Aicha

De: Soraya Bouazzaoui

Narrado por: Sarah Slimani, Soraya Bouazzaoui

TEMPTRESS. MONSTER. WARRIOR.

Aicha is the story of Morocco's warrior goddess, her strange magic, fierce rebellion, and devastating romance. Soraya Bouazzaoui weaves an epic tale of female rage and hidden myths, perfect for fans of The City of Brass and The Stardust Thief.

The Portuguese empire has planted its flag across Morocco, ruling with an iron fist. But eventually, all empires must fall.

Aicha, the daughter of a Moroccan freedom-fighter, was born for battle. She has witnessed the death of her people, their starvation and torture at the hands of the occupiers, and it has awakened an anger within her. An anger that burns hot and bright and that speaks to Aicha’s soul.

Only Aicha’s secret lover, Rachid, a rebellion leader, knows how to soothe her. But as the fight for Morocco’s freedom reaches its violent climax, the creature that simmers beneath Aicha’s skin begs to be unleashed. It hungers for the screams of those who have caused her pain, and it will not be ignored.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Bouazzaoui’s tale of a furious rebellion and a tragic war is woven together with a stunningly tender romance, and an unbreakable family bond. A debut of epic scope, Aicha instantly establishes this author as one to watch. Furious, heart-wrenching, and utterly enchanting, Aicha tells the story of a heroine unlike any other I’ve read. I devoured this in two sittings, totally enthralled." —Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Principle of Moments

"A heady, heart-wrenching, magnetic debut, bursting with both love and fury." —Holly Race, Sunday Times bestselling author of Six Wild Crowns

"Masterfully woven, Aicha is a heart-pounding and immersive read that has it all: intriguing magic, devastating romance, detailed world-building, and fascinating mythology. Bouazzaoui crafts her powerful debut with gut-wrenching intricacy. This is a must read.”—Aamna Qureshi, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Baby Dragon Cafe

"Aicha is a sharpened blade, swinging between the celebration of love in all its forms and unbridled anger. A ferocious debut." —Eliza Chan, Sunday Times bestselling author of Fathomfolk

I NEVER Write Reviews for anything

I just don’t know any other way to thank the author for writing this book. So

Thank You 💜

I absolutely loved this book. It is beautifully written. I knew where it was going the entire time. I didn’t want it to get there. I wanted the story to be longer. The characters were so real. The story was so full of love. It broke my heart.

I would love to be more detailed but I think you should read it for yourself. Be sure to read the epilogue so you at least have a small bandage for your heart.

stunning

what an absolutely stellar read. hauntingly beautiful and full of rage. the world feels so big even though it only takes place in one city. The hint of magic was so well done.

Disjointed and Lack of World Building

I was looking forward to this book which promised fantasy set in a fictional middle eastern city. Unfortunately, I found that the first 11 chapters failed to present enough world building to make the setting or characters come alive. The repetition about the protagonist's mannerisms and physical appearance being like her dead mother lent nothing to the story line. The father's concerning physical abuse and obsession with his daughters was not well explained through a cultural or religious lens. There was also basically no fantasy! Chapter 12 showed promise as I felt the development of an escape and reveal of the protagonists fate might delve into the reason for her rage and seemingly split personality. However, the author eventually slipped into a predictable romance narrative complete with a rather expected and overly explicit sex scene reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. The final battle betrayed a hurried timeline where the protagonists actions clashed with her entire upbringing as a warrior. I was extremely disappointed that there was not more development of self awareness in the protagonist. She seemed unwilling to question anything unexplained and completely reliant on parlternalistic attitudes around her. I wish the author had taken more time to explain cultural and religious references and lean into more research about those topics. It's clear the author can write and I hope that her later publicatios. will be better than this one.