Review: What’s in Your Box by A.R. Moler

Title: What’s In Your Box? (Djinn: Book One)

Author: A.R. Moler

Publisher: JMS Books

Pages/Word Count: 46 Pages

At a Glance: Short story with a djinn, a vet with PTSD, and some cute moments.

Reviewed By: Jennifer

Blurb: Dale Edinger has just inherited a house from his aunt. It’s a good thing too because traumatic shoulder damage and PTSD has forced the Marine lieutenant to retire. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Aunt Mildred’s inheritance is more than an overfull and chaotic house. All kinds of surprises await Dale as he sorts through his aunt’s hoard.
Riadh is one of those surprises. He’s a djinn, a being of magic from another culture — and Dale is his new owner–much to Dale’s dismay. Riadh has his own history and a set of rules that make it impossible for him to be freed. It’s not only Riadh that Dale has to contend with either. In fact, just finding the magickal objects that his aunt had squirreled away in her house will be a trick. When he finds them, what does he do with them? And what about Riadh?

Review: I’m not sure what I was expecting from this short story, but I was pleasantly surprised. While it started off a bit rough and could use some editing, it evens out as the story progresses, and the author gets into a rhythm. I enjoyed reading about Dale and Riadh, and honestly, I wish the book was longer. That this seems to be the first in a series gives me hope.

Dale is a vet suffering from PTSD. After his aunt dies, he inherits her estate and moves in to start cleaning it out. She appears to be a bit of a hoarder, and he is in for quite the job. When he finds a shoebox in the closet and opens it, a Djinn pops out. Riadh was his aunt’s helper, and he belongs to Dale now.

What follows is their attempt to get to know each other, get comfortable with their new situations in life, and move on from there. I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom, even if it was a short story. And it ends on a note where there could be more, and I would enjoy that. Since this does seem to be the start of a series, I hope it doesn’t pick up with a different Djinn. As a reader I would like to explore Dale and Riadh’s relationship more.