The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker is a historical fantasy novel that follows the lives of Chava, a golem, and Ahmad, a jinni, as they try to fit in the human world of New York and the Middle East in the early 20th century. The book is a sequel to The Golem and the Jinni, which was published in 2013 and received critical acclaim. The Hidden Palace explores the themes of identity, belonging, love, and loyalty through the perspectives of various characters, both human and supernatural.
The book has received mostly positive reviews from critics and readers, who praised Wecker’s rich storytelling, vivid world-building, and complex characters.
My personal opinion is that The Hidden Palace is a captivating and satisfying sequel that expands the scope and depth of the original story. I enjoyed following Chava and Ahmad’s journey as they faced new challenges and met new allies and enemies. I also liked how Wecker incorporated historical events and figures into the plot, such as World War I, Lawrence of Arabia, and Gertrude Bell. I think the book is a great example of how to blend fantasy and history in a creative and compelling way.
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About The Author
Helene Wecker is an American writer who is best known for her historical fantasy novels The Golem and the Jinni and its sequel The Hidden Palace. She was born in September 1975 in Libertyville, Illinois, and grew up in a Jewish family. She studied English at Carleton College and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Fiction Writing from Columbia University. She worked in marketing and communications before pursuing her passion for fiction writing. She currently lives near San Francisco with her husband and children. Her novels combine elements of Jewish and Arab folklore, mythology, history, and culture, and feature a golem and a jinni as the main protagonists. Her first novel, The Golem and the Jinni, was published in 2013 and won several awards, including the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature. Her second novel, The Hidden Palace, was published in 2021 and continues the story of the golem and the jinni in the early 20th century. She has also written a short story called “Majnun” that was included in the anthology The Djinn Falls in Love and Other Stories.
