Zeba Shahnaz Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Zeba Shahnaz is a young adult fantasy author best known for her debut novel “Midnight Strikes,” which she published in 2023.

She is known for penning fantasy fiction works full of twisted romances, political intrigue, and a touch of existential angst which has made her very popular.
A proud Pakistani American, she went to college to study history for her undergraduate degree and then went back to get a South Asian studies masters.

She would then make use of her education and her love for storytelling to analyze cinema, culture, and national identity in South Asia.

She spent much of her childhood in New Jersey and has not been able to fully escape the state but not because of a lack of trying.

Zeba now spends her time between Washington D.C. where she is employed in research and New Jersey where she was brought up.

In her other life, she is an editor and critic of written products she loves to read stories written by other creatives from the genres she loves. She can sometimes be found interacting with her fans on social media profiles on Instagram and Twitter.

Zeba has been a writer for much of her life but always found it almost impossible to finish any manuscripts she started let alone have something good enough to begin the querying process.

She had several projects that really came close but ultimately she abandoned and nothing came of them. Things changed in 2018 when she had an idea for “Midnight Strikes” her debut young adult fantasy novel.

But right from the start, she was cognizant of the fact that a time loop fantasy would be particularly difficult to pull off and she would need to push past her comfort zone in terms of having a plot and getting out of her subgenres of mystery and adventure.
However, she knew that there was no way she would give up before having a serious go at it. About a year after she started, she penned a 150-thousand-word draft that speaks to her dedication.

Over about one and a half years, she went through about five revision rounds with critique partners and friends. There were about four months when she did nothing but revise the first two chapters before she went back to querying.
Two months later, she signed with her agent who to her great relief and shock, told her that her manuscript was ready to go on submission.

The year spent in agonizing revisions had borne fruit and it was not long before she was making submissions and soon one of her dream publishers made a preempt offer.

Zeba Shahnaz owes much of her obsession for writing from the writing communities and critique groups that she has been a part of over the years.

These have provided readers and friends who have pushed her to improve her craft and cheerlead each other in the pursuit of their goals even as they poke fun at the occasionally ridiculous characters they write.
In this regard, she loved to share what she has gained over years of critique and writing experience with a mentee.

With experience in publishing her professional and academic careers, she loves to help others hone their craft and be a help as they level up their writing careers.

Much of her mentorship work is in the crossover and upper young adult fantasy space and hence this is where she loves to mentor aspiring and beginner authors.

She loves fantasy romances and strong romantic throughlines/subplots even though she will sometimes work with slower-paced books which are more of extended character studies just as much as intricately plotted fast-paced books.
The types of books she loves to read usually contain moving characters with immersive worlds to get lost in and a dazzling narrative voice and standout prose.

When it comes to her mentees she prefers to work with marginalized voices, particularly Muslim and/or BIPOC writers.

Outside of her writing and mentorship endeavors, Zeba Shahnaz has several hobbies even though most of them have something to do with fantasy, adventure, and mystery.

One hobby that ranks above all others is reading adult science fiction and fantasy and young adult fantasy fiction novels. Among her favorite authors include Megan Whalen Turner, Leigh Bardugo, Catherynne Valente, and Naomi Novik.
Shahnaz is also a huge fan of movies and TV and loves to watch the likes of The Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises, The Americans, Arrested Development, Thoroughbreds, Knives OPut, Pride and Prejudice, and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

“Midnight Strikes” is an explosive fantasy narrative that announced Zeba Shanaz as one of the most promising voices in the young adult fantasy fiction genre.

With a time loop twist, it introduces a provincial girl who has no choice but to work with a roguish prince.

It is up to them to prevent some vicious attacks on the royal family and get away from a nightmarish curse that has been causing them to relive some dark nights repeatedly.

Anais is a seventeen-year-old who is an outsider to the glittering anniversary ball held by the kingdom who just wants the night to end.

She has no interest in rubbing shoulders with the most pompous even if eligible bachelors in the nation, particularly the roguish Prince Leo. But when the clock strikes midnight, the palace explodes and everyone in it is taken out including Anais.
The last thing she saw was smoke, fire, and chaos and then she woke up to find herself in her bed hours before the ball started. But no matter how hard she tries no one believes her warnings of disaster or remembers the deadly attack.
But then it keeps happening and she does not know how to get out of it. The only way to escape the nightmare time loop is to stop the attack before it happens by taking control of her fate.

However, the gilded surface of the court hides a rotten core with royals secretly dreaming of usurping the throne and commoners discounted by their lives and itching for revolution.