THUNDERBIRD

The middle volume in this trilogy translated from Arabic follows orphaned Noor as she travels through time on another world-saving quest to collect phoenix feathers.

This time, Noor lands, disoriented, in 1177 Jerusalem. Met with suspicion as a stranger, she must prove her trustworthiness: Will anyone believe she’s not a spy but a 21st-century Palestinian girl able to control fire, with a talking cat friend who is really a djinn named Sabeeka? As before, Noor is helped by a girl who could be her identical twin. It emerges that Noor, new rescuer Zainab, and earlier doppelgänger Andaleeb each possess magical traits matching those of the phoenix. Hiding out in a cave with an Arab community fighting back against the Crusaders, Noor remains focused on acquiring the next phoenix feather. But when everyone learns of nefarious plans to burn the contents of the library of the al-Aqsa Mosque the following day, she and Sabeeka join the rescue effort. Knowing the dangers of revealing information about the future, no matter how buoying, Noor does not give anything away; still, readers will not miss the reassuring theme of maintaining hope during times of duress. The book portrays people who have sustained many losses, individually and as a group, and who sometimes disagree but remain united in their resistance. Earthy humor and moments of wonder balance the suffering. Readers need not be familiar with historical figures such as Conrad and Saladin; history is woven seamlessly and accessibly into the novel.

Fast-paced, magical, and inventive.