A vivid and beautiful gothic tale that surprised me. Took a little bit to get into it at first but I soon saw this story play out in my mind like I was watching it on a screen. The characters from both timelines are so full. Loved this immensely.

And you will not be disappointed if you read this in audio. Soneela Nankani is phenomenal. Immediately added a bunch of her narrated books to my TBR. ( )

Recommended: if you know what you're getting
For a slow paced atmospheric read, for the life story of every character involved, for unexpected dual timelines, not for much magic or djinn-ness.

Thoughts:
Oh, dear. Well. This was a disappointment for me. Sigh.

This is reminding me of Remarkably Bright Creatures which promised and was hyped on the idea of getting a perspective of narration from an octopus, and then had like 6 pages of octopus narration total. It wasn't delivering what I expected, and this book was similar. I love magic and djinn, and that was a big part of why I was curious about this one. The title is named for the djinn, so I thought it would be more present, but it doesn't show up until about halfway through and is limited in it's importance except for a few moments. The djinn was more of a narrative bridge between the past and present, and a way to give a concrete narrator to events that would otherwise only be seen through some unspecified omniscience.

And about that bridge between past and present. I wasn't expecting to be suddenly thrown into the past with new characters, and I didn't really appreciate it. A large part of this is because I was already struggling to care about the current-day story and characters, so to then get a whole new set to learn was discouraging. I ended up liking some of the characters in the past timeline more, at least, but that meant coming back to present day was that much harder.

It excelled in making the house a character, and building a robust sense of atmosphere. There's some light personification in a sort of folklore-mystical way, where it didn't feel like magic. Instead it felt like it was exposing what actually happens, in every building, always, even today, and that was an interesting thought that led to questioning what the buildings I know are feeling. Typing that out feels a bit goofy, but oh well!

Overall though... I was a bit bored. It was a very observational experience rather than an active one, and with one bright exception, there wasn't much that happened. It was more about simple interactions, learning about people, and understanding the past events. It was okay, but it wasn't my favorite. I read it, but I read it slowly and with a little reluctance each time I went back. If you enjoy something more akin to a character study with a very slight touch of magical realism and some historical dual timelines, this can work. If you're looking for something with an active story or more obvious magic elements, take it as a miss.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review. ( )

This is one of those books that haunts you long after you've finished it, much like the djinn lingered in Akbar Manzil. Khan does an amazing job of bringing the past and present inhabitants of the mansion to life, drawing the reader into a mysterious and tragic tale. I will warn you - it can get a bit dark at times, and it will play your heart strings like a concert pianist. I got wrapped up in the book pretty quickly, and it moves along smoothly at a good paced. Highly recommend! ( )

The author, Shubnum Khan knows how to write a beautiful, lyrical novel. The word float off the page. This historical fiction novel is a story of a grand estate off the coast of South Africa and the residents both from the early days and almost 100 years later. Sana, our young protagonist, and Meena, our young wife from long ago, are both looking for love or the meaning of love. Following Sana and learning about Meena is a beautiful journey. Adding all the quirky residents add fun and interest. Adding Meena's in-laws add sadness and emotion. All this bringing a wonderful novel together with such interest that all of a sudden an unexpected ending is upon you.

Usually, I read a book and pass it on for someone else to enjoy, but this is one of the rare times that I will keep this novel and read it again. That is how much I enjoyed this novel.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Goodreads.com for an ARC of this novel. ( )

An atmospheric tale of an old house with long held secrets...and it the setting was not in England, but instead, South Africa. Akbar Manzil is a huge mansion that sits decaying near the ocean. Originally a home in the 1930s for a wealthy man and his family, it has long since been converted into apartments. A strange group of tenants live there hoping to be forgotten, until a father and his young daughter Sana move in. Sana is curious about the house and slowly begins to dig into its past. However, following her around is the ghost of her long dead sister who seems to taunt her for being the one to survive.
The story is told in 2 timelines, and we begin to learn the house sad, dark secret. This was beautifully written. It's a story of grief, loneliness, hauntings and the promise of hope. I loved it. I received a complimentary eBook from the publisher in exchange for a review. ( )