Hadeer Elsbai is an Egyptian-American writer and librarian. Born in New York City, she grew up being shuffled between Queens and Cairo. Hadeer studied history at Hunter College and later earned her master's degree in library science from Queens College, making her a CUNY alum twice over. She has published short stories in The Dark and Anathema. Her first novel, The Daughter of Izdihar, published in 2023.
"""Elsbai deftly combines battle scenes and political machinations, leading to a compelling conclusion. A must-read for fans of fantasy authors like S. A. Chakraborty, Ren�e Ahdieh, and L. Penelope."" -- Booklist ""Readers looking for fantasy inspired by the wide world of voices out there will find this story's incorporation of Egyptian history fascinating, while those who love feminist fantasy such as Jenna Glass's ""Women's War"" series will dig right into this fight."" -- Library Journal ""Elsbai's Egyptian-inspired fantasy world is compelling and fascinating."" -- Washington Post on The Daughters of Izdihar ""A wondrously rich fantasy that highlights the true struggle to revolutionize a society. You will cheer and mourn alongside Nehal and Giorgina as they dare to discover new magic, fight for a more just society, and find love in unexpected places. A debut not to be missed!"" -- Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, on The Daughters of Izdihar ""Forbidden magic, social revolution, and political intrigue--in The Daughters of Izdihar, author Hadeer Elsbai has written a powerful story of sisterhood, love, and struggle within a rich, vibrant world with complicated characters that leap from the page to smash the patriarchy!"" -- P. Dj�l� Clark, author of A Master of Djinn ""With a focus on women, magic, and political schemes, this novel is cleareyed regarding social issues, timely, and above all, an engrossing fantasy. Sympathetic yet flawed characters set against a complex society on the edge of change bring this novel to vibrant life."" -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ""This debut fantasy is an impressive feminist feat, with immersive world building, fascinating, complex characters, and a plot that hooked me from start to finish."" -- Buzzfeed"