Middle Eastern

Middle Eastern ~ Arabic, Jewish and Middle East-based Cultures and Peoples

While some consider people of Arabic and/or Jewish ancestry to be "White", out of respect for the many peoples of the Middle East I've chosen to include a unique page for works featuring protagonists originating from the Middle East and Middle Eastern cultures.

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Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Day Al-Mohamed
Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn: A Steampunk Faerie Tale (Dark Quest Books) (Ages 13+)
"Come, Best Beloved, and sit you by my feet. I shall tell you a tale such as sister Scheherazade could have scarce imagined...

"In the Nejd there is nothing at all...except secrets. A band of thieves wish such secrets to remain hidden.

"In England, far from his desert home, Ali bin-Massoud serves as apprentice to the famed Charles Babbage. One night a mysterious box is delivered by a clockwork falcon and Ali's world is never the same again. Heartache, danger, and thieves mark his journey as Ali is summoned home at the death of his father.

"It will take faith, knowledge, and yes, love to realize his destiny, and more than a little skill with steam-driven technology. Can he unravel the mystery of the puzzle box and the clockwork djinn before it is too late? An ancient legacy and Ali's very life depend on his success.

"Hear you the tale of Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn."

Saladin Ahmed
Throne of the Crescent Moon (Ages 18+)
The first book of a new fantasy series. "The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, land of djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, Khalifs and killers, is at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. It is up to a handful of heroes to learn the truth behind these killings..."

Melissa Bashardoust
Girl, Serpent, Thorn (Ages 12-18+ / Grades 7-9)
Melissa Bashardoust's Girl, Serpent, Thorn is “an alluring feminist fairy tale” (Kirkus Reviews) about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse.

"There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.

"As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.

"Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster."

Author Melissa Bashardoust draws from her Persian heritage to write her fantasies and reimagined fairy tales. She received her degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley. She shares her Southern California home with her cat, Alice, and a large Jane Eyre collection.

Parents: Persian demons, fairy tale tropes turned on their heads, LGTBQI+ and difficult coming-of-age choices.

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Girls Made of Snow and Glass (Ages 12-18+ / Grades 7-9)
Melissa Bashardoust’s acclaimed debut novel Girls Made of Snow and Glass is “Snow White as it’s never been told before...a feminist fantasy fairy tale not to be missed” (BookPage)!

"Sixteen-year-old Mina is motherless, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone―has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother.

"Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do―and who to be―to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.

"Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything―unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story."

Parents: Same-sex love interest, a new take on the Snow White story and stepmother/stepdaughter relationships and conflicts.

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Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
A Princess of Passyunk (Ages 13+)
From the author: "I grew up with tales of Old World magic. Fairy tales, ghost stories, legends of great Slavic heroes like Kralyevich Marko and his marvelous horse, Sharats. Living in the USA, I wondered where the magic went and if maybe just a little of it might have crossed the ocean from the Motherland.

"A PRINCESS OF PASSYUNK is my answer.

"Okay, so my hero doesn't ride a magical horse--but he has a magic baseball. And he's not a prince ... exactly--but he does fall in love with a Princess ... sort of. And he doesn't slay magical beasts--but he does battle an angry Sausage King and a scheming Witch in order to complete a magical quest ... in a manner of speaking.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to read it. Then I hope you'll believe that there's New World magic, too."

Kindle edition
Text-to-Speech enabled

Michael Chabon
The Yiddish Policeman's Union (Grades 9+ / Ages 15+)
"For sixty years Jewish refugees and their descendants have prospered in the Federal District of Sitka, a 'temporary' safe haven created in the wake of the Holocaust and the shocking 1948 collapse of the fledgling state of Israel. The Jews of the Sitka District have created their own little world in the Alaskan panhandle, a vibrant and complex frontier city that moves to the music of Yiddish. But now the District is set to revert to Alaskan control, and their dream is coming to an end.

"Homicide detective Meyer Landsman of the District Police has enough problems without worrying about the upcoming Reversion. His life is a shambles, his marriage a wreck, his career a disaster. And in the cheap hotel where Landsman has washed up, someone has just committed a murder—right under his nose. When he begins to investigate the killing of his neighbor, a former chess prodigy, word comes down from on high that the case is to be dropped immediately, and Landsman finds himself contending with all the powerful forces of faith, obsession, evil, and salvation that are his heritage." According to the AR booksite, "The plot contains mild profanity, violence, and drug use." If you're offended by language, there's F-bombs and other profanity in the story, also sexual references including homosexuality, alcoholism, abortion and other real-life situations. Nothing worse than what a teen already sees in movies and the sex isn't explicit. Personally, I enjoyed the book. RDJ

Barry Deutsch
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword - Graphic Novel (Grades 2+ / Ages 8+)
"Spunky, strong-willed eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn’t interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There’s only one thing she does want: to fight dragons! Granted, no dragons have been breathing fire around Hereville, the Orthodox Jewish community where Mirka lives, but that doesn’t stop the plucky girl from honing her skills. She fearlessly stands up to local bullies. She battles a very large, very menacing pig. And she boldly accepts a challenge from a mysterious witch, a challenge that could bring Mirka her heart’s desire: a dragon-slaying sword! All she has to do is find—and outwit—the giant troll who’s got it!

"A delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion, Hereville will captivate middle-school readers with its exciting visuals and entertaining new heroine." This is a graphic novel.

Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite - Graphic Novel (Grades 2+ / Ages 8+)
"Welcome to Hereville, home of the first-ever wisecracking, adventure-loving, sword-wielding Orthodox Jewish heroine. A delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion, this fun, quirky graphic novel series will captivate middle-school readers with its exciting visuals and entertaining new heroine.

"Mirka is back, and she’s still the only sword-brandishing, monster-fighting Orthodox Jewish girl in town. Or so she thinks. When a misguided troll aims a meteor at the witch’s house, the witch grabs hold of the closest thing possible to transform the flying, flaming rock—and that would be Mirka’s hair. The meteor is changed, all right: it’s now Mirka’s identical twin.

"Doppelganger Mirka, vowing to be a better version of the real girl, sets out to charm all of Hereville, including Mirka’s own family. Our heroine challenges the meteor girl to a three-part contest . . . and the loser will be banished from Hereville forever!" This is a graphic novel.

Graphic Novel
Hardcover

Edward M. Erdelac
Merkabah Rider Tales of a High Planes Drifter (Ages 16+)
"The last of an ancient order of Jewish mystics capable of extraplanar travel, The Merkabah Rider roams the demon haunted American West of 1879 in search of the renegade teacher who betrayed his enclave. But as the trail grows fresher, shadows gather, and The Hour Of The Incursion draws near... Four novella episodes in one book.

"In a town hungry for blood, the Rider encounters a cult of Molech worshippers bent on human sacrifice ('The Blood Libel'). A murderous, possessed gunman descends upon a mountain town, and only the Rider stands in his way ('Hell's Hired Gun'). A powerful ju ju man with powers rivalling the Rider's own holds a fledgling Mexican boomtown in his sway ('The Dust Devils'). Finally the Rider faces the Queen of Demons and a bordello full of antedelluvian succubi ('The Nightjar Women')." The author rates this book at "R", with mature themes including non-graphic sex, violence and strong language.

Merkabah Rider: The Mensch With No Name (Ages 16+)
"The Merkabah Rider continues his journey across the American Southwest of 1880 in search of the renegade teacher who destroyed his mystic Jewish order in the second volume (containing novella episodes 5-8) of this acclaimed weird western series.

"In this installment the Rider unravels more of the mystery of Adon's Hour of the Incursion plot and quickly learns that demons are the least of his troubles. He defends a remote settlement against a gang of half-demon gunmen in 'The Infernal Napoleon,' joins forces with Doc Holliday to hunt down an invisible creature in 'The Damned Dingus,' aids a group of Indians against the mindbending horror of 'The Outlaw Gods,' and takes his hunt to hell itself in 'The Pandæmonium Ride.'" The author rates this book at "R", with mature themes including non-graphic sex, violence and strong language.

Merkabah Rider: Have Glyphs Will Travel (Ages 16+)
"The acclaimed weird western series continues. The Rider and Kabede must rally a US Cavalry troop against an army of the undead lead by three of Adon's renegade riders if they are to survive The Long Sabbath. The Rider infiltrates an Apache stronghold to convince the combined forces of Vittorio and Geronimo not to lend their might to the mysterious forces of The War Prophet. The Rider sets out to rescue the succubus Nehema from the wrath of The Mules of The Mazzikim, then confronts his greatest enemy, The Man Called Other. Seeking to learn the remaining secrets of The Hour of Incursion, the Rider and his companions arrive in Tombstone only to face the horror of The Fire King Triumphant." The author rates this book at "R", with mature themes including non-graphic sex, violence and strong language.

Merkabah Rider: Once Upon A Time In The Weird West (Volume 4) (Ages 16+)
"THE CONCLUSION OF THE ACCLAIMED WEIRD WESTERN SERIES. For years the Rider, one of the last of an ancient Jewish order of astral travelers, has sought his renegade teacher Adon across the demon haunted American west. Now it is 1882. The Hour Of Incursion is here. The Great Old Ones, beings of immeasurable power from the roiling chaos before the dawn of Creation, are stirring in their ancient slumber. It is high noon for the entire universe. Seeking to rouse the Old Ones, Adon has gathered together the Creed - an army of fallen Hasidic mystics - and a host of dark allies including skinwalkers, necromancers, an undead master gunslinger, Lilith the Queen of Demons, and the Angel of Death himself. The Rider and Kabede, in a last bid to stop Adon, recruit their own band, including an unstoppable preacher more steam engine than man, an alien entity from the dawn of time, a young witch, and the enigmatic Faustus Montague, an angelic being from another universe. But Lucifer the master of hell watches from his capitol city, ready to commit his legions to the winning side. And he has an agent among the Rider's companions...." The author rates this book at "R", with mature themes including non-graphic sex, violence and strong language.

Rokheya Shekhawat Hossein
Sultana's Dream
From University of Pennsylvania, Penn Library, A Celebration of Women Writers: "Sultana's Dream was originally published in The Indian Ladies' Magazine, Madras, 1905, in English. This edition is transcribed from Sultana's dream; and Padmarag: two feminist utopias by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain; translated with an introduction by Barnita Bagchi. New Delhi (India) : Penguin, 2005."

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Click here to view the free text of Sultana's Dream
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Victoria Lee
The Fever King (Feverwake) (Ages 16+)
"In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

"The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.

"Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good." Parents, the book is set in a post-nuclear dystopian world and features an undocumented bisexual Latinx-Jewish protagonist. Cross-posted on the Latinx/Hispanic and LGBTQ pages.

William J Manning
Lilith Cohen - Merchants of Death  (New Adult 18+)
"For twenty-six years, Lilith Cohen has lived in the darkest corners of society, killing whoever her clients paid her to. Her new husband thinks he married a simple fashion designer.
Agent Cohen travels to Golan Heights, Israel, for what she thinks is just another run of the mill assassination, but to her surprise, there’s something off about the bloody Civil War that rages throughout Syria.

"What starts as a routine kill order turns out to be anything but. This terrorist leader and his men are armed with advanced weapons, which leads her to one conclusion, there’s a Merchant of Death profiting from the bloodshed. Lilith’s hunt for this shadowy profiteer will send her on a road she wished she never went down."

Parents: This dystopian spy thriller series is NEW ADULT 18+. Graphic sex scenes, strong language, violence, substance abuse -- all the dark drama you'd expect in a New Adult novel. The three books of this series are also cross-posted to the LGBTQI+ page.

Lilith Cohen - Retribution  (New Adult 18+)
"After Lilith slaughtered the president of Black Reign, she links back up with Dominic and Clare to go on the offensive and take the war to Colvin. But can she rely on her instincts anymore after suffering a crushing betrayal from the person she trusted with her life and heart?

"Colvin knows his president failed to capture Lilith and now he will be upping his game in trying to catch her. Lilith is fully aware of the motivation behind Black Reign’s obsession with her. She must tread carefully after Karl’s betrayal. Anybody around her could be an enemy.

"Will she be able to trust her fellow assassins anymore? Can she even trust her best friend Tiffany? Lilith knows she is just a product to her enemies, and that puts her and the Hunters at risk.

"Now, Venora is in the picture again offering to assist Lilith with her war against Black Reign, only swells the flames of her inner conflict. Despite all the internal and external struggles, Agent Cohen faces, Black Reign must be stopped whatever the cost."

Lilith Cohen - Crimson Arrow  (New Adult 18+)
"Ireland’s President is assassinated on a live television broadcast. Days later, a powerful explosion rips through London’s annual New Year’s Eve Festival. Lilith and her team deploy to Ireland, where evidence points toward Venora O’Brien, the infamous World Cup bomber, as the mastermind behind the attack in London. Lilith soon realizes there’s something more sinister about the carnage unleashed upon Trafalgar Square. The battle uncovers long-buried secrets from Agent Cohen’s past and reveals who is truly friend or foe."

Karuna Riazi
The Gauntlet (Grades 3-7 / Ages 8-12)
"A trio of friends from New York City find themselves trapped inside a mechanical board game that they must dismantle in order to save themselves and generations of other children in this action-packed debut that’s a steampunk Jumanji with a Middle Eastern flair.

"Nothing can prepare you for The Gauntlet…

"It didn’t look dangerous, exactly. When twelve-year-old Farah first laid eyes on the old-fashioned board game, she thought it looked…elegant.

"It is made of wood, etched with exquisite images—a palace with domes and turrets, lattice-work windows that cast eerie shadows, a large spider—and at the very center of its cover, in broad letters, is written: The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand.

"The Gauntlet is more than a game, though. It is the most ancient, the most dangerous kind of magic. It holds worlds inside worlds. And it takes players as prisoners."

D.L. Stevenson
The Hakima's Tale
The Revenge of the Blue Jinni, The Rise of the Warrior, and The Dawn of Redemption
The author's synopsis from her website: "Phoenix Kassim, a young Arab-American girl, must face her destiny to protect the world from the attack of an ancient malevolent entity, the Blue Jinni, who lays trapped in a golden lantern at the bottom of the sea. For centuries, the Blue Jinni and his followers, the Marid, have waited for the right moment to attack. Phoenix is a descendant of the Great Hakima and has been chosen to battle the evil forces. Under her mentor, Sophia, Phoenix begins her training. Though unable to prevent the Blue Jinni’s release, she ends the Jinn’s quest for world domination through a series of events that teach human solidarity and the power of faith." http://thehakimastale.com/

Judith Tarr
A Wind in Cairo (Ages 16+)
"THE PRINCE: Spoiled, reckless, heedless of any wants or needs but his own, sentenced to a terrible fate for his sins against man, woman, and God.

"THE STALLION: Equally spoiled, equally reckless, bound until death to a bitter servitude.

"THE TURK'S HEIR: Fiercest of rivals, most devoted of enemies, whose armor hides a secret. Come into the world of the Arabian Nights, where magic and mystery meet; where justice lays a sinner low, and the magic of the heart turns hate to love." Due to the Prince's deeds, including gambling, theft, drunken escapades, rape, and the discussion of gelding (castration), I think this book is more suited to older teens and adults.

Ahmed Khaled Towfik
Utopia (Ages 15+)
"A grim futuristic account of Egyptian society in the year 2023, Utopia takes readers on a chilling journey beyond the gated communities of the North Coast where the wealthy are insulated from the bleakness of life outside the walls. When a young man and a girl break out from this bubble of affluence in order to see for themselves the lives of their impoverished fellow Egyptians they are confronted by a world that they had not imagined possible. Breathtaking and suspenseful, Utopia's twists and turns will keep readers guessing until the very last page, and may leave some wondering whether this is a vision of the future that is not too far away." Originally written in Arabic and translated into English.

English Translation in hardcover

Arabic edition in paperback

Jane Yolen
The Devil's Arithmetic (Ages 12+)
"Hannah thinks tonight's Passover Seder will be the same as always. Little does she know that this year she will be mysteriously transported into the past where only she knows the horrors that await."

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