In the novel, a Middle Eastern hacker named Alif discovers a book of djinn tales which may lead to a new age of quantum computing.

In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, the hacker Alif discovers that his love interest Intisar is entering an arranged marriage with another man.

He creates a computer program, Tin Sari, to identify Intisar’s digital footprint and block her from seeing him online.

In the City, The Hand’s attempt to replicate Alif’s quantum computer has failed, leading to massive Internet outages and riots in the streets.

The New York Times described it as a genre-defying work, with elements of fantasy, dystopian fiction, techno-thriller, and Islamic mysticism.

[1] Publishers Weekly praised the juxtaposition of Arab mythology and modern-day computer theory, as well as the novel's exploration of the cultural conflicts between the East and the West.

The Los Angeles Times found the novel's focus on storytelling and multiple layers of meaning to be compelling, but criticized the novel's romantic elements as "melodramatic and contrived".