Journey to the City of Six Gates

Princess Mati awakens from a troubled sleep to find that her life has changed overnight: enemies have invaded the Land of Gold and abducted her parents, the King and Queen. Fourteen-year-old Mati and her twelve-year-old brother, Satya, are secretly spirited away by the loyal Jaya Prabhasa, the most accomplished warrior in the land. As they journey through a world they have never known in their sheltered existence, and are put to the test by an eccentric flying sage, Mati and Satya acquire extraordinary skills to survive mysterious forests and perilous swamps. But are these sufficient to help the three companions evade marauding armies and rescue their parents?

This adventure fantasy set in ancient India, long before the region acquired the name, is written in the engaging style of a historical thriller. Its heroes must discover how to deal with injustice without descending to the level of their violent persecutors. Through contemplative poetic incantation and robust, uncluttered prose, it also weaves into its fabric issues such as the status of women and care for the forests.

Reading Corner Book Review points granted 5 out of 5.