Ms. Marvel: Remnants of the Past

by Saadia Faruqi

Ms. Marvel trips into a mystery that brings her from Jersey City to Lahore, Pakistan, and back again, all on a chase for a magical artifact in this exciting YA adventure.

Kamala Khan is Jersey City’s premier super hero, Ms. Marvel! She’s stretched between going to the mosque, posting Avengers fanfic on the internet, and fighting crime.

But then a clash ends with a pair of priceless spectacles in the wrong hands—Ms. Marvel’s! Now she’s on a mission to return them to where they belong, once she’s figured out where that is. A mysterious new bad guy drops hints at magical secrets the spectacles hold, setting Ms. Marvel on a quest to Lahore, Pakistan. It’s the trip of a lifetime, seeing the land of her father’s youth, but Kamala is forced to grapple with what to do when the choice between right and wrong isn’t so clear.

Saadia Faruqi delivers a beautiful exploration of the Pakistani American experience through the eyes of Marvel’s Kamala Khan.

Genres: Marvel, Young Adult, Superheroes, Audiobook

384 pages, Hardcover

Published January 6, 2026

About the author

Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American author, essayist and interfaith activist. She writes the children’s early reader series “Yasmin” published by Capstone and other books for children, including middle grade novels “A Place At The Table” (HMH/Clarion 2020) co-written with Laura Shovan, and “A Thousand Questions” (Harper Collins 2020). She has also written “Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan” a short story collection for adults and teens. Saadia is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, a magazine for Muslim art, poetry and prose, and was featured in Oprah Magazine in 2017 as a woman making a difference in her community. She resides in Houston, TX with her husband and children.

Reviews

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can*]

Well done and lots of fun this was :)..

This author does a wonderful job with Ms. Marvel and the gang, (and a small cameo from another superhero I wouldn't mind reading a solo book on) and teaching some history in a wonderful way.

Added Lahore to my bucket list to hopefully visit some day ☺️.

The family moments in here were funny, beautiful, and annoying but you know they care moments.

Wouldn't mind Ms. Marvel being real at the moment. I think we'd get along too.

*depression affecting my reading this month more but doing my best to be easier on myself *

[Jester, King's Favorite Fool]

Another entertaining Ms. Marvel story. This was a great addition.

Kamala deals with an ancient magical treasure. The debate over which nation owns artifacts recurs throughout the story. Is the country that stole it or the country it came from? Readers also learn a bit of history.

One aspect I dislike is the budding romance between Kamala and Bruno. Will it go there, or will it not?

Note: Using new rating system starting 2025.

[Annie]

My fav. book of the year so far.. As a huge fan of Ms Marvel, Kamala Khan, I couldn’t wait to read this novel as it provided a different medium for us to enjoy Kamala’s story. It provided a deeper exploration into Kamala Khan herself, how she navigates the world as a daughter, sister, friend and Ms Marvel.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m just this kid with these big responsibilities and no clue at all”

It also took a greater look of the importance of family and friendship, despite how different we may be from each other, despite how frustrating they can be, family and true friends will always be by your side. How Kamala stays true to herself and her values despite being at crossroads between her own desires and what is right to her faith.

“If they stick by you, if they want to take care of you and protect you and spend time with you, that’s the biggest blessing you can have. More than any superhero powers, more than money, more than fame.”

In addition to the awesomeness that is Ms Marvel and seeing her embiggening powers light up the pages, I was captivated by the exploration of history that was cleverly intertwined in a superhero story. It was fantastic to read the truth and complexities behind colonialism, dictatorships and its effects even on modern times and generations learning their true lineage as well as asking questions such as: objects found in museums, acquired through colonial times - who do they truly belong to?

“If the Mughals taught me one thing, it’s that power is fleeting. Someone else always comes along with more guns, more weapons, more smarts…. But who you are, what you stand for, is never up for grabs.”

A fantastically well rounded book I highly recommend, it’s a story that definitely bridges gaps in the creative space and one I am excited to see on the Western bookshelves. I am truly grateful to Saadia Faruqi for writing this amazing book and I can’t wait for all Ms Marvel: Kamala Khan fans to read this as I’m sure they will enjoy it as much as I did.

[Tyler Martin]

5⭐
I unapologetically loved this book! It felt so quintessentially Kamala, true to her Marvel comic roots and was steeped in so much rich, cultural history. As a big fan of G Willow Wilson’s original run of Ms Marvel, this reminded me of reading those first issues, plucking an ordinary, dorky Muslim girl from Jersey City and thrusting her into the superhero world. I sensed very early on that this story was going to be great, and it did not let me down! It’s also very clear this book is written and well-cared for by an author from Kamala’s culture - the book at times feels more like a real historical recap than fictional revision and seamless incorporates Marvel characters and supernatural lore into an already deep cultural history. There is also a very deep, emotional arc that Kamala goes through in Lahore that was unexpectedly sweet and genuinely was one of the best parts of the book! Kamala and Bruro shippers will smile and fans of epic fights and world-traveling adventures will be happy as well. Alongside her family, friends and brand new characters, we even get Wilson Fisk and Kate Bishop added to the mix! Also, its cannon, Ms. Marvel is a Swiftie!!

[Emily]

Good MG/lower YA book revolving around Mughal artifacts on display at a NJ art museum that get stolen. There’s a lot of discussion of who should really own objects that were stolen/taken/coercively bought, etc. from their cultural homes years ago. I think the author did a nice job of introducing those ideas at an age-appropriate level for the target age range. I haven’t seen the movie, but really enjoyed the Ms. Marvel series and it was nice to be back with those characters again.

If you’ve got younger kids in your life, we loved Saadia Faruqi’s Yasmin series. My middle schooler still refuses to part with her copies.

[Bekah]

So, I'm not a huge super hero fan- it's fun but not my huge interest- except Ms. Marvel! I love Ms. Marvel! A lot has to do with her culture and family life though. I love learning about Pakistani and Indian culture. I know so little and it is fascinating! This book does not dissapoint!

[Alicia]

Kamala Khan is back in an adventurous book written by the awesome Faruqi that feels like reading another variation (in a good way, we need more of this!) of Warrior Girl Unearthed that discusses repatriation of materials from colonized areas to the colonized areas rather than in museums or the clutches of the colonizers.

Khan has a job to do other than be Ms. Marvel AND a regular NJ Muslim teen in high school. She now has to track down an artifact that has powers and trace it to the person who is holding on to it which is helped by the fact that she's visiting a sick family member in Lahore, taking Khan out of the US for a stint and meeting new friends and learning more about her culture while missing her friends stateside and the unfurling romance between Bruno and her. Memorable and full of voice.

[Jessi]

Once again I am blown away by a Kamala Khan story. I loved getting to know more about her heritage and Pakistan. I took note of a few dishes mentioned and I wanna look them up because everything sounded delicious.
Side-characters stood out like Fahad Uncle and Maleeah(sp?) and Asaar. The end of the last fight was predictable but I didn’t mind.
Great story!

[Sobia A Khan]

Was confused at first because the book doesn't follow every aspect of the TV show. Storyline was good but somewhat outdated by a few years (repatriation of stolen artifacts from colonized lands) and loved the historical facts.

Read more like a middle grade not YA novel as Kamala behaves like a younger child not a HS senior.

[Nabil Hussain]

Brilliant and Wonderful Ms Marvel novel. It was expertly written and the plot was very engaging. The story was dramatic and exciting. It featured a good insight into Kamala Khan's family and cultural background as well as exploits in Pakistan. The action was well described and there were twists and turns. It was very interesting to read about the original plot of this story. Excellent!!

[Yasmeen]

A story about my fav superhero written by my fav author?! Ms. Marvel met and exceeded every expectation. A captivating plot, detailed villains, annoying brothers, all seeded in a story about the first desi Muslim superhero. This is a must read for all comic book and hero fans.

[C.R. Hogan]

i loved seeing kamala like this! she's one of my favorite marvel characters and i think it was really interesting to learn more about pakistan's history. it did read a little bit young for me, but i think that helps make it approachable to both middle grade and ya readers.

[Kevin Magpoc]

This one had a great balance of action "scenes" (is a scene a scene if it isn't seen?), character-driven plotting, and cultural awareness, as would be expected by fans of G Willow Wilson's comic series. And I realize I'm saying this as an adult in his 40s reviewing a book tagged for and likely meant for teen readers, but can I say I think Faruqi handling that balance of writing "young people dialogue" that gives an idea of a generation but still being timeless enough by not giving away a particular set of years. Yes, there's a Taylor Swift reference, but that works just as well if this takes place in the same year the book was published as it does if it takes place during the mid-2010s of the comics run!
One thing at the back of my mind I want to bring up, and I hope it’s clear that it’s not meant as a complaint. In the comics run, occasionally whenever any of the characters would speak in Urdu sentences or phrases, there would be a footnote block with the English translation. In this novel, none of the Urdu words/phrases are given translation notes. There are enough context clues for someone who doesn’t know the language to get the idea, but if I had the chance to ask the author a question, it would be about the decision to stray from the comic’s style in this regard.
If anything, as someone who appreciated the running theme of delicious home-cooked and street food dishes, I would have paid extra attention to some sort of glossary of Foods You May Not Have Tried Yet But Should, so that I wouldn’t have to distract myself from the book by looking them up online!
Unless this was an elaborate ploy to buzz-market the Official Marvel Cookbooks…

[Amani]

This was a highly anticipated read for 2026 & I’m so happy it met my expectations x

[jazmine ִֶָ🪽་༘]

3.75**

A really important introduction to repatriation efforts for children. (also, i love kamala)

[Jessica Forbes]

This made me laugh and cry multiple times. Seriously, it's awesome and if you were thinking about reading it, you definitely should.

[Justin]

I loved this. Super fun, extremely heartfelt, and full of adventure. Marvel YA books rarely miss, and this is a great example of their quality. I really like Ms. Marvel, and I think this book does an even better job at featuring her and talents and capabilities than the MCU did.