Shubnum Khan’s The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years is set in the crumbling ruins of Akbar Manzil, a grand estate off the coast of South Africa. It was once a majestic palace until neglect turned it into an isolated boardinghouse for misfits seeking to forget their pasts and disappear into the mansion’s dark corridors.
While the book is set in South Africa, it’s perfect for Filipinos who love teleseryes and dramatic stories. Allow us to explain.
The novel is rife with the medium’s elements: a wealthy multi-generational family, an overbearing mother-in-law, long-suffering wives, a mysterious death, and a diary that could unlock it all. It’s a love story and a coming-of-age tale in one. Throw in a supernatural creature (fantaseryes are another national favorite), and you have a book that has the potential to be a hit in the Philippines.
While the teleserye‘s trademark elements are there, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years still has a unique and satisfying story that had us in a chokehold.
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The book is set within the walls of Akbar Manzil in two timelines: the 1930s, which follows the palace’s construction, the family that moves in, and Meena, the owner’s second wife, who met her tragic end there. The second is set in the 2010s, or the present day, when Sana and her father move in. At this point, the mansion is crumbling; there is an assortment of bones in the overgrown garden, a mysterious figure can be seen at night, and a forgotten wing holds abandoned objects and a locked door.
What ties these two timelines together is a djinn (popularly known as a genie) who once loved Meena and has haunted the mansion since her mysterious death. Sana digs into the mansion’s past, bringing up old and terrible secrets that will change the lives of everyone living and dead at Akbar Manzil.
Khan tells this intriguing story with her beautiful prose, which grips you with its descriptive narrative. It’s easy to see the mansion’s hallways and gardens in your mind’s eye and feel the afternoon heat on your skin.
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years often feels like Akbar Manzil itself: winding and extensive, with many elements that could go down different doorways and corridors. It is, after all, set in two timelines with decades in between. Khan, however, takes all these pieces to create a compelling and cohesive whole that will tease the reader from start to finish.
It’s a delicious fusion of family drama, romance, fantasy, and mystery. All the ingredients of a perfect teleserye, this time in book form.
What do you think? Share your thoughts below!
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