Paperback, 533 pages

Published June 6, 2021 by Orbit.

ISBN:
978-0-316-53851-0
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4 stars (1 review)

Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters — but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.

But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.

4 editions

Recommended

4 stars

This was the April book in the book club I have with two friends and we all liked it so much that we want to read the sequel.

I really liked the setting - I haven't come across many fantasy novels based on old India. We also get wood magic, supernatural (or alien?) beings, a mysterious illness and a magical temple. The worldbuilding is great and very dense. I found it hard to put the book down once I had gotten into it because it felt like being in a different world. The story, too, is more complex than I expected and there are some interesting and unexpected twists. The romance doesn't follow the usual patterns, either, I felt. If you're into fantasy you should check this one out. #2024reads