Storm Singer

Like her late parents before her, 12-year-old Nargis is a storm singer, capable of manipulating natural elements through song. But after she loses control of her powers during a critical moment, she is exiled. In the desert beyond her village, she meets eagle garuda Mistral, a winged warrior of the ruling class that floats above the kingdom of Alamut’s Earthbound citizens. Mistral claims he is on a mission to reinstate his father as king following a coup by garuda warrior Shamshir. Believing the garuda responsible for her parents’ deaths, Nargis is reluctant to help him, until she learns that Shamshir intends to enslave Earthbound peoples. Now Nargis and Mistral must work together to defeat Shamshir, and as their unlikely friendship blossoms, they uncover a shared history. Nargis’s witty first-person narration teems with humor and a palpable devotion to obtaining freedom and justice for her people. The effects of the caste system on Alamut are empathetically rendered in this fast-paced adventure by Chadda (Fury of the Dragon Goddess). Includes chapter openers and an intricately detailed map by Allyn (Night Night, Ocean). Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Chelsea Eberley, Greenhouse Literary. (Apr.)