The Shadow Prince

In this middle grade solarpunk novel set in an alternate Egyptian universe, twelve-year-old Ash must compete to become the Shadow--and protector—of the prince. FIVE DEADLY TESTS, ONLY ONE SHADOW PRINCE Growing up as an orphan in a remote village in the Egyptian desert, Ash's life is pretty ordinary--sort of. He spends most of his time working in irrigation canals and avoiding bullies, but he is also being secretly trained by his mentor Yazen "for some great purpose." Yazen has never said what that is, until now: the night before Ash's twelfth birthday. According to Yazen, Ash was born on the same day as Prince Khufu, which makes him eligible to compete to be the prince's shadow, a lifelong confidante and bodyguard. Ash doesn't really believe Yazen, but when a floating royal barge, driven by solar-powered sails, arrives to take Ash and his mentor to the bustling, magical, and solar-powered capital, things get real. What awaits Ash is deadly--five days of dangerous tests, each over