Tag: nazam anhar

Dragon Hunter by Nazam Anhar

It was close to sunset when he first saw them. Baran was bringing home his goats after a day of grazing on the mountainside. He stopped to look back for one of the stragglers. Then his eye was caught by something in the western sky. Against the golden light of the setting sun there were two small, dark specks hanging high in the air. At first he thought they might be birds – two of the broad-winged vultures that haunted the skies over the mountains.

But as he watched them, he felt something stir in the pit of his stomach – the beginnings of a shapeless fear, a dark instinct that told him they could not be ordinary birds.

It was close to sunset when he first saw them. Baran was bringing home his goats after a day of grazing on the mountainside. He stopped to look back for one of the stragglers. Then his eye was caught by something in the western sky. Against the golden light of the setting sun there were two small, dark specks hanging high in the air. At first he thought they might be birds – two of the broad-winged vultures that haunted the skies over the mountains.

Dragon Hunter

But as he watched them, he felt something stir in the pit of his stomach – the beginnings of a shapeless fear, a dark instinct that told him they could not be ordinary birds.

Baran lives in the mountain village of Shenzing with his mother and siblings. When he spies dragons in the distance heading for his village, he tries to warn the villagers. But Baran is an outcast, and the villagers will not listen. And so the dragons attack. Many villagers are killed, and the village is decimated. The survivors send for the legendary Dragon Warriors, as mysterious as the dragons. Just as they doubted the existence of the dragons, they are not sure the Dragon Warriors even exist. To their surprise however, Hajur, Dragon Warrior, answers their call. But in return for his help, the village must give one of their sons to become a warrior.

Baran’s life has not been a joyful one. His father disappeared leading to speculation about not just his integrity, but the worth of the entire family. And being without a father, Baran lacks many of the skills a father would have passed on. But despite this, he warns the village when they are under attack. The landscape is remote and inhospitable to begin with, and becomes more so as the stakes rise. Baran’s sense of self is fragile, and his ability to trust others has been damaged by repeated bullying, and not just from other children. With the arrival of the dragons, Baran begins his journey from child to man. He learns about strength and forgiveness and how the two are linked. Recommended for mid- to upper-primary readers.

Dragon Hunter, Nazam Anhar Scholastic 2012 ISBN: 9781742830308

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Scrimshaw, by Nazam Anhar

Never will I forget that fine spring day when I first crossed the gangway and set foot on the deck of the barque Pioneer. The Pioneer was a humble ship, but to my young eyes she seemed a marvel. Her three tall masts soared up to the sky, bearing acres of canvas and miles of tangled rigging. Her flag fluttered restlessly from the mainmast, as if she were as impatient as I was to begin her great adventure across the seas. The sailors were working furiously as they prepared to weigh anchor: loading the last items of cargo; scurrying over the deck shouting, cursing and singing; and hoisting themselves up nimbly up to the dizzying heights above to work among the spars and sails.

English boy, Nathan Whitford has just completed his schooling but his family consider him too young for Oxford and he is thrilled when his ship surgeon father convinces his mother that he should spend some time at sea. Nathan sets off with his father in the barque Pioneer. The adventure that follows is nothing he could ever have imagined. They are sailing down the coast of Africa when approached by a pirate ship, captained by the infamous Captain Graham. Graham was once a British Naval captain but a series of events had seen him lose his ship and his family. Now he attacks any British ship he sees. Nathan is taken hostage by Graham. He is presented with a choice: join the pirates or be hung.

Scrimshaw is an adventure in a grand style, told from the point of view of a sixteen year-old boy. Set in the 1700’s, Nathan leaves the security of England and travels into the wild oceans with his father. Nazam Anhar’s betrays a love of the sea and sailing in the detailed depiction of life at sea. His journey is a rite of passage and he faces many challenges once he is taken aboard the pirate ship. Characters reveal themselves gradually, with first impressions sometimes deceiving, sometimes proving true. Nathan is completely beyond any familiar experience and must begin to form his own opinions about who to trust. He must also call upon his own inner resources if he is to survive. A scrimshaw is a carved or etched whale tooth or bone. Recommended for 13+ and all those who wish they could ‘go to sea’.

Scrimshaw

Scrimshaw, Nazam Anhar
Scholastic Press 2009
ISBN: 9781741693386

Also by Nazam Anhar:
Milad: The Voyage to Ophir

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

Milad – The Voyage to Ophir, by Nazam Anhar

‘A storm is coming,’ said the old navigator Hakim.
Milad stood beside him on the deck, feeling the rising wind blow against his face and tousle his hair. The twelve ships of the fleet were drawn out in a long line. Their sails lowered, they rowed slowly through the strait to avoid the treacherous coral reefs below the surface.

Milad has finally convinced his parents to allow him one voyage to sea as a sailor. After that he is to return home to the wheat farm his family run. So begins an adventure greater than anything he has imagined or dreamed about. Milad joins a great Phoenecian fleet about to embark on a great journey to seek treasures to bring to King Solomon. He makes friends with Hakim, an experienced and well-regarded navigator. It is from him that Milad learns many of the skills needed to be a good sailor. They travel towards Ophir in Africa. Renowned sailors though they are, there are others on the ocean. Long before they reach their destination they are attacked by Kallabos, a cunning and tenacious Greek pirate.

Milad: The Voyage to Ophir is set at the time of King Solomon’s reign. Nazam Anhar weaves history and adventure in this exciting novel about a boy’s first journey to sea. Milad, the bright but inexperienced sailor has much to contend with, from a captain who doubts he will ever be of any use, to a stowaway who trusts no one, to Hakim, almost the only one on board who treats him with any dignity. Hakim is teacher, mentor and friend. Battle scenes are detailed, while violence is moderated for the age of the target reader. Along the way, Milad and the reader learn about Phoenician sailors and ships, dangerous coral reefs in the Red Sea, volcanoes in Ethiopia, the power and splendour of the Nile from its dual origins to the wide delta, the building of pyramid, the structure and security of pyramids and much more. There is enough detail to satisfy the curious, enough adventure to excite the explorer and enough detailed skirmishes to satisfy the hungriest of readers. Recommended for mid- to upper primary readers and beyond.

Milad: The Voyage to Ophir, by Nazam Anhar
Scholastic 2008
ISBN: 9781741691153