Anand, hero of The Conch Bearer (2003), is now an apprentice to the Brotherhood of Healers, developing magical skills he will use for the good of mankind. Trying to save his master Abhaydatta from the clutches of an evil sorcerer, Anand discovers a mirror that sends him and his companions back to the time when the Moguls ruled India, where they engage the sorcerer and his malevolent jinn in a battle to the death. Drawing on Indian mythology and philosophy, this fantasy adventure is distinguished by appealing charac ters and grounded in specific, sensory descriptions of Indian food, clothing, customs, and language. mac