Spice Road

Imani is seventeen and already a Shield, a fighter sworn to defend the hidden desert city of Qalia from the monsters of the sands. In Qalia, a magic tea called misra gives drinkers an affinity, and hers is iron. Then her older brother Atheer is caught stealing the nation's spice and vanishes into the Forbidden Wastes, and her family's name goes with him.

When signs suggest Atheer is alive and sharing Qalia's magic with outsiders, Imani sets out across the desert to find him. She is paired with Taha, a beastseer who infuriates her and unsettles her in equal measure, and she must also trust a djinn named Qayn. As the journey pulls her beyond the city's walls, she has to decide where her duty ends and her loyalty to her brother begins.

The first book of the Spice Road trilogy, an Arabian-inspired YA fantasy with a slow first stretch, a faster second half and a romance that grows out of rivalry. It deals with colonialism, forced labour and brutality, so it suits readers comfortable with a darker edge.