A magical adventure rooted in Muslim culture and tradition, Nura and the Immortal Palace follows a young girl's journey from modern-day Pakistan into the world of the jinn. Nura has worked all her life in the mica mines, earning just enough to keep her family afloat - and enjoy the odd delicious gulab jamun from the market. Some day she's going to find the Demon's Tongue, a legendary treasure buried deep in the mines, and her family will never have to worry about money again. But when a terrible accident traps her best friend Faisal underground, she determines to save him - and crosses over into the magical and treacherous realm of the jinn. With gorgeous, atmospheric writing, M.T. Khan tells a bold tale that challenges greed and inequality as the tough and clever Nura fights the odds from the mica mines of rural Pakistan to a realm of jinn and magic. - Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Widow and Zachary Ying series But sometimes,” he sighs, ruffling my hair, “if you dig hard enough, you can find sparkles in the dirt, can’t you?“

Hannah Belyea’s review of Nura and the Immortal Palace

Aru Shah and the End of Time meets Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away in this mesmerizing portal fantasy that takes readers into the little-known world of Jinn. Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

By Author / Illustrator

Author MT Khan takes us on a magical journey through the contrasting worlds of a mica miner to the bountiful world of the jinn palace. Her main character clearly wants what she can't have and her journey to claim it is fraught with problems for her to overcome, until ultimately, she discovers that what she needs is not what she thought that she wanted. overall, it was incredibly entertaining. something is always happening and i’m always finding out new things about the realm. in nura and the immortal palace, the author emphasised on child labor and education. nura and the rest of the kids in the mica mines risk their lives everyday to earn a little bit so that they can provide extra for the family. because of this, they aren’t attending school and are exploited instead. 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.

Nura and the Immortal Palace by M. T. Khan | Hachette Book Group Nura and the Immortal Palace by M. T. Khan | Hachette Book Group

Review: It was amazing to read a book featuring Pakistani characters. I’ve said this before, and I will say it again, I am soo grateful to be living in an era where diversity is finally being given the importance it deserves. Growing up, we did not have the luxury to read about characters who we could relate to in terms of tradition and culture. So, I am lapping it all in now 🤣 Nura and the Immortal Palace follows Nura, a 12 year old girl who is one of countless children working in the mica mines of Meera Bagh to help her single mother support their family. Whispers of the Demon’s Tongue, a priceless treasure that would solve anyone’s money problems have been circulating for some time and when Nura’s mother tells her to stop working, it only heightens her ambitions to find it. Nura, along with other kids, works in mica mines so her family can survive. Education is not an option for these kids, they spent their day in a struggle to collect the most mica to earn more. Nura's father lost his life working in mines. Nura's mother wants her kids to get an education but it seems luxury when it is hard to meet their basic needs. Nura grew up listening to demon tongue's myth- a hidden treasure, somewhere in mines, that can change her days. The efforts to find this treasure led her to a new world. With her brilliantly vivid descriptions - be it food, Jinn or the hotel itself - M.T. Khan whisks her readers to the dark and magical world of a luxury Jinn hotel in a cinematic and captivating way. It's a world that's vibrant and daunting, endearing and dangerous. I came away with such a vivid image of every room and every piece of drool enticing food Khan described in a way that left me feeling like I'd watched a movie.

Published

Then a terrible accident in the mine buries her best friend below ground. Desperate to save him, Nura digs too deep and passes over into the magical and terrible world of the jinn. Across a pink sea and under a purple sky, she finds her way to a palace, where great riches and a whole new life are on offer. A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.