Squire
by Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh; illus. by Sara Alfageeh
Middle School, High School    Quill Tree/HarperCollins    336 pp.    g
3/22    978-0-06-294585-3    $21.99
Paper ed.  978-0-06-294584-6    $14.99
e-book ed.  978-0-06-294586-0    $11.99

Set in an alternate-history version of the Middle East/North Africa region, this sweeping graphic novel begins as a thrilling quest for glory and becomes an artful revelation of the destructive cost of imperialist power. In a conquered territory of the fictional Bayt-Sajji empire, Aiza spends her days peddling apricots while weathering taunts and threats because she is Ornu, a non-citizen. When a recruitment announcement tantalizes Aiza with promises of a path to full citizenship and a chance at glorious heroism, she convinces her parents, conceals her Ornu tattoos, and commences her enlistment journey. New friendships with other squire hopefuls make the relentless and intense training bearable, and late-night practice sessions with the combat-savvy cook help her improve after she fails her first squire examination. Everything changes during one climactic excursion on the border of an Ornu village, however, and Aiza must decide whether to pursue her dream of becoming a squire, thus upholding the fabricated histories of the empire, or to make a much greater, and graver, stand for justice. Alfageeh’s light line work, desert-hued color palette, and inspired use of Islamic patterns and architecture in her compositions transport readers into the action. With its high stakes and robust characters, Squire feels like a new take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, minus the magic.

From the March/April 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.