Publishers Weekly
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“A fantasy thriller that takes modern Islamic
computer hackers fighting against State-based repression and entangles that
with the fantastical Djinn-riddled world of One
Thousand and One Nights…Like a novelization of one of Joss Whedon’s best Buffy episodes crossed with a Pathé
newsreel of the Arab Spring uprisings.”
— Austin Chronicle
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“Outstanding…Wilson’s novel delights in bending
genres and confounding expectations: It’s both a literary techno-thriller and a
fantasy that takes religion very seriously…One of the most inventive,
invigorating novels of the year.”
— Christian Science Monitor
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“Wilson writes beautifully, tells a great story,
and even makes computer hackery seem like magic.”
— Sunday Times (London)
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“An intriguing mix of fantasy, romance, and
spirituality wrapped up in cyberthriller packaging…Wilson’s desert fantasy
moves at the breakneck speed of a thriller through cityscapes, wilderness, and
ethereal realms as she skillfully laces mythology and modernity, spirituality
and her own unique take on technological evolution…Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind
story, both contemporary and as ancient as the Arabian sands.”
— Shelf Awareness
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“Wilson manages to keep the various fantastical,
technological, political, and religious plates spinning without ever losing
track of the story, or getting bogged down in polemic…Though Alif the Unseen was recently compared to
Harry Potter…it has more in common with Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials
trilogy.”
— National
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“Imaginative…Brilliant…[It] draws on Islamic
theology, the hacking underworld, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, spy thrillers, and the events of the Arab
Spring to weave an ‘urban fantasy’ in which the everyday and the supernatural
collide…A first novel that is witty, imaginative, and unorthodox in all senses.”
— Observer (London)
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“Written just before the Arab Spring, this wild
adventure mixes the digital derring-do of Neal Stephenson with the magic of The Thousand and One Nights…Alif the Unseen is a rich blend of
storytelling magic.”
— San Francisco Chronicle
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“Passion, power, and technology converge in this
imaginative novel.
— O, The Oprah Magazine
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“Alif the
Unseen is a true chimera…There are few authors who can pull off dealing
with religion, dogma, and mysticism as well as sci-fi, and Wilson is one of
them. Alif the Unseen contains
elements that will appeal to fans of the ecstatic digital visions The Neuromancer, devotees of the
mythological richness of The Thousand and
One Nights, international-news junkies, and fellow hacktivists.”
— Tor
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“A delirious urban fantasy which puts the
unlikely case for religion in an age of empowering and intrusive technology.”
— Guardian (UK)
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“A fast-paced, thrilling journey between two
worlds, the seen world of human beings, and the unseen world of the
supernatural.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer
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“A book of startling beauty and power.”
— Holly Black, author of The Spiderwick Chronicles
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“A magical book. The supernatural and
sociopolitical thriller Alif the Unseen
is timely literary alchemy, a smart, spirited swirl of current events and
history; religion and mysticism; reality and myth; computer science and metaphysics…Alif the Unseen richly rewards believers
in the power of the written word.”
— Seattle Times
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“An intoxicating, politicized amalgam of science
fiction and fantasy…that integrates the all-too-familiar terrors of
contemporary political repression with supernatural figures from The Thousand and One Nights.”
— Washington Post
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“Outrageously enjoyable…The energetic plotting
of Philip Pullman, the nimble imagery of Neil Gaiman, and the intellectual
ambition of Neal Stephenson are three comparisons that come to mind.”
— Salon
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“A Harry Potterish action-adventure romance
[that] unfolds against the backdrop of the Arab Spring…A bookload of wizardry
and glee.”
— New York Times
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“G. Willow Wilson has a deft hand with myth and
with magic, and the kind of smart, honest writing mind that knits together and
bridges cultures and people. You should read what she writes.”
— Neil Gaiman