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Enter the world of Muqadas, where the climb to the top of this vertically stacked city—away from disease-ridden waters of the lower levels—is paved with betrayal, secrets, and rebellion in this debut graphic novel from author Son M. and artist Robin Yao.
Lifelong friends Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah have carved out a place for themselves in their corner of Muqadas, where they dream of climbing from their place in the city's lowest level, above the limb-snatching, disease-infested waters, to the very top of their vertical city. Young inventors who've seen firsthand the havoc the Habar infection causes set out to dazzle the masses with their innovative prosthetics and escape the dangers of Lake Saha.
When their inventions catch the eye of a scout who is on the hunt for new talent to bring to the higher tiers, their dreams are suddenly within reach. But as the wonders of the upper tiers enchant, Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah begin to question why the bounty of Muqadas falls short of reaching Lake Saha's inhabitants.
Behind the beauty of the city's upper tiers lie dark and dangerous secrets—ones that threaten not only everything they've worked for but everyone they love. And when Mustafa and Aarfah are cast away for their allegiance to Lake Saha, Basem is faced with the difficult choice: Fight to bring justice to all of Muqadas? Or abandon his friends and fall in line to achieve everything he's ever dreamed of?
"This story, which features an ethnically diverse cast in a world infused with North African and Islamic cultural elements, as well as meaningful queer and disabled representation, explores complex themes around inequality paired with compelling art. Introspective and insightful, with eclectic characters who burst through the narrative." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"[A] fantastic example of Muslim futurism. Readers will finish this tale wishing to know more about the intriguing world of Muqadas, and perhaps be inspired to bring their own sf world to life in a comic." —Booklist
"It's an engaging and nuanced read with much to offer." —Publishers Weekly
"A profound journey, one that will have us laughing, shedding tears, and longing to be part of the warmth of their friendship." —Sweeney Boo, author of Over My Dead Body
"A delightful read, masterfully realized by its two creators." —Michelle Wong, illustrator of The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire
"Science fiction at its best reflects our lives in tangible ways, and Thief of the Heights takes the concerns of real young people seriously." —Jessi Zabarsky, author of Witchlight and Coming Back
This information about Thief of the Heights was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Son M. is an Algerian Amazigh Muslim writer who enjoys creating narratives in both prose and visual mediums. She specializes in horror, science fiction, action, thriller, and mystery. Son's very passionate about comics, games, and animation, leading her to create stories in all three mediums. She draws her power from the Sun. You can find her work being published by Dark Horse, DC Comics, Vault Comics, and more. Visit her online at theboglands.com.
Robin Yao is a queer Chinese American illustrator who loves to tell stories through environments and world-building—the rich narrative that fills the negative space around the characters in impactful and subtle ways—be it in games, animation, comics, or just about any visual medium that exists out there. Oh, and they have a penchant for horror. See their work at robinyao.com.
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