I confess to being a little disappointed with this book. I thought it would have more fantasy elements and at times the coding and metaphors lost me. The book did hold my interest but it was an odd combination: hacking, coding, Arabic folklore, and political instability. Ancient and present day converging... It was ultimately a look into a the current situation in the Arabic world told by a westerner who has converted to Islam. Made me want to read her memoir, A butterfly in the mosque, as well as the original tales of the Arabian Nights.