The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn

As a child, Sal was always fascinated by the stories his grandfather would tell of his life in Pakistan. And the story he loved more than any other was the one of the Mughal princess. Her family's protector was a jinn who lived in a eucalyptus tree. And even though few people believed her, Sal's grandfather wasn't a big skeptic. And though Sal's grandfather never said it, Sal always felt there was something more to the story.
When Sal's grandfather dies, he feels compelled to go check out the source of the stories. Even his girlfriend, Sarah, can see that he seems distracted. Perhaps if he goes to Lahore, he can put the fantastic stories to rest. But instinct is a powerful force, and there may just be more waiting for Sal than he show more expected.

This is a novella, and I often find reviewing short fiction to be difficult. One of the biggest reasons is that it's hard to give a synopsis without giving too much away. And because I tend to review based on my reaction, it's harder to keep from spoiling key parts of the story.

What I did like about this particular story is the way it's framed. There are so many themes that one can see here: family, travel, exploring your past, fantasy, etc. But it's woven together in a seamless way. I feel like this is one of those that is likely to mean something a bit different to each reader. And those are some of the best stories to read and share. show less

I'd heard good things about this story before reading it, and it lived up to all of them.

Our narrator grew up hearing stories from his grandfather about the dethroned Mughal princess he knew, living in poverty, running a tea shop in Pakistan which has protected by a jinn. Those tales didn't seem significant to him until his grandfather dies, and he goes back to Florida for the funeral, from his job as a professor in the Northeast. Among his grandfather's effects he finds a journal which will lead him to Lahore, in search of a mysterious and secret treasure.

The story seamlessly melds Indiana Jones-style adventure with philosophical speculation on the nature of the universe, and with a sharply-drawn, contemporary depiction of the show more relationships between lovers, communication between generations, and the difficulties of the immigrant experience. Yes, it's a lot to take on in one short story, but it all works perfectly.

My one quibble? I've always had a fundamental objection to stories where the magical quest object or secret knowledge must be destroyed because it's just too much for humanity to take, too dangerous for the world. I prefer the burden of curatorship or guardianship to the finality of destruction. This story does that with acknowledgement of this problem - but it does it anyway. And I still didn't love that aspect. But I still loved the story. It's amazing. Read it! show less

I'd heard good things about this story before reading it, and it lived up to all of them.

Our narrator grew up hearing stories from his grandfather about the dethroned Mughal princess he knew, living in poverty, running a tea shop in Pakistan which has protected by a jinn. Those tales didn't seem significant to him until his grandfather dies, and he goes back to Florida for the funeral, from his job as a professor in the Northeast. Among his grandfather's effects he finds a journal which will lead him to Lahore, in search of a mysterious and secret treasure.

The story seamlessly melds Indiana Jones-style adventure with philosophical speculation on the nature of the universe, and with a sharply-drawn, contemporary depiction of the show more relationships between lovers, communication between generations, and the difficulties of the immigrant experience. Yes, it's a lot to take on in one short story, but it all works perfectly.

My one quibble? I've always had a fundamental objection to stories where the magical quest object or secret knowledge must be destroyed because it's just too much for humanity to take, too dangerous for the world. I prefer the burden of curatorship or guardianship to the finality of destruction. This story does that with acknowledgement of this problem - but it does it anyway. And I still didn't love that aspect. But I still loved the story. It's amazing. Read it! show less

This had been on my to-read list for ages and ages, but the fact that it seems to be available only in digital form kept me away -- even though that form was free on the Tor website. I finally got around to it mostly because it was a good fit for a prompt on StoryGraph's Onboarding Reading Challenge.

I struggle with reading fiction on a screen unless it's fan fiction, which has its own place in my brain. I wonder if that's part of why I ended up rating this four stars instead of five -- not any fault of the story's own, but that my brain was getting impatient with all the scrolling -- without the markers of page turning or chapters to keep my bearings/progress.

Or maybe there just weren't enough women.

But this story is rich and lush and show more layered with history and setting and myth and magic. I hope to encounter Malik again in longer/paper form someday. show less

What a fabulous blend of misplaced identities, fantastical myths and cultural tensions. On top of it, the craft and lyrical prose just makes it an unforgettable masterpiece of folk fantasy. Read it in one sitting, and it will not fail to drag you into exquisite imagery and moving dialogues. Usman Malik really knows the art of story telling, and this one shows that it will not be long before he'll master it.

This novella was a joy to read. It delves into matters of family love, generational clashes, stories, heritage, and the very nature of Jinn. That's a lot of goodness packed into a tale! Salman is a wonderful protagonist, but I loved his Gramps--a man with more to his Pakistani past than anyone would ever believe.

The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn is a vivid and haunting story. Usman T. Malik is a wonderful storyteller and I will be looking for other works by him. I found it through the Locus Online recommend list (http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/02/2015-locus-recommended-reading-list/) and will likely put it at the top of the list for the best novella.