A #WyrdAndWonder Book Review | “Solomon’s Bell” (Book Two: Genie Chronicles) by Michelle Lowery Combs

Posted Wednesday, 20 May, 2020 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#WyrdAndWonder Book Review badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: A few years ago now, I started to review for World Weaver Press – until I reached the day where my focus on the stories I was receiving for review fell by the wayside. A lot of this had to do with my personal health, the recovery of my father’s stroke and other things which bring adversity into your life which can and will affect your readerly life. I cannot remember exactly what first took me away from reading “Heir to the Lamp” or the sequel “Solomon’s Bell” – however, I did attempt to read them at various moments throughout the past few years including shortly after I received “Solomon’s Bell” for which I posted a Cover Reveal and Extract.

During our 2nd Year (2019) for #WyrdAndWonder, I wanted to redeem myself a bit by getting back into the stories I attempted to read during our 1st year of #WyrdAndWonder (2018) but due to the migraines and other issues I was having with my health, I was unable to complete my reading schedule for the event. This is one of the series I was most eager to read and am thankful I finally was able to start reading it during our 2nd Year of Wyrd and Wonder whilst finishing it in our 3rd. As I know there are other readers who are following or joining the event directly who appreciate Magical Realism and/or stories of the Jinn as much as I do. Perhaps they will find a new author through my ruminations and as always, I hope whenever I feature a story or anthology by World Weaver Press – word will continue to get out about this lovely Indie Publisher for Speculative Fiction!

I received a complimentary copy of “Solomon’s Bell” direct from the publisher World Weaver Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

I admit it, ever since I met a ‘Golem’ & a ‘Jinni’, I’ve been intrigued by Magical Realism stories involving the Jinn!:

Set during a pivotal game for Virginia as a competitive JV Girls’ Basketball competitor – we open the story as Ginn is about to receive some humbling and surprising news about herself, her destiny and the ways in which she previously perceived her world. You can intuit this through the revelation at the end of the game – where her team is down for the count, the opposing team has a new member whose height puts them at a distinct advantage and where Ginn’s team is doing everything they can not to  lose the faith they could win the game from the underdog status they found themselves trying to overcome. It is here – as we are with Ginn in the car with her family as they make their way to the gym to see the game, we notice a few things about her – she’s not comfortable being in a large family nor is she enthused about having as many siblings as she has which were achieved through adoption.

The adoption side of her life is lightly touched upon – mostly through the angst of a thirteen year old who isn’t quite sure why her parents wanted to keep adding to their family or have to take-on the world whenever someone from outside the family grew critical of their choices in life; especially in how they grew their family through adoption. You can understand her perspective on the matter – as she has an eclectic sibling group whilst you can also appreciate the heart and humbled spirit of her parents who wanted to raise children and did not have a preference of whether or not they were all biologically related to them. I have a soft spot for stories involving Adoption – as I am desiring to adopt from foster care in the future – therefore, whenever I see a story involving Adoption, I do take a more critical eye on how it is discussed and how it fits into the story being told.

I think part of the reason I was struggling to anchour into story and to get into step with Ginn is how her story was being disclosed. It felt a little disjointed at first – but then, once you see her with her mother and she starts to talk about her grandmother – you start to notice her differently, seeing how much she’s trying to understand this transitional period of her life and somewhere at that junction her story starts to move forward in a way you can soak into her world.

Ginn is a girl on the brink of entering her teenage years but she’s more bogged down in worrying about what is plaguing her mind moreso than going through puberty. She has a caring mother who looks after her whenever she’s not feeling quite up to par and even goes out of her way to ensure her daughter will feel a bit better which I felt was a sweet touch. What was lovely though was seeing how a few life lessons and life philosophies were being layered into the story-line – guided by Ginn’s Mum but also, turnt over for introspective reasoning by Ginn herself. There is a point about how nightmares can overtake you if your not careful about how you extract yourself from them but also, on the importance of family. This is a close-knit family who appreciate being with their grandmother but also with each other – even if half the time, I suspect they drive each other a bit batty round the edges, as all good-natured large families do.

You have to laugh, really! Combs has worked in some cleverly placed real-world cultural points of interest into the background of the story – such as Ginn’s Mum having an affinity of interest for the cooking shows we all get excited about time after time – giving her children a bit of an interesting voyage into the culinary arts! I was smiling the whole time as apparently Ginn’s Mum isn’t as gifted in the kitchen as my Mum is nor is she as naturally intuitive about how certain ingredients work best together. This is why I was smiling the most – hearing Ginn tell it, they would be better off if they cooked from ready-made boxes and ate out on occasion if they could afford to do it.

Where the story took a turning into the fantastical is when Rashmere shows up rather unexpectedly and how he points out to Ginn all the different ways her current life is about to unravel. The expressive nature of Rashmere is too adorable! You’ll have to read the story to find out the species Rashmere is on first sight but somehow, Combs tapped into how he could be expressive despite his small presence when he initially enters Ginn’s life. In essence he steals the scene!

I immediately felt connected to Gran – she’s the kind of grandmother you can warm up to rather quickly because of her approach to life! She has a zest for humour and she has a winsome attitude when it comes to how she disarms your nerves. I loved her back-story about how she had to overcome the odds against her on the Army bases her husband had been stationed on? It shows how sometimes the people who exhume the most confidence can sometimes have their own struggles to bear and work through just like everyone else. Mostly though – she just seemed like a wicked awesome grandmother and definitely someone you could confide in the worries weighing on your mind such as the kind Ginn had on hers.

Gran had a keen ability of telling Ginn her back history in such a way that makes it credible despite the fact it has a lot of fantastical elements inside it – as this is a heritage which involves the Jinn. Though not quite the kind of Jinn everyone has heard of before but the kind who has a mixed heritage that involves the Jinn and humans. From there, what was quite impressive is how well Gran took to ensure Ginn of the details even to discuss how her feelings on this matter of disclosure were not the same as her parents – which struck me a bit as an interesting piece of information – as if Ginn’s adoptive parents dismissed a portion of her back-story, than if it weren’t for Gran disclosing the fuller story to her on her birthday, one had to wonder – would Ginn have started to deepen her curiosity about all the unexpected events happening to her since she turnt thirteen?

As we shift into the story of the Jinn – Combs does a wonderful job at educating us on the past histories of the Jinn, how they can exist and what their nature involved in regards to how they used their gifts of magic. It never felt like a specific section of information being given to you as she used Ginn’s own lack of understanding her birth origins as a route of information being passed onto the reader. The closer Ginn went with her own research, the closer we felt we understood who the Jinn were and the laws of how they existed. This also broached the topics of the books of Jinn known as the ‘grimoire’ and how the ancestry of the Jinn was as ancient as it were timeless.

Personally, my favourite character was not Ginn but Rashmere! He had the best attributes as a character but also, I felt his role in the story was so rounded and fleshed out, that his presence was a true delight to have threading through the background. I definitely am hoping he has a strong presence in the next volume of the series Solomon’s Bell as he was a keenly pivotal character within Heir to the Lamp.

This is a good novel to serve as a gateway into Magical Realism (as its the lighter side of the genre) whilst also giving a good footing of insight into Urban Fantasy and mythological Fantasy involving the Jinn. I think it would appeal to a lot of readers who are seeking a bit of danger and adventure within a fantastical world where not everything is exactly as it seems on the surface of what is being presented but where if you dig a bit deeper into the heart of what is being said, you’ll find the truth glimmering as strong as the purple smoke which is Ginn’s trademark.

-quoted from my review of Heir to the Lamp

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

A #WyrdAndWonder Book Review | “Solomon’s Bell” (Book Two: Genie Chronicles) by Michelle Lowery CombsSolomon's Bell
Subtitle: Genie Chronicles Book Two
by Michelle Lowery Combs
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Sarena Ulibarri
Source: Direct from Publisher

Ginn thinks she has problems at home until she magically lands herself in 16th Century Prague. To save her family, Ginn uses her newfound genie powers to transport herself and her friends to 16th century Prague. Only one thing there remains the same as at home: she can't let anyone know what she really is.

The Emperor of Prague and those closest to him are obsessed with magic. In pursuit of it, they’ve waged war on the citizens of their city. In the citizens' defense, someone has brought to life a golem, a dangerous being with connections to an artifact capable of summoning and commanding an entire army of genies.

Can Ginn escape the notice of the Emperor as she attempts to discover a way to defeat Prague’s golem in time to save her family from a similar creature?

Solomon's Bell is the sequel to Heir to the Lamp and the second book of the Genie Chronicles series.

Genres: Fantasy Fiction, Magical Realism, YA Fantasy, YA Urban Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Book Page on World Weaver Press

ISBN: 978-0997788877

Also by this author: Solomon's Bell (Cover Reveal + Extract), Heir to the Lamp

Also in this series: Heir to the Lamp


Published by World Weaver Press

on 7th March, 2017

Pages: 224

Published By: World Weaver Press (@WorldWeaver_wwp)

Available Formats: Trade Paperback, Ebook

The Genie Chronicles series:

Heir to the Lamp by Michelle Lowery CombsSolomon's Bell by Michelle Lowery Combs

Genre(s): Speculative | Young Adult | Fantasy | Lore & Legends

the Jinn (or Jinnis or Genies) | Adoption

Similar Reads: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (see also Review)

About Michelle Lowery Combs

Michelle Lowery Combs

Michelle Lowery Combs is an award-winning writer and book blogger living in rural Alabama with her husband, one cat and too many children to count. She spends her spare time commanding armies of basketball and soccer munchkins for the Parks & Recreation departments of two cities.

When not in the presence of throngs of toddlers, tweens and teens, Michelle can be found neglecting her roots and dreaming up the next best seller. She is a member of the Alabama Writers’ Conclave, Jacksonville State University’s Writers’ Club and her local Aspiring Authors group.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

my review of solomon’s bell:

As I re-shift back into the life of Ginn, I’m reminded about how I hadn’t felt exactly warm to her presence in the first installment of this series. She has a very anti-social approach to how she directs herself in front of her peers and also with her siblings. She has quite a large family of brothers and sisters, whilst her parents also take-in foster care youth. Part of me realised that a lot of her aggression in speech has to do with her unhappiness in being in such a large and expanding family whilst why she has so much attitude against her peers at school is definitely a wonder. I was thinking about that whilst reading the opening chapter for this novel – mostly, as I had my fair share of hurdles to work through in school but one thing I didn’t want to entertain was getting confrontational with my classmates. If they didn’t want to accept me or felt they needed to bully me – the last thing I was going to do was make matters worse and opt down to their level. I’d rather just give them a wide berth and get on with my day. Ginn, however, likes to take stands and she also is definitely super critical of most people in her life.

The only time I see her in a different way of light is when she’s among the Jinn – such as Rashmere (my favourite character from Heir to the Lamp) or when she’s in the lamp itself. The lamp can transport her to a coastal setting wherein a rather unassuming shack she has a beautiful library which she can borrow books, study her Jinn history and learn more about her purpose as a Jinn given the fact she spent most of her life unaware of her own ancestral heritage therein. It is in these instances Ginn can shake off her teenage angst and talks with a bit more agency and confidence.

I had to smirk a bit – finding Haley more than a bit cheeky in her cohorts to convince Ginn to take her into the lamp! I had a feeling she’d be the one who was going to get to Ginn the most in this installment – she’s had it hard in foster care, with too many placements and without permanency of being placed in an adoptive home. I appreciated the realism of showing her journey in foster care and the realities of how foster youth are allowed to decide if they want to make an Adoption Plan. This is at the heart of Haley’s journey within Ginn’s family – as they’d like her to stay with them but the choice lies with her as she’s of the age where she can choose to stay or to leave. In regards to Ginn, however, it was fitting that Haley would be the one who sought out her secret and wanted to experience what Ginn experienced herself. Haley shared one important commonality with Ginn – both girls’ felt like outcasts for different reasons and they both sought to live outside the conventions of their generation.

With Haley’s interest in Ginn’s pursuit of truth about what is happening in regards to Malory and the mysterious ‘bells’ being given as token gifts to her family – we start to see a new triangle alliance develop between Ginn, Haley and Caleb (Ginn’s boyfriend). The interesting bit is that Haley has as much to give as Ginn as she remembers things she’s read before and she has a discernible mind to sort out details she might not be as well versed in initially. Ginn on the other hand is a hard sell to want Haley to be with her all the time but understands the girl has a lot of goodwill in her heart and tries to remember to keep an open mind.

The threads of this story lie in the folklore of Golems and the ancient practice of how Golems can be used as sources of protection. I originally learnt about this whilst I read The Golem and the Jinni – however, the key difference in this variant of the theme is the age of the Golem and the ways in which the Golem is being manipulated within the sphere of the story. You have to remember all the characters (minor and major) are teens or pre-teens in this series and therefore, that adds a bit of the Halloweentown drama into the background, too! I personally loved the film series for the first three installments before I felt it lost its centre; what that film series and this book series share in common is the focus on family. The magical family in the film series worked together and found ways to sleuth out their enemies together. In Solomon’s Bell, we see how Ginn is trying to grasp the fact there are others who accept her being a Jinn than just her boyfriend and grandmother. She has had this bottled fear that others would shun her and that includes her parents as she was adopted into this family as well.

Where things get a bit wonky and crazy is when Ginn, Caleb and Haley go back through the lamp and find themselves in 16th Century Prague! It is there where they meet new enemies and have new consequences of how what they say and do has a greater effect on the past as well as the present. They had only intended to retreat there to find Rashmere – however, there are more layers to this story than you first realise and even some of the characters you feel you understand haven’t yet revealled their truer natures yet! I was intrigued by the shift in focus – about how Combs threw in a bit of a twist when it comes to which character has the greater secret being kept from Ginn!

The time travelling in this story was hinged to being able to travel through a book in order to arrive in a certain timescape of History. In that regard, I found it most fascinating because of how earnestly I love reading Historical Fiction especially by writers who create such a realistic world out of the historic past. You feel as if you’ve walked into that century and have taken up residence there – simply by the descriptions of that time and the ways in which the era itself takes over your imagination. In that regard, it was a realistic theory about how a book can then offer transport directly to a certain mark of historical significance.

The only disappointment for me is that Rashmere was not highlighted more in this sequel – his character took a bit of a backseat to the rest of Ginn’s family. I also thought the circumstances surrounding Ginn’s family being caught under the spell of the bells was a bit rushed to a resolution as prior to the return to the lamp (where Haley, Ginn and Caleb went together) everything was quite uncertain for Ginn’s family. They were being controlled against their own will and after their return from the lamp and the book travelling – it felt like all was ‘right again’ but without any consequence to the situation. I do respect the fact that part of the resolution was to better understand Malory and her mother – to see their point of view on their role in this storyline but still, to me I felt it was a ‘neat and tidy’ ending.

I think part of me wanted a bit more of a showdown between who was causing the grief against Ginn’s family and Ginn herself. She didn’t get to resolve the emergency of her family being controlled in quite the way I had hoped she would be given. Overall, between the time travelling, the lamp and book time bending capabilities and the artful glimpse into what defines family – Solomon’s Bell continues to be a good starting point for new readers of Magical Realism. Especially considering how well Combs has anchoured her series to the real world and to the world of the Jinn.

on how combs approached styling this series through the lens of magical realism:

One key aspect of this series I have enjoyed is how we get to be taken from a very contemporary setting with Ginn in school and dealing with her parents and siblings as well as her classmates in a sequencing of ordinary life whilst at the same time, we’re disappearing off into the lamp as the lamp itself functions as a portal into her world as a Jinn. The lamp world is rather curious because it is a setting by the ocean, where the wind, sun and surf lie in wait for Ginn, her brother and whomever else she chooses to allow to visit this place Rashmere has entrusted her to guard. It is there we get to see Ginn shake away some of the teenage angst she’s known for in her ‘real life’ and exchange it for a more curious young girl who likes to read the stories out of the library Rashmere has left behind. Combs has allowed her the space to find her own wings to grow – to seek out the truth about being a Jinn and to let her have some growing pains along the way.

I felt the sequel serves as a good duological sequence past the first story – since I haven’t heard news of a third novel, this might remain a duology. You get to hug close to Ginn – a girl you’re never quite sure of is a heroine you can fully understand but she tries her best to overcome her adversities and protect her family. I appreciated seeing how Combs maintained the continuity between the installments even though I felt she gave a stronger voice to Rashmere in the first novel over the sequel. I applauded her for efforts to showcase foster care and Adoption because those are topics which are not always presented in the context of family.

Whilst I felt the historical overlays explaining the Jewish Mythological Histories and Folklore were a good component of this sequel because it helped to introduce readers to the concept of Golems if they hadn’t previously read a story about them. She also did quite a lot of legwork to explain the significance of what was happening the 16th Century of Prague whilst using her characters to re-live and re-walk through those historic markers of time.

#EqualityInLit: focus on Adoption:

The character of Haley brings to centre the re-focus on foster care youth and adoption in the series. She openly talks about her different placements in care and what it was like to have to hear feedback from foster families who didn’t understand her naturally curious mind and how she enjoyed being self-taught by reading books which stimulated her curiosity to seek out more knowledge on topics which interested her the most. I could relate to her anguish about being told she reads too much as despite the fact my family encouraged me to read and always supported my reading life – there were others outside my family who used to claim the same about me, too. Some still do sadly.

In her character, Combs presents a real-world glimpse into what goes on ‘behind-the-scenes’ of a foster placement and the weight of a foster youth trying to make the choice to pursue an Adoption Plan with a family they are now placed within. It is far harder than most people realise because most foster care youth have had too many placements and too many disappointments in final placements for adoption for most to realise making those final choices is both a walk of faith and a process of sorting through emotions which stem from the realities of how they’ve had to live.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

#EnterTheFantastic: Seeking out the fantastical elements –

→ Talking animals (especially cats)

→ Transfiguration

→ Golems

→ Travelling by Lamp and Book

In this installment, we saw Ginn using transfiguration a few times – it is difficult for the Jinn to alter their appearances and to transform how they shift in the world or moment they are alive inside – which is why these sections were most interesting as it showed how difficult this is to undertake if you were Ginn. The talking animals didn’t come into play until Ginn, Caleb and Haley were travelling back into 16th Century Prague – wherein they met quite the cheeky and ominous cat!

The story is rooted round the concept and theories of Golems – how they can become alive, how they interact with their environment and how they are able to be ‘alive’ overall. There is a solid backhistory of references towards their origins and how they were first conceived as well as a routing of how this leads into Jewish History and cultural folklore.

Both stories involve travelling by the lamp however, this installment also explored how you can travel by book! For those who enjoyed watching The Addams Family the film with Raul Julia and Angelica Houston – you’ll have a Fantasy reference for how ‘alive some books can become’!!

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

This book review is courtesy of: World Weaver Press

World Weaver Press Logo provided by World Weaver Press and used with permission.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Showcases of World Weaver Press Titles:

FAE (see also Review)

Disclosing my keen interest in CORVIDAE + Scarecrow (#BookishNotBookish No.6)

CORVIDAE (see akso Review)

It should be noted: I awarded World Weaver Press the honour of two of my Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards as disclosed on my *End of the Year Survey, 2015*.

The Falling of the Moon by A. E. Decker (see also Review)

SCARECROW which contains a sequel short story from Corvidae! (see also Review)

Frozen Fairy Tales (edited by) Kate Wolford (see also Review)

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

Reader Interactive Question:

Which stories of the Jinn have you happily found a writer who conveyed the lore & legend of the Jinni to such a wicked breadth of joy – it encouraged to seek out more stories such as the Genie Chronicles!? OR were you similar to me, feeling that before Wecker’s sequel arrives you wanted to read a bit more stories of the Jinn?!

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reading this novel counted towards

my 2020reading challenges:

2020 Backlogue Reviews banner created by Jorie in Canva.

In [2018], despite my earnest attempts to read the stories as they alighted in my life for review consideration and contemplation, the fact I had 10 out of 12 difficult months of health afflictions (including my continuing battle with chronic migraines) – I lost the ability to focus on a lot of the books I was receiving. By [2019] I started to begin ‘anew’ and re-settle into the stories and works of Non-Fiction I wasn’t able to read – including those which released a year or two prior whilst I was helping my Dad recover from his stroke in late 2016. In [2020] I can reclaim my readerly life and get back into the books I yearn to read, ruminate over and savour whilst erasing my backlogue of reviews one book at a time.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

This book review is part of my showcases during #WyrdAndWonder: Year 3:

#WyrdAndWonder 2020 event banner created by Jorie in Canva.

This is part of my showcases for a Fantasy event I am co-hosting during our 3rd Year of #WyrdAndWonder – follow us socially via @WyrdAndWonder – stalk our tag (across social media) and/or join us in a month long celebration of how the fantastical realms of Fantasy give you wicked JOY.

Ideas of how you can participate – an initial welcome post by my co-host Imyril as well as the first Quest Log (map into the book blogosphere for #WyrdAndWonder) and the first Roll Call Log by my co-host Lisa!

Read our Creative Roulette #WyrdAndWonder Interview!

Be sure to visit my Announcement & TBR List!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

{SOURCES: Cover Art for “Heir to the Lamp” and “Solomon’s Bell”, author photo of Michelle Lowery Combs, book synopsis, author biography, and WWP logo badge were provided by World Weaver Press and used with permission. Tweets embedded due to the codes provided by Twitter. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Wyrd And Wonder Book Review banner, #2020BacklogueReviews banner, #WyrdAndWonder Year 3 banner and the comment box banner.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2020.

I’m a social reader, I tweet my reading life

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

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Posted Wednesday, 20 May, 2020 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Adoption, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Review (non-blog tour), Brothers and Sisters, Equality In Literature, Folklore, Folklore and Mythology, Foster Care, Indie Author, Magical Realism, Orphans & Guardians, Siblings, Speculative Fiction, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event, World Weaver Press, Young Adult Fiction




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