The Princess of Dhagabad (Spirits of the Ancient Sands) [Hardcover]

Anna Kashina (Author), A. Kashina (Author)

Book Description

Series: Spirits of the Ancient Sands | Publication Date: May 2000

A magical book written with the exotic flavor of Arabian Nights, The Princess of Dhagabad is the first in a trilogy of fantasy novels from a promising new talent who is sure to appeal to readers of J.Gregory Keyes and Marion Zimmer Bradley. This sensuous and vividly imagined novel is about the coming-of-age of an Arabian princess, who is destined to be heiress to the throne of Dhagabad, and her relationship with Hasan, an all-powerful djinn who becomes her slave, teacher and steadfast companion.

The Princess of Dhagabad follows the princess as she grows from a child of twelve into a young woman of seventeen, at which age she proves, against all tradition, that she is more than capable of taking her destiny-and the destiny of Dhagabad-in hand.

Hasan, her devoted djinn, whose power and omniscience crush him under an unbearable burden, gradually releases himself from his centuries-old pain and apathy. He grows to enjoy spending time with his mistress, until one day-against all odds-he discovers a power greater than wisdom or immortality, greater than suffering-love.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"...a very promising new writer...with a lot of originality, an exciting story, a well realized background, and vivid writing."-Poul Anderson

About the Author

Anna Kashina, was born in Russia and moved to the United States in 1994. She is a molecular biologist at Cal tech in Pasadena, CA. In 1996, she published two books in Russia, In the Name of the Queen under the pen name Ann Porridge, and a book of fantasy short stories. The Princess of Dhagabad is her first English-language publication.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 302 pages
• Publisher: Herodias; 1st edition (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1928746071
• ISBN-13: 978-1928746072
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,879,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A different world, August 19, 2000

By 

Claire (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Princess of Dhagabad (Spirits of the Ancient Sands) (Hardcover)

Much of today's literature (I am talking about fiction) represents an attempt, for the authors and the readers, to understand the real world. We are told what it was like to "grow up in the depression," what are the issues in today's family life, what may be the real causes of the American revolution ...

Anna Kashina's book is different: it opens up a new world for the readers. The beautiful palace gardens and exotic oriental cities are not merely a background for the story of a young girl turning into a young woman. The young heroine LIVES in this world, and it becomes part of our own as we read the book.

I believe that the most important ability of a real writer is the ability to create a new world, where the readers can live alongside the characters of the story. Good literature brings us not only understanding, but joy.

Anna Kashina's book is extremely enjoyable, and it is a joy to explore the world she created for us. I hope the second book of the series will be published soon!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice--more romance than adventure, October 7, 2000

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Princess of Dhagabad (Spirits of the Ancient Sands) (Hardcover)

The Princess receives a bottle containing a djin--Hasan--who obeys her every wish. As she matures from child to young woman, she pursues knowledge, but knows that she must some day marry someone else. Hasan is a slave who cannot be freed.

Anna Kashina is a smooth writer making THE PRINCESS OF DHAGABAD a pleasure to read. Her concept of the djin being the gods' way of punishing humans who learn too much is amusing and creates an internally consistent magic system.

Not a lot actually happens in this novel. The adventure is personal and coming of age, rather than monumental. Like a romance, what matters is the relationship between two people, not the saving of the world or creating great new empires.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Basics of Learning Magic, August 2, 2000

By 

Helmut Moritz (Graz, AUSTRIA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Princess of Dhagabad (Spirits of the Ancient Sands) (Hardcover)

This is an extraordinary book. After becoming familiar with the unusual, ceremonious English, I could not stop reading the book to the end.

It is the Arabian Nights story of the bottle imp, told in a new and completely original way. The young princess is always accompanied by the djinn Hasan, whom she has liberated from the bottle. The djinn turns out to be very wise, highly intelligent (sometimes he talks like a modern scientist), and sometimes mildly ironic. He leads the princess into a world of oriental splendor and helps her in difficult and dangerous situations.

The colorful story is told in a captivating way. Walking on the tight rope of logical paradox, the reader looks down to a paradise. The book is to be read and re-read several times; each time one discovers something new. It is a book which I would not like to miss.

I am impatiently looking forward to the second volume of the book.