Ajwan escapes on the last spaceship after her planet is destroyed. She is pregnant, and this new child stirring in her gives her hope. But she is drugged and the child is stolen from her womb. As part of her quest to find her child and against her convictions as a pacifist, she joins an elite fighting group that is defending the ‘Federation’, her galaxy’s ruling union, against rebel forces. This is a gripping novel, with a labyrinthine plot. In turn tough and tender, in a style that is smooth and fluid with a text that always feels true. This science-fiction novel is very unusual in youth literature in the Arab world. It won the 2013 Etisalat Prize for the best novel for teenagers. The second title in this series is Mandan, which is also included in this selection.
