Alif the Unseen

This starts off in a world with which I am totally unfamiliar, thereby beginning with an effective air of mystery, and then slowly creeps into fantasy with a delightfully blurred edge. From the very beginning it is absolutely enthralling! It works on so many levels, as a strong fantasy adventure, as an introspective imagining of current events and political turmoil, and as religious philosophy that flows completely from the adventure and is never heavy-handed. I enjoyed every moment of this, twice over!