Nura and the Immortal Palace - M.T. Khan

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Author: M.T. Khan

Genre: Children's Fantasy.
Rating: 4.25 stars.

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. 💕

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.

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