A Kingdom Above the Sea

Author: Zahra Nabi

The spirit of Aru Shah meets the magic of Arabian Nights in this rich middle-grade adventure, which follows a girl forced to travel to a mysterious land of witches, alchemists, jinn, and flying carpets to discover her roots and fulfill her destiny. "My dear Yara, if you are reading this message, it means something terrible has happened, and you are on your own. To return to the city of Zuhaira, you must read the words written on the back of this letter... Good luck, my brave girl." When twelve-year-old Yara loses her mother, she is left with a mysterious letter and strange instructions. Yara finds herself forced to leave the home she has always known for a place that doesn't exist on any map: Zuhaira, a world of witches, alchemists, and burgeoning magic. But Zuhaira is no longer as it was; magic has been forbidden, the Sultan's alchemists are plotting a dark conspiracy, and the answers Yara seeks seem out of reach. Yara must gather all her courage to uncover the truth of her mother's past, the secret of her own identity, and to find her place in this new magical world.