Quest for the Ring of Power (Amira & Hamza #2)

Quest for the Ring of Power (Amira & Hamza #2)
Author(s)
Age Range
8+
Release Date
September 20, 2022
ISBN
978-0316318617
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All human and jinn kind shall bow down to me. Control the Ring, control the worlds.
 
Amira and Hamza have returned from Qaf, the magical Jinn world, as triumphant heroes—and life has been pleasantly quiet. Too quiet. Hamza is determined to have one last monumental, epic adventure before summer ends. But when sneaking off to explore an old, abandoned castle goes from life-changing adventure to potentially deadly, Amira and Hamza find themselves in the middle of another dangerous quest to save the worlds. One they didn’t bargain for.
 
The siblings are brought face to face with the evil dev, Ahriman, angry and out for revenge. And if Amira and Hamza thought Ifrit was bad, his dad Ahriman, the last in an ancient line of fire spirits, is far worse. Ahriman kidnaps Hamza and forces him to help locate the lost Ring of Power, an ancient and mysterious artifact that will allow him to rule the universe. Desperate to save her brother, Amira must outsmart perilous traps and confounding puzzles in a race against time to retrieve the artifact before Ahriman does or say goodbye to Hamza and their world forever.

Editor review

1 review
The power of sibling love.
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
What worked:
The adventure is chocked full of humor, as Amira and her younger brother alternate recounting the story. They are the Chosen Ones to save the world from an ancient fire spirit named Ahriman, but the kids are partnered with contrasting characters on opposing sides of the conflict. Amira is paired with Aasman Peri, and the jinn never misses a chance to point out Amira’s lack of talents. Actually, she often puts down the entire human race and our quirky lives. Hamza is taken by a dev called Ahriman, since only a Chosen One can touch pieces of the Oculus, to form a tool to locate the Ring of Power. Hamza contributes most of the funny banter, as his mind wanders to strange, random thoughts when he’s nervous, which happens frequently. Not to mention, he’s constantly nagging his captor about his need to eat and use the restroom. The author sprinkles in choose-your-own-adventure-like segments when Hamza daydreams about possible, terrifying scenarios, and Hamza is forced to answer sphinxlike riddles. Hamza is clearly the highlight of the book.
Despite the typical sibling bickering, Amira and Hamza display a deep love for one another. Amira is determined to rescue her brother even as she risks her life to survive dangerous obstacles. Hamza reluctantly remembers Amira’s advice to solve puzzles and escape his own dilemmas. It’s hard to admit his sister might be more logical and make better choices than himself. He’s especially intimidated by the riddles he’s presented since Amira and their father are the ones who enjoy solving puzzles. Nevertheless, Hamza is always confident his sister will save him, and Amira will not let him down.
The dual stories following the adventures of Amira and Hamza effectively share the plot from their two points of view. Their problems are related but separate. Much of Hamza’s narrative is within his mind since his relationship with the antagonist doesn’t lend itself to much talking. Ahriman treats him as a tool being used to collect the Oculus, and Hamza’s dialogue is often used to stall for time or as a way to cope with stress. Amira’s problem is finding her brother, so she’s forced to do more detective work by examining the clues Hamza leaves behind. The story includes Islamic folklore, so elements of the culture are sprinkled in.
What didn’t work as well:
The publisher indicates this book can be read independently from the first, but the jinn world isn’t clear. I’m not sure why the non-magical siblings are the Chosen Ones, but all of the characters are aware of it. The kids don’t have any apparent special abilities and their companions make snide comments about them being useless humans. Readers will still be able to easily understand the plot, and most of the disparaging comments only add to the humor.
The Final Verdict:
The power of sibling love. The author presents an exciting escapade of jinn and a hidden ring that transports the characters around the world. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy humor and adventure, and I recommend you give it a shot.
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