The Book Of Wonders by Jasmine Richards
The Blurb On The Back:
”They walked into the room calling Sinbad’s name, but there was no reply. Sitting by one wall of the chamber was a tall dresser, and above it were wooden shelves lined with glass jars. Many were filled with familiar spices like saffron, sumac, and star anise. But inside some were much more unusual things: pear-shaped blue stones that glowed with icy brightness.”
Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone who is caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan - a terrifying tyrant who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.
When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she must risk everything to rescue her. Along with Rhidan, who is her best friend, and an unlikely crew of sailors led by the infamous Captain Sinbad, Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all.
In the kingdom of Arribitha, magic and any talk of magic is forbidden by the tyrannical Sultan Shahryār, but this doesn’t stop thirteen-year-old Zardi from seeking them out. She dreams of adventure and magic and wants nothing more than to join a ship’s crew, but as the youngest daughter of the Sultan’s vizier, she knows that her life is going to be a lot more boring and organised.
When Zardi’s sister, Zubeyda, is selected by the Sultan to be his praisemaker (a dubious honour that involves her having to call out his achievements for 90 days, at the end of which the sultan will hunt her with a pack of jackals), Zardi knows that she has to save her. Together with her best friend, Rhidan, they go looking for the Varish, a group opposed to the Sultan’s rule. Soon they’re embarked on an incredible adventure, including magic, djinni, monsters and even the most famous sailor adventurer of them all, the roguish Sinbad …
Jasmine Richards’s debut novel is a fast-paced and thrilling middle grade fantasy that draws on the Arabian Nights and transforms it for a new young audience.
Zardi (short for Scheherazade) is a strong-willed heroine, determined and resourceful she won’t let anything stop her from saving her sister. I liked her relationship with best friend Rhidan, a silver-haired boy abandoned in the kingdom as a baby who’s trying to find out what his own heritage is. Richards does well in managing the adventure so that both characters get a chance to shine and I enjoyed the way that while each is proud of the other’s achievements, they also get a little envious sometimes too. I must admit though that my favourite character is Sinbad, a braggart and a rogue, he’s secretly kind-hearted and spins a good story of his adventures while hiding his less savoury activities.
Richards is particularly skilful in the way she weaves in elements from the Arabian Nights stories, effectively reinventing them for a young audience but at the same time staying true to the original themes. The pacing is fast and the story itself is a rollercoaster of events as Rhidan and Zardi each try to accomplish their goals. The book itself ends with a set-up for the sequel, which hints at including a young man called Aladdin and I for one will definitely be checking it out.
The Verdict:
Jasmine Richards’s debut children’s novel is a fast-paced and thrilling middle grade fantasy that draws on the Arabian Nights and reinvents it for a new young audience. It’s got two likeable (yet never goody goody) main characters and includes evil Sultans and Sinbad (and everyone likes Sinbad). I will definitely be checking out the sequel.
”They walked into the room calling Sinbad’s name, but there was no reply. Sitting by one wall of the chamber was a tall dresser, and above it were wooden shelves lined with glass jars. Many were filled with familiar spices like saffron, sumac, and star anise. But inside some were much more unusual things: pear-shaped blue stones that glowed with icy brightness.”
Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone who is caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan - a terrifying tyrant who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.
When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she must risk everything to rescue her. Along with Rhidan, who is her best friend, and an unlikely crew of sailors led by the infamous Captain Sinbad, Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all.
In the kingdom of Arribitha, magic and any talk of magic is forbidden by the tyrannical Sultan Shahryār, but this doesn’t stop thirteen-year-old Zardi from seeking them out. She dreams of adventure and magic and wants nothing more than to join a ship’s crew, but as the youngest daughter of the Sultan’s vizier, she knows that her life is going to be a lot more boring and organised.
When Zardi’s sister, Zubeyda, is selected by the Sultan to be his praisemaker (a dubious honour that involves her having to call out his achievements for 90 days, at the end of which the sultan will hunt her with a pack of jackals), Zardi knows that she has to save her. Together with her best friend, Rhidan, they go looking for the Varish, a group opposed to the Sultan’s rule. Soon they’re embarked on an incredible adventure, including magic, djinni, monsters and even the most famous sailor adventurer of them all, the roguish Sinbad …
Jasmine Richards’s debut novel is a fast-paced and thrilling middle grade fantasy that draws on the Arabian Nights and transforms it for a new young audience.
Zardi (short for Scheherazade) is a strong-willed heroine, determined and resourceful she won’t let anything stop her from saving her sister. I liked her relationship with best friend Rhidan, a silver-haired boy abandoned in the kingdom as a baby who’s trying to find out what his own heritage is. Richards does well in managing the adventure so that both characters get a chance to shine and I enjoyed the way that while each is proud of the other’s achievements, they also get a little envious sometimes too. I must admit though that my favourite character is Sinbad, a braggart and a rogue, he’s secretly kind-hearted and spins a good story of his adventures while hiding his less savoury activities.
Richards is particularly skilful in the way she weaves in elements from the Arabian Nights stories, effectively reinventing them for a young audience but at the same time staying true to the original themes. The pacing is fast and the story itself is a rollercoaster of events as Rhidan and Zardi each try to accomplish their goals. The book itself ends with a set-up for the sequel, which hints at including a young man called Aladdin and I for one will definitely be checking it out.
The Verdict:
Jasmine Richards’s debut children’s novel is a fast-paced and thrilling middle grade fantasy that draws on the Arabian Nights and reinvents it for a new young audience. It’s got two likeable (yet never goody goody) main characters and includes evil Sultans and Sinbad (and everyone likes Sinbad). I will definitely be checking out the sequel.