Description
A fierce feminist fantasy set in a Singapore-inspired melting pot of Eastern culture - for fans of For She is Wrath, We Hunt the Flame, The Gilded Ones and Children of Blood and Bone.
When she bleeds, the Kingdom falls.
At five years old, Nisha was selected to be the Mortal Goddess - a vessel for the great Goddess Shantavi. But on her twelfth birthday, Nisha escaped the temple before she could be sacrificed at the hands of the Immortal King.
Now the Kingdom searches for its new Mortal Goddess and their eye has fallen on Ratna, the only family Nisha has left.
Helped by a Golden Eagle Warrior and the only boy she has ever loved, Nisha must learn to embrace her power in order to liberate her people.
It's time to take the Kingdom back.
Review
On the island of Khas Kuta, the Immortal King reigns. Every seven years a five-year-old girl must be chosen to have the honour of being the new Mortal Goddess, a vessel to hold the spirit of the Goddess Shantavi. Shantavi and the King were once lovers, and it is said that the Goddess became angry at the population and left them to defend for themselves. The King controls everything and women have no say and are under the total control of their masters, making this a dangerous place for any female who is alone.
When Nisha was five she was chosen as the Mortal Goddess, and she discovered how many lies the King was telling his people. As she was approaching the age of twelve it was time to replace her, and she knew she must escape before the King had her killed. This caused chaos in the kingdom, but she survived by hiding and living on the streets and rooftops of the city.
Now Ratna, who she has been caring for four years, has been chosen and Nisha must find a way to save her from the King. When an unlikely ally helps her she soon learns that life in the kingdom was never meant to be like this for women, and that there is a plan to destroy the King and take back their home. As the only living Mortal Goddess, can Nisha convince Shantavi to help them?
This is a fantastic fantasy novel with a feminist twist. It is full of inspiring characters and an incredibly detailed setting. Nisha is smart, resourceful and aware of how scared some things make her but she is willing to face the unknown to help Ratna and save the kingdom. The are also some great male characters who support her, along with some magical animals - including a magnificent flying lioness.
This will be thoroughly enjoyed by fantasy lovers aged fifteen and up, as it is fast-paced and full of surprises. I absolutely loved it.
