The extraordinary sequel to The Balloon Thief: an epic journey into a world of shadows and trickery where the stakes are even higher ... After the battle of Al-Shaam – where the invading jinn army was defeated – Khadija, Jacob and their friends are heroes. Then, Khadija receives a letter: her sister, Talia, has been kidnapped and stolen into the magical realm of Al-Ghaib. Accompanied by Darian – who has been different since jinniya Queen Bidhukh’s parting blow – Khadija embarks on a quest to rescue Talia. But Al-Ghaib, where the sky is emerald green, is a place of trickery: Khadija will have to have all her wits about her if she’s to outfox her sister’s captor ... The fiery sequel to the celebrated YA fantasy romance The Balloon Thief A dual narrative split between Khadija’s magical quest to rescue her sister, and Jacob’s embroilment in a political mystery  Full of ancient djinn, epic adventure and heartrending romance  Explores love, politics, equality and racism in a highly original South Asian-inspired fantasy world   PRAISE FOR THE BALLOON THIEF:  'An exhilarating adventure' OBSERVER 'Highly relevant yet utterly original' LAUREN JAMES 'A thrilling fantasy' IRISH EXAMINER

The year's must-read YA fantasy - ancient djinn, an epic adventure, and one girl's courage to seek her own destiny ... Burn the flame. Seek the night. 'Highly relevant yet utterly original, I was utterly entranced by this world of jinn, peris and hot air balloons that ache for the skies.' LAUREN JAMES, author of THE QUIET AT THE END OF THE WORLD For Khadija, the only escape from her father's arranged betrothal is the sky. When she spots a rogue hot air balloon fighting against its ropes, she leaps at the chance for adventure. Khadija soon finds an unlikely ally in a poor glassmaker's apprentice, Jacob. But Jacob is a hari, and Khadija a Ghadaean. The hari are oppressed and restless - their infamous terrorist group, the Hareef, have a new fearsome leader. And the ruling Ghadaeans are brutal in their repression. Soon, a deadly revolution threatens their friendship and their world. The Hareef use forbidden magic, summoning jinn - wicked spirits made of fire - to enact their revenge, forcing Jacob and Khadija to choose what kind of a world they want to save ... A commercial, thrilling and uplifting fantasy adventure following sixteen-year-old Khadija, who flees her home in a stolen hot air balloon to escape an arranged marriage The debut novel from enthralling new talent, twenty-four-year-old Aneesa Marufu, which draws on the author's South Asian heritage Explores racism, misogyny and discrimination in a highly original fantasy universe Perfect for fans of Noughts + Crosses, We Hunt the Flame and Rebel of the Sands