"This is the story of sixteen-year-old Khadija, who flees her home in a stolen hot air balloon to escape life in an arranged marriage. Khadija loves the ancient tales of jinn and renegade princesses... but real life is closing in and her destiny as a ghadŁ̆ʼ girl is marriage and boredom. When her father arranges a match, Khadija leaps at the chance of escape - a rogue hot air balloon fighting its ropes for the sky. Soon, Khadija is flying over the desert sands, away from everything she knows. Khadija finds an unlikely ally in a poor young glassmaker's apprentice, Jacob. But soon, a deadly revolution threatens their friendship and their world. The oppressed, pale-skinned h?ri are restless - their infamous terrorist group, the H?reef, have a new, fearsome leader. And the ruling ghadŁ̆ʼs are brutal in their repression. As the H?reef exploit forbidden magic - summoning jinn to aid their fight - Jacob and Khadija must choose what kind of a world they want to live in and how to make it a reality."--Publisher marketing.