The book’s universe is deeply rooted in an Islamic creation myth (the fall of Iblees), which defines the cultural, moral, and metaphysical landscape of the fictional lands of Ardunia and Tulan. The narrative is far more than a mere retelling or illustration of the myth; Mafi’s novel breathes new life into the original story, advancing the notion that creation isn’t a one-off event but is instead an ongoing process. From this perspective, the characters themselves are not just captives of a pre-written destiny but act instead as coauthors of a story that is still unfolding. Through their struggles, choices, and moral dilemmas, they grapple with how to forge goodness in a world tainted by a being’s fall from grace.

Mafi uses her characters as case studies to articulate and confront the implications of living in a world borne from a fall from grace. In Ardunia and Tulan, a hint of predetermined destiny often overshadows the individual characters’ personal agency. The fall of Iblees imbues the world with a sense of unfair heaviness and “dreams so easily shattered” (70), and Mafi’s world therefore exudes an omnipresent moral ambiguity that results in myriad examples of prejudice, discrimination, and the complexity of obligatory duties.