

by Karuna Riazi
Publisher: Salaam Reads
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 28th, 2017
Purchase: [Amazon] [Chapters/Indigo]
A trio of friends from New York City find themselves trapped inside a mechanical board game that they must dismantle in order to save themselves and generations of other children in this action-packed debut that’s a steampunk Jumanji with a Middle Eastern flair.
When twelve-year-old Farah and her two best friends get sucked into a mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand—a puzzle game akin to a large Rubik’s cube—they know it’s up to them to defeat the game’s diabolical architect in order to save themselves and those who are trapped inside, including her baby brother Ahmed. But first they have to figure out how.
Under the tutelage of a lizard guide named Henrietta Peel and an aeronaut Vijay, the Farah and her friends battle camel spiders, red scorpions, grease monkeys, and sand cats as they prepare to face off with the maniacal Lord Amari, the man behind the machine. Can they defeat Amari at his own game…or will they, like the children who came before them, become cogs in the machine?
When twelve-year-old Farah and her two best friends get sucked into a mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand—a puzzle game akin to a large Rubik’s cube—they know it’s up to them to defeat the game’s diabolical architect in order to save themselves and those who are trapped inside, including her baby brother Ahmed. But first they have to figure out how.
Under the tutelage of a lizard guide named Henrietta Peel and an aeronaut Vijay, the Farah and her friends battle camel spiders, red scorpions, grease monkeys, and sand cats as they prepare to face off with the maniacal Lord Amari, the man behind the machine. Can they defeat Amari at his own game…or will they, like the children who came before them, become cogs in the machine?

As my first middle grade read of 2017 I was eager to choose something unique, something that was refreshing and new and would breath new life into the world of children's books. The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi, which also happens to be my first read from Simon & Schusters new Salaam Reads imprint, was an absolute must. It checked off everything I was looking for in a book, and after hearing all the pre-release praise from some of my favourite authors, I couldn't wait to instantly dive into it.
"Before she could get an answer, the grave beneath her feet began to open right up, swallowing her whole."
Rating:
5 / 5 Cupcakes
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