Second Daughter

The Royals of Dharia #2

by Susan Kaye Quinn

Aniri’s life is supposedly perfect—she’s beloved by the people of Jungali and betrothed to their handsome prince. He’s a noble barbarian who’s pledged to use his skyship for peace, but the threat of a second skyship in the hands of rival country Samir looms over their impending marriage… and Aniri begins to question her rush to marry a man she barely knows.

When the Second Daughter of Dharia is poisoned, Aniri tells her soon-to-be husband she must rush off to Samir to care for her beloved sister. After all, how can she wed when Seledri may be dying? But in her heart, Aniri fears she may be like her long-lost father, fleeing the responsibilities of crown once again.

Aniri may be a runaway bride, but the dangers in Samir are real—Seledri is being stalked by an assassin, the second skyship could bring war, and the three Queendoms have never had so much unrest. As Aniri fights to free her sister from a husband and a country she does not love, she unlocks tightly-kept secrets that might have been better left uncovered… and she wonders whether a love pledged in the heat of adventure can survive the looming threat of war.

SECOND DAUGHTER is the second book in the Royals of Dharia Trilogy. It is told from Aniri’s point of view.

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fiction, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction

442 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2014

About the author

CLICK HERE for a FREE STORY

Susan Kaye Quinn has designed aircraft engines and researched global warming, but now she uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. Her works range from hopeful climate fiction to gritty cyberpunk. Sue believes being gentle and healing is radical and disruptive. Her short fiction can be found in Grist, Solarpunk Magazine, Reckoning, and all her novels and short stories can be found on her website. She is the host of the Bright Green Futures podcast.

SOLARPUNK
collections
Bright Green Futures: 2024 (edited by SKQ)
Halfway to Better

novels
Nothing is Promised series
When You Had Power
You Knew The Price
Of Kindness and Kilowatts
Yet You Cry When It Hurts

short stories
A Moon Goddess to Watch Over Me (Luna Station Quarterly) (hopepunk)
It's in the Blood (Reckoning 8)
Once and Future Kilowatts (Solarpunk Magazine)
Rewilding Indiana (Little Blue Marble)
Seven Sisters (Grist)
The Joy Fund (DreamForge Magazine)

SCI-FI
Singularity Novel Series
The Legacy Human
The Duality Bridge
The Illusory Prophet
The Last Mystic

Stories of Singularity
Restore
Containment
Augment
Awakening
Harvest
Defiance
Resistance

YA SF
Mindjack Series
Open Minds
Closed Hearts
Free Souls
Locked Tight
Cracked Open
Broken Wide
Mindjack Short Story Collection

WATCH the award-winning live-action Mindjack Book Trailer!

STEAMPUNK ROMANCE
Royals of Dharia
Third Daughter
Second Daughter
First Daughter

CYBERPUNK
Debt Collector
LIRIUM (Season One)
WRAITH (Season Two)

WATCH the Debt Collector Book Trailer

ANTHOLOGIES
Synchronic
Telepath Chronicles
AI Chronicles
Dark Beyond The Stars
Future Chronicles
Cyborg Chronicles
CLONES: The Anthology

MIDDLE GRADE FANTASY
Faery Swap

WATCH the Faery Swap Book Trailer

CONTACT SUSAN
Susan's Website | Sue on Bluesky | Sue on Mastodon
Susan's Email: sue@twistedspacepub.com

Reviews

[angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb

Another excellent book in the royals of dharia. Full of action, mistakes, love realized, devastation and so much more. Definitely a must read series.

[diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

You guys holy crap! This book. This WONDERFUL book!

I mentioned in my review of the first book that I wasn't totally sold on the romance between Aniri and Ash. But this book proved just how totally wrong I was. I NEED more Ash. Ash is my bae. Nothing could stop me from reading the next book. Nothing. Not even the zombie apocalypse. Because ASH <3 <3 <3

Second Daughter is a perfect follow-up to Third Daughter. It has so much more intrigue, drama, adventure and (swoony) romance.
Seledri is such an adorable character. I wish she has her own book. I'm actually feeling guilty because I fell in love with Seledri and Pavan way faster than I did with Aniri and Ash. I don't know what it is about Pavan but he's such an easy character to fall in love with.
Aniri is still her stubborn, loyal and reckless self. I love that about her but there were times I just wanted to knock some sense into her. That girl could get into trouble just by sitting still. Seriously she attracts trouble like no one's business. Kinda reminds me a lot of Grace from Ally Carter's Embassy Row books. Same stubbornness and fierce loyalty. And Ash... well like I said I NEED MORE ASH.

I'm definitely looking forward to the last book in the trilogy. The ending of Second Daughter was so intense I was left hanging. I need to know what happens next.

If you're a fan of the first book, Third Daughter, you should totally grab this one right away and if you still haven't started this series, What are you doing reading reviews?? Read this book right now!

I received a copy of the book to read and review.

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is another amazing example of Susan Kaye Quinn's excellent writing. Her writing draws you in and doesn't allow you to escape until you finish the book. The world she writes is stunning and vividly created in our imaginations with women wearing bright purple dresses and orange corsets to an air ship sailing across the sky.

This book offers lots of action, gun fights and saber duels, and political intrigue. The main character, the third daughter, is still having issues with playing politics, but she is getting better. She is a relatable character that the reader can sympathize with.

I love the doubts the character has about her own feelings, and how she has to figure out what she wants. The romance in this story is tasteful and well written. And like women in relationships, she has fears and worries about her relationship.

If you are looking for an action adventure story or a romance story, you should definitely check out this well written story by Susan Kaye Quinn.

(Also the formatting is well done and the chapter headers have really nice looking fonts.)

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars, too much Devesh.

Just kidding.

But, no, seriously.

[Fangs for the Fantasy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aniri is back in Jungali with Prince Malik. Now that things have settled down a little though the threat of war with Samir looms large, Aniri now has time to wonder if she has rushed into her engagement with the handsome prince. Aniri has good reason to doubt given that her last affair with the courtesan Deevish ended in betrayal. Aniri barely has a change to deal with her jitters before she is notified that an assassination attempt has been made on her sister, the second daughter of Dahria, Selderi. Though Malik desperately wants Aniri to marry him first to cement both their relationship and the treaty between their two nations, Aniri is compelled to rush to her sister's side. Aniri's trip to Samaria will reveal a long standing family mystery but at the same time, push her country closer to war, even as it threatens her marriage to Malik.

The Dharian Affairs Trilogy is rare in that it is a steampunk series based outside of Europe, with a large cast of people of colour. Quinn takes great care to fill her story with a strong sense of culture and India. Her descriptive writing is vivid, thus making it easy to picture the surroundings and get swept away with them. With the potential of war looming in the future it raises the tension in Second Daughter. I must however admit that I am not as enamored with Second Daughter, as I was with Third Daughter. Third Daughter is very slow moving at the beginning and it feels very much like it is treading water. While it is absolutely sensible for Aniri to doubt herself, in terms of her love for Malik, it took up far too much of the story given what was at stake.

Aniri continues to be filled with spunky agency. She never thinks things through, or has a coherent plan; she simply moves from one bad situation to another, justifying her lack of forethought by the fact that those she loves are in danger. Some of this can be justified by Aniri's youth but at the same time, I feel as though she should have grown more, given the events of Third Daughter, beyond the notion that rushing into an unbreakable marriage contract without forethought could have consequences. I do however like the fact that Aniri remains intellectually curious and is unafraid to face danger, even if common sense should at least cause her to pause momentarily.


One of the things I like about the Dharian Affairs Trilogy is the all of the world created by Susan Kaye Quinn are matriarchies. Women are highly prized and men may only lead the country, if there isn't a female heir. There are several strong side characters in the novel like Riva the tinkerer, Nisha, Malik's sister in law, and of course, Queen Amala. Though none of these women had a significant role to play per say, each in their own way helped guide the story and offer the reader insight into the world, political situation and customs. The one character who gave me pause was Selderi whom we are told repeatedly is good, and sweet. Selderi is several months pregnant and she is treated like a near invalid because of it. Yes, Selderi is pregnant and was poisoned but it felt like a trope to make the pregnant woman fragile.


Read More

[Kaye Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s nonstop action in Susan Kaye Quinn’s new steampunk novel, Second Daughter, the second book in her Dharian Affairs Trilogy. First Daughter was a fun and fast-paced read, setting the stage for loads of drama in Second Daughter. The colorful environment, costumes and characters are enchanting, as she takes us on a gender-bending, East Indian-themed adventure. Second Daughter entices us with further development of the charming characters, first introduced in Third Daughter, plus a plethora of new personalities, both good and evil. The political intrigue and subterfuge kept me reading non-stop. I can’t wait for First Daughter to make its appearance!

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book begins where the last one ended. In this second book, the eveing before Aniri’s wedding to Ash she learns her sister Seledri is in trouble. Someone has made an assassination attempt. Aniri leaves to “rescue” her sister because there are rumors that her sister’s new country is planning war against Dharia.
I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinons expressed here are my own.

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Daughter is even better!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Third Daughter but the Second Daughter was even better! I can hardly wait for the First Daughter now. I stayed up well past my normal bedtime because I couldn't stop reading this story and it was well worth it. Get these Books!!!

[Kay Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally had a chance to finish Second Daughter today. It ended with a great cliffhanger, and I immediately started on the third book in the trilogy, First Daughter. I can't recommend the series highly enough.

[Musings of a Middle-aged Mum · Rating 4 out of 5]

The other day I reviewed the first book in this series, I have since read the other two books.
The Royals of Dharia (3 Book Series) by Susan Kaye Quinn
Given the titles of the subsequent books, I was pleasantly surprised to see they are both still written from the perspective of Amiri, the Third Daughter. In the first book, you fall in love with this independent young woman, so I am glad to see how the story develops through her eyes.

At the start of the second book we discover that Seledri, the Second Daughter of Dharia, has been poisoned, so Amiri postpones her wedding to go care for her sister. This is complicated by the fact that Seledri, is is also married to the man in line for the Samir throne, but all is not at peace there, and it looks as if all is heading towards war.

The third book looks at Nahali, the First Daughter of Dharia, who has to take over from her mother who is injured, to be acting Queen of Dharia in this time of war. In the role that she was born for can she work with her younger sister Amiri to achieve peace, or is she more concerned with her reputation and rule?

I read these books in a few days, I really enjoyed them.

I hadn't realised that they were written in "Bollywood style" until I read the reviews after writing my own a few days ago. Having chosen the book based on title and author's name (Q in my list, if you're following), I had no idea. Yet, in my mind's eye, I did place the story in the kind of Indoasian landscape, whether it's 'realistic' or not, totally bypassed me as I'm used to reading fantasy.
Similarly I hadn't come across Steampunk as a specific literary genre - I just think of it as a fantasy / SciFi crossover - but that really fits, and I will be looking out for more books along these lines.

There are twists and turns in these books, romance, politics, and advancing technology. If only there were dragons, it would be my perfect book!

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second book...
After Aniri and Ash sees the sky ship everything changes.
They think there's another.
But now Aniri needs to face the music, her wedding plans.

She becomes unsure about her wedding, then news about her sister Seledri reaches her.
Ash and her along with everyone else is upset that she wants go to seledri.
Ash also suspects she is having second thoughts.

Aniri also has other plans not just to see if her sister is ok but to bring her home to Dharia and away from her loveless marriage.

***When she gets there Seledri is not there but a dead handmaiden and her husband Pavan takes them to see her, they disable them and escape.
***She meets Devesh again, Aniri and Janak both want to kill him, but he helps them so they reconsider.
***As they board the ship, devesh unexpectedly kisses her and everyone aboard the ship sees, Captain Tanak reports to Ash, whose messages she ignore.

When Aniri arrives home she senses the change in ship crew and Ash.
***She tried to explain but to no avail. Ash tells her to go home.
***Aniri desperately tries to prove her love which now becomes clear. she loves Ash.
***Niasha and Priya help set Things in motion.

At the end, Ash cannot deny his feelings and so they reunite with a steamy kiss rushing off to marry.

Then an explosion happens, and seledri and Ash is kidnapped.
Natesh, second son wants the throne and he wants Aniri to surrender.
It ends here...

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one too! The plot and characters were still interesting, as well as the setting, though my initial hesitation still remains somewhat about how the culture is portrayed etc. etc. I won't repeat myself.

Anyway, it was nice to branch out and get to see more of Samir, the world, and how it's all connected. Though I will admit I'm getting a little exasperated by the "oh, they're almost going to get married, but only almost!". I personally think we've had enough of those already and it feels kind of lazy? Like an attempt to prolong the will-they-won't-they in a rather clumsy way that's not really all that satisfying — since we KNOW they will, the marriage is just a formality at this point. Why prolong it? Made even worse by the whole kidnapping thing. Some parts of the plot are beginning to feel like cheap ways to keep them apart when, really, it might have been more interesting to watch them handle the coming war as a married couple.

But I digress. Those are personal complaints of mine and are rather small in the grand scheme of things. I still liked the book, even if I sometimes have to remind myself that Aniri is eighteen and, princess or not, she's not going to be the most mature main character. She's lucky she's so genuine and Ashoka is so forgiving, is all I'm saying.

But yeah! Moving on to the third and final book, since I definitely want to know how this ends!

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away by Third Daughter, the first book in Susan Kaye Quinn’s The Royals of Dharia series. As a result I’ve been eagerly waiting for this book, Second Daughter, the second in the trilogy. It was worth the wait. Aniri (the Third Daughter) is still the start here as she rushes off to the rival kingdom of Samir when her beloved sister Seledri (the eponymous Second Daughter) is poisoned and may be dying. You can read the publisher’s blurb for what happens next. It’s yet steampunk Bollywood thriller of a wild ride, full of intrigue and adventure, assassination attempts, suspense, secrets revealed and a nice bit of romance. Wonderful stuff that’s wonderfully written. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the last book in this trilogy.

[Jane Blanchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in The Royals of Dharia series, The Second Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn picks up where the first stops, with Aniri’s rescue of her sister in Samir. This book is less steampunk than the first and offers more character development, cultural information, and less teenage angst about relationships and the meaning of love.

The strong female protagonist, Aniri, places her duty to family and country above everything else, including her marriage to the Jungali prince. Donning her “adventure” clothing, she leaves to save the second daughter and possibly prevent a war. As a result, she learns about her values and her place in the realms.

This is an exciting series and I quickly purchased the next book. If the author continues to improve the writing with each story, then I am going to have an enjoyable read.

[Diana Hurwitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved all of Quinn's series from Mind Jack, Singularity, to the Debt Collector. When i picked up The Third Daughter, I was delighted to find a wonderful Bollywood adventure in a steampunk world. And thus I am now in love with and want more Bollypunk stories.

In the first book of the swashbuckling series followed Aniri, the spoiled third daughter. Book two starts when Aniri's sister Seledri is poisoned which meeans she must leave her handsome prince and return home. Aniri has an excuse to reconsider whether she wants to marry someone who is, after all, a total stranger. Aniri must try to save her sister from a husband and a country she does not love. But the effort digs up secrets that threaten them all.

Five out of five stars for plot, characters, and story world.

[Naoé · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book even if I read the first one a few months ago I wasn’t lost or anything in the characters places or plot and this was really good
I enjoyed the Indian inspired setting and the political aspect of the story and the powerful female leader and the Queendoms aspect of the story
The main characters all of them are all really complex and multilayered and I liked the fact that the romance wasn’t always simple there were conflicts and hesitation and misunderstandings and that made the romance more realistic
After that cliffhanger I jumped right in the final book because I now hope that every one will be alright because I love them all

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in The Royals of Dharia series find Princess Aniri headed into enemy territory to rescue her sister, the second daughter of the Queen of Dharia. But is this the real reason she’s running away, or is Aniri fleeing from her impending marriage to a handsome prince? While in Samir, she confronts buried family secrets and learns of a plot against the Queendoms that necessitates an immediate return home. Realizing she loves the prince, she devotes herself to him and his people. But just when all seems to be going well, the enemy attacks. Can they survive the coming war?

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo!

I purchased this book a few hours ago & want the third book! The characters are memorable and strong. The dialogue is believable and well written. The events of the book are wonderfully descriptive. This is not my usual genre, but it is fast becoming a favorite. There are answers to some mysteries, there is action galore, & steam punk throughout.
I'm off to buy the third book now. Read the first book & then the second. The first book is: The Third Daughter (The Royals of Dharia, Book One ). Hang on tight and enjoy! Highly recommended

[Joselyn Moreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firsts Impressions

After so long I was able to get back to Dharia and continue with Aniri's adventures, and I can tell you they're many on this book too.

I was worried since last time she was coming home after saving Ash's country and having discover conspiracies and such in the first book.

Now it's time to make a decision since the weeding seems awfully fast and her sister it's in trouble and Aniri as usual follows her heart into more troubles as usual.

Characters

We have the same cast as before and a few new additions that makes for a stronger plot and more conspiracies are unheartened in this one too.

We learn a little more of the background between the countries and how the traditions are in Jungali and it's neighboring countries, that's so interesting really, since the characters drive forward all these secrets and the story together too.

Final Thoughts

By the end with the ups and downs, you still have a good dose of adventure, secrets, love and new beginnings that we need really, hoping to see how all this ends on the third book. it's pretty light even when it's heavy on the politics of ruling and agreed marriages, however it don't disappoint and it's pretty fun to follow.

[Sharon Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book even more than the first book. It was fun to see the growth of Anira's character from a flighty, spoilt, self-centered girl into a young woman coming into her own own womanhood and power. She continues to get into adventures and scrapes while wrestling with love, and little matters like rescuing her sister, and the threat of war. The plot kept me spellbound until the end and I can't wait to read First Daughter.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second read from author Susan Kaye Quinn. A rollicking steam-punk adventure set in exotic India. Don't let the title throw you, even though it says Second Daughter the main character is the same as from the first book. Well-written with well-developed main characters, an enjoyable read, even better than the first book in the series. I was given an Audible copy of this book & I'm voluntarily reviewing it! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018)

[Anushka Flemming · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows the story plot set in book 1 and is still written from the POV of the 3rd daughter but takes us on her journey to save and unravel the mystery surrounding her second sister. Again, I didn't put the book down and read it in one go...lol I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one and can't wait to read book 3.

[Jean Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Daughter

While a standalone story, it is enhanced with the reading of Third Daughter. Sorting through wedding jitters while deeply involved with intrigue and danger never helps things go smoothly. The Third Daughter Continues to stumble her way on blind instinct wondering if she doing the right thing.

[Tally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first but second-half of the book was emotional and riveting enough to keep me speeding through it to find out what happens. Now onto the final book! High hopes because so far am loving this series (even if Aniri can be a bit annoying at times).

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

More intrigue

We see Aniri growing and maturing, learning more about herself as she goes on further adventures. The Second Daughter brings more intrigue and action, and some surprises. What will The First Daughter bring?

[Polly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exciting in it's own right, but what is best is that it leads to
the final book which I believe will be a great read.

[Rachel Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to follow.

[Bob Neumann · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Third Daughter, I just had to read the WHOLE series. Second book takes off like a skyrocket. It never slows down. Awesome world crafting....

[Heidi Dover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got a little tired of her wishy-washiness when it came to her feelings and how she treated Ash, but still a great worldbuilding tale and adventure

[Racquell G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is better than the first, I enjoyed this one so much more.