Ramadan is one of the best times to slow down and read. If you are looking for books by Muslim authors that are also genuinely fun, adventurous, and beautifully written, this list is for you. These novels blend rich cultural worlds with gripping stories, and every single one will keep you up way past suhoor.
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi
by Shannon Chakraborty
Think Pirates of the Caribbean meets Aladdin and you are halfway there. Amina Al-Sirafi is a retired pirate, a single mother in her forties, and honestly one of the most compelling protagonists in recent fantasy.
She gets pulled back into the life for a job too lucrative to refuse, which means reassembling the old crew and heading back out to sea. It is swashbuckling, warm, funny, and full of the kind of found family energy that makes you want to never put it down.
This Woven Kingdom
by Tahereh Mafi
Imagine Cinderella, but she is a jinn princess, and instead of a ball she is preparing to fight Iblees himself. Set in a world deeply inspired by Persia, This Woven Kingdom is lush, atmospheric, and emotionally rich.
Tahereh Mafi’s writing is lyrical in a way that feels almost like poetry. If you love fantasy rooted in Islamic mythology and Persian history, this one was made for you.
A Tempest of Tea
by Hafsah Faizal
This one is wildly creative. It is set in a world inspired by Britain at the peak of its colonial power, including its colonization of Sri Lanka, but the main character is a vampire.
It manages to be sharp and politically aware while also being genuinely thrilling. Hafsah Faizal takes the vampire genre somewhere completely new and the result is one of the most original fantasy novels in years.
An Ember in the Ashes
by Sabaa Tahir
If you have not read this yet, Ramadan is the perfect time to start. An Ember in the Ashes is a sweeping fantasy about empire, resistance, and survival. It deals with colonialism and oppression through a fantasy lens that feels urgent and real.
Sabaa Tahir is a Pakistani-American Muslim author and her storytelling is relentless in the best way. This is the kind of book you finish and immediately need to talk to someone about.
These books by Muslim authors prove that some of the most exciting, inventive, and emotionally resonant fantasy being written today is coming from Muslim women. This Ramadan, let these stories take you somewhere extraordinary.
And browse books by Black authors here for your reading list!
