SYNOPSIS:
Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.
Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?
Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.
WHY SHOULD YOU CHECK IT OUT?
We’ve been hoping for two paranormal creatures to hit hard in YA fantasy: djinn and gargoyles. So when we saw this title cross our path, we knew we had to tell others about! It is going to deal with a lot of inherently difficult but important topics, and early reviews suggest it succeeds at being respectful and well-thought-out. It doesn’t hurt that it sounds like our warrior princess, Nalia, doesn’t have any easy choices ahead of her.
Nalia is in full view on the cover here, looking both serene and sorrowful. There’s not much of a magic vibe, and given the title a reader glancing at it might jump to the conclusion that it was set in ancient times or that it was directly about modern day human trafficking. It has a distinct grace about it, though.
Originally from Los Angeles, YA author Heather Demetrios now lives in New York City with her husband. This is her second novel after SOMETHING REAL. Heather is the founder of Live Your What, an organization dedicated to fostering passion in people of all ages and creating writing opportunities for youth of limited economic means. Find Heather online at www.HeatherDemetrios.com!
EARLY REVIEWS SAY…
The story unfolds at a swift, even pace, and the worldbuilding is superb; the jinn inhabit an intoxicating, richly realized realm of magic, politics, spirituality and history. Readers will wish they had a jinni to grant them the next book in the series. (Kirkus Reviews)
Nalia is emotionally complex and sharply drawn, trying to atone for her bloody past while she battles Stockholm syndrome with regard to her lecherous master, Malek; endures discrimination and distrust from her star-crossed lover, who hails from a lower caste; and tries to untangle the mystery of jinni trafficking and an evil force devouring young jinni women on Earth. Blending ancient myth and glittering modernity, it’s an intricate and smartly written story… (Publishers Weekly)
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NECESSARY DETAILS
YA Fantasy
Hardcover & ebook, 480 pages
Published on October 7th 2014 by Balzer + Bray (ISBN 006231856X)
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780062318565
You can purchase Exquisite Captive (The Dark Caravan Cycle)
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