The book possesses two strong points: the setting and the main characters. The setting is exactly what I had hoped for when I began to read this book. As a person who finds the history of Egypt extremely interesting, I was glad to see that the author acknowledged this and made sure that the beautiful locations received their justice. The setting felt so powerful throughout the book that it gave the sense that it was a main force in the story along with Salima. Salima is one of the best heroines I have encountered in all my years of reading. Her brave and upfront attitude makes her a character who people can aspire to be like. Moments where her softer and more emotional side shine make her a character who people can grow attached to. Overall, I believe that Salima carried the book the most. The characters by her side — Emilie, Khalil, and Mikal — are also what makes the book enjoyable to read. The balance between these characters performing daring actions and fighting for what is right are balanced with more human interactions (such as the scene where Khalil and Mikal argue). This quality of the characters and how they interact with each other fleshes them out more and makes them actual people rather than heroes alone. However, I believe that Salima’s friends would have benefited with more rounding-out. I believe that there is more to like about these interesting characters. There are some things that made reading less enjoyable. First is the most jarring one, which is the abrupt perspective changes. It often puts a halt in the experience and draws one out of the immersion. While reading, I found that the story was the most interesting when it has Salima and her friends, but moments without them occasionally feel unnecessary. Another aspect that bothered me was the presence of numerous irrelevant characters. As someone who likes to know who is who, trying to keep track of all these people and then having them disappear after a chapter or so was tiring. Perhaps it would have been better if the book was less descriptive about these unimportant characters. Lastly, there are some parts of the book that are dedicated entirely to the geography or appearance of the setting. Although I believe that the canal is an important aspect of the plot, the lengthy descriptions of the mechanics and qualities of the canal, and other parts of the setting, feel drawn out too long. More often than once, I found myself straining to read all of these parts and just hoping that the next portion would have action again. The plot itself is mixed with interesting and non-interesting aspects. Overall, I believe it is strong and compelling enough to keep the reader until the end. Older teenagers to adults would be better suited for this book because of the more complicated stories and intense scenes. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to any person looking for an enjoyable read that features the rich history and culture of Egypt. Salima’s character is what I believe would impact a reader the most.