It was an okay book but I thought that Nura wasn't a very nice person who took risks and did not care about the consequences.

The world building was good but was let down by the plotting of the story which seemed rushed and it also lost the message the author was trying to convey about child labour and the importance of education.

For all the above reasons Nura and the Immortal Palace receives 3 stars

There was Muslim and Pakistani folklore in this book. The descriptive writing was so good. I loved the friendships in this book. I loved the characters.

This is such an incredible book. The folklore, the characters, the epic writing and the cover is just so stunning. I am incredibly excited to read more books by M.T.Khan

trigger warning
<spoiler> child labour, slavery, mention of loss of parent, grief, memory loss, poverty, being possessed </spoiler>

One day, Nura finds her way to a magical hotel for jinn, where she has the chance to gain immense riches that will allow her and her family to leave poverty behind. But can it really be so simple?

Let me preface this that my current mood is not great and my patience is not as long as it usually would be, so it might be that had I read this book at another time, I would have liked it more.

We have a first person narrator, a pakistani girl who works in a mica mine because her family can't live on her mom's wage alone. Not only child labour, horrible working conditions on all fronts. Nura tries to be edgy and ruthless and street wise, hardened by her suffering, yet when she meets the jinn and is presented with being able to participate in games where the winner will get filthy rich, she believes everything she is told. Told by creatures she grew up being wary of, because everyone only says that they're always up to tricks and no human should trust their word. I get that she focuses only on the money and the possibilities it would bring, but it feels at odds with the picture the author tried to give of a girl who has always been exploited, has family and friends who constantly get exploited, learns every day not to trust.
If you ignore that characterisation, it should at least be adressed in the narrative how ambivalent the character is.

There was a makeover and I am not fond of those, but the following scene with people randomly bursting into song felt very much like a Bollywood trope, so I am not sure if the makeover is a thing that happens in those movies, too.

I guess this book just didn't work for me. I constantly felt like I'd much rather re-watch Spirited Away, and was constantly comparing those two. Chihiro gets in a similar situation where she was to work as a servant/slave to supernatural beings and loses her memory the longer she remains, but that happens to no fault of her own while Nura just was being dumb and had to deal with the consequences.

If you still think the premise sounds great and you look for a middlegrade story set in Pakistan, just go for it and see if it's up your alley.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

A Brilliant read full of folklore and adventure, that kept you gripped from start to finish, this book will be brilliant for children who love an adventure story

Didn't manage to read this book before it expired on my Netgalley shelf but I'm pretty positive I'm going to love this book anyway. Will look for its physical copy soon!

Nura was a magical tale of pure delight. I can’t believe this is a debut children’s novel as it was so cleverly written and a truly enchanting tale. The Author includes such amazing references to Pakistan culture and mythology that so many people today grew up on that was amazing to see in a children’s novel! It was so representative to Pakistan cultures but also disabilities that was amazing to see. It was captivating how the author weaved a tale of modern day troubles that people in this culture still face and also a tale of their mythology in a world that worked together in the same timeline. I couldn’t recommend enough!

In a Nutshell: A children’s fantasy from the Indian subcontinent – what a welcome change and a novel experience!

Story Synopsis:
Twelve year old Nura works in a mica mine for long hours. She is determined to find a legendary treasure known as ‘The Demon’s Tongue’, and thus provide respite to her widowed mother and four younger siblings from the drudgery of poverty and struggle. However, one day, she gets too carried away while digging and ends up triggering a collapse in the mines, resulting in some of the child labourers, including her best friend Faisal, being declared dead. Nura is determined to save her friend, but in attempting this rescue, she lands up through a portal in the world of the jinn. Is Faisal here? Is the ‘Demon’s Tongue’ here? Can Nura save herself and her friend from the evil jinn?
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Nura.

Most of the children’s books I have read in my childhood had some or all of the following: Magical adventures; Best friends and squabbling but sweet siblings; Excitement for Christmas; biblical values; cakes and pies; pretty dresses for parties; elves/gnomes. The first two elements remain the same in this book but the rest transform into an experience closer to home: excitement for Eid; Islamic values; gulab jamuns, lehengas and jinn! I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to read a children's book with the protagonist drooling for gulab jamuns. The fact that this was set in a rural village in Pakistan made its freshness even more appealing.

Nura and Faisal’s characters are created very well. Nura’s aggressive nature balances Faisal’s demure spirit. This was again a nice change, seeing the girl protagonist in charge while the boy follows her lead.

The descriptions of the jinn realm were astounding. The Sijj hotel had vibes of Las Vegas, but its realms were complicated. The author doesn’t take her little readers for granted nor does she spoonfeed them – that’s for sure. The writing is intricate and incorporates many atmospheric flourishes, making you feel one with Nura and Faisal in wanting to escape from the jinn realm.

There are so many memories the book triggered in my head – Spirited Away (for the portal realm), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (the underground world), Hotel Magnifique (a legendary magical hotel with VIP guests and enslaved labourers). The book does justice to almost all the expectations it creates through these parallels.

Though a middle grade fiction, the book doesn’t go all light and fluffy. There are several dark themes and important topics such as the value of education and the prevalence of child labour. The author’s note at the end casts further light on these topics and is a must-read.

All in all, a fabulous magical adventure with ‘desi’ vibes and an important message as well. Definitely a yes. I’d love to read more books by this young Pakistani author. You’ve earned yourself a fan in India. 💕

4.25 stars.

My thanks to Walker Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “Nura and the Immortal Palace”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This book was so fun and lovely! And the Studio Ghibli comparisons are completely apt: I can absolutely see this as a fantastic animated film! The setting and the background are just so immersive, and I loved seeing how the cultural details were incorporated. The descriptions of the clothes and foods, and even the buildings themselves were just so familiar to me, as well as the little details like mentions of Eid and Ayatul Kursi that show the practice of Islam in rural Pakistan. (Also, can we talk about how gorgeous the UK edition is, with its stepback cover and all the Islamic art??)

The story itself is a really quick and engaging read, with a fast-paced plot and endearing characters. I did think some things happened a little too fast, and the writing was a little choppy at times, but it was also beautiful, and the emotions came through perfectly nonetheless.

The theme of child labour and poverty were so well-done, and not something I’ve seen covered much in kidlit. I hadn’t quite realised from the synopsis that the world Nura comes from is our contemporary world (as opposed to a second fantasy world, à la The Stardust Thief), but I found the depictions of mica mining and sweatshops all the more powerful, and all the more heartbreaking, precisely for that realism. I’m not sure the theme of the importance of education came through quite as strongly as it was intended to, but the ideas of money, and greed, and the cycle of exploitation were wonderfully done, and in an age-appropriate way that I hope a lot of children will be able to understand.

The characters were also adorable. Nura was a bit irritating at times, but it was exactly the kind of stubbornness and slight egotism that would be realistic for a 12-year old forced to take on too much responsibility too early, and I loved that she ultimately was driven by love and care for her family and friends. Her best friend Faisal was such a sweetheart too, and their bond was so precious!

This book was just a joy to read, and I can’t wait to pass it on to my sisters!

CW: child labour; poverty

Content warning: grief, death of a parent, fire, child labour, enclosed spaces.

Review: thank you Netgalley and Walker Books for this ARC.

Nura and the Immortal Palace. What a whirlwind adventure. Suitable for young adult readers, this book focuses on muslim rep and culture, and encourages discussion of child labour, poverty and the need for education in under-developed countries.

We follow Nura who works in the mica mines to earn money to aid her single mother in feeding her and her siblings. She doesn’t make much money. So she constantly pushes herself to collect the most mica.

However, we follow her as she pushes too hard and the mines collapse, transporting Nura to the world of the jinn (troublesome creatures that her mother warned her about). We then follow her attempts to get home.

Along the way, readers see teamwork with people different to yourself, found family, and the importance of education.

The writing was easy to follow, and the character development was good.

I really enjoyed this, and i hope to read more from this author in future.

"Nura and the Immortal Palace" is a book I wish had existed when I was younger.

Only 12 years old but already working hard as a mica miner in order to help support her family, Nura is the sort of main character anyone would root for. Headstrong and spirited, she carves her own path through the world she has been born into, unwilling to let anyone else take the reins. In contrast to her is her quiet, stuttering best friend Faisal who, it turns out, is just as brave as her: he's just a little more selective than Nura is about which fights he's willing to pick.

Nura and her friends aren't the only people dropped into a new world: so is the average not-South Asian reader, for the book spins vivid descriptions of the lifestyle, sights, and flavors of Meerabagh. As a Pakistani, this was a world I found familiar, for it is mine: the fruit stalls, racks of beaded fabric, and mithai carts are scenes I'm intimately familiar with; Eid al-Adha is a holiday I celebrate every year (and it's coming up again in ten days!); I, too, grew up with my mother reciting the Ayat al-Kursi over me nightly. Although I'm probably not the best judge of this, I do believe the author explained this world well enough for those unacquainted with it to understand it well.

Which brings me to my one glaring critique of the novel: gulab jamun were not made to be described in English. If readers wonder what this delicacy looks like, they can simply Google it.

Apart from that unfortunate instance, this book was an engaging read. With a plot twisty enough to appeal to young readers without being overcomplicated, I would recommend that all (parents of) readers aged 8-12 keep an eye out for this book when it's officially released in a few days.

Yes, I was drawn in by this stunning cover. However, I also love a middle-grade adventure inspired by mythology that I know little about. So, this dazzling jinn-populated fantasy story ticked many boxes!

With her mother working in a sweatshop and three younger siblings to feed, Nura spends her days mining mica. But she has heard that somewhere in the mines, a highly valuable treasure is buried and she is desperate to find it. On the day that the mine collapses, four of Nura’s fellow miners are missing, including her best friend Faisal. Desperate to find them, Nura starts digging and uncovers an opening to the mystical world of the jinn. What secrets lie in this dangerous yet beguiling realm? And where are the missing children?

Nura has a very admirable work ethic and she is very relatable. She loves food and there isn’t much she won’t do to get it. I know that children like Nura really do exist in some places and working in dangerous places for minimal pay is their reality. This gives her an authenticity and meant that I couldn’t not root for her. In fact, I was looking for the Demon’s Tongue treasure for her, just so that she could get out of the mines forever.

I loved exploring the jinn world and found it truly mesmerising. I am aware that the beautiful magic is exactly how the jinn attract curious human minds and it completely worked on me! I wanted to uncover its mysteries and see what it had in store for Nura.

I don’t think I’ve read a book featuring jinn before. The only thing I know about them is that they have shape-shifting abilities and love to play tricks on humans. Spending as much time with them as I did in this book taught me much more about these fascinating creatures and of course, I was terrified of them by the end.

I loved how the author taught us about Eid and its significance to Muslim families and culture. Despite being caught in the web that Nura and her friends were in, Eid was still observed, which shows how instilled it is within them. They still managed to make it about food, sharing what they had and coming together, which they perhaps needed more than ever before. I think this is the first time I’ve read about Eid in a middle-grade book and I’d love to see different experiences of it because of course, it was a very atypical representation in this book!

The Craftsman was a very interesting character and I didn’t see the twist regarding him coming at all. He’s a morally grey character, so I wasn’t sure whether to trust him or not. He is full of advice but there was a suspicious air around him that I found it hard to shake off. However, his presence held my interest and I wanted to see if he could come good at the end.

Nura and the Immortal Palace is a magical adventure surrounded in gold and glitter but with a real darkness underneath. It is inspired by true experiences of child workers and features plenty of interesting Islamic mythology, giving it a special quality that makes the characters feel very real. The ending is full of hope too!

This contemporary fantasy debut follows Nura, a 12-year-old girl in Pakistan as she goes in search of her missing friend and enters the world of the jinn!

🌙I don’t have words to describe how much I enjoyed this book! Written in gorgeous prose, it’s a story full of trickster jinns, portal magic and a critique of child labour in rural Pakistan. Nura is a spunky main character who is determined to find her friend after an accident at the mica mines they both work at, and she falls into a fantastical realm of jinn. With mouth-watering descriptions of food, lush settings (looking at you jinn hotel), heart-warming characters and trickster jinns with hearts of gold, this book made for a fast-paced and compelling read.

🌙Nura is surrounded by jinns, but she’s able to outwit them and her determination to help her family out of poverty and find Faisal made me love her even more. Faisal and Nura’s friendship was so wholesome and I just loved the banter between them- we need more soft boys like him!! And the way Islam was represented? Beautiful! I loved the mention of Ramadan, Eid prayer, being charitable etc. The lessons our protagonist learns along the way were done so well and I can’t wait to reread this book and recommend this to everyone!

🌙Despite being a fun read, this book deals with some serious topics such as child labour. The emphasis on the cycle of exploitation is done in such a way that is both informative and makes you want to know more. It’s something I’ve never read about before, and it’s such an important topic that is woven in so well to Nura’s journey.

🌙I wish I had this book growing up, because this is exactly the kind of magical read that fuels imaginations. If you love Spirited Away, or any of the Studio Ghibli films, this is a MUST read. I want to give a copy of this book to every child who thought they’d never see a character who looks like them in a book.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! GO PREORDER THIS BOOK NOW!

Thanks so much to lonelypagesbooktours, walker books, Netgalley and the author for the e-arc!

Now, where to begin? I swear Khan has come to close to bottling sunshine than anyone ever has: this book was cute and was just so nostalgic. Despite not being Pakistani, stories from the Qura'an are something very close to my heart and this book almost reduced me to tears because all the books with any dose of Islamic representation feature characters fighting against the systematic hate, which is a good thing of course but can sometimes be very exhausting because that's what life is like for us generally. I adored the platonic love shared between the friends and I am so so glad it didn't traverse to romance (although it is hinted, they are still kids so I prefer there being nothing between them). I am recommending this book to everyone I know!!

Nura and the Immortal Palace is a lovely, eye-opening, magical tale of a young Pakistani girl, Nura, who works in the mica mines underground for long hours with other children to earn money for her family. Against her mother’s desires, Nura persists in her quest for the Demon’s Tongue, a legendary treasure, in the mines. One day, she accidentally digs too deep and causes the collapse of a tunnel, trapping some of her fellow child labourers. Nura is determined to rescue her friends and suddenly finds herself in the land of strange creatures — the jinn — and is invited to an elegant palace that at first seems like a luxurious paradise where she is treated like royalty. But eventually she realizes that it is all a trap where she may be stuck as a slave for eternity, with no memories of her life before entering the world of the jinn. Nura must use her cleverness to save herself and her trapped friends from the powers of the jinn before time runs out...or else they will be doomed forever!

Nura is a tremendously likable protagonist, not without flaws, and the reader will grow and learn alongside her on the journey. This book weaves in perspectives on child labour and Islamic culture, as well as the importance of education (especially for girls), which is all-too-relevant given recent events in today’s world. I would heartily recommend this book to young students who love fantasy and are also curious about the customs and folklore of diverse cultures.

This is a stunning read from its front cover, to its writing, its characters and its storyline infused with mythology, folklore and adventure.I couldn't put this down and I would have loved it as a child. An incredible read

With its beautiful, rich colour palette, and gorgeous towering minarets, the front cover of this read jumped out at me while I was browsing the new titles on Net Galley and piqued my curiosity. Promising : ‘A magical adventure rooted in Muslim culture and folklore’ I was totally hooked before I’d even downloaded it to read and spent several happy hours transported from my sofa to the world of the jinn – a very different world to our own.

Before we are magically whisked away, we find ourselves in modern-day Pakistan, where we discover a filthy dirty Nura and her friend Faisal crouching underground within a mining tunnel – digging for the mineral mica. Searching for the fabled Demon’s Tongue – a legendary treasure that would relieve her family’s financial problems – Nura gathers the many small, precious flakes of mica she finds in the hope of earning enough to buy jalebi and gulab jamun on the way home, shocking Faisal who says that his family need every rupee of what he earns.

Returning home, Nura listens yet again as her mother tells her she wants her to quit the mine and go to school instead but grows angry telling her that she has no interest in being educated herself and is trying to earn the money so that her younger siblings will be able to attend when they are old enough. Frustrated, her mother tells her a story about when Nura’s late father met his qareen – a type of jinn who acts as a constant companion – and warns Nura to be on her guard against the jinn’s trickery and black magic, telling her that her father is watching over her and can see when her behaviour is not what he would expect.

Ignoring her mother’s tale, Nura returns to the mine the following day and in her haste to find the Demon’s tongue causes a tunnel to collapse, trapping Faisal and some other children. Panicked by what she has done, Nura tries to dig through to her friend but finds herself watching as a wall collapses, revealing a dazzling pink sea into which she slips. When she comes across boats filled with strange creatures, Nura realises they are jinn and finds herself invited to the Sijj Palace – a luxurious hotel for them. At first, everything seems wonderful and Nura soon starts to feel at home in the strange environment. But when she makes a terrible mistake, she discovers that the jinn world is not the paradise she thought and that she is trapped. Will she be able to find Faisal and can the pair of them escape, or is she destined to be forever a prisoner at the mercy of the jinn?

For anyone like me who is not very familiar with Islamic stories or culture, no previous knowledge is necessary. The story is accessible to all and so packed with luscious details that it is an absolute joy to read. Nura is a very likable character, who grows through the story and who learns from her experiences, changing both her attitude to those around her and the life she feels she is destined to lead as the story progresses. While less confident than his friend, Faisal complements her perfectly and with his steady, sensible, hard-working nature causes her to reflect on how she has treated him in the past and what their friendship actually means.

Subtly woven through the book is the message that education is vitally important to children. Nura can barely read and although she is adamant that school is not for her, she is reliant at times on Faisal when presented with writing which she is unable to decipher. Although young readers will not be faced with the prospect of working long hours in terrible conditions for little financial gain, the story would make a great accompaniment to any PSHE work on the importance of education and there is a short section at the end of the book which covers the truly horrific statistics regarding just how many children are victims of child labour – including mica mining – around the world.

A fabulous read for confident Year 4s upwards, Nura and the Immortal Palace July 7th. Enormous thanks go to both Net Galley and to publisher Walker Books for my virtual advance read ahead of that date.