The Daughters of Izdihar

The Daughters of Izdihar

Hardback
4.65

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Description

From debut author Hadeer Elsbai comes the first book in an incredibly powerful new duology, set wholly in a new world, but inspired by modern Egyptian history, about two young women—Nehal, a spoiled aristocrat used to getting what she wants and Giorgina, a poor bookshop worker used to having nothing—who find they have far more in common, particularly in their struggle for the rights of women and their ability to fight for it with forbidden elemental magicAs a waterweaver, Nehal can move and shape any water to her will, but she’s limited by her lack of formal education. She desires nothing more than to attend the newly opened Weaving Academy, take complete control of her powers, and pursue a glorious future on the battlefield with the first all-female military regiment. But her family cannot afford to let her go—crushed under her father’s gambling debt, Nehal is forcibly married into a wealthy merchant family. Her new spouse, Nico, is indifferent and distant and in love with another woman, a bookseller named Giorgina.Giorgina has her own secret, however: she is an earthweaver with dangerously uncontrollable powers. She has no money and no prospects. Her only solace comes from her activities with the Daughters of Izdihar, a radical women’s rights group at the forefront of a movement with a simple goal: to attain recognition for women to have a say in their own lives. They live very different lives and come from very different means, yet Nehal and Giorgina have more in common than they think. The cause—and Nico—brings them into each other’s orbit, drawn in by the group’s enigmatic leader, Malak Mamdouh, and the urge to do what is right.But their problems may seem small in the broader context of their world, as tensions are rising with a neighboring nation that desires an end to weaving and weavers. As Nehal and Giorgina fight for their rights, the threat of war looms in the background, and the two women find themselves struggling to earn—and keep—a lasting freedom.

Book Information

Main Genre
Novels
Sub Genre
Miscellaneous
Format
Hardback
Pages
384
Price
27.50 €

Posts

3
All
5

Ich habe bis jetzt einige Bücher gelesen, die Feminismus, Selbstermächtigung und feministischen Kampf thematisieren. Aber keines behandelt es so unfassbar intensiv wie dieser Dilogieauftakt. Die Geschichte ist ein einziger Kampf unterdrückter und benachteiligter Frauen, ausgeschlossen vom Wahlrecht, verbannt in ihre Häuser, Menschen zweiter Klasse. Dazu die Magie der Weaver, die natürlich nur bei Frauen emotional und unkontrollierbar ist. Eh klar. Aber wie sollen sie ihre Fähigkeiten kontrollieren lernen, wenn es ihnen niemand lehrt? Absolutes Highlight und ich möchte Band 2 alsbald nachlegen!

4

4/5 I'm a simple woman. I see feminist fantasy and lesbian and buy. After waiting for this book for three months I was SO excited to read it and it did not disappoint. First things first, the world this is set in: I admit I may be biased but I absolutely LOVE elemental based magic systems! I would have loved to learn more about their gods, the way their magic works and how far they can take their weaving but hopefully we'll get more of that in the second book with Giorgina connecting to her earth-weaving more and more. Regarding the characters themselves, I really liked them! In some books, an angry, stubborn character like Nehal gets boring very fast and I just want to scream at them to please, please, PLEASE think about what they're doing for like two seconds. But with Nehal, it was different. Maybe it's because sometimes I wish I could act like her when talking to a misogynist but I absolutely LOVED her. Can't wait to see what the second book has in store for her. Giorgina is quite the opposite, swallowing her anger and trying to stay out of trouble for as long as possible - until it isn't possible anymore. I loved reading her development, especially in the last third of the book. I also liked Nico and Malak, though I wish we could've seen more of Malak. The blurb also somehow led me to believe it would be Nehal and Giorgina who were to be the lesbian couple and I was so confused when it was 'revealed' that Giorgina loved Nico back. However, MalakxNehal is even better in my opinion! Long story review short: loved the book, excited for part two!

5

Highlight mit wichtigen Themen

Doch, das ist ein Highlight-Buch für mich. Die Themen, die hier angesprochen und einer Fantasy-Geschichte verpackt wurden, sind einfach zu wichtig, als dass es das nicht sein kann. Hier haben wir einen Fantasy-Roman, der den aktuellen Kampf um Menschenrechte aufgreift und wunderschön, packend und unglaublich frustrierend darstellt. Ja, manche Themen hätte ich mir etwas vertiefter gewünscht und generell hätten dem Buch ein paar Seiten mehr gut getan, um einige Handlungsstränge etwas besser darzustellen. Trotzdem - dieses Buch liest sich stellenweise wie ein Manifest und greift unglaublich viele wichtige, hochaktuelle Themen auf: Feminismus, Queerness, Klassenunterschiede, das Recht über den eigenen Körper zu bestimmen, Privilegien und noch einige mehr. Eine wirklich, wirklich große Empfehlung.

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