Alif The Unseen by G. Willow Wilson would appear to have it all - well drawn characters, a good plot and enough pace to make you turn the pages, but even though I really enjoyed reading it there wasn't any moment throughout the book that made me think "ah!". Set in a fictitious 'city' in Arabia ruled by a corrupt Emir and his regime, with a plot played out against a backdrop of the Arab Spring, linked to the rich tapestry of middle eastern mythology and focusing on a main character steeped in the world of technology has to be a formula for success and the author handles all of these aspects with finesse.