WISHING SEASON [Mass Market Paperback]

Esther Freisner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1996

Approaching his graduation from magic school, young genie Khalid tries out a lamp of his own, but forgetting to tell his first human master that he can only have three wishes, Khalid is trapped by a wish for unlimited wishes.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Baen (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067187702X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671877026
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,388,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How a genie was sent out into the world to learn, July 19, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: WISHING SEASON (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is about Khalid, a genie student that was sent out into the world to study mortals...and how to be a successful genie. Being very intelligent, but not too much aware of the human world, he mistakes his first master, (a cat) for a mortal. Being a very proud genie, when he was sent out into the world to try again his luck, he becomes impatient, so when he meets his second master(a true mortal this time,) he becomes impatient and arrogant and, in uttering the important imformation that genies have to inform their masters before they can make their official wishes, he forgets to say a very important line which stated that masters can make 3 wishes and 3 wishes only, which made him bound to his master forever, until his master wishes him free. Khalid learns important lessons about himself, humans, and love. I gave this book a 10 because it is very amusing and is really an ingenious story because it was written very clearly that gave you a superb picture of how everything is, from the description of Khalid to turban, and the message of this story is very clear. The characters were true to life despites its fantasy-ie setting and characters

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Puss in Boots overwhelms an Arabian nights Fantasy., July 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: WISHING SEASON (Mass Market Paperback)

Although genies, sultans, and wish-makers abound in this book, the cat, Boabdil is the omniscient hero. The foibles of humans are evident as feline intelligence guides Hassam in his adventures with a rookie genie who knows the rules of magic but sometimes forgets his scenario. The story is a two-parter and some of the characters in the concluding episode are too predictable, but the humor and clever dialog compensate for this minor flaw in a thoroughly entertaining read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Be Careful What You Wish For..., September 25, 2010

By 

L. King "Eclectic Reader" (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: WISHING SEASON (Mass Market Paperback)

The book is actually two novellas molded into one. The storyscape is the age of the Arabian nights that lasts unchanged for thousands of year, filled with Sultans, scimitars, true love and the rules of magic.

The first tale, depending on how you look at it, is either the story of Haroun, a poor young struggling merchant, or possibly his cat Boabdil, or is it the story of the genie Khalid who discovers he is in love with fellow genie Tamar but mucks up his first assignment by forgetting to tell Haroun that he is limited to just three wishes?

In the second story Haroun is married to his heart's delight Nur and, because he wields the Sword of Solomon, has become the hero of her father's kingdom, fending off attackers and reigning in her 76 brothers' ambitions by helping them win kingdoms of their own. However the protagonist of the story becomes his young teenage son Hafiz who releases the evil genie Azem and has to redeem himself by rescuing his baby sister, his best friend Rashid and ultimately the kingdom.

I picked it up because I had read a later collection of short stories edited by Friesner and enjoyed both her taste and what she herself had written.
Freisner is witty and charming,though there is one span where a genie pontificates on too much magic that is a bit too heavy handed. Thus my actual rating wavers between 3 and 4, settling on a 4 because of a strong characterization of characters of both sexes and the cadence of the writing. As an adult I found it warm and delightful - the age level was suitable for young teens and one should have no issues in reading it to children as young as 8 or 9. Generally Friesner's play with magical rules was enjoyable but I did feel that the first story did not so much end as run out of steam and the "explanation" near the end of the second story didn't quite follow from the magical framework.

It did keep me smiling.