Jreije, George

Twelve-year-old Shad Hadid has never quite fit in. The other kids at school don't understand him, so he spends most of his time alone, cooking for his teta and daydreaming of opening his own Arabic bakery full of tasty treats. But when Shad is attacked by a shadowy monster, he learns his late baba was an alchemist with the ability to mix charms, elixirs, and mists--and he's one too! Then Shad receives an invitation to the mysterious Alexandria Academy, a fabled school for alchemists, . . . but when he arrives, no one at the school seems to know what alchemy is! As Shad digs deeper into the mystery, he discovers a sinister evil lurking in the shadows, and only he holds the key to stopping--or fulfilling--their plans. With danger at every turn and the fate of the alchemy world on the line, can Shad save his friends and defeat this sinister foe?.

"After defeating the necromancers and bringing alchemy back to the Alexandria Academy, Shad Hadid is ready for an exciting second term at school. It doesn't hurt that he's being called a hero, but the new lessons are harder than he expected and his mentor, Kahem, is nowhere to be found. When Shad intercepts a letter from an informant with a possible clue for thwarting the necromancers' evil plans once and for all, he's determined to help. Joined by his friends, Shad embarks on a perilous journey across Lebanon to track down this secretive stranger. But shadowy forces lurk around every corner, eager to take revenge on the Alexandria Academy's young heroes--and not everyone is as they seem. Unable to tell who they can trust, will Shad and his friends be able to find what they seek and save their school?"--Provided by publisher.

Twelve-year-old Shad Hadid has never quite fit in. The other kids at school don't understand him, so he spends most of his time alone, cooking for his teta and daydreaming of opening his own Arabic bakery full of tasty treats. But when Shad is attacked by a shadowy monster, he learns his late baba was an alchemist with the ability to mix charms, elixirs, and mists--and he's one too! Then Shad receives an invitation to the mysterious Alexandria Academy, a fabled school for alchemists, . . . but when he arrives, no one at the school seems to know what alchemy is! As Shad digs deeper into the mystery, he discovers a sinister evil lurking in the shadows, and only he holds the key to stopping--or fulfilling--their plans. With danger at every turn and the fate of the alchemy world on the line, can Shad save his friends and defeat this sinister foe?.