A battle among different djinn factions ends in the mysterious murder of Zoa—a magical aquatic creature that is the pride of the great djinn city of Afra-Zun. Just before its death, Zoa curses the city with utter ruin. The curse can only be lifted by a human who can restore three lost gems called the sanaa. Young Rhuzbeh is tasked by the djinns to retrieve the sanaa and resurrect Afra-Zun. He is also on a quest to win back his beloved’s affection and trust, a journey that will take him across vast oceans and see him battle great kings and contend with magical creatures like the centaurs, serpopards, and manticores. Even as he is rendered an unlikely hero to some and a ruthless villain to others, he learns his greatest lesson—love is not always noble; some of the greatest crimes have been committed in the name of love. On this perilous journey, where fortune waxes and wanes with every breath, to what lengths will he go to fulfil his responsibility? Will he hold on to his love? If yes, will it be at the cost of his soul? Will Rhuzbeh succumb to the lure of the dark side of power? Shabbeer Ahmed’s Djinns & Kings is as much a thrilling and magical ride through imaginative landscapes as it is a parable on what love and heroism mean and the responsibilities they entail.
