Milad: The Voyage to Ophir (Nazam Anhar, Scholastic, $17.99 pb, ISBN 9781741691153, May) ***

Nazam Anhar’s first novel is a historical adventure set in the ancient Near East. Milad is a young Phoenician farm boy who longs for adventure. He is sent to sea by his family to earn an income during a drought. The crew he joins are bound to Ophir in Africa, to trade for jewels on behalf of King Solomon. Milad befriends the wise navigator Hakim, who becomes his mentor and ally. The fleet battles wild storms, high seas, and the tenacious Greek pirate Kallabos. The novel emphasises the action and adventure aspects of the story. All of the things you would expect are here: pirates, treasure, a stowaway, shipwrecks, battles, treachery, and an astonishingly persistent villain. Anhar uses the historical setting to good effect, while keeping it in the background of the story. Through Hakim, he comments on the cultures and societies Milad encounters in his voyages. Through Milad’s eyes, we see his world—the art of navigation, the importance of trade, geography, the great civilisations of Egypt and Israel, and even King Solomon himself. Milad: The Voyage to Ophir is a fast-paced read for adventure fans who like a dash of history, aged nine and up.

Heath Graham is a teacher and a bookseller at A&R Doncaster

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

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