I enjoyed this book a lot. It wasn't the best book I've ever read but neither was it the worst. It's an adventure story. Nothing too special happens in the plot at all. Two kids go on a journey to stop the sultan from killing off innocent girls and destroying their town. That's it. The plot is fairly simple and so is the writing. The characters can be hit or miss. In fact, I didn't quite care for any of the characters aside from Khalila and she's not even one of the main characters. All the other characters kind of got on my nerves after a while.

 

This book is something you'd want to read if you don't know what to read and you're just craving a simple adventure story. However, the ending does not tie up all the loose ends and there's no sequel so if you're a reader who likes closure, you might want to skip this book. Otherwise, give it a try. It's an okay read.

There is a great giveaway and the author sounds very nice, so I wonder if I should buy it even if because I already know I won't win.

originally posted on my blog: http://newborrowedused.blogspot.com/2012/08/book-review-book-of-wonders.html

My Thoughts: I've found when I'm having trouble finishing books, if I pick up an MG book it helps get me out of my slump. This book was no exception. I enjoyed both the world and the characters that the author brought us. Some may seem familiar, there is a correlation to Aladdin and Arabian Nights. We even have the characters searching for Aladdin to take over ruling Arribitha from the evil Sultan.
There were times throughout that I wished the story had only focused on one character, either Sardi or Ridhan's. I found myself liking Rdhan better and was more interested in his story since it had to do with magic and sorcerers. Also, while the Sultan and what he did to Sardi's family (as well as the whole country) was terrible, Ridhan's dad came off as much more vile and those are the type of villain's I like reading about.
Overall, this was a fun enjoyable read with a great set up for a next book (nothing showing at this time). From Sardi and Ridhan to the pirates and djinni there is something for everyone. The twists in the story made sure it did not become boring and keeps you reading to the end.

Rating: 4 (wavered between this and 3.5)

Decent. I liked Zardi immensely. Competent. Loves her family. Compassionate and loyal. I liked Rhidan for the most part.

It was an inventive tale and a new take on the Arabian nights. (One Thousand and One Nights could easily provide fresh material for those who have had one too many retellings of the western European variety.)

Sadly, this one leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions! Who is Khalilla's husband? Backstory there? Why did Irial abandon Rhidan? Where is Aladdin? So, yes,'ll be picking up a sequel if it shows up. That said, not a lot really got done here and I expected more from this story.

Middle Grade, but some of the situations are grim and pretty violent. Lot of people die.

Zardi, short for Scheherazade, loves hearing stories about the times when magic was plentiful and abundant in the land of Arribitha. But those times are gone, ever since the evil sultan, Shahryar, came to power and forbade anyone from even talking about magic. When her sister, Zubeyda, is taken to be the sultan's next praisemaker - a job that always results in the girl's death - and her father is imprisoned, Zardi and her friend Rhidan must seek out Sinbad, and hope that the sailor's tales of lands faraway are true. Together they're all thrust into an adventure that none of them saw coming.This was a really fun book that used the tales of One Thousand and One Nights in a very interesting way. Zardi was a downright fantastic female lead: she's tough, stubborn, and unwilling to give up. Her friendship with Rhidan is first rate, too, and I liked the way they complemented each other. While I'm familiar in passing with the story of Sinbad, this was an interesting look at his character, and definitely tarnishes the legend just a bit. Zardi is unrelenting in her search to save Zubeyda, and is willing to face danger after danger in order to ensure her sister's life. While the adventures were fun (and dangerous!), it was her spirit that really made me love this book. She was just a really perfect narrator.I will say that this book took me far longer to read than it should have, because I stopped midway through to read a whole bunch of other things instead. This is not a knock on the book - I was thoroughly enjoying it - but it does suffer a bit from what I call the "non-stop action" affliction. Zardi and the others certainly have to go through a lot.Also, a word of caution, this is very clearly the start of a new series, which doesn't become apparent until almost the very end. While one story line is wrapped up, there are tons of other things that have yet to be figured out. The book doesn't really end on a cliffhanger, though, so much as it's very open-ended. I look forward to seeing what Zardi and Rhidan get up to next.