cover image The City of Sand

The City of Sand

Tianxia Bachang, trans. from the Chinese by Jeremy Tiang. Delacorte, $17.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-553-52410-9

Seventeen-year-old Hu Tianyi has spent years studying the ancient art of feng shui. He and his best friend Kai plan to strike it rich by using his knowledge to locate and plunder the hidden tombs of nobles—a practice known as gold hunting. When Tianyi’s father kicks him out of the house for eschewing college to dabble in supernatural nonsense, Tianyi and Kai travel to Beijing, where they’re hired by legendary archaeologist Professor Chen and an American millionaire, Julie Yang. Julie and the professor need Tianyi’s expertise to help them find the lost city of Jingjue. While crossing the Taklimakan Desert, the group encounters everything from sandstorms to carnivorous ants, but those tribulations are nothing compared to what awaits them in Jingjue. Chinese author Tianxia’s English-language debut is a richly imagined and artfully translated tale of history, adventure, and magic. Coincidences power the plot, but they’re offset by a strong sense of place and a wealth of information about Chinese myth and legend. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jenny Savill, Andrew Nurnberg Associates. (Nov.)