Sarah Mughal Rana – författare

Nida has always been known as Mamou Abdul-Hafeedh’s niece - the poet that will fill her uncle’s shoes after he was wrongfully incarcerated during the war on terror. But for Nida, her poetry letters are her heart and sharing so much of herself with a world that stereotypes her faith and her hijab is not an option.When Nida is illegally frisked at a Democratic Senatorial candidate’s political rally, she writes a scathing poem about the politician, never expecting the letter to go viral weeks before Election Day. Nida discovers her poem has won first place in a national contest, a contest she never entered, and her quiet life is toppled. But worst of all, Nida loses her ability to write poetry. In the aftermath of her win, Nida struggles to balance the expectations of her mother, her uncle, and her vibrant Muslim community with the person she truly wants to be.Told through alternating prose and verse sections, and with a touch of magic, Sarah Mughal Rana's Hope Ablaze is gripping, heartbreaking, often funny, and ultimately uplifting. In her unforgettable exploration of poetry, society, and self, Rana not only celebrates the Islamic faith and Pakistani culture, but simultaneously confronts racism and Islamophobia with unflinching bravery.

The raven, crane, and firebird each chose a tribe of man, granting humans heavenly magic.But power in man’s hand caused endless wars for land.With mankind’s destruction, the birds perished taking with them their magic.Magic is now rare, war common.The discarded daughter of an emperor, Khamilla Zahr-zad is raised with her mother’s nomadic tribe until a violent raid ends that peaceful life. Amid the chaos of death, the heavenly magic of nur awakens within her, granting her the power to wield a cosmic light.Khamilla suddenly goes from outsider to weapon, finally accepted into her father’s court. Now worthy, she trains in combat and poisons, pledging loyalty to his throne. But tragedy strikes again and when her clansmen are defeated by a rival empire, Khamilla vows lasting vengeance as she escapes. However Khamilla is not alone – for something shadows her, feeding her darkness…Hiding her identity, Khamilla infiltrates the enemy’s army academy. She studies jinn, magic, and martial arts from cutthroat mystic monks in a bid to bring down an empire from within. However, through her studies Khamilla begins to question her father’s teachings of war and rule. With war escalating across kingdoms and a twisted magic spreading, Khamilla is torn between two impossible choices: revenge or freedom.With gorgeous prose and a captivating magic system, layered with morally grey characters, Dawn of the Firebird embraces rich Islamic culture and raises provocative questions about individual power, choice, and the cost of war.