Divining the Leaves
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
"Filled with beautiful and dangerous magic, this book swirls around you like irresistible perfume." —Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
From critically acclaimed author Shveta Thakrar comes a beautifully imagined contemporary fantasy about two teens, one a believer of magic who yearns to belong, the other a skeptic searching for an escape, who find themselves embroiled in a twisty world of court intrigue when they venture into a forest ruled by yakshas, mysterious woodland spirits drawn from Hindu and Buddhist folklore.
Plant-loving Ridhi Kapadia and popular Nilesh Batra were friends once.
Now, seventeen and alone, Ridhi blends natural perfumes, wears flower crowns, and wanders her local woods, listening for the leafy whispers of her beloved trees. Pleading for the yakshas to admit her into their enchanted forest kingdom, where she knows she truly belongs.
After learning his parents’ perfect marriage is a sham and getting suspended from school, a heartsick Nilesh lands at Ridhi’s doorstep—the last thing either of them wants. So when a pretty yakshini offers him the distraction of magic, the same magic he mocked Ridhi for believing in, he jumps at it.
Furious, Ridhi strikes a bargain with a noblewoman of the yaksha court. In exchange for helping restore her reputation, Lady Sulochana will turn Ridhi into the yakshini she yearns to be—and teach her to divine the trees’ murmurs.
But when Nilesh ends up trapped in the yakshas’ realm, Ridhi realizes the leaves might be telling a disturbing story about the forest her heart is rooted in—one that, even if the two of them band together, threatens to shred the future like so many thorns.
Based on Hindu and Buddhist Folklore: When Ridhi makes a deal with a noblewoman of the yaksha court, she gets more than she bargained for as she’s pulled into a world of dangerous woodland spirits drawn from myth.A Friends to Enemies Dynamic: Ridhi Kapadia believes in magic. Nilesh Batra used to be her friend—now he mocks her for it. But when his perfect family shatters, magic is the only escape he has left.Intricate Plant Magic: A lonely perfumer who listens for the whispers of trees, Ridhi has always felt she belongs in the enchanted forest. But the leafy murmurs she yearns to understand might be telling a story of betrayal.A Coming of Age YA Fantasy: When Nilesh is trapped in the yaksha realm, Ridhi must team up with her former friend to uncover a secret that threatens to destroy the forest she loves—and both their futures.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Disillusioned Atlanta teens enter a realm from Hindu and Buddhist folklore in this underdeveloped contemporary fantasy from Thakrar (The Dream Runners). Seventeen-year-old Ridhi Kapadia despairs upon learning that former friend Nilesh Batra will be staying with her family while his parents hash out their separation. Ridhi and Nilesh may have been close as kids, but now rich, popular Nilesh mocks "freaks" like Ridhi, who makes her own botanical perfumes, prefers trees to people, and believes in magic. Seeking refuge, Ridhi performs a complex ritual that transports her to a kingdom of yakshas, the mythical keepers of nature. She's elated—until she encounters Nilesh, who has entered the enchanted land with a pretty yakshini he met at the grocery store. Happy to escape their respective realities, both teens strike deals that will allow them to remain. Neither bargain comes without consequences, however, prompting the duo to join forces and fight for the fates they desire. Scattershot plotting, two-dimensional characters, and haphazardly incorporated mythology hamper a promising premise. Nevertheless, readers fond of immersive storytelling will appreciate the sensate prose and worldbuilding. The cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 13–up.
