- MuslimMommyblog
The Broken Kingdom
Age recommendation: 10-13
Islamic screening: pretty clean, some violence and fighting, but no gory details, some mentions of death/grief
This book seems to be the start of a series on the adventures of Adam, a very religious and brave Major (high ranking army official) in an Islamic Caliphate ruled by a pious Sultan.
The Sultan has a dream about a city in his lands that needs his help. (Dreams in the story have huge almost prophetic-like importance). He sends one of his most trusted officials Adam, along with Umar, a member of Banu Khalid(a tribe close to the city mentioned) and Ali (a remarkable archer/soldier) to discover the city and the problems it might have.
More than one problem are identified in the story, and an interesting ancient story full of human rivalry, greed, and corrupt power emerges. I absolutely loved how the story flowed, how it was put together, and the events in each chapter. It got more and more interesting as the book went on, and by the end, I was completely into it and wanted to find out what would happen next! It likely indicated another upcoming book in the series, which is fantastic.
The story really draws you in, and you get immersed in the plight of the people. I would also like to see more character development in the future, explaining more about Adam’s former life, as well as more personal details about other characters.
I noticed some grammatical issues in the text, and would suggest improvements to the book cover, but honestly I would still recommend anyone with a pre-teen boy to buy this story for them.
The Islamic manners and behaviors of the characters, even when facing trials, is inspiring to young boys who are interested in action packed stories, but who need good role models not immoral “heroes” in usual stories. (Also it is mentioned that war is horrible, but an unfortunate necessity in some areas-really good for boys to hear)
The ideas and themes present in the book teach Islamic moral lessons about patience, wisdom, believing in Allah, and the meaning of tawwakul-and these are all done in a beautiful way that does not feel preachy.
price: 15.77 usd
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