Fantasy

The Hidden Palace

The Hidden Palace

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  • Create Date：2021-05-27 02:19:11
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Helene Wecker
  • ISBN：B075WS4G4K
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Summary

In this enthralling historical epic， set in New York City and the Middle East in the years leading to World War I— the long-awaited follow-up to the acclaimed New York Times bestseller The Golem and the Jinni—Helene Wecker revisits her beloved characters Chava and Ahmad as they confront unexpected new challenges in a rapidly changing human world。

Chava is a golem， a woman made of clay， able to hear the thoughts and longings of the people around her and compelled by her nature to help them。 Ahmad is a jinni， a perpetually restless and free-spirited creature of fire， imprisoned in the shape of a man。 Fearing they’ll be exposed as monsters， these magical beings hide their true selves and pretend to be human—just two more immigrants in the bustling world of 1900s Manhattan。 Having encountered each other under calamitous circumstances， Chava and Ahmad’s lives are now entwined—but they’re not yet certain of what they mean to each other。 

Each has unwittingly affected the humans around them。 Park Avenue heiress Sophia Winston， whose brief encounter with Ahmad left her with a strange illness that makes her shiver with cold， travels to the Middle East to seek a cure。 There she meets a tempestuous female jinni who’s been banished from her tribe。 Back in New York， in a tenement on the Lower East Side， a little girl named Kreindel helps her rabbi father build a golem they name Yossele—not knowing that she’s about to be sent to an orphanage uptown， where the hulking Yossele will become her only friend and protector。

Spanning the tumultuous years from the turn of the twentieth century to the beginning of World War I， The Hidden Palace follows these lives and others as they collide and interleave。 Can Chava and Ahmad find their places in the human world while remaining true to each other？ Or will their opposing natures and desires eventually tear them apart—especially once they encounter， thrillingly， other beings like themselves？

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Reviews

Jennifer ，

I really enjoyed this sequel。 I enjoyed the other characters that were weaved in together along with the Golem and the Jinni。 I also loved the history part of NYC in the early 1900s and learning more about the Jewish and Syrian cultures。

Cassidee Lanstra ，

I read The Golem and the Jinni last year and enjoyed it， so I was excited when I was offered a review copy of The Hidden Palace。 This sequel has the same slow-burning detail as its predecessor and that same way of captivating you in its spell。 Helene Wecker does not disappoint with this installment。We follow the Golem （Chava） and the Jinni （Ahmad） on their journey to accepting themselves and navigating their relationship with one another。 They are both trying to find their place in the world as I read The Golem and the Jinni last year and enjoyed it， so I was excited when I was offered a review copy of The Hidden Palace。 This sequel has the same slow-burning detail as its predecessor and that same way of captivating you in its spell。 Helene Wecker does not disappoint with this installment。We follow the Golem （Chava） and the Jinni （Ahmad） on their journey to accepting themselves and navigating their relationship with one another。 They are both trying to find their place in the world as members of society， which is a bit tougher as mythical beings。 They also have such different desires and character traits that they have to decide if they’re better together or apart。 There are other characters that are more heavily integrated and their presence provides more depth to the story。 Between Toby， Sophie， and Kreindal， Wecker endears us to them in the same way we are endeared to Chava and Ahmad。The folklore and the storylines were immersive， and the confusion as we cover different times and locations was never too hard to untangle。 This story is wrought with heartbreak and emotive storytelling， but it also has this hopefulness that keeps the book from being too dark。 You can tell that Wecker took her time with this novel， fine tuning until it flows seamlessly。I enjoy the way Wecker ends her novels。 As with The Golem and the Jinni， The Hidden Palace ends with a satisfying conclusion but leaves it open to more story being told。 I love when authors do this， as a reader it feels like the door is never closed on the world。 These books are perfect for people that love books saturated with cultural folklore。 Look no further if you’re a fan of novels with gorgeous prose， and quiet， smoldering storytelling。Thank you to Harper for the review copy！ You can grab a much-awaited copy of The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker on June 8th， 2021。 。。。more

Tasha Robinson ，

I truly believed this book would never come out， but if it took this long to get it right， I understand why。 The Golem and the Jinni is my favorite fantasy book of the decade — a rich historical drama as well as a complicated and winding set of plot threads involving many people with tangled pasts， and a philosophical yarn about different fantasy traditions in different cultures。 The Hidden Palace does it all over again — introduces more characters and further develops past characters， lays out I truly believed this book would never come out， but if it took this long to get it right， I understand why。 The Golem and the Jinni is my favorite fantasy book of the decade — a rich historical drama as well as a complicated and winding set of plot threads involving many people with tangled pasts， and a philosophical yarn about different fantasy traditions in different cultures。 The Hidden Palace does it all over again — introduces more characters and further develops past characters， lays out a variety of different completely separate plots and brings them all together， moves the action forward rapidly while looking at the historical changes in turn-of-the-century New York City。 And it still finds time for the eponymous golem and jinni， Ahmad and Chava， to spend long conversations coming to understand each other — and to understand how little they understand each other， and how complicated their relationship is。I love that this book doesn't go in for easy answers or quick reconciliations， and I love the way Helene Wecker uses new characters to further highlight how Chava and Ahmad are unusual for their kind， and to show what they could have been， or are in danger of becoming。 I hope the series continues — it feels like at this point， we know the characters better than ever， and want more than ever for them to figure out how to live with each other， and within the world they've wound up in。 。。。more

Lee-ann ，

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for this review。 I was not aware of that there was going to be a second story of the Golem and the Jinni and I loved the first book。 This one was a bit all over the place。 I loved the historical aspects that were given， like the Triangle Shirtwaist fire， the Titanic sinking and the start of WW1， but the slow drawing out the storylines were a bit tiresome。 I felt like I lost the threads of each story and then when I picked them back up， it was swit Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for this review。 I was not aware of that there was going to be a second story of the Golem and the Jinni and I loved the first book。 This one was a bit all over the place。 I loved the historical aspects that were given， like the Triangle Shirtwaist fire， the Titanic sinking and the start of WW1， but the slow drawing out the storylines were a bit tiresome。 I felt like I lost the threads of each story and then when I picked them back up， it was switched to another character。 It seemed as if there were too many characters and plot lines to fully appreciate the intricacies of the story。 。。。more

Lisa K ，

[Note: I won an Advanced Reading Copy in a Goodreads drawing]The early 1900s find Jinni and Golem drawing closer and along with them we experience the wonders and tragedies of the first 15 years of the century。 Arbeely and Jinni's metalwork shop has great success， expands， and the new building they own is a proud part of Little Syria。 At the bakery， Chava begins to train new staff members so that business can expand。 After not too many years， both realize that the fact that they aren't aging wil [Note: I won an Advanced Reading Copy in a Goodreads drawing]The early 1900s find Jinni and Golem drawing closer and along with them we experience the wonders and tragedies of the first 15 years of the century。 Arbeely and Jinni's metalwork shop has great success， expands， and the new building they own is a proud part of Little Syria。 At the bakery， Chava begins to train new staff members so that business can expand。 After not too many years， both realize that the fact that they aren't aging will need to be addressed; Jinni turns inward while Chava leaves the Lower East Side。The story of Sophia Winston continues， too， as she wanders the Middle East seeking cures and a way to stay warm。 Chava's friend Anna， with her fatherless child， continues to just about make-do （with help cautiously accepted from the Golem）; eventually she become involved in suffrage and labor movements。 Chava's new path is to study at the teacher's college at Columbia; from there she takes a position teaching cookery at an orphanage， where she meets up with a new character we've been following for 10 years。 Kreindel's father， a rabbi， died in a fire in there tenement building when she was eight。 She was unable to help him or save his precious books -- but the golem the two of them built survived。 Mythical characters who are outside of time make a great entry point to the excitement and heart-breaks of c。 1900 New York。 They are part of the immigrant experience， and assumptions are made about them as if he were a Bedu， as if she were a Jewish woman born in eastern Europe -- but they have outsiders' eyes， too， and of course longevity。 Enthralling; delightful。 。。。more

Leslie ，

This second novel is another terrific blend of historical fiction and fantasy that takes place in the early 20th century in New York City。 I highly recommend it。 My full review is here:https://readersforecast。blogspot。com/。。。 This second novel is another terrific blend of historical fiction and fantasy that takes place in the early 20th century in New York City。 I highly recommend it。 My full review is here:https://readersforecast。blogspot。com/。。。 。。。more

Annie ，

The Hidden Palace， by Helene Wecker， is not the book I was expecting。 I think it might not be the book a lot of people have been waiting for since The Golem and the Jinni came out in 2013。 Instead， it’s a more mature book。 It’s the story of what happens after two characters start what they think will be their happily ever after。 This is a book about learning to change or not changing， about learning to trust and betrayal， and about learning how to really love people。 I wasn’t sure about this boo The Hidden Palace， by Helene Wecker， is not the book I was expecting。 I think it might not be the book a lot of people have been waiting for since The Golem and the Jinni came out in 2013。 Instead， it’s a more mature book。 It’s the story of what happens after two characters start what they think will be their happily ever after。 This is a book about learning to change or not changing， about learning to trust and betrayal， and about learning how to really love people。 I wasn’t sure about this book when I started reading it， to be honest。 But although this isn’t a perfect book， there are a lot of things about The Hidden Palace that I really enjoyed。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley， for review consideration。 。。。more

Megan Hart ，

A dear friend knew of my excitement for this book and used her book blogger connections to get me an Uncorrected Proof。 I am under no obligation to review this book。The first few hundred pages are a jumble of years， spanning 15 years， places and sometimes fast shifting POV。 I never felt lost when character POV shifted， even in the middle of a page as they felt distinct。 Section headers mark the span of years covered in that section。 While real historical events ground the story in reality and pr A dear friend knew of my excitement for this book and used her book blogger connections to get me an Uncorrected Proof。 I am under no obligation to review this book。The first few hundred pages are a jumble of years， spanning 15 years， places and sometimes fast shifting POV。 I never felt lost when character POV shifted， even in the middle of a page as they felt distinct。 Section headers mark the span of years covered in that section。 While real historical events ground the story in reality and provide a further place marker for the time， place and the characters themselves。 We're reintroduced to the POV of familiar characters from the previous book， and meet three completely new POVs in Parts 1 and 2。 If The Golem and Jinni was an Immigration story， and a coming of age story。 The Hidden Palace continues that theme and progresses it further towards assimilation and identity when you are "other"， and the marks we leave on each other's lives。 The first two parts of the novel feels fractured， the world growing and changing， while the Golem and Jinni stay ageless and continue their friction filled friendship。 Similar to The Golem and the Jinni， the other POVs dance around Chava and Ahmad's lives and you know they will converge either physically or storywise， other wise what is the point？ Helen Wecker's writing kept me coming back， even when I chafed at what was happening， or I felt lost in time。 Will update when done， I am enjoying this read。 。。。more

Carol ，

Thank you to the folks at Goodreads and Harper Collins。 I just received a copy of The Hidden Palace that I won in a recent giveaway。Review coming soon。 😊

S。 Smith ，

Admirers of Wecker's The Golem and the Jinni will welcome this excellent sequel to that extraordinary fantasy。 In the immigrant communities of early 20th century New York， no newcomers to the great city are more exotic within the established urban culture than Chava， a female golem， and her unlikely soulmate， the jinni Ahmad。 Their complex struggles to survive and somehow thrive in a strange land become even more challenging with the arrival of a ruthless female jinni interested in Ahmad and wit Admirers of Wecker's The Golem and the Jinni will welcome this excellent sequel to that extraordinary fantasy。 In the immigrant communities of early 20th century New York， no newcomers to the great city are more exotic within the established urban culture than Chava， a female golem， and her unlikely soulmate， the jinni Ahmad。 Their complex struggles to survive and somehow thrive in a strange land become even more challenging with the arrival of a ruthless female jinni interested in Ahmad and with the emergence of Yossele， a newly made golem in thrall to a confused young orphan， daughter of his rabbi creator。 Their intersecting stories， set within thoroughly realized historical locations and events， drive a dense plot marked by suspense， romance， and heartache。 Although The Hidden Palace can be read as a standalone， new readers will savor it even more if they begin with the first book。 Thanks to the publisher for supplying an advance reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review。 。。。more

Melissa ，

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。Wecker once again plunges readers into the fantasy world of the Golem and the Jinni， following both familiar and new characters down the winding streets of Manhattan， across the deserts of the Middle East and Africa， and through a decade and a half of history。 The author deftly weaves the mythology of two cultures into the many events and developments of the Technological Revolution， forming an intricate and realistic Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。Wecker once again plunges readers into the fantasy world of the Golem and the Jinni， following both familiar and new characters down the winding streets of Manhattan， across the deserts of the Middle East and Africa， and through a decade and a half of history。 The author deftly weaves the mythology of two cultures into the many events and developments of the Technological Revolution， forming an intricate and realistic bond between all of these elements and creating an epic and emotional journey along the way。 While very different from the first title in terms of execution， this follow-up offers the same feeling of closeness and intimacy as readers discover the many ways in which characters are connected and the small actions seem almost fated to bring people together。 Small summaries of the previous title's main points are much needed， due to both the length of the first novel and the gap of nearly eight years between publications， and are smoothly integrated to help remind readers of major players while not slowing down the pacing or feeling intrusive。 The book also switches perspectives at key moments to offer new information based on the experiences of emotions Chava， Ahmed， Sophia， or Kreindel， the main players， and providing insight that is often well-timed for drama。 The shining jewel of this novel is the characterization of each player， delving deeper into the idea of loneliness， every when surrounded by people， and a need to feel a sense of belonging and love。The book does occasionally drag during the aforementioned perspective shifts at points， sometimes even acknowledging the same exact information; this， however， may be a case of getting an ARC that has yet to be fully edited and might be altered for the final publication。Overall， readers who fell in love with Chava， Ahmed， and the world they lived in will eagerly devor this next installment that offers insight into the connections we make during our lives。 。。。more

Kate Eminhizer ，

Readers have long awaited the next installment of the beloved series The Golem and the Jinni。 In The Hidden Palace， Wecker brings back her amazing characters， Chava the Golem and Ahmad the Jinni， and also continues exploring the lives of Sophie Winston and Toby Blumberg。 This book merges fantasy， historical fiction， and romance， and challenges the accepted genrification of books。 Each character has their own challenges as they attempt to find a way for acceptance in society。 The book has a slow Readers have long awaited the next installment of the beloved series The Golem and the Jinni。 In The Hidden Palace， Wecker brings back her amazing characters， Chava the Golem and Ahmad the Jinni， and also continues exploring the lives of Sophie Winston and Toby Blumberg。 This book merges fantasy， historical fiction， and romance， and challenges the accepted genrification of books。 Each character has their own challenges as they attempt to find a way for acceptance in society。 The book has a slow start。 Although mostly set in NYC and the Middle East during the early 20th century， there seemed to be a considerable amount of world building and character reintroduction than what was needed。 One cannot dismiss the extraordinary light that Wecker shines on the immigrant communities that Chava and Ahmad are a part of。 With the introduction of new characters and the shift into a more "modern" technological age， Wecker gives readers a lavish story。 I received a copy of this title via NetGalley。 。。。more

Candace ，

It takes an audacious writer to take two supernatural beings from different religious traditions and plop them into New York's Lower East Side in the 1890s。 Helene Wecker's sequel to The Golem and the Jinni" builds on the first book as Chava the Golem and Ahmad the Jinni struggle to discover how they will live in a changing world as physically they do not change at all。 Chava is a Golem， a creature of superhuman strength from Jewish lore， who is made of clay to serve a master。 In Chava's case， h It takes an audacious writer to take two supernatural beings from different religious traditions and plop them into New York's Lower East Side in the 1890s。 Helene Wecker's sequel to The Golem and the Jinni" builds on the first book as Chava the Golem and Ahmad the Jinni struggle to discover how they will live in a changing world as physically they do not change at all。 Chava is a Golem， a creature of superhuman strength from Jewish lore， who is made of clay to serve a master。 In Chava's case， her master died right after calling her to life， and instead of her entire being focusing on anticipating her master's needs， she hears the desires of everyone around her and wants to meet them。 Ahmad is a Jinni， desert creatures of Islamic tradition， made of fire and wind who have no physical form。 Ahmad does indeed pop out of a bottle， crashing naked at the feet of a surprised metalsmith who is supposed to repair the flask。 Ahmad is bound to earth by an iron bracelet that no one can remove except the one who put it there。 As opposed to Chava whose situation makes her a hyper-empath， Ahmad understands and cares nothing of the feelings of others。They meet on nightime walks as neither needs to sleep or eat。 As their story moves into the 20th century， they've been in their neighborhoods for several years and people are wondering why they don't age， or how Chava can make a superhuman number of challas daily at the bakery where she works。 So， to hide， or reinvent themselves？ "The Hidden Palace" is even more compelling and imaginative than the first novel， which I re-read with great pleasure。 The world of Chava and Ahmad will continues to entrance readers as these two magical beings attempt to thrive in a world hurtling toward World War I。Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting access to this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review。~Candace Siegle， Greedy Reader 。。。more

Stacy40pages ，

The Hidden Palace by Helene Wrecker。 Thanks to @harper for the gifted ARC ⭐️⭐️The highly anticipated sequel to The Golem and the Jinni。 The reader follows Chava and Ahmad in NYC during the turn of the twentieth century and beginning of World War I。 I’ve been waiting years for this sequel to come out; ever since I finished the Golem and the Jinni， which ended up being a favorite read of mine。 It’s possible that I either built my expectations too high or too much time has passed since I read the f The Hidden Palace by Helene Wrecker。 Thanks to @harper for the gifted ARC ⭐️⭐️The highly anticipated sequel to The Golem and the Jinni。 The reader follows Chava and Ahmad in NYC during the turn of the twentieth century and beginning of World War I。 I’ve been waiting years for this sequel to come out; ever since I finished the Golem and the Jinni， which ended up being a favorite read of mine。 It’s possible that I either built my expectations too high or too much time has passed since I read the first book， but I was disappointed in the sequel。 Maybe my tastes have changed in the past few years。 The Hidden Palace had several different characters， but their stories never came together enough for it to be a cohesive story that I was invested in。 I enjoyed coming back in Chava and Ahmad’s lives， but the book was too long with not enough happening。 I still highly recommend the first book！“He was Ahmad al-Hadid， born by accident in a Manhattan tin shop， neither jinni nor human but a thing half between。 That was who she walked with。 That was who she’d promised herself to。”“There isn’t a creature along the desert’s curve that hasn’t heard of the iron-bound jinni， who buried the wizard’s flask and then returned to his exile among humankind。”The Hidden Palace comes out 6/8。 。。。more

Celeste Kazani ，

As far as sequels go， The Hidden Palace was excellent。 It’s hard to beat The Golem and the Jinni， but I think Helene Wecker comes close。 I loved spending time with Chava and Ahmad again as they continue to navigate their relationships with humans as well as their relationship to each other。 That said， I enjoyed Sophia’s chapters on her Middle Eastern travels immensely。 Seriously， I want to visit Turkey now so， so badly。 And New York， too， where the novel is mainly set。 There’s no real “villain” As far as sequels go， The Hidden Palace was excellent。 It’s hard to beat The Golem and the Jinni， but I think Helene Wecker comes close。 I loved spending time with Chava and Ahmad again as they continue to navigate their relationships with humans as well as their relationship to each other。 That said， I enjoyed Sophia’s chapters on her Middle Eastern travels immensely。 Seriously， I want to visit Turkey now so， so badly。 And New York， too， where the novel is mainly set。 There’s no real “villain” in The Hidden Palace as in The Golem and the Jinni， but it didn’t really need that element of the truly sinister in order to make the novel exciting。 To be sure， there are life-threatening forces， spirits， entities， etc。， but they are rendered with such sympathy， such skill。 Wecker is a true wordsmith， and this novel was a perfect concoction of fantasy， myth， folklore， history， and travel fiction—just everything I admire about her writing and more。 You can delight in this sequel on its own， but I strongly recommend starting with the first book; it may simply make for a richer reading experience。 In any case， I highly recommend The Hidden Palace to anyone and everyone。This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Kim McGee ，

New York City in the early 1900's is a melting pot of ethnic groups， religions and language。 It is also a place of mystical beings like Chava a golem woman made of clay and Ahmad a jinni enslaved and driven by fire。 The many people who come into contact with these two are changed forever and one of them， Sophia， travels to the Middle East in search of her jinni and a cure。 Touched by the human world they find themselves a part of yet unable to truly ever be accepted in， Chava and Ahmad spend the New York City in the early 1900's is a melting pot of ethnic groups， religions and language。 It is also a place of mystical beings like Chava a golem woman made of clay and Ahmad a jinni enslaved and driven by fire。 The many people who come into contact with these two are changed forever and one of them， Sophia， travels to the Middle East in search of her jinni and a cure。 Touched by the human world they find themselves a part of yet unable to truly ever be accepted in， Chava and Ahmad spend their time searching as do the other characters， for intimacy and a sense of belonging。 The magic of the Middle East legends blend seamlessly with the old world reality of the tenements and hardships of the crowded streets of New York。 Helen Wecker creates such a vivid portrait that you hear the call to worship， smell the challah baking and feel the heat from Ahmad's forge。 While you can read this as a standalone you would be denying yourself the full sense of wonder of learning of the golem and the jinni's origin story。 Readers who love a bit of history with their magic and fans of THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE or THE CITY OF BRASS will fall for this completely。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more

Eileen ，

It was a thrill to go back to the Golem and Jinni’s story。 While they are not human， they are still caught within our human lives。 Their lives are so complex and engrossing。 The characterization is still vivid， and you have to keep the pages turning to see what will become of them。

Kristine ，

so darn nice to be back in the world of Chava and Ahmad！ Such complete characters and touching relationships， all in these comprehensive settings。 As with the Golem and the Jinn， you don’t always like everyone， but their stories end with them being exactly who they should be。 New characters are introduced - old characters resurface。 Very satisfactory 2nd novel。 My only critique， is the pacing。 The beginning is slow with long， detailed chapters。 The end is fast with short chapters that jump betwe so darn nice to be back in the world of Chava and Ahmad！ Such complete characters and touching relationships， all in these comprehensive settings。 As with the Golem and the Jinn， you don’t always like everyone， but their stories end with them being exactly who they should be。 New characters are introduced - old characters resurface。 Very satisfactory 2nd novel。 My only critique， is the pacing。 The beginning is slow with long， detailed chapters。 The end is fast with short chapters that jump between the characters。 This does bring intensity to the story and makes it hard to put the book down but i felt that I could see the authors intent， the conscious choice to structure the book like this and that annoyed me。 I want to feel that the increase in intensity， the action， is a natural part of the story。 I know that is asking a lot of an author， so maybe you should disregard that。。。 。。。more

Jenifer ，

I adored The Golem and the Jinni， and this sequel was such a wonderful way to revisit the characters I loved from the first book， as well as get to know a few new ones。 It's been a long time since I read the first book， and I have a pretty terrible memory for plot details， so I was a little concerned that I was going to have to re-read The Golem and the Jinni first， but Wecker works the necessary plot points and details from the last book seamlessly into the story， and by the end of the first or I adored The Golem and the Jinni， and this sequel was such a wonderful way to revisit the characters I loved from the first book， as well as get to know a few new ones。 It's been a long time since I read the first book， and I have a pretty terrible memory for plot details， so I was a little concerned that I was going to have to re-read The Golem and the Jinni first， but Wecker works the necessary plot points and details from the last book seamlessly into the story， and by the end of the first or second chapter， I felt completely at home again in the magical turn-of-the-20th Century Lower Manhattan that she created。I definitely recommend The Hidden Palace to anyone who read the first book and enjoyed it。 If you haven't read the first book， but enjoy historical fiction with fantasy elements， stories set in "Old New York" in the years leading up to WWI， and stories of self-discovery， found families， and outsiders who find friendship and love， I highly recommend both books in this series。Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me with a DRC in exchange for my unbiased review。 。。。more

Leah Rachel von Essen ，

The Hidden Palace is Helene Wecker's follow-up to The Golem & the Jinni， and picks up just where it left off， with the story of practical， compassionate golem Chava and of wild， restless jinni Ahmad。 Sophia Winston leaves for the Middle East to seek some sort of cure for the illness that leaves her forever cold。 New stories are introduced: a young， ambitious Jewish girl begins to explore dark magics with her father， while Anna's son Toby begins to dig at the mysteries of his birth， and a jinniye The Hidden Palace is Helene Wecker's follow-up to The Golem & the Jinni， and picks up just where it left off， with the story of practical， compassionate golem Chava and of wild， restless jinni Ahmad。 Sophia Winston leaves for the Middle East to seek some sort of cure for the illness that leaves her forever cold。 New stories are introduced: a young， ambitious Jewish girl begins to explore dark magics with her father， while Anna's son Toby begins to dig at the mysteries of his birth， and a jinniyeh across the sea learns she's immune to iron。To start， a tough but honest critique: truthfully， this book begins very slow。 Similar to its predecessor， it's focused on telling many tales and then weaving them into one building thread， and I dedicated some thought to why that approach feels more scattered in this novel。 I think that it is partially due to the long timeline， 1900–1915， but primarily it is because we already know some of these characters， and so there is less of an overlying mystery to power the story—instead， it is guided purely by interest in the characters， waiting to see how it will eventually tie to a central point。 Instead of unfolding answers， it's more about waiting to see what conflict will arrive， waiting for a climatic point。 Luckily， anyone who loved the first story of the golem and the jinni will love this one too。 Wecker's newest brings up fascinating new questions about trying to fit in， about assimilation and its costs， about the ways people change as they immigrate。 Chava feels she must blend in seamlessly to not be f0und out， and so her lack of aging puts her at risk; Ahmad doesn't understand why they must put so much of their true natures aside for the sake of their neighbors。 What balance can they find？ As those they love grow older around them， as the world itself begins to change， Chava and Ahmad struggle to adjust with it。 Wecker's stunning writing continues to pull the reader along， her elegant world immersive as ever。 While I found the jinni even more annoying in this book than the last， his character development is rewarding， and feels very real， and I loved reading about Chava finding her place in the world。 Readers who loved The Golem and the Jinni will read this one eagerly cover-to-cover。I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 The Hidden Palace comes out June 8， 2021。 。。。more

Shannon ，

Fans of Helene Wecker’s award-winning historical fantasy novel， The Golem and the Jinni， rejoice - after eight years of waiting， we finally get a sequel！ The Hidden Palace comes out on June 8 and picks up shortly after the end of the first book （and don’t worry – there are unobtrusive reminders in the text to get you up to speed with the preceding events）。 The evil sorcerer who had imprisoned jinni Ahmad in a metal vial was defeated at much personal cost in the first book。 Ahmad and Chava， the g Fans of Helene Wecker’s award-winning historical fantasy novel， The Golem and the Jinni， rejoice - after eight years of waiting， we finally get a sequel！ The Hidden Palace comes out on June 8 and picks up shortly after the end of the first book （and don’t worry – there are unobtrusive reminders in the text to get you up to speed with the preceding events）。 The evil sorcerer who had imprisoned jinni Ahmad in a metal vial was defeated at much personal cost in the first book。 Ahmad and Chava， the golem， now must weather the rapid changes at the turn of the twentieth century in New York City: the sinking of the Titanic， the Triangle Shirtwaist fire， and the beginning of the Great War， as well as changes in their relationship to each other and their communities。 Once again， Wecker has crafted an immigrant chronicle for the ages that grapples with the dual problems of the diaspora: attempting to assimilate into a new culture while at the same time keeping close one’s native culture， all while trying to find a place in the world。 The Hidden Palace is a sweeping character-driven epic of a family forged in love， not blood ties， whose members fight and love and learn， falling apart and together organically。 Even though I only read The Golem and the Jinni once many years ago， this new book felt like coming home， as if I never really left their world and was now spending time with treasured friends。 The tone is melancholy with measured pacing so that readers can truly immerse themselves in the world， and while no one gets a happy ending， exactly， Wecker ends her novel on a hopeful， bittersweet note。 The Hidden Palace is a worthy successor to its smash hit predecessor and will wrap you again in a fully realized world you won’t want to leave。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC！ 。。。more

Amy ，

I recall enjoying The Golem and the Jinni very much， but I had forgotten some key story elements， particularly the jinni's encounter with the human Sophia Winston and its lasting physical effect on her。 A bit of a refresher is given on this and other preceding events， though I would hesitate to give this sequel to anyone who hadn't read the first。It was good to revisit the characters of Chava the golem and Ahmad the jinni as their relationship develops and they continue to try to fit in among th I recall enjoying The Golem and the Jinni very much， but I had forgotten some key story elements， particularly the jinni's encounter with the human Sophia Winston and its lasting physical effect on her。 A bit of a refresher is given on this and other preceding events， though I would hesitate to give this sequel to anyone who hadn't read the first。It was good to revisit the characters of Chava the golem and Ahmad the jinni as their relationship develops and they continue to try to fit in among the humans of early 20th century America。 The historical setting is meticulously recreated， from the immigrant neighborhoods of New York to the towns and deserts of Syria， where Sophia seeks a cure for her malady。 Significant events are woven into the story， such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the sinking of the Titanic， and characters encounter notable figures like T。E。 Lawrence and Gertrude Bell。 However， I felt that the story lacked focus and meandered at times。 Multiple side characters have their own arcs that are integrated with varying degrees of success。 Dima， the female jinni， seemed especially superfluous。 Most of them converged for a set piece at the end， with loose ends addressed - but not necessarily wrapped up - in an epilogue。 I would have liked more resolution for Sophia after her ordeal， and I wasn't entirely clear on Chava's plans， though perhaps another sequel is in the works。Recommended， with some reservations， to fans of the original novel。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy。 。。。more

Cheri ，

It was great to be reunited with these characters again。 Nothing can top the first book。

Erised Moon ，

5 stars。 I loved the incredibly realistic breakdown of the romance between Chava and Ahmed， because while frustrating at times， it never felt petty; there is always a psychological reasoning behind character flaws in this author's works， which is what I adore。 The bittersweet notes at the end are probably not going to be something everyone can stomache （in regards to romance）， but I liked it because that ending was not without hope。 The first 50 pages of playing catch-up could've been edited out 5 stars。 I loved the incredibly realistic breakdown of the romance between Chava and Ahmed， because while frustrating at times， it never felt petty; there is always a psychological reasoning behind character flaws in this author's works， which is what I adore。 The bittersweet notes at the end are probably not going to be something everyone can stomache （in regards to romance）， but I liked it because that ending was not without hope。 The first 50 pages of playing catch-up could've been edited out at the start （we could've simply done a time jump）， but this otherwise was a very worthy sequel to The Golem and the Jinni。***SPOILER*** The ONE thing that dismayed me though was a certain character death in the middle of the book。 This was a key player in the first book， so to kill him almost as an afterthought （treating him as though his only importance was in relation to our main characters） was the one thing I must gripe about。 I think this death could've worked beautifully either if we saw a bit more of his POV before he died （showing the months of him in his deathbed， thinking back on his life， battling his regrets but reconciling those to himself before he died）， or having at least one incredibly meaningful conversation with our main character before dying。 Therefore， even if he dies in a sudden manner and the main character regrets not appreciating him while he was alive， the reader could at least be comforted in the fact that 1） we got to see plenty of this character's POV before he died， 2） he was at peace with himself before death， 3） he died knowing his friend's fondness towards him even if it wasn't outwardly reciprocated， and 4） he left a huge impact on our main character。But because we barely got to see even one moment of this character having a meaningful interaction or epiphany before he died， his death hurt in a way that wasn't pleasant。 His death could've been beautifully bittersweet （I love crying to those kinds of deaths）， but it only felt bitter。 It felt empty even if our main character later did admit going into a 3-year breakdown because of that death。 （Note: this emptiness is similarly what I felt in the first book when Saleh the ice-cream man was unceremoniously killed off。） 。。。more

David ，

When I learned that Helene Wecker had written a sequel to her marvelous historical fantasy The Golem and the Jinni I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the magic of the original。 I needn't have worried。 It has the same sense of wonder， exoticness， enchantment， heartbreak， and drama as the first book。 I loved every page of The Hidden Palace， which I read courtesy of NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers。This is exactly the type of book I love to read。 It casts its spell on you from the very begi When I learned that Helene Wecker had written a sequel to her marvelous historical fantasy The Golem and the Jinni I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the magic of the original。 I needn't have worried。 It has the same sense of wonder， exoticness， enchantment， heartbreak， and drama as the first book。 I loved every page of The Hidden Palace， which I read courtesy of NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers。This is exactly the type of book I love to read。 It casts its spell on you from the very beginning and doesn't let go， even after the last chapter。 It will haunt your thoughts for days。 What does it mean to be human？ Are growth and progress worth the oftentimes devastating price？ Can love survive adversity？What I value most in Wecker's novels are her ability to create a striking and substantial sense of time and place; and the vivid characters which inhabit her novels。 As in her previous novel， The Hidden Palace is set in New York City and the Middle East at the turn of the century and in the years leading to World War I。 She brings NYC alive， from the teeming immigrant communities living in tenements， an orphanage for unwanted/homeless children， and the haunts of the rich and famous， to a fascinating look at the traditional Syrian and Jewish communities。The plot is complicated。 She weaves many stories through many locations and times， and her cast of characters is as large and colorful as a Shakespearean play。 Her writing is so strong that the story never drags or feels bogged down in detail and she brings all the various story threads together in the end。 I finished the book reluctantly and sadly as I didn't want to leave the world and the characters which Ms。 Wecker so imaginatively created。 The Hidden Palace is a novel to be read slowly and cherished。 It is a magnificent book。 It easily deserves ten stars。 。。。more

Dustin White ，

How do I get an advance release copy？

Areeb Ahmad （Bankrupt_Bookworm） ，

It is cute that I still haven't read Book #1 but I got an ARC for this oof。 I guess I need to visit a bookstore now。 It is cute that I still haven't read Book #1 but I got an ARC for this oof。 I guess I need to visit a bookstore now。 。。。more

Marge Congress ，

A truly fantastic story - an orthodox Jew has a golem built and he takes it to America。 Unfortunately he dies on board ship and the golem has to fend for herself。 She is found by a rabbi who trains her to be as human as possible。 The Jinni is brought to life out of an ancient bottle and the story brings them together。 I found it interesting， but overly long， and not as wonderful as expected/

Anmiryam ，

It's rare that I love a sequel more than the original， but I think this may be one of those instances。 Helene Wexler is a fabulous storyteller which is appropriate for a book in which the characters themselves are creatures of whom stories are told， and in turn， are cognizant of the stories they are creating。 If the first book was a fairytale that at its heart was about the immigrant experience， this new novel asks: how do we create our families and find our truest selves？ They are glimmers of a It's rare that I love a sequel more than the original， but I think this may be one of those instances。 Helene Wexler is a fabulous storyteller which is appropriate for a book in which the characters themselves are creatures of whom stories are told， and in turn， are cognizant of the stories they are creating。 If the first book was a fairytale that at its heart was about the immigrant experience， this new novel asks: how do we create our families and find our truest selves？ They are glimmers of answers by the end of the book， and while the action is resolved， I found myself yearning for more in the saga of Chava， Ahmad， Sophia， and the new members of the cast， Kreindel， Toby， and Dima。I was loathe to leave the world here and if you haven't yet read The Golem and the Jinni， go， go， go get a copy and then look forward to reading this in June instead of having to wait years。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Hidden Palace

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Hidden Palace&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Hidden Palace&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0