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Zeba: An Accidental Superhero
Meet Zeba.
Spoilt, rich and interested in nothing but lazing on the terrace of her plush New York apartment and inhaling deep drags of her favourite weed -- an irreverent girl who is about to become a very unlikely superhero.
Zeba's cushy life takes an unexpected turn when she travels to the distant land of Khudir and discovers the source of her superpowers -- the holy spring Zsa Zsa -- and it falls on her (against her best instincts) to save the world she loves from the clutches of The Great Khan, a cruel tyrant with the most shaitani intentions. Can she vanquish her inner demons while she prepares for the fight of her life -- a fight to save not just her family but the whole damn world?
Zeba by Huma S Qureshi is the story of a sassy superhero with an unusual choice for a cape, as relatable as she is unusual, a shining symbol of freedom, empowerment and grit. Full of magic and written with intense passion, it is a thrilling tale of heroism and transformation, and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Spoilt, rich and interested in nothing but lazing on the terrace of her plush New York apartment and inhaling deep drags of her favourite weed -- an irreverent girl who is about to become a very unlikely superhero.
Zeba's cushy life takes an unexpected turn when she travels to the distant land of Khudir and discovers the source of her superpowers -- the holy spring Zsa Zsa -- and it falls on her (against her best instincts) to save the world she loves from the clutches of The Great Khan, a cruel tyrant with the most shaitani intentions. Can she vanquish her inner demons while she prepares for the fight of her life -- a fight to save not just her family but the whole damn world?
Zeba by Huma S Qureshi is the story of a sassy superhero with an unusual choice for a cape, as relatable as she is unusual, a shining symbol of freedom, empowerment and grit. Full of magic and written with intense passion, it is a thrilling tale of heroism and transformation, and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 2, 2023
2 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Huma Qureshi
15 books102 followersI started my career on The Observer and The Guardian and worked as a reporter and features writer across consumer news, news and the life and style sections before going freelance to write my first book, In Spite of Oceans, published in 2014 by The History Press. In Spite of Oceans received the John C. Laurence Award from The Authors’ Foundation.
In 2021, I saw two books published: How We Met: A Memoir of Love and Other Misadventures (January, 2021), with Elliott & Thompson, and my debut short story collection, Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love (November 2021), with Sceptre. Sceptre will also be publishing my debut novel, which I am currently writing. My essay, By Instinct, appears in The Best Most Awful Job: Twenty Writers Talk Honestly About Motherhood (2019).
I am represented by Laurie Robertson at Peters, Fraser + Dunlop.
In 2021, I saw two books published: How We Met: A Memoir of Love and Other Misadventures (January, 2021), with Elliott & Thompson, and my debut short story collection, Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love (November 2021), with Sceptre. Sceptre will also be publishing my debut novel, which I am currently writing. My essay, By Instinct, appears in The Best Most Awful Job: Twenty Writers Talk Honestly About Motherhood (2019).
I am represented by Laurie Robertson at Peters, Fraser + Dunlop.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 9, 2024
4.5 ⭐
I like reading and watching movies with superheroes. But most of them are male characters and I was thrilled to read a book on a female superhero, that too from an Indian author.
Zeba is an American raised unapologetic spoilt woman who was raised by a wealthy family. Her actions were partly linked to her insecurities that arises from the knowledge that her birth parents left her to die. When her adopted family which is connected to the royal family of Khudir is invited for a wedding, she accompanies them with no idea that this trip will change her forever.
The story highlighted several things that happen in the current society. Like how, people use religious teachings as a means to spread hate. Great Khan (who is the villain of the story) is such a tyrannical ruler who ruled in the fictitious setting of Khudir.
The book took on a unique way to narrate the story of Zeba. I was surprised to see how the story had few sentences by the author itself in between. It was exciting and fun to read this book written in this unique way and I loved Huma Qureshi's writing style.
As for the story, it was a simple but we'll developed one. Every superhero work has some stock elements and the author points out that even this book had the same; so she expertly avoided narrating it in detail. That said, I wished that the story provided a good ending. In superhero works, the fight in the end is the most amazing part and I was dissatisfied when the fight was completely removed from the story. Other than this, there was nothing that felt negative.
Overall, this was a great book that introduced me to my new favorite superhero!
I like reading and watching movies with superheroes. But most of them are male characters and I was thrilled to read a book on a female superhero, that too from an Indian author.
Zeba is an American raised unapologetic spoilt woman who was raised by a wealthy family. Her actions were partly linked to her insecurities that arises from the knowledge that her birth parents left her to die. When her adopted family which is connected to the royal family of Khudir is invited for a wedding, she accompanies them with no idea that this trip will change her forever.
The story highlighted several things that happen in the current society. Like how, people use religious teachings as a means to spread hate. Great Khan (who is the villain of the story) is such a tyrannical ruler who ruled in the fictitious setting of Khudir.
The book took on a unique way to narrate the story of Zeba. I was surprised to see how the story had few sentences by the author itself in between. It was exciting and fun to read this book written in this unique way and I loved Huma Qureshi's writing style.
As for the story, it was a simple but we'll developed one. Every superhero work has some stock elements and the author points out that even this book had the same; so she expertly avoided narrating it in detail. That said, I wished that the story provided a good ending. In superhero works, the fight in the end is the most amazing part and I was dissatisfied when the fight was completely removed from the story. Other than this, there was nothing that felt negative.
Overall, this was a great book that introduced me to my new favorite superhero!
March 11, 2024
If you are looking for a quick magical/unconventional superhero story, Zeba will be perfect for your next read!
Zeba by Huma Qureshi follows the life of Zeba, who newly finds herself to be a superhero and her responsibility to save the world.
An hours-old Zeba is left to die in the holy spring Zsa Zsa, but one lightning strike changes it all. Zeba is not just safe but is adopted by the wealthy and royal family of Akhoons. Umar Akhoon, the brother of King Khan takes Zeba and his family to America. King Khan is the king of Khudir, but that doesn't satisfy him. Cut to the present, Zeba is one spoilt and interested-in-nothing person.
One visit to Khudir is all it takes for her to be bestowed with a new responsibility. What are her superpowers? She can boil, freeze, and release jet water sprays from the wrists. Basically, everything and anything with water.
Does Zeba want this responsibility of going against the Khan and saving the world? No.
But when Zeba's past is now, in front of her, she has no option. Is it time for Khudir to get it's Queen? This, Reader's, is for you to discover.
Zeba is intriguing from the very first page. The story picks up speed in its initial chapters and keeps the reader hooked. Huma Qureshi's writing is unique, unexpected yet gripping. The book is written in multiple POVs. Huma plays around with the POVs by not mentioning the names. Her writing stands out and the clear and concise plot makes it easy for the reader
Read more about the book here:
https://theindianbookclub.com/readers...
Zeba by Huma Qureshi follows the life of Zeba, who newly finds herself to be a superhero and her responsibility to save the world.
An hours-old Zeba is left to die in the holy spring Zsa Zsa, but one lightning strike changes it all. Zeba is not just safe but is adopted by the wealthy and royal family of Akhoons. Umar Akhoon, the brother of King Khan takes Zeba and his family to America. King Khan is the king of Khudir, but that doesn't satisfy him. Cut to the present, Zeba is one spoilt and interested-in-nothing person.
One visit to Khudir is all it takes for her to be bestowed with a new responsibility. What are her superpowers? She can boil, freeze, and release jet water sprays from the wrists. Basically, everything and anything with water.
Does Zeba want this responsibility of going against the Khan and saving the world? No.
But when Zeba's past is now, in front of her, she has no option. Is it time for Khudir to get it's Queen? This, Reader's, is for you to discover.
Zeba is intriguing from the very first page. The story picks up speed in its initial chapters and keeps the reader hooked. Huma Qureshi's writing is unique, unexpected yet gripping. The book is written in multiple POVs. Huma plays around with the POVs by not mentioning the names. Her writing stands out and the clear and concise plot makes it easy for the reader
Read more about the book here:
https://theindianbookclub.com/readers...
February 23, 2024
A very interesting story without doubt. All the details in the book make it a slow read, but it has some very interesting characters that keep hooked to it.
The book takes you through the life of Zeba, who as the title suggests is an accidental superhero. Kind of like a Harry Potter storyline of being the chosen one. If you have followed the Harry Potter series, then you might see bits of inspiration from it in this story.
The whole story is based around an evil king of a fictional kingdom and how he uses black magic to stay in power. Your classic good vs evil plot. The theme followed throughout this book also is about women empowerment and breaking free from oppression. There are places where the details make the story move forward at a slow pace. What is disappointing is that it all builds up to a chapter that has been left to your imagination. As you flip through to the climax of the story, you are welcomed with bold letter that read "OMITTED". This is followed by an explanation of how the events of the climax are open to your imagination as a reader.
The ending i felt was a bit hasty and could have been written in a better way. I might be feeling this because once you find an entire chapter left to your interpretation, it's just a disappointing road ahead after that.
Lastly, there is entertainment in this story, but it is not a book that you can binge-read. You have to take it slow and just flip through it at your own pace.
The book takes you through the life of Zeba, who as the title suggests is an accidental superhero. Kind of like a Harry Potter storyline of being the chosen one. If you have followed the Harry Potter series, then you might see bits of inspiration from it in this story.
The whole story is based around an evil king of a fictional kingdom and how he uses black magic to stay in power. Your classic good vs evil plot. The theme followed throughout this book also is about women empowerment and breaking free from oppression. There are places where the details make the story move forward at a slow pace. What is disappointing is that it all builds up to a chapter that has been left to your imagination. As you flip through to the climax of the story, you are welcomed with bold letter that read "OMITTED". This is followed by an explanation of how the events of the climax are open to your imagination as a reader.
The ending i felt was a bit hasty and could have been written in a better way. I might be feeling this because once you find an entire chapter left to your interpretation, it's just a disappointing road ahead after that.
Lastly, there is entertainment in this story, but it is not a book that you can binge-read. You have to take it slow and just flip through it at your own pace.
March 4, 2025
The author of this book is different from the author listed here in Goodreads. Goodreads thinks that this novel has been written by a seasoned journalist, when in fact this is the debut novel of the Bollywood actress, Huma S. Qureshi. The language gives it away that it's a debut novel, with ample of proofreading errors and punctuation and grammatical errors. Do better, Harper Collins.
Coming to the story, the story had heart, will give then that. But the writing oscillated from pedestrian to earnest very quickly, and very drastically. Mostly, the book left me confused. I saw the book being marketed as YA (Crossword shelved it under the YA section) but the heroine is 30 years old. She thinks like a teenager though, does that make her fit to be a YA? Can it be categorised for a YA audience? In terms of its content, yeap totally. But I'd have loved it if the heroine was a teeny bit younger (not to age shame anyone, but I don't think any 30 year old CERTIFIED millennial talks like a Gen Z kid). Either way, for a maiden attempt by someone who is not a professional writer, the book deserves a polite applause for getting it's story told in its unique eccentricity. Other than that, we leave it to the YA readers to read and respond if they liked the book or not.
Coming to the story, the story had heart, will give then that. But the writing oscillated from pedestrian to earnest very quickly, and very drastically. Mostly, the book left me confused. I saw the book being marketed as YA (Crossword shelved it under the YA section) but the heroine is 30 years old. She thinks like a teenager though, does that make her fit to be a YA? Can it be categorised for a YA audience? In terms of its content, yeap totally. But I'd have loved it if the heroine was a teeny bit younger (not to age shame anyone, but I don't think any 30 year old CERTIFIED millennial talks like a Gen Z kid). Either way, for a maiden attempt by someone who is not a professional writer, the book deserves a polite applause for getting it's story told in its unique eccentricity. Other than that, we leave it to the YA readers to read and respond if they liked the book or not.
January 25, 2025
In a world dominated by male supereheros, I loved the idea of a female superhero, especially one of South Asian descent. The book started off with a lot of promise. Zeba is a stereotypical rich brat brought up in New York. Her adopted parents were exiled by her "uncle", the ruler of a kingdom very similar to Afghanistan. What she doesn't know is that she is actually the daughter of the king, kept alive due to a miracle at the Holy Spring. She discovers her superpower when she returns to her home country to attend her cousin's wedding, and ends up defeating the evil tyrant and becoming the reluctant Queen.
What I loved about the book was the fact that at every stage, it was women who were thwarting the plans of the Evil King and surreptitiously leading the revolution. These women who were forced behind the veil, used their invisibility as the cloak to do what had to be done. The book also touched upon several socio-political themes that are of relevance today.
Where the book fell short was in leaving the climax chapter blank to be filled in by the reader. What is a superhero book without a climax- however cliched it might be, we want to read it, and we cannot be blamed for feeling cheated if we are denied one.
Overall, though, it was a fun book to read. Some of the the illustrations were extremely eye catching, and I loved the idea of the author speaking to the reader through post it notes.
What I loved about the book was the fact that at every stage, it was women who were thwarting the plans of the Evil King and surreptitiously leading the revolution. These women who were forced behind the veil, used their invisibility as the cloak to do what had to be done. The book also touched upon several socio-political themes that are of relevance today.
Where the book fell short was in leaving the climax chapter blank to be filled in by the reader. What is a superhero book without a climax- however cliched it might be, we want to read it, and we cannot be blamed for feeling cheated if we are denied one.
Overall, though, it was a fun book to read. Some of the the illustrations were extremely eye catching, and I loved the idea of the author speaking to the reader through post it notes.
October 10, 2024
I LOVED THE STARTING!!!!! After that, found the story very meh. A lot of swearing was involved, and this is not a book for people who cannot handle brief mentions of inappropriate things happening to women. I wasn’t satisfied with the ending. I did like the occasional mentions of Muslim religion/culture since I don’t know much about it. (Rated by a teenager)
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January 23, 2024A smart novel about a Gen Z superhero born in a fictional kingdom but with enough real-life parallels. The book spends a bit too much time on her angst and daily life initially and leaves too little space for heroics at the end.
March 28, 2024
A very easy to read and intriguing book. However felt like the author started it very well but got bored and then finished it in a hurry. But overall an interesting premise. An interesting twist on superhero fantasy.
December 23, 2023
What an amazing book, a short read which has a lot to say and the things that should also be heard. Huma Qureshi's book is her form of dissent and it shows.
Loved it.
Loved it.
February 17, 2024
Not bad for a debut author. Extra star for the quirky second-generation Muslim female superhero - that's a mouthful but we rarely experience cultured protagonists. It's refreshing.
January 30, 2025
Unpretentious, sassy, short, and a fun read! Huma S Qureshi’s debut novel is not to be missed. ✔️
March 29, 2025
pretty good I mean
Want to read
April 12, 2025A present from my dad - looks interesting.
April 30, 2025
A mixture of various elements of the storytelling that makes the reader enjoy the book.
May 12, 2025
3.5 stars.
Entertaining for a bit
Entertaining for a bit
March 28, 2025
I absolutely loved how this book told Zeba’s story in a unique way! What I loved most about this book is how women, despite being hidden behind veils, secretly drove the revolution and foiled the Evil King’s plans. Their invisibility became their strength! The book also tackles timely and thought-provoking themes that resonate with our world today!
Huma Qureshi’s writing style made it an exciting and fun read. And, I’m obsessed with the idea of a female superhero, it’s empowering and amazing!❤️
The theme followed throughout this book is about women empowerment and breaking free from oppression. Overall, it was a fun book to read. Some of the illustrations were extremely eye catching and amazing! Must recommended for those who love to read about superheroes!❤️
Huma Qureshi’s writing style made it an exciting and fun read. And, I’m obsessed with the idea of a female superhero, it’s empowering and amazing!❤️
The theme followed throughout this book is about women empowerment and breaking free from oppression. Overall, it was a fun book to read. Some of the illustrations were extremely eye catching and amazing! Must recommended for those who love to read about superheroes!❤️
May 18, 2024
I was hoping there will be some more layers. There was something missing and it felt rushed. I was waiting for her some inner revelations, some insights but there were none
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews