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Stealing Thunder #2
Gifting Fire
The battle has been won, but the war is just beginning.
Although at long last Razia Khan has found peace with herself and love with her prince, Arjun, her trials are far from over. In order to save her prince and his city from certain destruction, Razia made a deal with the devil--her father, the Sultan of Nizam. Now the bill has come due.
Razia must secure the province of Zindh, a land surrounded by enemies, and loyal to a rebel queen who has survived her father's purge. But when her old tormentor Prince Karim invades her new home and forces her into a marriage alliance, Razia finds herself trapped in the women's quarters of a foreign palace, with her beloved Prince Arjun exiled from her side.
Now, in order to free herself, and her province, from Karim's clutches, she must call upon all of her training as a royal princess, a cunning courtesan, and a daring thief to summon new allies and old friends for a battle that will decide her fate, and the fate of an empire.
Although at long last Razia Khan has found peace with herself and love with her prince, Arjun, her trials are far from over. In order to save her prince and his city from certain destruction, Razia made a deal with the devil--her father, the Sultan of Nizam. Now the bill has come due.
Razia must secure the province of Zindh, a land surrounded by enemies, and loyal to a rebel queen who has survived her father's purge. But when her old tormentor Prince Karim invades her new home and forces her into a marriage alliance, Razia finds herself trapped in the women's quarters of a foreign palace, with her beloved Prince Arjun exiled from her side.
Now, in order to free herself, and her province, from Karim's clutches, she must call upon all of her training as a royal princess, a cunning courtesan, and a daring thief to summon new allies and old friends for a battle that will decide her fate, and the fate of an empire.
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First published April 13, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
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April 15, 2021Um, this cover is a GIFT.
Want to read
January 18, 2021hello??? A+ cover, holy crap
March 29, 2024
Stealing Thunder was a book I didn’t just want to be good, I needed it to be good – to set the example, and to open the shelves for more books like it. I put some pretty heavy expectations on Alina Boyden, but she delivered a book I felt like I’d been waiting my entire life to read. Its take on gender and the portrayal of transgender lives was exquisite, the world-building was wonderful, and the romance was absolutely delightful.
The battle has been won, but the war is just beginning.
The tagline for Gifting Fire speaks as much to the plot of conquest and warfare as to Razia’s journey of individual acceptance. Having claimed her gender and her identity in the first book, she finds herself struggling with what it means to be accepted as a woman in a patriarchal society. There’s a sense of ‘be careful what you wish for’ in that she finally finds herself accepted – and treated – as a royal princess, expected to serve as an offering to seal an alliance, to put duty ahead of love, and to be sequestered as the perfect wife, rarely seen and even more seldom heard. Denied her autonomy, Razia fights for not just transgender acceptance but female agency, and that struggle is much what makes this story so exciting.
What else makes this second volume so exciting is the addition of Hina, a rival princess, and her entourage, all of whom are hijra sisters. Razia, Sakshi, and Lakshmi find themselves with allies, with an adopted family, and with friends who understand the conflict between expectations and identity. The dynamic between them is absolutely fantastic, with moments of humor to lighten the overall weight of the drama, and the addition of their river zahhaks adds another layer of action to the tale. As exciting as the climax of the first book was, the aerial battles here, especially with the weaponization of zahhaks who have no breath, is epic in the best sense of the word.
At first, I was a bit saddened at Arjun’s reduced role in the story, usurped by Karim, but I like that it isolated Razia and allowed us to see her as a strong, independent woman, working with a cadre of sisters who are very much her equal. As for Karim, I think Boyden did an exemplary job of exploring and developing his character, playing upon our emotions and making us question our own assumptions about him. Without wading too deep into spoiler territory, the themes of spousal abuse are almost as cutting as those of the patriarchy. Razia’s father is granted a little more depth and compassion here, even if it’s hard to reconcile the Sultan with the father, but it’s Sikander who is the biggest surprise. I refuse to say more, but his character arc had me in tears more than once.
Speaking of tears, I’ve never cried so many times over the course of a story’s final hundred pages. Joy, sorrow, triumph, pain, hope, despair, Boyden puts us through the wringer, forcing us to turn pages faster and faster to learn how it all ends. There was one moment in particular where I just had to drop the book and walk away, a sorrow I was ill-equipped to deal with, but she’s not a monster and you have to have hope for things to work out. Gifting Fire is somehow an even better book than the first, and one that’s even more important in every respect.
As yet, there’s been no talk of a third book, but I’m not prepared to say goodbye.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/...
The battle has been won, but the war is just beginning.
The tagline for Gifting Fire speaks as much to the plot of conquest and warfare as to Razia’s journey of individual acceptance. Having claimed her gender and her identity in the first book, she finds herself struggling with what it means to be accepted as a woman in a patriarchal society. There’s a sense of ‘be careful what you wish for’ in that she finally finds herself accepted – and treated – as a royal princess, expected to serve as an offering to seal an alliance, to put duty ahead of love, and to be sequestered as the perfect wife, rarely seen and even more seldom heard. Denied her autonomy, Razia fights for not just transgender acceptance but female agency, and that struggle is much what makes this story so exciting.
What else makes this second volume so exciting is the addition of Hina, a rival princess, and her entourage, all of whom are hijra sisters. Razia, Sakshi, and Lakshmi find themselves with allies, with an adopted family, and with friends who understand the conflict between expectations and identity. The dynamic between them is absolutely fantastic, with moments of humor to lighten the overall weight of the drama, and the addition of their river zahhaks adds another layer of action to the tale. As exciting as the climax of the first book was, the aerial battles here, especially with the weaponization of zahhaks who have no breath, is epic in the best sense of the word.
At first, I was a bit saddened at Arjun’s reduced role in the story, usurped by Karim, but I like that it isolated Razia and allowed us to see her as a strong, independent woman, working with a cadre of sisters who are very much her equal. As for Karim, I think Boyden did an exemplary job of exploring and developing his character, playing upon our emotions and making us question our own assumptions about him. Without wading too deep into spoiler territory, the themes of spousal abuse are almost as cutting as those of the patriarchy. Razia’s father is granted a little more depth and compassion here, even if it’s hard to reconcile the Sultan with the father, but it’s Sikander who is the biggest surprise. I refuse to say more, but his character arc had me in tears more than once.
Speaking of tears, I’ve never cried so many times over the course of a story’s final hundred pages. Joy, sorrow, triumph, pain, hope, despair, Boyden puts us through the wringer, forcing us to turn pages faster and faster to learn how it all ends. There was one moment in particular where I just had to drop the book and walk away, a sorrow I was ill-equipped to deal with, but she’s not a monster and you have to have hope for things to work out. Gifting Fire is somehow an even better book than the first, and one that’s even more important in every respect.
As yet, there’s been no talk of a third book, but I’m not prepared to say goodbye.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/...
Want to read
June 7, 2024wow- that cover
also I found this at my local dollar tree
also I found this at my local dollar tree
October 28, 2021
I enjoyed this sequel to Alina Boyden’s wonderful debut fantasy novel, Stealing Thunder, for many reasons. With power and authenticity, the story of her heroine, Razia Khan, a transgender royal who ran away from unendurable abuse to work as a prostitute thief, find true love, rescue her feathered-dragon zahhuk, and discover her military genius, came alive. If Stealing Thunder was about discovering who you really are and being willing to fight for yourself, Gifting Fire elaborates that theme, centering on creating community and loyalty. Both stories are set in an alternate pre-Raj India, a refreshing departure from the usual Western European fantasy worlds. In our world, as in Boyden’s, transfeminine people called hijras have recognition, joining together in communities, even if as individuals they are rejected and scorned.
Razia has finally created the life she longed for, as a princess cherished by her soulmate, Prince Arjun, guardian to her sister-hijras, whom she deeply loves. But such bliss cannot endure. Her ambitious father, having maneuvered her into the governorship of an unstable province, Zindh. He now joins forces with her childhood nemesis, Prince Karim, who brutally raped her as an adolescent. In order to save her prince and his city from certain destruction, Razia agrees to marry Karim. Soon she is imprisoned in the women’s quarters at Karim’s palace, her good behavior ensured by threats against her sister-hijras whom he holds hostage. All is not lost, however, for Razia has now found a community of empowered transgender women, led by the rightful ruler of Zindh. It will take all of Razia’s military brilliance and courage to organize a successful conquest while playing the part of a submissive bride.
Boyden brings an unusual sensitivity to her portrayal of Razia, not as a stereotype or object of curiosity defined only by her gender identity, but as a person discovering her strengths in an often hostile world. Highly recommended for all fantasy readers. For anyone interested in positive portrayals of transgender characters, defined by much more than their gender, these two books are a treasure.
Razia has finally created the life she longed for, as a princess cherished by her soulmate, Prince Arjun, guardian to her sister-hijras, whom she deeply loves. But such bliss cannot endure. Her ambitious father, having maneuvered her into the governorship of an unstable province, Zindh. He now joins forces with her childhood nemesis, Prince Karim, who brutally raped her as an adolescent. In order to save her prince and his city from certain destruction, Razia agrees to marry Karim. Soon she is imprisoned in the women’s quarters at Karim’s palace, her good behavior ensured by threats against her sister-hijras whom he holds hostage. All is not lost, however, for Razia has now found a community of empowered transgender women, led by the rightful ruler of Zindh. It will take all of Razia’s military brilliance and courage to organize a successful conquest while playing the part of a submissive bride.
Boyden brings an unusual sensitivity to her portrayal of Razia, not as a stereotype or object of curiosity defined only by her gender identity, but as a person discovering her strengths in an often hostile world. Highly recommended for all fantasy readers. For anyone interested in positive portrayals of transgender characters, defined by much more than their gender, these two books are a treasure.
October 22, 2023
Brief review to follow
This is more like a 2.5 star book but I am giving it an extra half star for the ending.
However, the rest of the book wasn’t the most successful for me,
The book’s plotting let me down - there were too many plot conveniences for any of the events to have stakes for me. It wasn’t focused and moved from element to element without sitting with much. I mean Razia basically overthrew a kingdom and planned an attack in a week or so. It was so overblown that it robbed the plot of any mystery for me. I never felt anxious for any of the characters - ah well.
I do like Razia herself so I continued to read the book. The scenes with her and her sisters were well done. I wish we had gotten a smaller more personal story than the OTT action we got. Ah well …
There are giant birds so that is a win.
This is more like a 2.5 star book but I am giving it an extra half star for the ending.
However, the rest of the book wasn’t the most successful for me,
The book’s plotting let me down - there were too many plot conveniences for any of the events to have stakes for me. It wasn’t focused and moved from element to element without sitting with much. I mean Razia basically overthrew a kingdom and planned an attack in a week or so. It was so overblown that it robbed the plot of any mystery for me. I never felt anxious for any of the characters - ah well.
I do like Razia herself so I continued to read the book. The scenes with her and her sisters were well done. I wish we had gotten a smaller more personal story than the OTT action we got. Ah well …
There are giant birds so that is a win.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2022
The first book was a classic adventure romance fantasy story where the runaway princess wins in battle and gets her prince. In this one… shit gets real!
Now that Razia has been officially recognized as a princess, she arrives in her new palace only to discover that her father has set her up to fail and that [expletive redacted] Karim Shah is scheming to destroy her happiness and steal her power for his own.
This book was really well-plotted - you can tell the author has put thought into the political worldbuilding and the battle strategies and as someone who loves action, I can tell you this book starts and just never stops! At the same time, the author never loses sight of the emotional stakes - Razia is always thinking about her sisters’ safety, especially 11yo Lakshmi, and in the context of Razia’s past this concern was really heart-wrenching and real.
CWs etc. but one thing I did really appreciate about this book was how it explores Razia’s experience having to be around the person who raped her as a child. This is such a real situation for so many people, especially when the rapist is someone they/their family know well (or when the rapist is a relative), and I appreciated how this book addresses the emotional torture of being in that situation while also showing how Razia is able to deal with the situation and overcome it. I think the author really succeeded at striking the balance between being truthful and being sensitive to that trauma/not exploitative.
Ultimately this book and its prequel are reliably good in the style of classic fantasy (dragons and all!). I held off on reading this sequel so that I could deploy it when I wanted to read something that I just *knew* would be good. It totally delivered on that while also raising the stakes in a really unexpected and successful way.
Now that Razia has been officially recognized as a princess, she arrives in her new palace only to discover that her father has set her up to fail and that [expletive redacted] Karim Shah is scheming to destroy her happiness and steal her power for his own.
This book was really well-plotted - you can tell the author has put thought into the political worldbuilding and the battle strategies and as someone who loves action, I can tell you this book starts and just never stops! At the same time, the author never loses sight of the emotional stakes - Razia is always thinking about her sisters’ safety, especially 11yo Lakshmi, and in the context of Razia’s past this concern was really heart-wrenching and real.
CWs etc. but one thing I did really appreciate about this book was how it explores Razia’s experience having to be around the person who raped her as a child. This is such a real situation for so many people, especially when the rapist is someone they/their family know well (or when the rapist is a relative), and I appreciated how this book addresses the emotional torture of being in that situation while also showing how Razia is able to deal with the situation and overcome it. I think the author really succeeded at striking the balance between being truthful and being sensitive to that trauma/not exploitative.
Ultimately this book and its prequel are reliably good in the style of classic fantasy (dragons and all!). I held off on reading this sequel so that I could deploy it when I wanted to read something that I just *knew* would be good. It totally delivered on that while also raising the stakes in a really unexpected and successful way.
April 19, 2021
HIGHLIGHTS
~skirts are scarier than swords (no joke)
~ridiculously beautiful jewelry everywhere
~real men love strong, smart women
~fight for your family
~do what it takes to survive
~Don’t ever think you can outsmart a princess
:A note – Razia is a hijra, which is a nonbinary gender identity from South Asia. It is often understood by Westerners as the equivalent of being a trans woman, but not all hijra agree with that. For the purposes of this review, Razia is referred to as a woman or a hijra, as that is how she refers to herself in the books.:
Gifting Fire is the sequel to last year’s Stealing Thunder, and if you haven’t read that, stop now and hit the back button. And go read Stealing Thunder, because it’s awesome.
Then come back, because Gifting Fire is even better.
The book starts where Stealing Thunder ended; Razia is now subahdar (provincial governor) of the province of Zindh as part of her father’s empire. But the situation is made very clear very quickly: Zindh is such a mess after the events of the previous book, and with the various factions taking advantage of those events, that Razia is all but guaranteed to lose control of the province – if she can even get it under control to begin with. Making her subahdar is a kind of back-handed compliment from her father; when asked why on earth he’s doing it, he says
He expects her to fail. But…
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
~skirts are scarier than swords (no joke)
~ridiculously beautiful jewelry everywhere
~real men love strong, smart women
~fight for your family
~do what it takes to survive
~Don’t ever think you can outsmart a princess
:A note – Razia is a hijra, which is a nonbinary gender identity from South Asia. It is often understood by Westerners as the equivalent of being a trans woman, but not all hijra agree with that. For the purposes of this review, Razia is referred to as a woman or a hijra, as that is how she refers to herself in the books.:
Gifting Fire is the sequel to last year’s Stealing Thunder, and if you haven’t read that, stop now and hit the back button. And go read Stealing Thunder, because it’s awesome.
Then come back, because Gifting Fire is even better.
The book starts where Stealing Thunder ended; Razia is now subahdar (provincial governor) of the province of Zindh as part of her father’s empire. But the situation is made very clear very quickly: Zindh is such a mess after the events of the previous book, and with the various factions taking advantage of those events, that Razia is all but guaranteed to lose control of the province – if she can even get it under control to begin with. Making her subahdar is a kind of back-handed compliment from her father; when asked why on earth he’s doing it, he says
“It occurred to me then,” my father continued, “that if anyone in Daryastan could save Zindh, it would be the girl who had pulled herself out of the gutter to become a princess.”
He expects her to fail. But…
“I don’t think you’re clever enough to save Zindh, but I’d have to be a fool to underestimate a courtesan who somehow orchestrated the worst defeat Nizam has suffered in my twenty-seven-year reign.”
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
March 4, 2022
This is a perfect and somewhat rare example of a second book being even better than a very good first. Some of my qualms with the first (some repetition in the internal monologue, Arjun's nonexistent personality) were far reduced in this one. Razia is so sneaky and smart and even though she is cornered in unique ways, it felt like she had a lot more agency over her actions and decision-making than in the first one. All of the new characters were fun additions (I loved Hina and loved to hate a certain someone else). The plot beats and pacing were incredible, the political scheming was fun, the action sequences were tense and flawless, and the vengeance scenes were the BEST. SO satisfying!! Was the plot at the end a little too tidy and convenient, yes. Do I care? No, she deserves it. 🤩 Did I make unholy sounds of delight at how certain death scenes played out? Maybe. 😈
April 12, 2021
See my review @FreshFiction. https://freshfiction.com/review.php?i...
December 17, 2021
The pacing and setting of this book matches the previous one in the series, with politics, strategy, and adventure. I liked how the author resolved all of the loose ends in multiple happy endings, but wished the characters were more complex in their personalities. But if you're searching for a classic fairytale in a non-western setting where the princess gets the perfect prince, reconciles with her family and friends, overcomes her past abusers and traumatic experiences, and gets her ideal career on top...
April 15, 2021
Gifting Fire by Alina Boyden is the second book in her Stealing Thunder fantasy duology. I am happy to say Gifting Fire was another excellent read. Razia Khan, continues to be the wonderful heroine in this story. When we left off in Stealing Thunder, her father, placed Princess Razia, to lead the province of Zindh, with her love Prince Arjun and her two sisters, joining her. Soon Razia finds herself with new allies, such as Hina, whose brother was murdered by Razia’s enemy Karim. Hina brings all her girls and their zahhaks to help Razia, and hope to defeat Karim, who she wants to kill for murdering her brother. In a short time, things drastically change when Razia’s father comes and brings with him Karim, as they have agreed on an alliance; Razia to marry Karim. Despite her desperation and deviance, she will agree in order to save her sisters, as well as Arjun. She manages to get Karim, with her father’s insistence, to allow her sisters to join her, as well as Hina and her maidens (who are warriors in their own right).
They travel back to Karim’s home, where Razia is trapped and pretending to be willing to marry Karim, especially with his evil parents watching her every move. She works closely with Hina, to find a way to get help to rescue them, and playing safe for now. We learned in the first book how smart and cunning Razia was, with her amazing ability and skills to create ways to win these wars. Will she survive Karim and his family?
What follows is an exciting and at times tense story, with Razia using her climbing ability to get free during the wee hours to send messages to possible allies; and get back in time before she is discovered. I really hated Karim, his mother and father, as they were truly evil. At the same time, Boyden gave us some fantastic secondary characters that I loved, such as both of her two sisters, Hina, Arjun, as well as all those allies who were willing to risk their lives to fight the enemy. I loved her wonderful dragon, Sultana, who was amazing, and the other zahhaks. To tell too much more would be spoilers, and you really need to read and enjoy the wild and climatic ending.
The last half of Gifting Fire was very exciting, tense, nonstop action, with flying dragons, aerial battles, and a heroine who stood up to the challenge. This was also a sweet romance, as I really liked Razia and Arjun together. Alina Boyden did a great job writing this wonderful fantasy.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
They travel back to Karim’s home, where Razia is trapped and pretending to be willing to marry Karim, especially with his evil parents watching her every move. She works closely with Hina, to find a way to get help to rescue them, and playing safe for now. We learned in the first book how smart and cunning Razia was, with her amazing ability and skills to create ways to win these wars. Will she survive Karim and his family?
What follows is an exciting and at times tense story, with Razia using her climbing ability to get free during the wee hours to send messages to possible allies; and get back in time before she is discovered. I really hated Karim, his mother and father, as they were truly evil. At the same time, Boyden gave us some fantastic secondary characters that I loved, such as both of her two sisters, Hina, Arjun, as well as all those allies who were willing to risk their lives to fight the enemy. I loved her wonderful dragon, Sultana, who was amazing, and the other zahhaks. To tell too much more would be spoilers, and you really need to read and enjoy the wild and climatic ending.
The last half of Gifting Fire was very exciting, tense, nonstop action, with flying dragons, aerial battles, and a heroine who stood up to the challenge. This was also a sweet romance, as I really liked Razia and Arjun together. Alina Boyden did a great job writing this wonderful fantasy.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
August 10, 2021
I understand that Alina Boyden has been under criticism for these books since she is a white woman writing about POC. I know that not everyone agrees that this is an okay practice, but I cannot pass judgement on this subject. Alina Boyden is a cultural anthropologist who has spent time in Pakistan. I do not have any experience in this field and I have done my best to allow her to guide me in this fantasy world that she writes about.
Now, as far as the story goes, this one was harder for me to read than Stealing Thunder was. This book really harped on the fact that Razia survived a lot of abuse and continued to be abused. This was not easy content to get through, and the politics throughout were also a challenge. I love that Razia, and the family that she created for herself, prevail against the odds but I don't think I can stomach to read this again. I can handle gore and death, I cannot handle constantly reading about rape and abuse.
Now, as far as the story goes, this one was harder for me to read than Stealing Thunder was. This book really harped on the fact that Razia survived a lot of abuse and continued to be abused. This was not easy content to get through, and the politics throughout were also a challenge. I love that Razia, and the family that she created for herself, prevail against the odds but I don't think I can stomach to read this again. I can handle gore and death, I cannot handle constantly reading about rape and abuse.
August 19, 2025
3.5 stars
A good listen if you've read the first book. Loose ends are tied up here, and the story is engaging. The writing is a bit repetitive and I'm still not sure I like how the child rapist character is handled, but at least that part's better than in the first book, I think.
Overall I'd recommend this duology, especially to people looking for positive trans representation in fantasy, though with some content warnings for transphobic characters, misgendering and mentions of past child SA.
Some mixed feelings, but the author paced this novel very well and is fantastic at writing fantasy politics and tense action. I'd happily read more from Alina Boyden!
A good listen if you've read the first book. Loose ends are tied up here, and the story is engaging. The writing is a bit repetitive and I'm still not sure I like how the child rapist character is handled, but at least that part's better than in the first book, I think.
Overall I'd recommend this duology, especially to people looking for positive trans representation in fantasy, though with some content warnings for transphobic characters, misgendering and mentions of past child SA.
Some mixed feelings, but the author paced this novel very well and is fantastic at writing fantasy politics and tense action. I'd happily read more from Alina Boyden!
August 8, 2021
That cover is exquisite! But as we all know it's what's between the cover pages that counts (or else poor Lois McMaster Bujold would never get any traction; someone get that lady a better cover artist, stat!).
Anyway, a superb follow-up to the first book. Like Stealing Thunder, the book is brisk, fun, heart-felt, with a mix of politics, action, and fashion. If you liked Stealing Thunder, you'll love Gifting Fire.
Anyway, a superb follow-up to the first book. Like Stealing Thunder, the book is brisk, fun, heart-felt, with a mix of politics, action, and fashion. If you liked Stealing Thunder, you'll love Gifting Fire.
September 3, 2021
As I finished this book, I was SH:OC:KED at how good it was compared to the first one. Perhaps it was because I now had more than a book to understand a lot of the unique terminology/many of the cast were already met, but it just felt as if the author learned from the first book and did work to improve.
I'd argue it was easier to understand, and definitely less of a hassle to get through. Especially with how underwhelming sequels can be, I applaud the author for the work here.
I'd argue it was easier to understand, and definitely less of a hassle to get through. Especially with how underwhelming sequels can be, I applaud the author for the work here.
July 31, 2021
A brilliant book that features, action, romance, suspense and strategy.
The main character was both fascinating and complex. Boyden has used 'gifting fire' to explore themes of family, friendship and the importance of accepting people as they are.
The ending was deeply satisfying and provided the perfect conclusion to this novel.
The main character was both fascinating and complex. Boyden has used 'gifting fire' to explore themes of family, friendship and the importance of accepting people as they are.
The ending was deeply satisfying and provided the perfect conclusion to this novel.
June 3, 2021
A brilliant follow-up to Stealing Thunder. Razia is a fantastic protagonist, and the world-building, writing, characters, and plot are all extremely engaging. I nearly missed many a subway stop while engrossed in this one, and can't wait for the next one that I hope is coming!
August 25, 2021
This is a worthy follow-up novel to Stealing Thunder. Although the action is not quite as fast-paced as the initial book and the plot sometimes veers into deus ex machina territory, this book goes into strong redemptive themes with some satisfying resolutions to the story.
May 21, 2022
This one was really good and way better than the first.
The pacing was well done (which was my main complaint about the first) and the story and world building well crafted.
Will definitely keep an eye for next books from the author.
The pacing was well done (which was my main complaint about the first) and the story and world building well crafted.
Will definitely keep an eye for next books from the author.
April 8, 2023
This book is a breath of fresh air. It is wonderful, fantasy adventure and I absolutely love Raiza. It keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time and leaves you wanting for more. Having it centered on a transwoman, which is still rare, makes it even more valuable in its telling.
March 28, 2024
Genuinely one of the best books I read lately. I already liked the first book which had some obvious flaws but I felt like these flaws were overcome in this book. I liked story and characters and the zahhak. I mean how can you not like them.
4.5/5
4.5/5
July 9, 2021
This was so much better than the first one. I actually cried this time.
October 27, 2021
Absolutely amazing. I couldn't put it down! I want more or Raiza and Arjun (epilogue novellas please?)
March 17, 2022
Good like the first one - the premise of the existence of an entire transgender female courtesan caste still doesn't make sense to me, though
April 16, 2022
Really enjoyed it!
May 30, 2022
The ending was??? Too happy???? But alright I'll take it I guess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2022
I devoured this in five days. A wonderful world, heart-rending conflicts.
February 4, 2025
This book hurt me. It's dark but Razia is strong, but still shows her development and weaknesses.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews