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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Storm Singer
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.sarwatchadda.com/
CITY: London
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
LAST VOLUME: SATA 406
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in England; married; wife’s name Claire; children: daughters.
EDUCATION:Imperial College London, degree (engineering), 1989.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author. Civil engineer, 1989-2008; freelance writer, 2009—. Presenter at schools.
MEMBER:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators—British Isles.
AWARDS:Undiscovered Voices award, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators—British Isles, 2008; Spellbinding Award, 2009; Branford Boase Award shortlist, 2010, for Devil’s Kiss; Outstanding International Books designation, U.S. Board on Books for Young People, 2013.
WRITINGS
Contributor to Grant Morrison’s “18 Days” series for Graphic India.
Devil’s Kiss was adapted for audiobook, narrated by Anna Flosnick, Brilliance Audio, 2009. The Savage Fortress was adapted for audiobook, read by Bruce Mann, Listening Library, 2013.
SIDELIGHTS
A former civil engineer, British writer Sarwat Chadda is the author of several fantasy novels for middle-graders and young adults. Chadda’s interest in the Knights Templar, a Christian military order established during the Middle Ages, informs his companion novels Devil’s Kiss and Dark Goddess, and his “Ash Mistry Chronicles” were inspired by the Ramayana, an epic Indian poem.
Devil’s Kiss introduces Billi SanGreal, a young woman trained by her father, the current leader of the Knights Templar, to join the ancient, secretive organization. While trying to balance schoolwork and a busy social life with bruising battles against the Unholy, the feisty teen faces her greatest challenge when the Archangel Michael unleashes a great evil upon the world. Reviewing Devil’s Kiss in School Library Journal, Alana Joli Abbott noted that “Chadda does an excellent job of drawing on Christian, Jewish, and Muslim folk stories.” A Kirkus Reviews writer deemed the novel “an old-fashioned high-octane horror tale.”
Chadda weaves an ancient Russian legend into his adventurous plot for Dark Goddess, as Billi travels to Eastern Europe on a mission to locate the Spring Child, a powerful oracle. She finds herself opposed by Baba Yaga, who believes that the Spring Child holds the key to starting a devastating Fimbulwinter and who marshals an army of vicious, female werewolves known as Polenitsy. “The action is fast paced and scary, while still allowing time for character development,” Kristin Anderson noted in her appraisal in School Library Journal.
Chadda opens his “Ash Mistry Chronicles” fantasy series with Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress, a middle-grade novel released in North America as The Savage Fortress. Here readers meet Ash Mistry, a thirteen-year-old British schoolboy who finds a powerful gold arrowhead on an ancient battlefield while vacationing in India. Ash’s discovery draws the attention of the nefarious Lord Alexander Savage, a sorcerer disguised as a wealthy adventurer who has assembled a band of rakshashas (demons) to aid him in awakening a dark force. “A classic hero’s quest, this action-packed story has its protagonist making the transformation from portly, brainy everyday kid to courageous, physically strong warrior with relative ease,” noted Kate Quealy-Gainer in her review of The Savage Fortress in the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.
In Ash Mistry and the City of Death (also published as The City of Death ), Ash has now died and been reborn as an instrument of the goddess Kali. He continues his battle with Lord Savage, who is now searching for the mystical and legendary Koh-I-Noor diamond. Ash Mistry and the World of Darkness finds Ash preparing for a particularly monumental battle with Lord Savage that will be waged in a parallel world. According to School Library Journal reviewer Jane Barrer, in the “Ash Mistry Chronicles” novels “Chadda … shows his flair as a storyteller, weaving ancient Hindi mythology into the present-day story of a teenager miserably torn” between everyday concerns and his role as the world’s savior.
Writing as Joshua Khan, the author delivers a middle-grade fantasy trilogy with “Shadow Magic.” The first installment, Shadow Magic, appeared in 2016, featuring an outlaw’s son, Thorn, who is sold to an executioner and together with his new master, Tyburn, heads for the land of the undead, Gehenna, where Thorn fears he will be fed to a vampire. Meanwhile, the young Lily Shadow has become ruler of Gehenna following the murder of her entire family. Her land is surrounded by enemies, and the only way she can protect Gehenna is by employing the dark sorcery her family has long practiced. The problem is, Lily has thus far in her short life been forbidden the practice of magic. It appears Lily will have to flee her home, but with the arrival of Thorn and a sudden death that brings them together, the fortunes of both young characters change. Thorn, it turns out, has skills with animals, taming a giant bat for transport, and Lily begins to accept her own repository of sorcery skills. As this pair works and fights together, they also learn surprising truths about their respective families.
A Kirkus Reviews critic noted that “a kingdom that embraces darkness but not evil is an interesting concept.” Others had a much higher assessment. “Despite the gloomy setting, this book vibrates with hope,” commented Sara-Jo Lupo in a School Library Journal review. Lupo added: “Short chapters filled with action, appealing characters, and cliff-hanger endings make this fantasy the kind of book readers will find hard to put down.”
The series continues with Dream Magic. Now that Lily has managed to save her kingdom by employing ancient magic to open the barrier between the living and the dead, she has her hands full with zombies leaving their graves. To add to this, a troll army is advancing from the north and there is an uprising at her own court because females are forbidden the use of magic. Now Lily and Thorn must again team up to deal with these many threats. An online Kirkus Reviews critic termed this second installment “Gothic repast for connoisseurs of tenebrous tales, dark arts, and black eyeliner.”
The series concludes with Burning Magic, in which Lily and Thorn travel to the Sultanate of Fire for a reunion with an old friend. Instead, they are thrust into the middle of a royal murder and a battle for the throne. Lily discovers alarming truths about her own life while investigating the murder, truths that threaten all she has been able to achieve. Meanwhile, Thorn goes on his own quest to find a phoenix that could save the sultanate. Magic Fiction Since Potter website reviewer Gordon Askew had high praise for this series conclusion, calling it “24 Karat gold children’s entertainment.” Askew added that the novel “is a real crowd pleaser in the very best sense, and should be warmly welcomed by anyone wanting to encourage and support the reading enjoyment of young fantasy fans.” The reviewer further commented: “It has all ingredients that so many children love, and it has them in spades. … To add to the book’s attractiveness there is also plenty of humour, ranging from witty repartee to the debunking of buffoons, and including both farcical antics and running gags. It can by turns be laugh-out-loud funny and delightfully clever.”
Writing under his own name, Chadda offers more mythology-based thrills with City of the Plague God. Sikander Aziz is thirteen, the son of Iraqi refugees who have built a successful deli in Manhattan. Sik works in the deli, trying to put the death of his older brother, Mo, out of his mind. The deli is attacked by the Mesopotamian plague god, Negal, who is seeking a stolen treasure. This attack unleashes a deadly plague on the city, and Sik’s parents become its first patients, isolated now in a hospital ward. Sik takes matters into his own hands, teaming up with Mo’s friend Daoud, his own friend Belet, her adoptive mother, the goddess Ishtar, and Gilgamesh. Together they will battle Negal to save the city.
“Chadda brings attention to the less well-recognized mythology of ancient Mesopotamia with engaging humor and wit,” noted a Kirkus Reviews critic, who added: “Dialogue between characters, most of whom are Iraqi and Iraqi American, allows exploration of heavier topics of Islamophobia, anti-Arabism, and terrorist and Orientalist tropes to be inserted with ease.” The critic described it as “well paced and witty.” Writing in School Library Journal, Lisa Goldstein also had praise for City of the Plague God, noting: “This is a lush read with high appeal, full of apocalyptic drama, fight scenes, and stomach-churning descriptions of Nergal and his band of demons, balanced with Sik’s dry humor and a cast of quirky, vivid characters. … Featuring gods and goddesses and, importantly, Muslim heroes, this … tale eerily echoes our pandemic present; but readers will find escape in the entertaining balance of an apocalyptic setting with irreverent humor.” In a Horn Book interview with Roger Sutton, Chadda commented on his use of mythology for inspiration: “For me, it actually goes back to ‘write what you love.’ I want to share my enthusiasm and passion for any mythology so people will take it in a positive way. People may take it in a negative way, but that’s always going to be out of the control of any author. … I had a very peripheral understanding of Mesopotamia myth. All these stories from the Old Testament and other aspects of Western civilization all came out of Mesopotamia. One of the great things about mythologies is seeing how well all the dots start connecting, and you realize, ‘Oh wow, that’s just that story again, but for a different people, in a different setting.’”
Chadda released the follow-up novel to City of the Plague God, Fury of the Dragon Goddess, in 2023. Sik returns with his friends as they must seek the tablet of destinies and fend off an evil god who requires the tablet for their own apocalyptic ends. In London, Sik and Rabisu meet up with Mo’s friend Daoud, who used to work in the deli, but is now a supermodel. Belet, a warrior from the first book, also makes an appearance, joining the group at an auction where they intend to acquire the tablet. Things go awry during the auction when Lugal, an evil-minded deity, attempts to steal the tablet, but not before Sik uses the tablet, inadvertently, to bring Mo back to life. This throws the entire timeline into disarray. To make matters worse, when Lugal later steals the tablet the time line frays more and more. Lugal hopes to resurrect the dragon goddess of chaos known as Tiamat. Lugal hopes to bring the world to destruction. In Kirkus Reviews a contributor wrote, “Chadda excels in this action-packed adventure” and concluded that Fury of the Dragon Goddess is “an epic tale that contains multitudes.” When asked in an interview with Matt Imrie on the Teen Librarian website whether or not there would be more books for Sik and friends, Chadda responded, “Oh, I have SUCH PLANS! I am literally waiting for the publisher to give the okay to go public. So much of publishing is waiting.;”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, October 16, 2009, Ilene Cooper, review of Devil’s Kiss, p. 59.
Books for Keeps, March, 2012, Clive Barnes, review of Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, January, 2013, Kate Quealy-Gainer, review of The Savage Fortress, p. 237.
Guardian (London, England), July 18, 2009, review of Devil’s Kiss.
Horn Book Guide, fall, 2011, Natasha Gilmore, review of Dark Goddess, p. 376; spring, 2013, April Spisak, review of The Savage Fortress, p. 66; spring, 2014, April Spisak, review of The City of Death, p. 71.
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2009, review of Devil’s Kiss; September 1, 2013, review of The City of Death; February 1, 2016, review of Shadow Magic; November 1, 2020, review of City of the Plague God; May 15, 2023, review of Fury of the Dragon Goddess.
Publishers Weekly, September 7, 2009, review of Devil’s Kiss, p. 48.
School Library Journal, November, 2009, Alana Joli Abbott, review of Devil’s Kiss, p. 101; February, 2011, Kristin Anderson, review of Dark Goddess, p. 102; January, 2013, Jane Barter, review of The Savage Fortress, p. 99; January, 2014, Jane Barrer, review of The City of Death, p. 95; 2016, Sara-Jo Lupo, review of Shadow Magic, p. 83; 2020, Lisa Goldstein, review of City of the Plague God, p. 57.
Voice of Youth Advocates, February, 2011, Kathleen Beck, review of Dark Goddess, p. 568.
ONLINE
Anita Loughrey blog, https://anitaloughrey.blog/ (February 10, 2020), “An interview with … Sarwat Chadda.”
Ash Mistry website, http://www.ashmistry.com/ (January 6, 2021).
Greenhouse Literary Agency website, https://www.greenhouseliterary.com/ (November 6, 2023), author interview.
Horn Book, https://www.hbook.com/ (December 16, 2020), Roger Sutton, “Sarwat Chadda Talks with Roger.”
Joshua Khan website, http://www.joshuakhan.com (July 1, 2017).
Kirkus Reviews, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (February 4, 2017), review of Dream Magic.
Magic Fiction Since Potter, http://magicfictionsincepotter.blogspot.com/ (May 11, 2018), Gordon Askew, review of Burning Magic.
Sarwat Chadda website, https://sarwatchadda.com (November 6, 2023).
Teen Librarian, http://teenlibrarian.co.uk/ (August 17, 2023), Matt Imrie, author interview.*
Hello!
Okay, I spent twenty years working as an engineer before making the leap into the world of writing. There have been ups and downs, but even now, fifteen years later, I LOVE IT. My passions are for fantasy and high adventure, mixing myths and legends into the real world. I've travelled a lot, so often try and bring my experiences into my work. I visited Russia when I wrote about Russian mythology, India when I did the Ash Mistry series, and so on. I live in London, so know my way around castles!
Yeah, they feature quite a bit.
Getting out and about!
Where to begin? If you're interested in me doing events, school visits or otherwise, do contact my publicist, Crystal McCoy. I love talking about writing, mythology and the wonderful worlds of fantasy! I've been at it for fifteen years so do have a few pieces of advice about the craft, the industry, and everything inbetween.
For rights for any of my work, the best person to contact is my agent, Chelsea Eberly, at Greenhouse Literary Agency.
Otherwise there's a Contact Me page, or give me a shout via Twitter or Instagram. I'm not the best at social media, but I do try!
And a bit more...
Gaming. I'm old school table-top. I started with Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (1st Edition) and never looked back. I still run my group Weds evenings (hooray for online platforms!) and that got me through Lockdown. I'm usually the GM and, frankly, there's no better and fun way to learn about storytelling than running a rpg. That was how I did it. Other than that, what's there to say? I have two grown up kids, one's as keen on gaming as I am, the other's into model-making in a big way. We've got a cat that demands all our attention at all times and my wife's the sensible one. She tells me where I'm going wrong and whether that chapter REALLY needs rewriting...
Sarwat Chadda
Sarwat Chadda is a New York Times bestselling author of MG and YA who loves writing fantasy and adventure.
SARWAT CHADDA is a New York Times bestselling, Indie bestselling, and Publishers Weekly Frontlist bestselling author of the City of the Plague God duology, the Spiritstone Saga, the Ash Mistry trilogy, the Shadow Magic trilogy (under penname Joshua Khan), and the Devil’s Kiss duology, as well as works with Star Wars, 39 Clues, Spirit Animals, and Minecraft. Sarwat is a first-generation Muslim immigrant of South Asian descent who loves writing over-the-top adventures. His work has received numerous starred reviews, is a Goodreads Choice Best Middle Grade Award Nominee, and is an Amazon Best Book of the Year winner. He has been published in over a dozen languages. Outside of novels, he’s written plays, comic books and tv shows, including The Legend of Hanuman for Disney Hotstar. Sarwat lives in London, UK.
Feel free to drop him a line on Twitter at @sarwatchadda, Instagram at @sarwat_chadda, and visit him at sarwatchadda.com.
Sarwat is represented by Chelsea Eberly.
Author Interview
When and how did you start writing?
I’ve dabbled for years, but never done anything serious, but then in 2004 a friend suggested I try my hand at writing a proper story. That night DEVIL’S KISS was born.
I wrote pretty much every night for about three years before entering the Undiscovered Voices competition with what was probably my fifth or sixth draft by then.
Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? Who were your childhood storytelling heroes?
I loved THE HOBBIT. I still do. It was read to me at primary school and I was converted. I ploughed through Greek mythology, then Norse, then Celtic, The Arabian Nights and more recently Hindu myths.
I read the Willard Price adventure series and moved, as you do, into fantasy as a teen. The Conan books were probably the biggest influence as they were light on myth, deep on scene setting, and blood raw on action. Then Moorcock and the entire ETERNAL CHAMPION series. I have a thing for melancholy, brooding heroes. Then somewhat belatedly I turned back to Tolkien with LORD OF THE RINGS.
Can you talk us through the writing of your first book? What were the key moments?
I wrote my first draft of DEVIL'S KISS filled with enthusiasm and no knowledge. The key moment was finishing it - 100,000 words, most of them rubbish.
I had my first book. It was then that I realized I could become a writer. It’s fulfilling the commitment to write and produce a book that's so important - writing THE END to something. Then I was roundly, and rightly, rejected. Not a problem. I wrote another. Then another. I took classes and entered competitions. I’d decided not to submit to agents until I had won a few, seeing that as my best way of keeping off the slush-pile.
I entered the Cornerstones WOW Factor competition and then, almost by chance, the SCBWI Undiscovered Voices competition.
I was shortlisted on the WOW Factor and one of the winners with SCBWI. It was this that proved to be the turning point, though I didn’t know it at the time.
Meeting Sarah was the next key moment, but the one I knew was going to change my life was when DEVIL'S KISS went to auction. That was the moment I knew I could quit my day job and become a full-time writer.
Now, a year later, I can honestly say that it’s exceeded my expectations big time.
Was it hard to get an agent? Can you talk us through the process?
I was roundly rejected with my first attempts of writing, and quite rightly so. They were pretty bad. But I made a very conscious decision then to avoid agents and not submit. Agents say that if you write well and have a great story, THEY WILL FIND YOU. That is true. And one way they find you is via competitions.
I wrote for two years solidly, 10pm till midnight, on draft after draft after draft of DEVIL’S KISS. Not rewrites or polishes, but chuck it all in the bin and start again.
So when Sarah called to meet me, I was very anxious, especially as the story she’d read I had subsequently dumped in the bin. I warned her that the new version was pretty extreme and (though I didn’t tell her this at the time) had been violently rejected by a couple of agents as being (and I quote) ‘poisonous and no bookseller, parent or librarian would let a child touch it'.
So thank god Sarah liked it! Still, she wanted it rewritten (keeping the poisonous and vile bits) and that’s what I did.
Describe your writing day. Where do you write? How do you organize your time? Where do you look for inspiration?
I drop the kids off at school and then go straight into the writing. I try and do all the first draft and rewriting in the morning, whilst I’m fresh, and leave the paperwork and correspondence to the afternoon. That’s not rigid but gives me a structure to work with. I try and not write over the weekends, but will do some work Sunday evening (for example this interview), usually stuff I’ve promised to others like interviews or articles.
I’ve taken to writing at my local cafe. Firstly, they don’t have WiFi, so I’m not distracted by idle websurfing or YouTube. I like the background activity. I have a study, but can’t be in it all day - it’s just too dull. I’ve spent most of my life in open-plan offices so can tune out pretty easily.
Inspiration usually comes from places and history. Mythology and religion play a big part in my stories. They are the fundamental blocks on which our world’s cultures have been built.
And real life, of course. Billi wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for my daughters and my role as a parent. DEVIL’S KISS wouldn’t exist if not for my visit to an intensive care unit for babies. All these things tumble around in my brain, and my work is tying them into something that has structure, some sort of meaning.
Are there any tips you could give aspiring writers who are looking to get published?
Write and write and write. Chuck it away and start again. But finish whatever you start.
Accept rejection and learn the craft. It does not come naturally and putting sentences on a page does not equal writing. The harder you are on yourself, the easier agents and publishers will be.
Avoid autobiographical works! Ultimately all characters reflect the writer, but don’t do it in a way that’s obvious, and it usually will be.
Can you describe three aspects of writing craft that have been most important as you’ve developed as an author?
Rewrites. Be prepared for them. Some are very big and you’ll wonder if you can incorporate changes and ideas that have come from your editors. Remember you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t do it. Have confidence in your abilities.
Don’t get over-confident, and take advice!
Which favourite authors would you invite to a dinner party? What fictional character do you wish you’d invented?
It’s a dinner party so you’d have to invite Oscar Wilde. THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY is one of my favourites.
Mikhail Bulgakov. I’ve only just discovered him but OMG. Insane. He comes across as a very cool cat.
Phillip Pullman. I entered the world of children’s fiction through HIS DARK MATERIALS. He’s probably the main reason I became a writer.
I wish I’d invented Bilbo Baggins. THE HOBBIT is the most perfectly formed children’s book ever.
Sarwat Chadda
UK flag
Sarwat Chadda was the winner of the SCWBI 'Undiscovered Voices' new writers' competition in 2008 with an early draft of Devil's Kiss. He was brought up a Muslim and is married to a vicar's daughter - his writing reflects both these elements. Sarwat lives in London.
Genres: Children's Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction
New and upcoming books
July 2025
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Tariq and the Nightmare Kingdom
(Spiritstone Saga, book 3)April 2026
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Crow's Revenge
(Storm Singer, book 2)
Series
Devil's Kiss
1. Devil's Kiss (2009)
2. Dark Goddess (2010)
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Ash Mistry Chronicles
1. The Savage Fortress (2012)
2. The City of Death (2013)
3. The World of Darkness (2013)
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Templar Chronicles
1. The Templar's Daughter (2020)
2. The Templar's Witch (2020)
3. The Templar's Curse (2021)
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Sik and the Dragon Goddess
1. City of the Plague God (2021)
2. Fury of the Dragon Goddess (2023)
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Spiritstone Saga
1. Tariq and the Drowning City (2024)
2. Tariq and the Temple of Beasts (2024)
3. Tariq and the Nightmare Kingdom (2025)
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Storm Singer
1. The Storm Singer (2025)
2. Crow's Revenge (2026)
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Series contributed to
39 Clues: Doublecross
4. Mission Atomic (2016)
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Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts
8. The Dragon's Eye (2018)
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Rick Riordan Presents
City of the Plague God (2021)
Fury of the Dragon Goddess (2023)
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Star Wars
Stories of Jedi and Sith (2022) (with others)
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Minecraft
Castle Redstone (2022)
Q&A: Sarwat Chadda, Author of ‘Storm Singer’
Elise Dumpleton·Writers Corner·May 12, 2025·4 min read
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We chat with author Sarwat Chadda about Storm Singer, which is a thrilling middle grade fantasy about a girl with the magical power to control the elements with her song.
Hi, Sarwat! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m a Brit, of South-Asian descent, and Muslim upbringing which, if you read any of my books, tends to be magic factors in my work!
I’ve been published since 2009, and written novels, comic books, tv shows and podcasts. But well before all that I worked as an engineer in the construction industry for almost 20 years.
I tend to write big fantasy novels, and that’s probably because all my years spent playing Dungeons and Dragons. Yup, I’m an old-school gamer.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I have a really strong memory of sitting in a classroom, looking at the trees outside our window, while the teacher read the opening of THE HOBBIT. I must have been 6-7 years old.
Then as I grew more confident in reading, by my early teens I got into the RE Howard CONAN novels, and fantasy in general. I also started writing my own adventures, sort of. It all comes back to Dungeons and Dragons, again. You can either buy prewritten adventures, but I didn’t really have the money to do that, or write your own, which is what i ended up doing. There are more than a few authors who started off the same way.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
The first book you ever remember reading: The Early Reader story of Jason and the Argonauts.
The one that made you want to become an author: Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights.
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: DUNE, by Frank Herbert.
Your latest novel, Storm Singer, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Prince and peasant fight tyranny.
What can readers expect?
A wild mix of fantasy I promise you’ve not come across before! I created a whole new magic mythology for the book, our heroine has to enchant the different spirits with song, and each spirit has its own unique personality. Then I’ve taken the core mythology from India and the tales of the Garuda, a man-eagle hero who serves the god Vishnu, and created a whole society of them. Finally, added a dash of Arabian Nights because… why not?
Where did the inspiration for Storm Singer come from?
Wanting to create a fantasy world that wasn’t European. The irony is traditional fantasy with its castles, dragons and elves doesn’t feel fantastical anymore. Plus I had a really strong mental image of a small peasant girl, who uses a crutch. The strength of her was what intrigued me. The look in her eyes was one of pure defiance. She was going to be trouble, and it was going to be glorious. Thus Nargis, the Storm Singer, was born.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I love writing sparky dialogue! To make that work you need strong personalities, ones who don’t compromise! I loved writing Mistral, so noble, so heroic, so pompous. So he was always at loggerheads with Nargis who is down to earth, cynical, with no respect for Mistral, despite him being a prince. Getting them to go from enemies, to reluctant allies, to closest friends who would give their lives for the other was a great, but amazing, challenge.
See also
Q&A: Natalie Sue, Author of ‘I Hope This Finds You Well’
Can you tell us a bit about your process when it came to worldbuilding for Storm Singer?
It starts with an image usually, or a scene. I just saw Nargis very clearly, an wanted to find out more about her. I could tell she lived in the desert, in a society that reflected medieval India. BUT I also wrote it after Covid, and has seen how the disparity of wealth had affected how different groups managed things like lockdowns. There was also the growing awareness of the amount of resources the extremely wealthy consume, and that too fed into the story. The fantasy genre is just a tool. In the end all stories are about us, as people, as a society.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Keeping up the enthusiasm, page after page, day after day, for months, can become hard. The best thing to do is take a break, work on something completely different, and not rush. Fortunately the love of the characters and the world bring you back.The other bg challenge is when your book takes up in a totally unexpected direction, and then you just grit your teeth and enjoy the ride!
What’s next for you?
The sequel, THE CROW’S REVENGE. You meet Sickle in Storm Singer. She was only meant to be a small character, a threat to heroes, but she started taking over every scene she was in. She is a crow garuda with three blades instead of a left foot, and the kingdom’s greatest assassin. She’s an utter badass. It’ll be out April 2026.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
Where to begin? Okay, not new, but new to me. Charlie Huston’s novels featuring Joe Pitt, a vampire detective. Then Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (been saving that for the summer!) and Pat Barker’s Voyage Home. Finally Tom Holland’s latest Rome history book, Pax. Because I think about the Roman Empire a lot.
nterview with Sarwat Chadda, Author of STORM SINGER
Summary
Michael M.Jones interviews Sarwat Chadda about his new Middle Grade fantasy, Storm Singer.
In Storm Singer, twelve-year-old Nargis, who has the ability to communicate with elementals, is caught up in an epic struggle for the fate of the land of Bharat after she encounters Mistral, prince of the eagle garudas who rule over the kingdom. He’s on the run after a coup which imprisoned his parents. Nargis reluctantly agrees to aid him, thus setting the unlikely allies on a dangerous adventure.
The cover of the book Storm Singer. A girl with a crutch and a bird-like boy with wings pose against a storm.
MUF: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Storm Singer is a fascinating story, and I’m excited to learn more. What inspired this story? What elements led to the creation of the world and the characters?
SC: Nargis inspired it. I wanted a hero that represented the weakest and the most downtrodden, and show how someone like her can rise up and overthrow a tyranny. Ultimately what inspired it was the awareness of how unjust the world is, that it is overflowing with resources, and yet those resources are horded by the few. I wanted to write about climate change, but in a fresh way, and fancied creating a cool magic system!
MUF: While taking place in a secondary world, Storm Singer invokes the Arabian Nights and Hindu mythology in the form of the birdlike garudas. Can you tell us more about your use of folklore and myth, and how you adapted it for this tale?
SC: I wanted to create a whole fantasy world that was entirely eastern, but not too bound to one setting or another, hence mixing Indian mythology with the Arabian Nights. Plus I wanted to fill the tale with magic that didn’t owe anything to western/European fantasy. Ironically the concept of elves, dwarves, knights, dragons, etc are now so common they no longer feel ‘fantastical’. I wanted to bring that feeling of the weird and wonderful back, hence creatures like garudas and rocs.
MUF: Courtesy of a childhood accident, Nargis now uses a crutch to walk. What can you tell us about this aspect of her character?
SC: There’s not much to tell. It is just part of who she is. I took a lot of advice on how to portray her in a matter-of-fact, day to day way. Thematically it magnified the difference between her and Mistral, who can after all fly but is, for the most of the story, trapped on the ground as well.
MUF: You like to travel and to incorporate your experiences into your work. Did any of that come into play with Storm Singer? What sort of research or references did you use in developing this?
SC: I recently went to Morocco, so that will flavour the writing. But the main theme, the vast gap between those with wealth and power and those without, comes from the news, and just seeing what the world is. Covid certainly exposed many injustices between the classes, and that inspired Nargis’s story. The garudas in many ways represent the 1%, those rich enough to ignore the troubles of the world, while often being responsible for them.
MUF: What do you hope readers will take away from this story?
SC: Two things, love of the characters, and the awareness of injustice.
MUF: You’ve released 16 books in 16 years. How do you maintain such an impressive output in so many different genres and themes?
SC: I always say ‘yes’! Ask any freelancer and they’ll all tell you the same thing. You don’t turn down work. Themes come as you write, often they’re based on what’s happening in the world, but viewed through the distorted lens of fantasy. My first novel, Devil’s Kiss (2009), was written in response to the Iraq War and Storm Singer was heavily influenced by Covid, and the disparity between the haves and have nots. On top of the novels I’ve written Legend of Hanuman and Baahubali: The Lost Tales for Disney Hotstar and Amazon in India, about 12 seasons all in all. Now that I’ve been around quite a bit I do get editors approaching me with projects, and recently I’ve got jobs based on pitches and sample chapters, rather than having to write the whole thing. There are times when I do get burnt out, I must admit. But in the end I really like writing. There are so many different stages of the process. Research, first drafts, revisions, getting the cover art!
MUF: You’ve said that the best way to learn storytelling is to play role-playing games. Can you expand on that thought? What other advice would you give fledgling writers?
SC: RPGs are pure story-telling. I wrote my own adventures for years for our group, I still do. You can use them as testing grounds to your plots! Also, you have a live audience, your players. You can see what works and what doesn’t. They will ruthlessly exploit any plot holes! My other advice is FINISH. There are no more important words in a manuscript than ‘The End’.
MUF: You wrote a fantastic, apocalyptic Mesopotamian myth-inspired duology, The Adventures of Sik Aziz,for Rick Riordan Presents. What was it like working with that imprint, and is there any chance you’ll do more with them?
SC: IT WAS AWESOME! Rick and I had crossed paths previously, he was an early fan of my Ash Mistry trilogy and a huge supporter of my work throughout, plus we shared an editor, so there was a lot of overlap prior to being invited to join. I knew I wanted to write a Muslim protagonist, but the Arabian Nights angle had been done to death. The whole RRP gang are a great bunch, I’ve never felt such camaraderie amongst writers before. First time in my life I got to hang out with the ‘cool kids’. I do have something coming up soon, not quite RR-related, but VERY CLOSELY connected!
MUF: What’s next for you? Do you have anything else planned for the world or the heroes of this book?
SC: The sequel, The Crow’s Revenge! Oh, Sickle, my beloved crow assassin from the first book, has not finished with Nargis quite yet.
MUF: Bonus question: You’ve expressed a love of dragons as “boss-level creatures.” Which dragon from any aspect of literature, myth, or popular culture is your favorite?
SC: Easy! Tiamat! The goddess of chaos from Mesopotamian mythology out of whose corpse the universe was created. And, cough cough, the big bad in my novel, Fury of the Dragon Goddess…
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Headshot of author Sarwat Chadda, a dapper bald man of medium age
Sarwat Chadda is the New York Times bestselling author of the City of the
Plague God duology, the Spiritstone Saga, the Ash Mistry trilogy, the Shadow
Magic trilogy, and the Devil’s Kiss duology. He has written for Star Wars and
Minecraft as well as the 39 Clues and Spirit Animals series. Sarwat is a first
generation Muslim immigrant of South Asian descent who loves writing over
the-top adventures. His work has received numerous starred reviews and was a
Goodreads Choice Best Middle Grade Award Nominee. He has been published
in over a dozen languages. Outside of novels, he’s written plays, comic books,
and TV shows, including The Legend of Hanuman for Disney+ Hotstar. Sarwat lives in
London. Feel free to drop him a line on X (previously known as Twitter) at @SarwatChadda
and Instagram at @Sarwat_Chadda or visit him at SarwatChadda.com.
Chadda, Sarwat STORM SINGER Simon & Schuster (Children's None) $17.99 4, 15 ISBN: 9781665962445
A fierce girl finds her voice in order to fight for justice in a drought-ravaged kingdom.
This full-speed-ahead fantasy pits 12-year-old Nargis against the garudas, half-human, half-bird rulers of the magical kingdom of Bharat. After her parents are killed and she's banished from her home in Lalpani, Nargis and her best friend, Arjuna, rescue a young injured garuda, an act that ensnares them in an epic battle against the evil usurper of the throne: Shamshir, brutal vulture garuda and traitor to the maharajah. The crutch Nargis uses (due to a leg injury sustained when she was 6) proves to be more than a physical mobility aid as she seeks the gift of her family lineage, mastering the powers of spirit singing to join deposed prince Mistral in saving their world from political and environmental dangers. Nargis and Arjuna fall in with sky pirates, rocs, and a mysterious palace singer named Chand-ka-Roshni, adding to Chadda's central message that when united, a populace may prevail even over a totalitarian ruler who's hellbent on returning to oligarchic ways. Snappy dialogue, fabulous beasts, moments of tenderness, and nonstop action make this a page-turning delight, especially for readers interested in Indian culture and history. The final pages suggest a sequel.
A gripping tale that's ideal for lovers of mythological fantasies. (map)(Fantasy. 8-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Chadda, Sarwat: STORM SINGER." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A825128378/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b354ae6f. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Storm Singer
Sarwat Chadda, illus. by Virginia Allyn.
Simon & Schuster, $18.99 (368p)
ISBN 978-1-6659-6244-5
Like her late parents before her, 12-year-old Nargis is a storm singer, capable of manipulating natural elements through song. But after she loses control of her powers during a critical moment, she is exiled. In the desert beyond her village, she meets eagle garuda Mistral, a winged warrior of the ruling class that floats above the kingdom of Alamut's Earthbound citizens. Mistral claims he is on a mission to reinstate his father as king following a coup by garuda warrior Shamshir. Believing the garuda responsible for her parents' deaths, Nargis is reluctant to help him, until she learns that Shamshir intends to enslave Earthbound peoples. Now Nargis and Mistral must work together to defeat Shamshir, and as their unlikely friendship blossoms, they uncover a shared history. Nargis's witty first-person narration teems with humor and a palpable devotion to obtaining freedom and justice for her people. The effects of the caste system on Alamut are empathetically rendered in this fast-paced adventure by Chadda (Fury of the Dragon Goddess). Includes chapter openers and an intricately detailed map by Allyn (Night Night, Ocean). Ages 8-12. Author's agent: Chelsea Eberley, Greenhouse Literary. (Apr.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Storm Singer." Publishers Weekly, vol. 272, no. 6, 10 Feb. 2025, p. 47. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A828300589/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7cf99a8b. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Tariq and the Drowning City by Sarwat Chadda
Book Review
Orchard Books
Absolutely cracking tale.
Squarely aimed at pre-teens, this is enjoyable for all ages, especially those of us who like fantasy but don’t want to read three pages of description of the lead character’s armour.
Tariq is a seer but doesn’t know it yet. He’s haunted by strange dreams, lately one about a drowning city. Nani, his only family, listens to him and knows his gift but helps him keep it silent. In their modern world, seers are thought of as troublemakers to be gotten rid of. A type of person who should be put to death for practising magic.
With him in this tale are two others: Artos, who comes from a wealthy family but elects to join the guard despite his family’s wishes and Livia, an artificer who creates new machines for the benefit of the city and also for her own future wealth.
There is an assorted list of background characters, too, some of whom give a surprising edge to the story as it unfolds.
As the story begins, Tariq’s tribe has to leave its river home due to severe pollution, making their way to Ethrial, like many other tribes before them. The city is the centre of the world and is famed for its trade and inventions. The canals that run through the city lead to the ocean, and it is this ocean that Tariq has seen engulfing the city and destroying it with a huge tidal wave. He recognises the sea wall and the bell tower as they approach the sea gates that are designed to protect the city in the event of a tidal wave or other serious storm.
We get a glimpse of Tariq’s ability early on when he tries to escape the city guard, and this event puts him in front of Artos and Livia. Within a few hours, they have been kidnapped by an underworld criminal who seems to want to help them in return for getting a spiritstone, one of three that once brought harmony to the planet.
Tariq makes a deal with this criminal in order to help his family, who have now, after Nani’s collapse in the city, been removed to an external island for fear of a plague.
The three main characters have to face fears and learn about themselves while getting help from some surprising quarters. There is very little violence in it, but plenty of suspense and some mild terror. There are expected and unexpected twists and turns as the tale reaches its climax with the tidal wave Tariq saw in his dreams about to engulf the city and destroy it.
Given that this is the first of three books, I’m not giving anything away when I say the city survives. The aftermath of the event is at once surprising, but not mainly due to the wonderful writing, the preparation of the characters, and the story itself.
All in all, this a tense, well written book that children who love adventure will enjoy as will those of us who like a good yarn.