This 336 page middle grade fantasy book had a lot of promise for me, but ultimately fell a little flat. The protagonist was likeable, there was emotion, the story was compelling, and I know it is widely said that debut novels tend to be a little weak or be underdeveloped or having pacing problems, yet I hesitate these days to use this as an excuse. I've been around the industry a few years and it seems many author's debut novel, is not, in fact, the first book they've written or even the first book they've "sold." Books are written and finalized years before they are released for some genres particularly of late, so I'm trying not to let myself get caught up in the author's writing journey (I'm sure I'm all sorts of wrong about what I think it would be anyway), and just review the book in front of me. This book has no religion, and I don't know if the author identifies as Muslim. There are a hodgepodge of Arab and Desi cultural references in the characters' names, and in the sprinkling in of salwar qamis, abaya, head scarf, sambusak, and there is a ma'a salama at one point along with the presence of jinn (not religiously referenced). There is also mention of medicinal wine, magic, a lady who has a crush on another lady in her youth, music, and dancing. The book held my interest as I wanted to see how it unraveled, and I recognize that there is a book two, so some of my thoughts might be premature, but I struggled with the premise of the protagonist trying to understand the journey her deceased mother has sent her on, and how the person she was supposed to find for the answers simply won't talk, even though the two are living together. It made the story really drag in places and seem underdeveloped. The world building, the backstories, the adventure at hand, really is imaginative, but the development of the relationships in the story are absolutely non existent, and the book overall suffers because of it. Also the ease in which rising action is resolved is often the kids just throwing an idea out and it being right. I read and review through a critical lens and many recent middle grade fantasy books have been absolutely incredible, perhaps it isn't fair to compare, but this book just came up short for me in developing memorable characters and plot, even though all the elements were present, capitalizing on bringing it all together stayed just out of reach unfortunately.

SYNOPSIS:

Yara's mother has died and when she finds a letter with instructions of what to do and where to go should this moment arrive, she decides to dodge her social worker and journey to a world of magic across the sea. Unsure of her own background, she thinks she might be Iraqi, but doesn't speak Arabic, she longs to find a place to belong, and when she arrives in Zehaira and hears the language of her mother, she is hopeful that this Leyla Khatoun, who lives in the third to last house on Istehar Way, will provide her with answers. But alas Leyla is not there, the Sultan's alchemists are, and Yara is now on the run in a foreign land. Help finds her and with a little magic she finds Leyla. Leyla begrudgingly takes her in, but refuses her any insight into her past, her relationship with her mother, or why the letter directed Yara to her. As the alchemists poison the sorcerers, Leyla and some other kids (friends?) have to find a way to save the settlement and magic in the land.

WHY I LIKE IT:

Yara as a character is likeable, she is plucky, resourceful, determined, and despite her circumstance does not want or need pity or handouts. She advocates for animals, the poor, is a grassroots organizer, and unapologetic in how she carries herself. I love that she isn't whiney or helpless, and that she trusts herself to problem solve and isn't afraid to think outside the box, while maintaining her kindness and appreciation for those around her.

As someone who doesn't like Alice in Wonderland type stories, this book grounded the world building in an easily consumable way, so even though it is Yara leaving the UK and stepping into a new world, the functioning of the new world didn't feel random or surprising. While this was beneficial for someone like me, it made the focus of the story more on the characters' relationships in enhancing the plot, and the book wasn't strong in showing those connections. Yara meets a map maker for a moment and a cat, and months later recalls the cat and the map maker by name and face. A boy, Rafi, who is also studying magic and Yara don't get along, yet are friends because it says so, the book doesn't show us their bond. Rafi meets some great uncle and the great uncle is painfully underdeveloped (along with his "friend") and the tangent weak in reinforcing the major climax. The relationship between Yara and Leyla is the center of the story and so glossed over, there is no tangible connection, or cathartic release when details emerge, it was very disappointing to say the least. Yara and Ajal, the jinn, what is that relationship even, she frees him à la Aladdin freeing the Genie, but they are friends, not friends, he looks out for her, but doesn't like her, the telling and the showing don't align. Even Yara's relationship with the settlement and the inhabitants is disconnected from the plot of saving magic. The climax is weak because we, the reader, don't feel any connection to any magical folk. The emotion of the mother dying at the beginning and the slight retrospection (I'm not going to spoil it) of the mother's love at the end, was developed and made me invested in Yara, that same energy did not present itself, sadly, in any other relationships in the book.

FLAGS:

Death, loss, poison, imprisonment, magic, mention of medicinal wine, one line mention of a female character liking another female character as more than a friend, dancing, singing, jinn, torture, male and female friendships, destruction, lying, sneaking.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I wouldn't use this as a book club selection and wouldn't go out of my way to shelve it in the school library or classroom library. I will probably read the second book though and see where the series goes and reevaluate. I will also probably read future works from the author as the sparks of good story telling and writing definitely show promise for the author even though this particularly book wasn't "magical" for me.

When Yara’s mum dies, she leaves a strange set of instructions behind that lead Yara away from the home she’s always known in England to a parallel realm across the sea and the city of Zehaira.

In Zehaira, Yara discovers that the person she was supposed to find has been banished and the city itself has been torn apart by a power struggle between sorcerers and alchemists. Zara must journey into the wilderness to join up with the outcast sorcerers and find out who she really is.

‘The Kingdom Over the Sea is a lyrical and spellbinding story of friendship, found family and finding your feet in a dazzling new world. Zohra Nabi is a marvellous storyteller and after that cliffhanger ending I hope book 2 isn’t too far away!

When Yara’s mother passes away, she leaves behind a letter and a strange set of instructions. Confused but determined, Yara sets out to follow her mother’s wishes and ends up in a world of sorcerers, alchemists and magic. But in this new, unfamiliar land of Zehaira, the use of magic has been outlawed and the Sultan’s alchemists are plotting a sinister scheme. Can Yara managed to discover the truth about her mother’s past and somehow help the people of Zehaira at the same time?

This is a gripping, fast-paced middlegrade read. The writing is immersive and it’s easy to imagine you are on Yara’s journey with her, traversing the sea and new places. Whilst the characters are middlegrade, there is a sense of maturity about them as they grow and develop throughout the novel. This is perfect for anyone looking to get completely lost in a new adventure, immerse themselves in a new world or needs a reminder that sometimes all you need is a bit of determination and a whole lot of persuasion.

Occasionally books get this Grandma into trouble and this was one of these books. We started reading it during the Easter Holidays which is just as well because we had a couple of nights that went well past the bedtimes of the children. It is just one of those fabulous book that once you start to read, you just can't or don't want to stop. The youngest rated the book as 'best ever' and the teen thought it was 'delightful' , it was exciting enough for the boys and we even caught Grumpy Grandad listening in at times, distracting him from his own book.

THIS BOOK! MESMERISING! Enchanting in every way, a MESMERISING and atmospheric fantasy adventure. I was blown away by the storytelling and knew I'd fall in love with this book as soon as I'd started. An author to watch!

Well, this is an utterly charming read!

When 12 year old Yara's mother dies, Yara finds a letter with instructions to return to the magical city of Zehaira, where she was born. What follows is a tale full of magic, found family, and a goat jinn companion to boot (who my 12 year old self would have absolutely loved)!

It's a fast-paced, accomplished debut that follows some familiar fairy tale beats but still feels fresh and like it has its own story to tell. I hope the hint of a sequel at the end means that we will get to spend more time in Zehaira with Yara and her friends in the future.

4.5 stars

When 12 year old Yara, living in Bournemouth, loses her mother, she could never have known that this sad event would lead to an opening up of a whole magical other world, one in which Yara, mysteriously, seems to have an unknown past.
Transported to the kingdom of Zehaira, Yara learns that her mother had kept secret her escape from a kingdom where magic was being outlawed, and also that, in order to save Zara from being captured as a baby, she had lived for all of Yara's 12 years as a nurse in this world, never returning to the kingdom she left.
On her death she leaves Yara a note saying she must return to Zehaira. Using a spell her mother tells her of, Yara does exactly that.
Very early on in her travels in Zehaira, Yara meets and frees a powerful djinn, Ajal, who becomes her willing companion, (disguised as a goat!) This companionship is a particularly well drawn relationship and Ajal is definitely a character I wanted to hear more about.
This is a tale full of bravery, adventure, friendship and peril. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward very much to a sequel, since this book ends on a real cliff hanger!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ebook arc of this title

Wow! Once I started reading this novel, I just could not stop. From the very outset, you are drawn straight into the mystery surrounding Yara and her true identity. Throughout the story, Yara shows determination and resilience no matter what obstacles are placed in her path. The description of the different landscapes is rich and detailed. Great thought has been put into the dynamics of the characters that will form the main group. They complement each other so well and although the bicker, they will always band together against outsiders.
I am very much hoping there will be a book 2 to reveal what will happen next.

Twelve year old Yara has been living in Bournemouth with her mother, a world of work, school, friends and play. All this comes to an abrupt end when her mother is killed in an accident and she is placed with a foster family. Packing away her mother's possessions, she finds a letter instructing her to go to Poole Harbour and recite a magic poem. Thus begins a magical adventure to the land of her birth, a place called Zehaira in an alternative magical world.
There is so much to love about this book: Yara is kind and compassionate but also curious about the world and willing to fight for what she believes is right. This is a story of magic, flying carpets, a battle against oppressors, believing in yourself, finding family and what it means to belong. I loved all the strong female characters in this beautifully written book which I'm sure will become a children's favourite. I'm looking forward to more from Zohra Nabi.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

According to Amazon, this is aimed at children over the age of 8. Well, I suppose, being 29 is technically over the age of 8, so this book is definitely for me.

Firstly, the cover is great. I know it’s a kid’s book, and kids books often need a catchy cover, but as an adult, I can still appreciate it. It’s beautiful. The cover was designed by a Sean Williams but I know the book itself contains illustrations by Tom Clohosy Cole. Unfortunately, my early digital version didn’t contain any of the finished illustrations and so I cannot comment on them, but I will be keeping an eye out for the finished article.

I appreciate the position I’m in where publishers and/or authors gift me advanced copies of books, either in digital or physical form, and because of that I end up reading books I would never have chosen. And this includes children and young adult books. If I’m honest, some of the best books I’ve read recently are ones aimed at an audience 20 years younger than me. It’s proof that you don’t have to talk down to a child reader, you don’t have to make it all wishy-washy. They will understand a serious story, and that’s why it appeals so much to adults. You get a complex story with interesting characters, but with a sense of magic that is sometimes missing from grown-up books.

Every word in this book is beautiful. You really feel that Zohra has thought about how to describe even the most mundane things to match the magical theme of this story. The world she has created, whilst dangerous, is magical in every single way. Colourful, bright and shining shimmering splendid (to borrow an Aladdin phrase).

There were stories it reminded me of but I could never fully grasp what ones. It’s never fully something else, but it suggests things such as magic carpets, jinns, potions and spells. It’s a recognizable, familiar story, but completely of its own.

It’s a fun book, exciting and fast paced, but cosy and warming and comforting. There’s this real sense of community and belonging and family. And it shows that family isn’t always who we are related to. Family is what we make of it. It can be friends, acquaintances, and even strangers.

The group of characters were marvellous. There’s too many to name here, but the main two pillars I would say are Yara and Leyla. They have their own past and their own future, but they work so well against each other. And then there’s Meri and Mehnoor and Rafi, who all have their own reasons for helping Yara and they instantly feel like this community.

I started reading this a couple of hours before going to bed, which was a mistake. I wanted an early night but it was just so magically fabulous that I couldn’t pout it down until I’d finished it.

It really shows how just one person can make change I they stand up for what they believe in. Yes it mentions things like protests, but it’s not preachy in that sense, it just shows the power of the individual amongst the many.

I’m really hopeful that there’s a sequel! It had me gripped from the first page to the last and the world she has created won’t be leaving me any time soon.

It's packed with magical elements, endearing characters, and surprising twists and turns.

I had no idea I'd have so much fun following Yara's adventures; at first, I was sceptical, but it was all worth it by the end. Yara's friendship with others is endearing, and there is a strong family element to it. I liked how her character develops at a leisurely pace.

I couldn't put this book down because of the mystery surrounding Yara's identity; all of my assumptions about her were incorrect. The plot is solid, and the ending teases a sequel, which hopefully will be better than the first. I give it 4.2 out of 5. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Children's UK for the eARC!

Wow.. i’d say that for a debut novel it’s quite good!! I don’t expect much actually, but turned out i love it!
The story is about Yara, a girl who doesn’t take a no for an answer, suddenly need to make a journey to the land she never knew before. Along the way, she met a djinn, new friends and new family in her journey, and also find the truth about herself. I’m hoping there will be more stories about Yara-Ajal relationship, because i’m such a djinn lover (good natured djinn obviously!) Also, i feel that Meri-Leyla relationship is a bit too forced. And i think the characters could get more development in the sequel, because for sure i’m hoping for a sequel to come!! Towards the end i feel the story is a lil bit rushed but i still enjoy it so much! Thanks NetGalley for granting me this e-ARC!