Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds

Amira & Hamza #1

by Samira Ahmed

On the day of a rare super blue blood moon eclipse, twelve-year-old Amira and her little brother, Hamza, can’t stop their bickering while attending a special exhibit on medieval Islamic astronomy. While stargazer Amira is wowed by the amazing gadgets, a bored Hamza wanders off, stumbling across the mesmerizing and forbidden Box of the Moon. Amira can only watch in horror as Hamza grabs the defunct box and it springs to life, setting off a series of events that could shatter their world—literally.

Suddenly, day turns to night, everyone around Amira and Hamza falls under a sleep spell, and a chunk of the moon breaks off, hurtling toward them at lightning speed, as they come face-to-face with two otherworldly creatures: jinn.

The jinn reveal that the siblings have a role to play in an ancient prophecy. Together, they must journey to the mystical land of Qaf, battle a great evil, and end a civil war to prevent the moon—the stopper between realms—from breaking apart and unleashing terrifying jinn, devs, and ghuls onto earth. Or they might have to say goodbye to their parents and life as they know it, forever.…

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mythology, Adventure, Audiobook, Fiction, Family

368 pages, Hardcover

First published September 21, 2021

About the author

SAMIRA AHMED was born in Bombay, India, and grew up in Batavia, Illinois, in a house that smelled like fried onions, spices, and potpourri. She currently resides in the Midwest. She’s lived in Vermont, New York City, and Kauai, where she spent a year searching for the perfect mango.

A graduate of the University of Chicago, she taught high school English for seven years, worked to create over 70 small high schools in New York City, and fought to secure billions of additional dollars to fairly fund public schools throughout New York State. She’s appeared in the New York Times, New York Daily News, Fox News, NBC, NY1, NPR, and on BBC Radio. Her creative non-fiction and poetry has appeared in Jaggery Lit, Entropy, the Fem, and Claudius Speaks.

Her writing is represented by Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary, Inc.

Reviews

[Lieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun story, although the final villain felt a bit to easy.
But I liked the siblings and all the creatures they meet.
The narrator is not my favorite she did the different voices well but I was yelled at a bit too often for my taste.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prophecies, a breaking moon, jinns and a brother and sister who have to save the world are a great mix for an adventure! Amira and Hamza are a fun duo. With Amira's love for science and logic and Hamza's daring ways they balance each other well. They fight and play just like any siblings and at the same time show each other the love, comfort and support they need to defeat the evil Ifrit, This is a fascinating blend of magic and science and a wonderful middle grade read.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was funny and good for fans of Percy Jackson or Aruh Shah series.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but pushing social ideals into the narrative ruined the story for me. I support Muslims but reading a section on the oppression in America with such vehemence was off putting. I couldn't disagree but the way it was treated was preachy and one sided. The gender fluid genies is what made me put the book down. As for the narration and character development, I couldn't help comparing it to Roshani Chokshi's Aru Shah series. Chokshi's characters were quirky and engaging, but Ahmed's sister and brother duo may engage some but the squabbling and in-fighting was not relaxing. Ahmed nailed sibling dynamics but at the cost of losing this reader's interest. Recommend for middle grade and up. It just isn't for me.

[Nawal Qarooni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this adventurous tale of siblings saving the world, rife with Islamic tradition and elements of Rumi, ancient Urdu and Persian storytelling, and fantasy. These are the kinds of stories I am excited exist in the world; drawing on various cultures for all kids to see threads of their own lives and understandings in all kinds of genres. And, bonus for us that it’s set partly in Chicago! I’m certain my children will love it and appreciate all the local connections too. Handing it over to my 8 year old son now:)

[Ms. Nigeria Nigeria Parker · Rating 1 out of 5]

It seems like this author took Aru Shah and The Secret Serpent books and merged them together. I really wanted to enjoy this book. But it's just giving me a vibe of copycat.

[Almira · Rating 4 out of 5]

12 year old Amira, and her younger brother, Hamza are on their way with their parents to view the rare blue blood moon eclipse during a medieval Islamic astronomy exhibit in Chicago.
Hazma, being bored, manages to obtain the "forbidden Box of the Moon" starting off a chain of events for Amira and himself.

Time freezes, as do their parents and everyone else attending the event, but not the falling bits of the moon, and those djinns that are bent on taking Amira and Hamza to another world, in which the siblings have been declared the ones, from an ancient prophecy, to save all the worlds.

There is not much time for the siblings to fight off all the evil the prophecy has predicted - and not all the djinns, devs and ghuls they must defeat to save the universe.

But they are only kids, from earth with no knowledge of how to fight off the evils they will face.

Can they save the universe, themselves, their parents and earth?

[Cathy | A Case Full of Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book would be great for fans of Aru Shah! I wish the plot was a little more fleshed out, but overall it was really fun. I especially enjoyed the sibling relationship between Amira & Hamza. How they annoyed each other, but also fiercely loyal and protective. It reminded me of Kendra and Seth from. Fablehaven.

Content (since this is middle grade): the Amira & Hamza use the phrase "Oh my God!" a lot. Like, a lot a lot. I know not everyone views that phrase as a profanity, but I also know a lot of my friends do. And especially since this book is for kids, I wanted to provide a heads up for that.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything! It had sibling fights that would be familiar to so many kids. It had uncertainty and lack of confidence that we all feel. It had science and mythology and humor. It surprised me multiple times (something middle grade novels aren’t as likely to do) and broke my heart at least once. I’ve already talked it up to a few of my students so I now have to buy a copy for our classroom library.

[Emily O'Donnel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not love the dialogue, but loved everything else - the story, the characters, and especially the historical content. I have epic visions of a novel study of this novel with my sixth grade social studies students.

[Ele]

This cover!!!!! The border is so beautiful!!!

[Lysh]

DNF at 13%. The world building doesn't feel right so unfortunately I'm not enjoying it. The rep is fabulous though!

[Briana]

DNF: I just can't get it into. Partially the voice, partially the plot isn't compelling me. I was going to keep reading, but after I realized I've been avoiding reading this for two weeks, I've decided to cut my losses and move on to a different book.

[Kate Waggoner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to #NetGalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Amira and Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds by Samira Ahmed. This middle grade novel will be published on September 21, 2021. All opinions are my own.

Amira loves science and is incredibly excited to witness a rare super blue blood moon eclipse. At the event, Amira can't stop arguing with her little brother, Hamza. Amira is awed by the exhibit on medieval Islamic astronomy, but Hamza gets bored and wanders off. Amira finds him just as he's opening an exhibit case and removing the forbidden Box of the Moon. The box springs to life under Hamza's touch and sets off a series of events that could end the world. Time freezes and everyone but Amira and Hamza falls into a deep sleep. The siblings are approached by two jinn and learn that they are part of an ancient prophecy. The two must travel to the mystical land of Qaf, face a series of challenges to show their worth, and defeat a great evil all before a piece of the moons hurtles into the Earth ending life as they know it.

This book is steeped in Islamic legends and history. I love a good mythology/legend based book and this one did not disappoint. It's perfect for fans of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. I loved Amira's love of science and the incorporation of science and logic into the story. Amira and Hamza are the chosen ones but rather than having magical powers, they rely on the prior knowledge and each other to complete their tasks. The two have a strong sibling relationship even if they do fight sometimes. This was a great mixture of legend, science, history, adventure, and humor. There honestly wasn't a dull moment in the book. I also very much enjoyed the illustrations at the beginning of the chapters.

[Shreya Saxena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God! I've never been a fan of middle grade books but this book changed my perspective ENTIRELY. This book contains drama, comedy, fight scenes, full on nerd scenes. Basically checks all the boxes in my entertainment category. The entire book was from Amira's POV who is a bit of an overthinker and realistically pessimistic (very very relatable) who manages to get sucked in the world with with brother and has to save all the realms from an evil person. Hamza is her younger brother who actually has no notion of seriousness or maturity (something I wish to have) and rolls in life based on everything superhero. I loved his references and super bad puns. I also enjoyed the other characters as well (though one dies and it killed me and I went online for a spoiler that they were alive). The author left no moment where she could add a hilarious quip which had me on ground. I also loved the narrator Soneela Nankani with her awesome narration and keeping me hooked till the very end! However I would have loved some chapters from Hamza's POV. His brain would be really funny in my opinion
Why should you read this book?
- best brother sister dynamic (enemies to siblings aka regular life)
- friendships formed with different beautiful creatures
- indian rep
- race against time element
- constant nerdy quips which are absolutely adorable

This book is highly recommended for people who want to blow off steam and laugh and appreciate superheroes and Zendaya. Grab your favourite biryani with chaas (buttermilk) and get on with this video. I dare you to keep the book down.

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette audio for providing this book for review

[A. Minnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more. I love the premise, and love how the author unapologetically uses references to (generically) Indian and (specifically) Islamic culture and mythology. But as far as craft goes, it disappointed. The narrative arc is weak, there's too much action without any actual plot progression (like the writer just wants to create obstacles that don't serve the storyline), and the kids just don't sound like.. Kids. I get precocious, but they just didn't speak in phrases 10/12 year olds would (especially Hamza, the 10 year old).

Overall, I'm happy the book is out there. Growing up I never saw books with characters who might have looked like me or talked about the side of the world I grew up in. I'd still recommend it, but I'd also recommend tempering your expectations.

[Lizanne Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amira is twelve and loves science. Her ten year old brother is more likely to take things apart. They are normal siblings who do their share of bickering. When they discover the moon is falling apart and the world is about to be destroyed, they have to work with jinns, face their fears, and use logic and science to win. I love that Amira is a budding feminist.

The audiobook is a blast! I love the sound effects. Soneela Nankani did a stellar job. Her voice is an instrument that can play every emotion in every key. The pacing is perfect and kept me listening this book is a great addition to the modern retellings of ancient myths and legends.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this alc in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeilee]

DNF @32% - this book was kind of boring. Amira was annoying. Hamza was annoying. How many pop culture references can you put in one chapter? The chapters are loooooooong. I got to about page 100-110 and about 4 significant things happened. Where were the stakes and the sense of urgency. There was a lot of standing and talking. And pages upon pages of exposition!!!! I couldn’t take it anymore. I originally had a ARC of this and made it to page 50 then I tried to finish either the audio book but I had to give up.

[Lizzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The amount of pop culture references somehow exceeds those in Aru Shah and the End of Time, and it basically made this book close to unreadable. Hamza's entire character seemed to be nothing but a mouthpiece for pop culture references.

I liked the beginning of the book, and the gender fluid jinn, and that's about it.

[Kirin]

Make sure you are sitting in a comfy spot when you crack open this middle grades fantasy adventure, because it hits the ground running from the very beginning and doesn't let up over 368 pages.  The like-able and relatable brother sister duo snarkily banter and bicker about everything from cultural Indian (Desi) folklore, religious stories, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, He-Man, Arabic Sesame Street, Star Wars, hygiene, fears, potential science fair projects, and food, all while battling jinn, devs, peris, and reality as they work to save the worlds.  The book is chalked full of STEM concepts, cultural touchstone, Islamic footholds, pop culture, and fun, as one character remarks, it is the ultimate fan fiction. I regularly Googled people, references, and concepts, and ended up learning quite a bit.  And don't fret if you ever get lost or confused, or something doesn't make sense, you don't have to worry that you missed something or that the author left a gap in the narrative, the book moves quick and Amira's constant dialogue and commentary points out all the ridiculousness of what they are experiencing and the questions that she wishes she had time to ask, explore, and discover.  The author never loses control of the narrative, and keeps the world building on level without skimping on details and understanding.  I have not loved any of the author's previous books in their entirety, I think this one, however, is her best one yet, and the switch to middle grades is a good fit.  

SYNOPSIS:


Twelve-year-old Amira and her 10-year-old brother Hamza are heading to the Shriner's Madinah Temple in their hometown of Chicago to explore the exhibit of Ancient Astronomy artifacts, or as Hamza calls it "tools that belonged to dead Muslim Astrologers."  Hosted by the Islamic Society of Ancient Astronomy corresponds with the eclipse viewing party of the incredibly rare super blood blue moon.  In typical Hamza fashion however, a Nerf gun is brought and things are touched.  When Amira is tasked with bringing her brother up to the roof to learn how to use the telescopes, the two scuffle over a small box with a tiny moon inside, a series of snatching and tussling between the siblings cause the Box of the Moon to break, or rather start working.  As day turns to night, the moon seems to be breaking a part, and everyone in the world is suspended in sleep except for Amira and Hamza, and an entire jinn army is heading their way.

When jinn leaders Abdul Rahman and Maqbool reach the children they must convince them that they are not there to harm them, but rather to recruit them as the chosen ones to save the worlds: Qaf and Earth and the barrier, the moon, that keeps the realms separate from destruction at the hands of Ifrit.  The confusion over there being two of them creeps up, but is squashed as Suleiman the Wise left tests to prove that the chosen one is properly equipped to battle Iftrit as it has been prophesized.  The children must work together to prove themselves they must then actually seek out and defeat Ifrit.  As tests and challenges arise, it becomes clear (pun intended) that the two are not the chosen ones, but with no option of turning back they must forge ahead none-the-less.

"What? We're Indian, dude, we were basically born half doctor."

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love Amira and Hamza's banter.  The references are at times laugh out loud funny.  Similarly, I was impressed by all the historical and STEM concepts intertwined in the story, there is even a tiny bit about mental health.  I learned about parts of the moon, historical figures, folklore, and more.  The characters are Muslim, Amira wears Ayatul Kursi around her neck and they talk of Sunday school.  The book isn't religious though, in they aren't saying Bismillah before they embark on things, or supplicating when in danger, but they greet different beings with peace, and the framing is clearly from an Islamic paradigm.  I think the high speed pacing works for most of the book, and somehow you still get to know and connect with the characters, but at times a slight pause to clarify a point would have been nice.  I would have liked to have the kids proving they were the chosen ones a bit more articulate and dramatic before hand rather than in retrospect.  I feel like the jinn transportation of cauldrons could have used a bit of backstory as well.  And a little fleshing out of the scroll, the government structure and communication methods of Qaf, would have helped some of the transitions between the action.  I read a digital ARC and it had a page reserved for a map, and I think when the physical book comes out that will be really helpful, as I didn't quite fully understand the 18 realms and their locations  in comparison to the locations the children encounter.  

FLAGS:

There is magic and magical beings.  It mentions Amira and Hamza celebrating Halloween. Death and fighting.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I think this would be a great audio book to listen to with the family or a read aloud in a middle grades classroom.  It is too young for middle school readers to not find it slightly predictable, but if you had it on a classroom or home shelf I am sure it would be picked up, read, enjoyed by middle grades and middle schoolers alike.  It reads much like the Rick Riordan Presents series and I hope that there are more books featuring Amira and Hamza in the future.

[Sammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Overall

I am all about these diverse middle grade adventures that seem to be booming right now. So when I saw one based on Islamic folklore and legend, I was 100% going to jump on that. It’s something I haven’t seen before and something I don’t know as much about, so heck yes! Plus, not gonna lie, I read the first two pages and really enjoyed the slightly snarky narrative style.

The Amira & Hamza series blends science with Islamic legend and folklore in a fast-paced adventure filled with relatable characters, humor, sibling bonds (and rivalry), and lots of exciting creatures and places.

I had a lot of fun with these books! The folklore is intriguing, as are the creatures, and like nothing I’ve ever seen. I absolutely love jinn in books, and this was no exception. This makes for a nice middle-of-the-road middle grade book. The writing and conflict is a bit more simplistic, with large font, even though the page length is a bit longer. Some of the conflicts were resolved kind of easy, but that’s not unexpected. I sure hope there will be more in this series, because I’ve enjoyed adventuring with Amira and Hamza!

My Thoughts

- Meet Amira and Hamza, who aren’t technically to blame for the moon splitting apart and crashing towards Earth . . . but they’re not exactly helping, either. So if you’re wondering if there are stakes in this book . . . yes. Rather big, end-of-world, cataclysmic type stakes. Which you might argue is a lot for a 12-year-old and a 10-year-old to handle, and yes, Amira and Hamza would definitely agree with you there.

The conflict in this is actually worse than just the moon splitting apart (as if that wasn’t bad enough). The moon is actually a prison for a really powerful jinn (magical beings made of a smokeless flame) whose son is currently trying to stage a prison break, as it were. Large stakes, bad baddies . . . what more could anyone ask of an adventure book?!

- Enter a world of jinn, filled with magic and danger and all sorts of interesting creatures. I am a sucker for any and all books that involve jinn, in any and all incarnations of them. I’ve been fascinated by the folklore behind them since I first heard it, especially since everyone interprets it slightly differently in fiction. So I wasn’t at all disappointed to read Ahmed’s interpretation. In this world, jinn can be good or bad, just like people. Unlike people, they also possess magic. Oh, yeah, and they’re sort of made of fire.

While the book doesn’t dive too deep into the world of jinn, it’s just enough to dip your toes into. It’s filled with magical creatures (most of which you probably won’t expect, so I won’t ruin it for you), among other things. It’s a rather interesting world that I was sad to leave when the book ended.

- Amira and Hamza aren’t the heroes we need, but . . . well, they’re the heroes they have. And they’ll make it work. Somehow. Probably. Amira has her logic and sub-part (if we’re honest) karate skills, which serve her pretty well. Especially her penchant for science, which helps her solve more than one predicament they’re able to get into. Hamza, while not so great on the “thinking things through” tactic, is brave and doesn’t hesitate to get the job done. Together, they’re an unlikely pair of heroes, but it’s not like they could really say no (they asked).

While there are certainly unbelievable moments in terms of the kids’ abilities, nothing that was too far-fetched for this sort of middle grade book. What I particularly enjoyed are all the little ways they mess up or make mistakes, because saving the world is a big, dirty job and they’re ill-prepared for it. I enjoyed the little bit of realism in that, especially knowing that everything doesn’t always go the way they plan it to.

- This world is based on Islamic and Middle Eastern mythology, folklore, and legend, which is super interesting if you’ve never been exposed to it before. From the idea of jinn (and even different types of jinn) to the Urdu language, Rumi, and plenty of other concepts, this book will introduce the reader to some of the finer parts of Islamic and Middle Eastern culture. I was already familiar with some of it, but I found the rest incredibly interesting! It’s not something I see a ton of outside of contemporary middle grade, so having the chance to interact with the culture through an adventure fantasy was exciting!

[Ruqayyah]

As a young Muslim girl myself, let me just say- this was HORRIBLE representation filled with all sorts of misinformation.

#1- THE JINN- In the story, the jinns have all sorts of powers and are... GeNdErFlUiD. I know this is supposed to be fantasy, but you can't lie about these religious beliefs. We live in a world where people have all these lies about "jinn possession" and whatever, why this? THEY ARE NOT gEnDeRflIuD. They are MALE or FEMALE, just like humans~ The way the author did that was absolutely RIDICULOUS. If you're really a "brave Muslim," you stand UP to your beliefs, not try to change them in order not to be hated.

In Islam, humans cannot see jinn, but jinn usually don't do anything to humans. They have their own world. In some traditions, before Adam there were humanoids called nasnas who lived along with the jinn and were destroyed. A veil was then made between most humans and Jinn.

2. It literally LIES about prophets and fabricates sayings from them! In one part, it shows a letter from Prophet Suleiman (Solomon) who is an important and pure prophet in Islam. The letter, of course, is fake. It also mentions "mankind" or something and then Amira (who is so atrocious) pipes up and says it's sexist. Excuse me? If it was anyone else, this cringe would be bad enough but saying that about a Prophet's "words" is disgusting. This also brings us to the next subject...

3. The SLAY BOSS BADDIE QUEEN FEMINISIM you've been indoctrinated with since childhood is back! We Muslims should strive for equity, not equality. We've reached a point where a woman is considered so worthless unless she acts like a man that some women are injecting themselves with male hormones and even mutilating themselves in order to be more "assertive" and "strong" like a man. In reality, men are stronger than women, on average.

But why should that matter? Don't women have other strengths that are better than men? No, because those strengths don't matter, because they don't bring in "power" and "money." Even some Islamic traditions literally predict that in the end of times, women would be needless of men, they would enter the workforce only for the love of the world, and they would be happy being barren.

4. The characters in general are ANNOYING. I know they are supposed to be bratty with siblings fights and all, but they were unlikable, especially Amira. Hamza meets a three eyed horse and names him after his celebrity crush. Once again, what words to describe a (10 year old?) having a crush on this adult woman other than DISTURBING and CRINGE.


The story, though, in my opinion at least, was kind of boring. I even showed it to my mother's cousins (who studied in Iran and do interfaith conferences around the world and two are book editors) and they both thought it was...bad. Not just the themes, but the writing IS generally boring- the reason this is probably this popular is because of the dIvErSitY (most/all the characters are brown) which it does a horrible job at anyway. If they were white I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't even published at all.


Yes, I know I'm evil. I know I'm a horrible, terrible goody-two-shoes, boring, wicked girl because I stopped believing in all this "eQualItY" and "frEeDoM" stuff long ago. But as a Muslim myself, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, if you're a Muslim or not, PLEASE don't take this as good rep! You're only accepted as a Muslim if you fit in the "PrOgreSiSve SlAy bOsS qWeEN bAdDiE who's sense of right and wrong is only driven by what gives them pleasure.

However, if you're looking for good Muslim rep, "When Wings Expand" is a good rep (and the only good Muslim rep I've ever read) I know Muslims make mistakes and they aren't the same, but making downright lies is NOT an excuse.

They are trying to make Muslims feel accepted. They aren't. If that is so, then how come Muslim girls who don't wear hijab/ wear hijab with 1/2 pound of makeup and tight clothes, who support LGBT, murdering your babies in the womb, and agree with everything they are taught accepted and how come Muslim who don't- aren't? you really do test someone's acceptance like that. People are busy portraying "evil good" Muslims as evil people and it hasn't stopped.

So all I ask you is~ if you're Muslim, or even non-Muslim, fight back against this type of representation. It's hurting us more than it's helping, even if it doesn't look like it. Only the "cool" Muslims who agree with today's values are given a chance to speak and it's oppressive.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a finished paperback copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Amira and Hazma: The War to Save the Worlds

Author: Samira Ahmed

Book Series: Amira and Hazma Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Desi American MC and characters and Desi characters

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, mythology, Desi mythology, science fiction, Percy Jackson like, HP replacement

Publication Date: September 21, 2021

Genre: MG Fantasy

Age Relevance: 10+ (racism, violence, poisoning, gore, climate disasters, human trafficking, kidnapping)

Explanation of Above: There are mentions of racism, violence, poisoning, and vomit gore. There are some climate disasters that happen in this book. There is a vague reference to human trafficking. There is some shown kidnapping.

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 368

Synopsis: On the day of a rare super blue blood moon eclipse, twelve-year-old Amira and her little brother, Hamza, can’t stop their bickering while attending a special exhibit on medieval Islamic astronomy. While stargazer Amira is wowed by the amazing gadgets, a bored Hamza wanders off, stumbling across the mesmerizing and forbidden Box of the Moon. Amira can only watch in horror as Hamza grabs the defunct box and it springs to life, setting off a series of events that could shatter their world—literally.

Suddenly, day turns to night, everyone around Amira and Hamza falls under a sleep spell, and a chunk of the moon breaks off, hurtling toward them at lightning speed, as they come face-to-face with two otherworldly creatures: jinn.

The jinn reveal that the siblings have a role to play in an ancient prophecy. Together, they must journey to the mystical land of Qaf, battle a great evil, and end a civil war to prevent the moon—the stopper between realms—from breaking apart and unleashing terrifying jinn, devs, and ghuls onto earth. Or they might have to say goodbye to their parents and life as they know it, forever.…

Review: I thought this was an adorable read! The book is about two siblings who accidently open up a mystical box that puts everyone around them to sleep and starts some very cataclysmic events. I loved the action and the mythology in this story and I love how science was at the forefront of this book with one of the MCs being a science lover. I loved the story and the writing was phenomenally done. The world building was amazing and the characters were very well developed. I also want to point out the siblings acted very sibling like. The book is very Percy Jackson like and it’s an excellent HP replacement.

The only issue I had with the book is that I thought it was a bit too fast paced in some places.

Verdict: I loved it! Highly recommend!

[Kelesea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Amira and Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds



Author: Samira Ahmed


Age Group: Middle Grade


Genre: Fantasy


Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars


I was given an advanced reader’s’ copy to read and review.


I’ve never read Samira Ahmed’s work before, so I was intrigued by the premise of this book. I love diverse books, especially if they’re adventure stories! This book was a fantastical adventure, rife with monsters, mythology, and daring feats. I love Desi books, too. Every child should be represented in media, and this especially holds true in the fantasy genre. I laughed, I cried, I was kicking my feet in joy. This book was thrilling, funny, and exciting. I really enjoyed Amira and Hamza’s story, and if I could, I would happily read what comes next. I’m going to be passing this on so someone else can experience this lovely book! What a triumph!


Amira and Hamza are ordinary kids living in Chicago. Amira loves science and math, and Hamza loves superhero movies and corny jokes. But their lives change forever when Hamza stumbles across a medieval Islamic artifact, The Box of the Moon, and breaks it. Within moments, their lives are thrown askew; all the adults go to sleep and the moon is literally splitting into pieces. So begins a rip-rolling adventure, with jinn, monsters, and mysterious magic. When the jinn reveal that Amira and Hamza are part of an ancient prophecy and that they must work together to set things right, they are forced to face this challenge head on. Otherwise, a myriad of jinn, devs, and ghuls will be unleashed and the world will be doomed. Can they use their wits and smarts to prevent the end of the world?


I really loved this book! I couldn’t put it down. The pacing was fast but smooth, and I loved Amira and Hamza. They were funny, sweet, and so smart! I was immediately drawn into the story. The action happened immediately, and it was honestly so fun. I loved the banter, the mythology, especially since I was not familiar; it was very well explained and I really appreciated that. I laughed a lot too. This book also reminded me pleasantly of my own siblings, and how we would bicker as young children. This book was unique and different, and I really loved it! If I could, I would snatch up the sequel! Such a lovely and warm series starter that I will never forget! The bottom line: Funny, fantastic, and full of heart and soul, I loved Amira and Hamza! Next on deck: Finding Freedom by Erin French!

https://literatureobsessed.blogspot.c...

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Amira and her younger brother Hamza are spirited out of an Islamic Society of Ancient Astronomy exhibit of ancient artifacts and off to the fantastic world of Qaf on a night of a rare blue moon.

Hamza picks an artifact, Al-Biruni's Box of the Moon, out of a display case, convinced he can solve it. It's a puzzle box of sorts, and Amira knows he shouldn't touch it and admonishes him to put it back. But as they wrestle, it drops and opens. It puts everyone except Amira and Hamza to sleep.

A gold throne descends from the moon with two jinn of the Emperor of Qaf's army looking for Amira and Hamza. Maqbool and Vizier Abdul Rahman reveal it's the kids' destiny, as Chosen One (or Ones, pay attention to that, hint, hint), to help defend the Earth from Ifrit and his coming onslaught of devs and ghuls who will, shortly, break free of their imprisonment on the moon.

Qaf is not at all what the kids expect, and the tasks they must complete to get the gifts they'll need to fight with -- retrieving a chest from the Arena of Suleiman -- are near-impossible. Amira's budding knowledge of scientific principles, specifically of magnetic properties of lodestone, enables them to get inside and get the "gifts" they need -- a dagger, a quiver of emerald-tipped arrows, and a cummerbund (yes, the kind worn with tuxedos).

From there they head to the Obsidian Wall, which surrounds Qaf, and Amira figures out how to breach it again using her knowledge of scientific principles, this time of oobleck, a colloid or mixture of solid particles in a liquid that has properties of both, also referred to as a non-Newtonian fluid. But once through, Hamza's rash decisions alert Ifrit and the whole jinn realm of their advance into Qaf.

I won't spoil what happens next, but you've been warned: nothing in Qaf is as it seems.

Enjoy this wonderfully diverse, Muslim-based middle grade fantasy that employs scientific principles in a fun, innovative way!


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[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like Kendra's little brother Seth in Fablehaven, Amira's little brother Hamza can't resist making reckless choices and doing things he knows he shouldn't--like picking up a mediaeval Islamic artifact in a museum, which causes a piece of the moon to break off, freeing the demon Ifrit to start his invasion of the earth. With everyone on earth except them frozen in time, Amira and Hamza find themselves confronted by Jinn, and being declared the heroes of a prophecy; they now must save the world. This sets off a series of adventures that grow ever more perilous as they near their target--the hidden world of Ifrit, the demon they must conquer. But can they conquer their sibling bickering long enough not to die, first?

There was a lot about this I thought was great. The descriptions are lush and detailed, and, as the afterword explains, rooted in the stories/legends/folklore the author heard growing up. As the fantasy genre expands to being derived from many different countries/ethnicities/cultures, it gets richer and richer for fantasy lovers. I also thought the sibling bickering sounded very familiar! The story was well-paced, especially for adventure-loving kids, with enough less heart-pounding sections for readers to catch their breaths. Another thing I appreciated was Amira using her knowledge of science to solve several of their conundrums and perils.

A couple of things didn't work for me, though. The author tried to use Riordan's formula for humor and heart, but it was only partly successful. The kids would be in the midst of a life-or-death situation, and they'd start bickering and making corny jokes, and I found that jarring. It just didn't fit the moment, and I didn't buy it that they would be that relaxed when they are literally about to get killed (and a character does get killed at one point). I also found the final confrontation a real anti-climax. All that build-up about the great and terrible demon, who has broken the moon and sent his legions to take over earth, and he was defeated in a few paragraphs by a couple of kids? It should have been harder.

But kids may not notice the things that bothered me, and it would be a good one to book talk.

[Pine Reads Review]

“In the cracks of the moon, in the broken parts, I see Ifrit’s forces, clambering, fangs bared, toward our home. A swarm of ghouls blots out all the light, and Earth falls into darkness.”

Science-loving Amira has a lot of thinking to do when she is presented with a seemingly unsolvable, impossible problem. On a night of cosmic importance—a super-moon, blue moon, and blood moon all at the same time—disaster strikes leaving Amira and her little brother Hamza as the only ones left to save the world. The moon is breaking into pieces, threatening the human world, and rupturing the seal into the mystical world of Islamic legend, unleashing beings she’d only heard in the tales of her childhood. As she and Hamza enter a world full of fiery jinn armies, interdimensional travel, and magic, they have to use their wits and willpower to pass impossible tests and save everyone.

I picked up this book because the mystical beings and sarcastic humor reminded me of a classic childhood favorite series of mine: Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It reads like many middle-grade books I already know and love. However, this book definitely stands as a story of its own. The brother/sister dynamic is charming and relatable to anyone who has siblings—even though Amira and Hamza bicker over their differences, they love and protect each other fiercely. The vibrant descriptions of the characters and setting from the Garden of Eternal Spring, to the Realm of the Crystal Palace, are truly enchanting. My only issue with this book was that because there were so many fantastical characters and places, some aspects felt rushed and underdeveloped. There was just not enough time or space to form each thing fully, so they came off as a little one-dimensional. Regardless, it was still a fun and excellent read that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in science, adventure, and modern interpretations of ancient culture.

Content Warnings: Use of weapons, warfare, death, brief kidnapping

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[Dan Fuchs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following Ahmed's career since the publication of her best-selling debut novel, Love, Hate & Other Filters, and have enjoyed all of her previous work immensely. If you've done the same and have yet to delve into Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds, you should be aware that it is a slight departure from her earlier work.

As Ahmed herself says in the book's acknowledgements section, middle-grade fantasy is "a new age group and genre category for [her]." That said, her unmistakable voice, which carries through all of her previous novels is certainly heard here. All are strong young people who are finding their power in various ways.

As for the new genre, Ahmed navigates these uncharted waters effectively, and once I got used to the slightly younger vibe of the book (appropriate, obviously, for middle grade, as opposed to YA), the story pulled me along, just as those in her previous three novels had done -- with compelling protagonists, strong plot points, and, above all else, some great writing.

I won't re-tell the plot here, because much of Amira & Hamza's power comes from discovering the action as it unfolds, along with the young heroes. The central theme, that there is a hero inside all of us, and that, as Amira says, "...sometimes unexpected things can change the world" is a great one for this book's demographic. My only regret is that Ahmed didn't write this a few years ago, when my two sons, now just shy of being grown men, were discovering chapter books. I would have loved to have shared this one with them.

If you have children -- no matter their gender or cultural background -- don't hesitate to share Amira & Hamza with them. But I don't limit my recommendation to parents. Anyone who enjoys a good story will have a great deal of fun with this one.

[aasiyah m. ✴︎˚｡⋆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book, going in so excited because it was about jinn and the main characters are Muslim and I was like "Finally! A fantasy book about Muslims and jinn! How exciting!!" I'm Muslim, so I was super pumped.
But, sadly, I was very disappointed. It's probably meant for 7-8 yr olds, kids just going into thick chapter books, because first off, the font was huge. And obviously, this isn't a bad thing, but generally, when the font is biggish, it means its meant for younger kids. But I ignored that because I was interested in it and what it was about. And it could have been an amazing book that could've been enticing for olderish readers as well, but it just wasn't. Hamza, the brother, irritated me so much. The way he spoke and everything about him was just So. Annoying. The plot could've been so much better, but also, I feel like some of the stuff might've been controversial to the Islamic beliefs I hold. And of course, this is fantasy, so it's the authors imagination and I totally understand, but, I personally didn't like it. Also, [SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!] THE GUY LITERALLY READ THE WRONG NAMES?! How in the world do the jinns go on such an important mission, and they don't double-check that they have the right people, especially when they know the jinn who told them the names of the humans has bad eyesight!! (also jinn wearing glasses! that's new) It just didn't make sense. Overall, not my thing, but it might be yours, so don't be discouraged and read the book, just because some people don't like it doesn't mean you won't! It might be your next fav book!!

[Vanessa Kelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I do NOT recommend the audiobook. I am usually an audiobook fan, but this book took me way too long to get through, and I think a big part of that is that I started "reading" it as an audiobook, and I could not stand the narrator. She made the voice of Amira (and, thus, the narrator) so whiny and overly dramatic that I just could not keep listening to it. It did not fit the character at all (as she is supposed to be a "nerd" who cares a lot about science and things making sense, not a Valley-girl tween who finds everything so over-the-top.).

The print version was better, and the story was interesting. I liked how the characters worked together, and how Amira and Hamza learned to appreciate what they each brought to the table. I think for kids who are not into fantasy or mythology that the introduction of so many creatures could be overwhelming, but the author did a pretty good job of explaining them as they went. The imagery was vivid, the characters were realistic - even those made of smokeless fire - and the author's note at the end explained the origins of the story if anyone was interested in learning more.

Overall, if you stick to the print book, it's an enjoyable story, especially for those who are interested in fantasy and mythology.