Book Blurb:
As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s position, let alone a courtesan or wife. Her sole dream is to continue living in peace in the Sisterhood’s mountain temple.
But a visit from the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda’s life. Within hours, she is ripped from the comfort of her home, set on a desert trek, and ordered to fight for her place among the rajah’s ninety-nine wives and numerous courtesans. Her only solace comes in the company of her guard, the stoic but kind Captain Deven Naik.
Faced with the danger of a tournament to the death—and her growing affection for Deven—Kalinda has only one hope for escape, and it lies in an arcane, forbidden power buried within her.
In Emily R. King’s thrilling fantasy debut, an orphan girl blossoms into a warrior, summoning courage and confidence in her fearless quest to upend tradition, overthrow an empire, and reclaim her life as her own.
My Review:
5 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Historical, Mystery, Romance, Royal-Court, Supernatural, Suspense--
Kalinda has lived her life in a remote temple in the mountains with the Sisterhood, religious women who take in orphan girls and raise them to be warriors and possible Sisters themselves. But first, Kalinda and her best friend Jaya must get through their first Claiming, where a donor can come and see the girls skills in battling and pick a girl to be a servant, courtesan or even a wife. Kalinda has no hope of being chosen, much to her delight, since she is a weak fighter and too skinny from the fevers she suffered her whole life. But when circumstances outside her control occur, Kalinda's life spins in a new dangerous direction. What do the God's really want from her?
This review will not be very long or detailed because I do not want to give anything away. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an action packed story full of strong warrior women, unbreakable bonds, realistic characters with depth, and the magic! Did I mention the magic? Hands down, my favorite and most surprising part of the book.The story had romance and intrigue, as well as mystery and danger woven throughout the pages.
The plot was full of secrets and twists, so much so that I could not really anticipate anything that would happen. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what danger or tragedy would occur next, it was so stressful! I did not realize how wrapped up in the book I was until the first moment when the burner made his presence known, and Kali's fate was so up in the air. How was I suppose to put the book aside for real life when I was just dragged into this fantastic world?
I listened to the audio version which was amazing. I am incredibly picky about audio books and the narrators, always finding something to be annoyed about during my listening experience. But I am happy to report that the narrator was great, giving the characters unique voices and personalities and each situation the care that was needed to bring it to life for me. My favorite part of the audio book was hearing the pronunciations- I know I would have butchered the names and places if left to my own devices. I own the ebook, the physical book and the audiobook, and it was hard at times to not pick up my physical book (which sits lovingly on my shelve so as not to be hurt) while at home to read or my ebook copy of my phone while I was out and about, but I wanted to finish the story with the audiobook because it was so engaging.
I can't wait to see what is in store for Kalinda next, but one thing I can guarantee is that it will be surprising and dangerous, and I know I will enjoy the adventure.
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