Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for presenting me with an ARC of this book in exchange of a honest review.

This book is a perfect remedy for anyone who is suffering from Studio Ghibli withdrawal and needs to be immersed in a spectacularly detail-rich world immediately. Faisal and the other missing children are there, too, and if Nura can’t find a way to help them all escape, they’ll be bound to work for the hotel forever. However, one day, she gets too carried away while digging and ends up triggering a collapse in the mines, resulting in some of the child labourers, including her best friend Faisal, being declared dead.Vivid description, an engaging lead character and a smattering of humour lead the reader through the story, whilst bringing into focus, albeit with a light touch, the victims of the modern world's demand for minerals that bring such hardship to the poorest communities. I did think some things happened a little too fast, and the writing was a little choppy at times, but it was also beautiful, and the emotions came through perfectly nonetheless. I’m so glad that I decided to pick this one up, it was an absolute joy to read this brilliant story! Nura and the Immortal Palace is perfect for readers looking for a thought-provoking middle-grade fantasy that celebrates Desi Culture while having darker topics woven in seamlessly. I want to give a copy of this book to every child who thought they’d never see a character who looks like them in a book.

From revolting against going to school to acknowledging the benefits of being a capable literate, Nura’s growth arc develops subtly but strongly. Nura and her friend Faisal put up with the physical danger and exhaustion of the mica mine as their brothers and sisters need what they can provide to avoid going hungry. Nura has worked all her life in the mica mines, earning just enough to keep her family afloat - and enjoy the odd delicious gulab jamun from the market. Nura and the Immortal Palace is an endearing adventure story filled with loveable characters at its core that emphasizes the cycle of exploitation.I’m not sure the theme of the importance of education came through quite as strongly as it was intended to, but the ideas of money, and greed, and the cycle of exploitation were wonderfully done, and in an age-appropriate way that I hope a lot of children will be able to understand.

Nura’s family life at the start with her mother and brother and sisters is lovely to see, and her friendship with Faisal is one I really liked too. This hilarious sci-fi adventure highlights the importance of friendship and having the courage to face your fears. But it's not long before Nura discovers this world to be as unfair as the real one, and that trickster jinns will always live up to their reputation. T. Khan—be it the food competitions, the glamour or the liveliness through which Nura is lured into the faux sense of security. Nura is a fabulous heroine; a determined young girl who undergoes her own transformation as she realizes the true priorities in life are not what you have but who you have in your life.

There’s a smooth blend of the shining world in the story with insights into how mere kids are exploited and how the rich turn the poor against each other for their benefit. Some day she's going to find the Demon's Tongue, a legendary treasure buried deep in the mines, and her family will never have to worry about money again. Nura and the Immortal Palace is a debut that glimmers as captivatingly and intensely as the mica its protagonist mines. Nura's mother wants her kids to get an education but it seems luxury when it is hard to meet their basic needs. Nura and the Immortal Palace is magical, atmospheric and fun - whilst never losing sight of its important themes of child poverty and exploitation.