A Mysterious Marking

Amara is a young girl of fourteen, living in the land of Kumilaka, where she constantly has to deal with being different. Her world is shaken when she finds out that her little brother, Neo, has been touched. The Morbus Touch, a deadly disease, kills the child before they reach their seventh birthday. Amara is determined to save her brother by finding the cure rumored to be in the Mountains of Emberose. But to do so, she must venture outside the little island she calls home. She will soon learn that the journey will not be free of life-threatening obstacles and shocking encounters. In the midst of it all, Amara will find within herself the power she never knew existed. But will she find the answers she is looking for? And will her bravery be enough to help her through the unforgiving dangers she must face to save her brother?

Taiba Albahrani is a 16-year-old lover of books, writer, and author of the new novel, A Mysterious Marking. The young Emirati author writes fiction as well as prose and poetry. She finished writing her first book while still a student in high school and is on her way to writing more.

While balancing between school and writing, Taiba also enjoys spending her time traveling through the pages of a good book and waiting for her Hogwarts letter to arrive. Some of her other favorite pastimes are scrolling through her Twitter feed and binge-watching Netflix.