The Daughters of Izdihar
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
'A gorgeous, clever feminist fantasy novel rich with magic, politics, hunger and fire. An absolute must-read' Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne
Trapped in an arranged marriage to a man she does not love, Nehal dreams of attending the Weaving Academy. There, she can take control of her powers, bending any water to her will, and pursue a glorious future on the battlefield with the first all-female military regiment. Her husband, indifferent and secretive, is in love with another woman, a poor bookseller named Giorgina.
Giorgina has her own secret. She is an earthweaver with dangerously uncontrollable powers. Her only solace comes from meetings with the Daughters of Izdihar, a women's rights group fighting for freedom. They come from very different means, yet Nehal and Giorgina have more in common than they think.
Enticed by the group's enigmatic leader Malak Mamdouh, the two women are drawn into a web of politics, violence and threats of war as they find themselves fighting to earn - and keep - a lasting freedom.
A powerful feminist fantasy set in an Egyptian-inspired world, with breathtaking elemental magic and sapphic romance, perfect for fans of The Jasmine Throne and The Once and Future Witches.
Praise for The Daughters of Izdihar:
'Hadeer Elsbai has written a powerful story of sisterhood, love, and struggle within a rich, vibrant world with complicated characters that leap from the page to smash the patriarchy!' P. Djèlí Clark, author of A Master of Djinn
'A wondrously rich fantasy that highlights the true struggle to revolutionize a society. . . a debut not to be missed' Shannon Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
'Action-packed, magic-filled, and led by two fierce, vividly-rendered women, The Daughters of Izdihar is a compelling and empowering debut' Ava Reid, author of Juniper and Thorn
'A thrilling tale of two women's fight for rights in their patriarchal society, peppered with elemental magic, politics, and a relentless desire for that which is wrongly forbidden.' Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter
'A powerful fantasy novel filled with clever magic, intriguing politics, and compelling characters who forge a path toward justice, no matter the obstacle' Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief
'An absolutely enthralling tale of two women striving for a better world' Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Queen of Blood
'Magnificent, complex, compelling' Davinia Evans, author of Notorious Sorcerer
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Elsbai's rocky epic fantasy debut and duology launch suffers from uneven worldbuilding that is simultaneously elaborately detailed in its Egyptian-styled setting and cartoonishly shallow in its presentation of misogyny and societal inequities. In Ramsawa, the power of weaving—elemental magic granted by the gods to only a few—is barely tolerated, and only truly accepted in men. Young noblewoman and waterweaver Nehal Darweesh grudgingly acquiesces to a financially driven arranged marriage to Nico Baldinotti after the pair agree to a deal: she'll allow him to keep his lover, bookstore clerk Giorgina Shukry, as a concubine if he'll sign the papers for Nehal to attend the newly opened Weaving Academy. Giorgina and Nehal meet through the Daughters of Izdihar, a group of radical women agitating for women's right to vote, many of whom are hiding weaving abilities. Their involvement opens themselves to the wrath of powerful men in a country on the brink of war, but the camaraderie of the group helps them find the courage to defy expectations. It's a promising premise, but there's a frustrating lack of nuance to the gender relations. Meanwhile, a slight secondary arc about Nehal's realization of her own queerness yields a depiction of cultural homophobia as hamfisted as the rest. This disappoints.
