Quick Synopsis – Prince Ashoka is the youngest son of the tyrannical Emperor Adil Maurya. Considered an outcast by his father for his rejection of the emperor’s brutal onslaught against the witches of the empire, Ashoka longs for change.
Shakti is a mayakari: a witch bound by a pacifist code. After witnessing the murder of her aunt and village at the hands of the emperor, Shakti hurtles down a path of revenge, casting a curse with unexpected consequences.
In a world where nature spirits roam the land, and witches are hunted to extinction, Ashoka and Shakti will be forced to grapple with the consequences of power: to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.

Song This Reminds Me Of- I Want to Break Free by Queen

Publication Date – Mar. 18, 2025

Content Notes – This book depicts a lot of violence against women including the burning of women at the stake. A large part of the book is about genocide.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Review – I thought this was a solid debut and if you like books like The Poppy War by R. F Kuang then you would probably enjoy this book. The problem I had was there was too much focus on the journeys of the two main characters and not enough world building.

This book is a dual POV, and chapters oscillate between Ashoka and Shakti. Each has their own hero’s journey, and I found their characters to be relatable. You have a son who opposes his father at every turn and doesn’t believe the genocide of innocent people. Then you have Shakti, a witch raised as a pacifist who goes against her code and curses the Emperor. It seemed strange to me that the magical class in this story had like 3 basic powers, but one of them they are told to never use and to remain pacifist. It’s like a don’t push the shiny red button plot device.

The world its self needed more building. I get that the Emperor had burned down the library that contained the most knowledge and research regarding the mayakari. I also get that the Emperor essentially used the mayakari as a scapegoat to unite his people against a common “enemy”. I just don’t get that there could be so much knowledge lost in what seems to be a 25-year period. Mayakari are not hunted in other countries, and I just find it strange how much lore seems to be missing. I had so many questions about the world that I wasn’t as invested in the story of Ashoka and Shakti.

I’m not sure that I would continue the series, but I did think this was a good start. I think I just wanted more fantasy and more magic.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.