The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming: Book II of the Brotherhood of the Conch
By Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Roaring Brook Press, 2005



Review by Pooja Makhijani
From Kahani Spring 2006

Watch out Harry, Ron, and Hermione! Anand and Nisha are going to take you an adventure you’ll never forget. In The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming (Roaring Brook Press, 2005), the fun, funny, fantastic sequel to The Conch Bearer, 12-year-old boy-magician, Anand, and his sassy sidekick, Nisha, return for a new journey through time and place to battle evil.

In Book I, learned healer Master Abhaydatta invites Anand to join him on a quest to return a magical conch to its safe and rightful home in Silver Valley, high in the Himalayas. In Book II, Anand sets off on another adventure, this time to rescue Abhaydatta. He convinces the conch to create a magic gateway that he and Nisha can use to appear by Abhaydatta’s side. Unfortunately, Anand, Nisha, and the conch are separated and Anand is thrown back in time to an ancient Bengal of the 1600s and 1700s. There, he encounters a wicked sorcerer, a spoiled princess (who at first glance seems mighty familiar), noble warriors, and evil djinns.

Ms. Banerjee Divakaruni has clearly been inspired by other books and writers. The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming is full of characters drawn from Eastern and Western mythology. Fantasy enthusiasts will see a little bit of J.R.R. Tolkein, Ursula Le Guin, and J.K. Rowling here and there. Fairy tale fans might find Arabian Nights and The Brothers Grimm in the mix.

The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming is a page turner of a novel. Readers will appreciate the fast-paced plot, humorous dialog, and the delightful historical details scattered throughout the book. They will also root for determined Anand as he makes his way through an unfamiliar world, and discovers what is good and what is evil.

Will Anand defeat the sorcerer, find the conch, and return safely to Silver Valley? You’ll just have to read to find out. And what’s next for Anand and Nisha? Ms. Banerjee Divakaruni has a third installment of the Brotherhood of the Conch in the works. Fans just can’t wait!