Status
Available
Publication
New York : Grove Press, [2019]
Description
Fiction. Mythology. Historical Fiction. HTML: From award-winning author G. Willow Wilson, The Bird King is an epic journey set during the reign of the last sultan in the Iberian peninsula at the height of the Spanish Inquisition. G. Willow Wilson's debut novel Alif the Unseen was an NPR and Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and it established her as a vital American Muslim literary voice. Now she delivers The Bird King, a stunning new novel that tells the story of Fatima, a concubine in the royal court of Granada, the last emirate of Muslim Spain, and her dearest friend Hassan, the palace mapmaker. Hassan has a secretâ??he can draw maps of places he's never seen and bend the shape of reality. When representatives of the newly formed Spanish monarchy arrive to negotiate the sultan's surrender, Fatima befriends one of the women, not realizing that she will see Hassan's gift as sorcery and a threat to Christian Spanish rule. With their freedoms at stake, what will Fatima risk to save Hassan and escape the palace walls? As Fatima and Hassan traverse Spain with the help of a clever jinn to find safety, The Bird King asks us to consider what love is and the price of freedom at a time when the West and the Muslim world were not yet separate.… (more)
Media reviews
Truthfully, there are such wonderfully sad and beautiful layers to this book that it is difficult to do the title justice. If you wish for a brilliant read filled with subtle and fantastical elements, be sure to read The Bird King. It might just be your new favorite read.
While The Bird King will easily satisfy most readers with its fabulous adventures and intriguing characters – I wouldn’t mind meeting Vikram again sometime – it’s also a deeply thoughtful novel about how the world is what our perspectives make it.
Whether or not they can succeed in building a fragile form of paradise together, Wilson leaves no doubt that there are few things—in this world or the next—more worth fighting for.
The Bird King is ostensibly the story of a journey, of the limits to escape — but it is also a journey into story, and faith, and refuge, the family we choose and the friends we find. It's deeply beautiful and wondrously sad [...]
User reviews
LibraryThing member jakecasella
Kind of magical realism set within historical fiction. Enjoyable read, although I thought it had a few stumbles at the plot level—but the writing is quite lovely, and some of the characters/relationships are great. I would have loved to see more of the main magical conceit—a cartographer who
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can modify reality by making maps, which reminded me elliptically of Hutchinson's Europe books—and the novel might have clicked faster for me if I'd been familiar with the myths and poems it's playing with. Still, definitely enjoyed—and did not expect to run into one of my favorite characters from Alif the Unseen. Also just lovely for introducing me more to a fascinating aspect of European history, the centuries-long Islamic rule in Iberia. The more I reflect on it, and after hearing Wilson talk a bit at Wiscon about this, just kind of wild how much that's been erased from popular Euro-centric historical memory. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibroLindsay
Been in kind of a funk lately, so it's been hard to stay invested in what I've picked up to read. This book definitely alleviated it.
LibraryThing member cmbohn
I was drawn to this one because I have enjoyed some of Wilson's previous books. This one sounded intriguing, both for the historical aspect and the fantastical element. It took me a little while, but it wasn't long before I was truly hooked. I feel like I learned so much from this book. I don't
The strongest part of the book is definitely the characters. Both Fatima and Hassan were clearly drawn, fully dimensional characters with believable motives and flaws. I loved their relationship. Then there was the jinn. I liked that he was so untrustworthy, and yet so appealing.
If there was one thing that made this a little bit hard to stick with I think it was the pacing. It seemed a little uneven. But I would recommend it for those who want to try a mix of historical fiction and magical realism.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. However, that did not affect my opinion.
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know much about medieval Spain. This has got the beginning of the Inquisition, and the threat to both our main characters is truly terrifying.The strongest part of the book is definitely the characters. Both Fatima and Hassan were clearly drawn, fully dimensional characters with believable motives and flaws. I loved their relationship. Then there was the jinn. I liked that he was so untrustworthy, and yet so appealing.
If there was one thing that made this a little bit hard to stick with I think it was the pacing. It seemed a little uneven. But I would recommend it for those who want to try a mix of historical fiction and magical realism.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. However, that did not affect my opinion.
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LibraryThing member JJbooklvr
Set against the backdrop of the fall of the last Muslim stronghold in Spain, we follow Fatima and Hassan as they flee the Spanish Inquisition. Completely unprepared to survive on their own they manage to thanks to the help of a jinn and others they meet along the way. The bonds of friendship and
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love sustain them as we follow their fantastical journey rooting for them all the way! Show Less
LibraryThing member jnhk
The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson is a wonderful and whimsical tale of fantasy which takes during the reign of the last sultan. Our main characters are Fatima — the sultan’s concubine and Hassan — the palace mapmaker. Friends and confidants, the pair escape their imprisonment choosing freedom
The writing is rich and diverse. The plot is interesting and fast-paced. The characters are well written and very lovable (or very easy to despise — in the case of the villains). While reading this novel it was very easy to imagine the characters, their surroundings and their adventures. This book could easily become an epic fantasy film! Thumbs up for this enjoyable tale of friendship, love, loss and the meaning of freedom.
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in place of comfort. Along the way they meet enemies, new friends and fantastical beings. The writing is rich and diverse. The plot is interesting and fast-paced. The characters are well written and very lovable (or very easy to despise — in the case of the villains). While reading this novel it was very easy to imagine the characters, their surroundings and their adventures. This book could easily become an epic fantasy film! Thumbs up for this enjoyable tale of friendship, love, loss and the meaning of freedom.
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LibraryThing member Strider66
Pros: interesting characters, great melding of history and myth
Cons:
Fatima is one of the sultan’s concubine’s in Alhambra, 1491AD. Amid the siege and her anger at her lack of freedom, her only comfort is Hassan, a gay scribe who can create maps to places that don’t exist. When a delegation
I loved the blending of history and myth and the clash of beliefs that form the foundation of this novel.
The author has a solid grasp on the events and world of 1491, including a lot of minor details that bring the world to life.
I loved her depiction of jinn, which was different from any I’ve read before and made them fascinating. The island being a part of both Islamic and Christian myth was a nice touch, showing that some things are universal.
Beyond the jinn, there’s the magic associated with Hassan’s maps. It’s subtle and beautiful and while the plot hangs on it, it’s sparingly used.
The characters questioned their actions at every point in the book, which made them feel real. They blamed each other for bad decisions. They forgave each other for outbursts they regretted. Fatima is so full of anger and so unaware of the world outside the palace that her growth arc was huge. She’s very passionate and her reactions run the gamut. Luz was absolutely terrifying and I loved that the author played on a modern understanding of what the inquisition was to avoid graphic descriptions. There’s a little information but mostly the book relies on hints of what happens to those put to the question.
The book is fairly fast paced, with the characters constantly running into trouble.
If you like history with a hint of magic, this is a great read.
Cons:
Fatima is one of the sultan’s concubine’s in Alhambra, 1491AD. Amid the siege and her anger at her lack of freedom, her only comfort is Hassan, a gay scribe who can create maps to places that don’t exist. When a delegation
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from the Spanish monarchs arrives, Hassan’s life is put in danger and Fatima flees with him, hoping to escape the inquisitorial eye and find a better life. I loved the blending of history and myth and the clash of beliefs that form the foundation of this novel.
The author has a solid grasp on the events and world of 1491, including a lot of minor details that bring the world to life.
I loved her depiction of jinn, which was different from any I’ve read before and made them fascinating. The island being a part of both Islamic and Christian myth was a nice touch, showing that some things are universal.
Beyond the jinn, there’s the magic associated with Hassan’s maps. It’s subtle and beautiful and while the plot hangs on it, it’s sparingly used.
The characters questioned their actions at every point in the book, which made them feel real. They blamed each other for bad decisions. They forgave each other for outbursts they regretted. Fatima is so full of anger and so unaware of the world outside the palace that her growth arc was huge. She’s very passionate and her reactions run the gamut. Luz was absolutely terrifying and I loved that the author played on a modern understanding of what the inquisition was to avoid graphic descriptions. There’s a little information but mostly the book relies on hints of what happens to those put to the question.
The book is fairly fast paced, with the characters constantly running into trouble.
If you like history with a hint of magic, this is a great read.
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LibraryThing member g33kgrrl
The Bird King follows Fatima, a concubine in the Alhambra in the last days of Muslim rule while Ferdinand and Isabella were consolidating Spain into one country. Fatima is joined by her friend Hassan, a mapmaker who enjoys the company of men and is allowed to do so surreptitiously because he is
As an aside, I knew essentially nothing about this time period or the history of Spain, so I found it all fascinating. I'd love to learn more about the time.
Readers of G. Willow Wilson's "Alif the Unseen" will also enjoy a visit from a familiar character as well.
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gifted in ways that few are. Once the Spaniards come, Fatima and Hassan's world is changed beyond recognition by a member of the Inquisition. What choices have to be made for survival? What choices change who we are, and are they worth it? How do we know who we are? The Bird King addresses these fundamental questions, and more.As an aside, I knew essentially nothing about this time period or the history of Spain, so I found it all fascinating. I'd love to learn more about the time.
Readers of G. Willow Wilson's "Alif the Unseen" will also enjoy a visit from a familiar character as well.
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LibraryThing member nancyadair
I spend through G. Willow Wilson's The Bird King in a few days, enchanted by its exotic setting and well-drawn characters.
Fatima was one of the least powerful in the Sultan's household, a slave whose beauty made her a favorite concubine. Fatima lived a life of luxury, dining on sweetmeats and
Her childhood friend is the slave Hassam whose red hair spoke of his Breton ancestry. The royal mapmaker, Hassam has the ability to create maps that alter reality. And while devote, Hassam's sexual preference is against religious law. They have shared secret trists, embroidering the story of the Bird King, whose story they learned from a partial manuscript.
The once great Moorish empire on the Iberian Penninsula is vanquished. The victor Spain is willing to be magnanimous, as long as the Sultan agrees to its terms: hand over the sorcerer Hassam to be made an example. Convert to Catholicism. And the Moors will be allowed to live, subjects of Spain.
The love Fatima holds for her only friend emboldens her; she will not lose the one person who loves her and not her beauty. She insists that Hassam flees for his life. With the help of a jinn, pursued by the army of the Holy Order, these naive and unprepared refugees discover that freedom has its costs.
Fatima's love and faith, and her willingness to lose what had once been her one power--beauty--supports this unlikely heroine as she seeks to find the Bird King's realm, where she hopes to find a refuge for her and Hassam.
Themes touched on are relevant: the nature and responsibility of power, the cost of freedom, true faith versus religious power, refugees seeking their place in the world.
I received an ARC from through Bookist First in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Fatima was one of the least powerful in the Sultan's household, a slave whose beauty made her a favorite concubine. Fatima lived a life of luxury, dining on sweetmeats and
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dressing in the finest clothes, always indoors and barefoot, even while outside the palace walls the Moorish Empire was falling to the Catholic Spanish army. What she lacked was self-determination and the power to say no to authority.Her childhood friend is the slave Hassam whose red hair spoke of his Breton ancestry. The royal mapmaker, Hassam has the ability to create maps that alter reality. And while devote, Hassam's sexual preference is against religious law. They have shared secret trists, embroidering the story of the Bird King, whose story they learned from a partial manuscript.
The once great Moorish empire on the Iberian Penninsula is vanquished. The victor Spain is willing to be magnanimous, as long as the Sultan agrees to its terms: hand over the sorcerer Hassam to be made an example. Convert to Catholicism. And the Moors will be allowed to live, subjects of Spain.
The love Fatima holds for her only friend emboldens her; she will not lose the one person who loves her and not her beauty. She insists that Hassam flees for his life. With the help of a jinn, pursued by the army of the Holy Order, these naive and unprepared refugees discover that freedom has its costs.
Fatima's love and faith, and her willingness to lose what had once been her one power--beauty--supports this unlikely heroine as she seeks to find the Bird King's realm, where she hopes to find a refuge for her and Hassam.
Themes touched on are relevant: the nature and responsibility of power, the cost of freedom, true faith versus religious power, refugees seeking their place in the world.
I received an ARC from through Bookist First in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
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LibraryThing member Kathl33n
The Bird King is a book that I struggled to get through. I love historical fiction and especially in a time period or region that I know very little about. This book promised both those things so I was excited and intrigued to dig in. As I dug in I was immediately taken with the author's ability to
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provide vivid descriptions of the places in the book. The author also has a knack with describing and developing characters that made me almost immediately invested in them. But the story itself is where I was left disappointed. It felt like the plot had a bit of an identity crisis. What started out as historical fiction then had a little magical realism added in, which was ok with me. I like a bit of magic thrown in. But then it seemed it started to delve almost into fantasy and that's where it started to lose me. Maybe it was me. Maybe I just wanted it to stay more grounded in historical fiction. But hey - that cover! It was a complete joy to look at every time I picked it up. Many thanks to the publisher for providing with an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest opinion. Show Less
LibraryThing member hemlokgang
I think I would have enjoyed this novel at a much younger age. The story is set in the late 1400s, as the Spanish Inquisition was taking control of the last remaining Muslim enclaves in Grenada. A beloved concubine and a map maker, with a mysterious ability to draw accurate maps of places he had
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never been, flee for their lives. Decent story, nice use of language although a bit simplistic. Oh well. Show Less
LibraryThing member DebTat2
What an absolutely beautiful book, not only is the cover stunning but the story itself is as visually stunning as its exterior. From the exotic setting in Morocco to the fabled shores of the isle of Avalon the story is told in such splendid detail you can’t help being swept along throughout.
The
I loved this book to the point I’m struggling to review it without spoilers and to do the story justice. If you enjoyed books such as Robert Dinsdale’s The Toymakers or Katherine Arden’s The Bear and The Nightingale then you won’t want to miss this one.
The Bird King will be published in the UK on March 12 2019 and can be pre-ordered now
A proper review to follow!
Thank you to G. Willow Wilson, the publishers Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The
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characters are as colourful as their surroundings weaving together humans and mythical creatures alike all culminating in the quest to find the fabled Bird King.I loved this book to the point I’m struggling to review it without spoilers and to do the story justice. If you enjoyed books such as Robert Dinsdale’s The Toymakers or Katherine Arden’s The Bear and The Nightingale then you won’t want to miss this one.
The Bird King will be published in the UK on March 12 2019 and can be pre-ordered now
A proper review to follow!
Thank you to G. Willow Wilson, the publishers Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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LibraryThing member davisfamily
This was very good, I wonder if this was based on a folk or fairytale. It was wonderful to see Fatima grow up and embrace her future, good and bad.
LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
I really loved the fantasy elements in this, but towards the end, things became confusing and not fully explained.
LibraryThing member JRobinW
G. Willow Wilson is becoming an all-time favorite author. This was another wonderful tale.
LibraryThing member macha
3 and a half stars. set in the time of the Fall of Granada (last holdout of the Muslim culture in Spain), this entry into the subgenre of arabian fantasy adds djinn and a magic mapmaker to the mix, and tells a very absorbing tale that has some interesting ideas and eventually involves the Spanish
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Inquisition and some version of Atlantis. i thought the story kinda goes lame and falls apart near the end of the novel, in this case, but i really wish the author would write more novels, and if she does i'll be there. Show Less
LibraryThing member Othemts
The Bird King is a fantasy novel that begins with the fall of the last Islamic state on the Iberian Peninsula, the Emirate of Granada, to the forces of the Spanish monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand in 1491. Fatima is a 17-year-old concubine enslaved by the sultan who grew up in the palace, and her
Fatima and Hassan flee with the aid of the jinn Vikram who is half-man, half-dog. Eventually they are joined by a Breton monk named Gwennec. Their goal is to find the mythical island of the Bird King - a place not unlike Avalon - using Hassan's enchanted map. The book is a great blend of historical fiction with magical realism and really a great character study. It's also beautifully written.
Favorite Passages:
"It does no good to fake a conversion of faith. Remember that, my love. The people who want to burn you alive will find a reason to do it, whether you pretend to agree with them or not.”
---
What could she say? She could not envision a God who demanded such particularity of belief, whose mercy and forgiveness were confined to such a precise segment of humankind. Nor, if it came to that, could she fathom hell, which seemed a somewhat contradictory place: you could be sent there for behaving in the right way but believing in the wrong God, or for believing in the right God but behaving in the wrong way. And that, in turn, threw heaven into disarray, since those who both believed and behaved rightly were invited to indulge in the very pleasures for which those who behaved wrongly had been sent to hell.
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The real struggle on this earth is not between those who want peace and those who want war. It’s between those who want peace and those who want justice. If justice is what you want, then you may often be right, but you will rarely be happy.”
---
“Once a story leaves the hands of its author, it belongs to the reader. And the reader may see any number of things, conflicting things, contradictory things. The author goes silent. If what he intended mattered so very much, there would be no need for inquisitions and schisms and wars. But he is silent, silent. The author of the poem is silent, the author of the world is silent. We are left with no intentions but our own.”
---
"Some ideas are so beautiful that even evil people believe in them. I thought the abbey would be full of saintly folk, but it wasn’t. Isn’t. It used to depress me. But I’ve come to realize that I must share God with the things that God has set askew.”
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only friend is Hassan, the court cartographer. Hassan has the magical ability to shape reality with his maps which brings him to the attention of Luz, an outwardly kind but darkly zealous representative of the Spanish Inquisition.Fatima and Hassan flee with the aid of the jinn Vikram who is half-man, half-dog. Eventually they are joined by a Breton monk named Gwennec. Their goal is to find the mythical island of the Bird King - a place not unlike Avalon - using Hassan's enchanted map. The book is a great blend of historical fiction with magical realism and really a great character study. It's also beautifully written.
Favorite Passages:
"It does no good to fake a conversion of faith. Remember that, my love. The people who want to burn you alive will find a reason to do it, whether you pretend to agree with them or not.”
---
What could she say? She could not envision a God who demanded such particularity of belief, whose mercy and forgiveness were confined to such a precise segment of humankind. Nor, if it came to that, could she fathom hell, which seemed a somewhat contradictory place: you could be sent there for behaving in the right way but believing in the wrong God, or for believing in the right God but behaving in the wrong way. And that, in turn, threw heaven into disarray, since those who both believed and behaved rightly were invited to indulge in the very pleasures for which those who behaved wrongly had been sent to hell.
---
The real struggle on this earth is not between those who want peace and those who want war. It’s between those who want peace and those who want justice. If justice is what you want, then you may often be right, but you will rarely be happy.”
---
“Once a story leaves the hands of its author, it belongs to the reader. And the reader may see any number of things, conflicting things, contradictory things. The author goes silent. If what he intended mattered so very much, there would be no need for inquisitions and schisms and wars. But he is silent, silent. The author of the poem is silent, the author of the world is silent. We are left with no intentions but our own.”
---
"Some ideas are so beautiful that even evil people believe in them. I thought the abbey would be full of saintly folk, but it wasn’t. Isn’t. It used to depress me. But I’ve come to realize that I must share God with the things that God has set askew.”
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LibraryThing member mmparker
I'm still reeling a little from the abrupt ending, but I'm still marking four stars because I really want let it soak in for a while, then read it again.
LibraryThing member greeniezona
I received this book for Christmas and got sucked in so quickly that I ended up ignoring my family for a few hours as I finished it up one morning.
I seem to have read a few historic stories lately set early in the Inquisition, but this was the first one from a Muslim perspective. It was a
Fleeing the inquisition in contact with djinn who are terrifying but also sometimes helpful is sort of a familiar story -- who wouldn't cheer on someone fleeing the Inquisition? Even as it was charming to see it queered here (Hassan is gay, and they kidnap/adopt a cute monk to sail their stolen ship, and both Hassan and Fatima crush on him.)
Where the story really gets interesting/weird is when they land on the island that may or may not be Qaf. Here is where the story slips from mostly historical fiction plus some djinn to all-out fairytale/folklore territory. Reading this last section, I kept changing my mind whether the story was falling apart of getting more magical. It is definitely the kind of stuff that makes you reevaluate just what sort of story you're in. Even the end is equal turns rewarding/frustrating -- but what other ending do you expect in a world where we know how the Inquisition turns out?
But somehow it charmed me anyway. I suppose it was because I loved Fatima & Hassan so much -- I wanted better for them, but was grateful to know them. Plus my surprise and delight at Luz's actions in the end. Surprising and magical.
I seem to have read a few historic stories lately set early in the Inquisition, but this was the first one from a Muslim perspective. It was a
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fascinating contrast between cultures and fun to see some modern stereotypes reversed. Hassan's ability to map out unseen places and essentially make portals between paces (when you are holding his map!) was intriguing and not something I've seen before. Fleeing the inquisition in contact with djinn who are terrifying but also sometimes helpful is sort of a familiar story -- who wouldn't cheer on someone fleeing the Inquisition? Even as it was charming to see it queered here (Hassan is gay, and they kidnap/adopt a cute monk to sail their stolen ship, and both Hassan and Fatima crush on him.)
Where the story really gets interesting/weird is when they land on the island that may or may not be Qaf. Here is where the story slips from mostly historical fiction plus some djinn to all-out fairytale/folklore territory. Reading this last section, I kept changing my mind whether the story was falling apart of getting more magical. It is definitely the kind of stuff that makes you reevaluate just what sort of story you're in. Even the end is equal turns rewarding/frustrating -- but what other ending do you expect in a world where we know how the Inquisition turns out?
But somehow it charmed me anyway. I suppose it was because I loved Fatima & Hassan so much -- I wanted better for them, but was grateful to know them. Plus my surprise and delight at Luz's actions in the end. Surprising and magical.
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LibraryThing member vwinsloe
This deceptively simple book shows the difference between religious faith and religion as a tool of power. This is not a romance, which is refreshing!
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2021)
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Adult Literature — 2020)
Washington State Book Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2020)
PEN/Faulkner Award (Longlist — 2020)
NPR: Books We Love (2019)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2019)