Thunderbird: Book Three Book Three

This trilogy closer from Palestine that's translated from Arabic transports readers further back in history as Noor seeks the final two phoenix feathers that will seal the crack in the wall between worlds and keep humanity safe. Noor comes to in Aelia, as Jerusalem was known in 638 C.E. under Roman rule. Her ankle is broken, she doesn't speak Aramaic, and she longs for her normal life in Ramallah. But at least she has Sabeeka, her steadfast djinn companion in the form of a black cat--and there's the excitement of seeing Muslim historical figures she recognizes from school textbooks. With Sabeeka's assistance as interpreter (and a clever bit of ventriloquism), Noor finds teenage twins Julian and Helena, who, like previous helpers across time, look remarkably like her and possess magic rings like her own. The siblings, who have forbidden magical healing abilities, have barely welcomed them before all four are swallowed up by a slithering creature and taken to the bleak world of the Baku Salaa beyond the wall, where the humans' blood is wanted as a cure. Fortunately, they're helped by the Sakarik, a community living under constant threat from the Baku Salaa. With time running out, nonstop action propels the foursome through a series of risky and high-stakes events. Although the climax arrives a bit abruptly, the vivid worldbuilding and strong sense of place throughout are engaging, and Noor's voice is well developed. A satisfying, uplifting ending to an imaginative and original adventure.(Fantasy. 11-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.