



The Scarlet Throne
A thrilling and morally grey villain fantasy debut, influenced by Nepali 'living goddess' traditions
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- 75,00 kr
Utgivarens beskrivning
A dark, heart-thumping political epic fantasy by debut author Amy Leow - full of scheming demons, morally grey heroines, talking cats and cut-throat priests, this delicious tale of power and corruption will captivate from beginning to end.
'Living goddess Binsa's bartering of blood and power offers one hell of a villain origin story, and readers in search of devious political schemes, moral complexity, and lush worldbuilding need look no further'
Julie Leong, author of The Teller of Small Fortunes
Binsa is a "living goddess," chosen by the gods to dispense both mercy and punishment from her place on the Scarlet Throne. But her reign hides a deadly secret. Rather than channelling the wisdom of an immortal deity, she harbours a demon.
But now her priests are growing suspicious. When a new girl, Medha, is selected to take over her position, Binsa and her demon strike a deal: to magnify his power and help her wrest control from the priests, she will sacrifice human lives. She'll do anything not to end up back on the streets, forgotten and alone. But how much of her humanity is she willing to trade in her quest for power? Deals with demons are rarely so simple.
'[A] delightful novel that launches the False Goddess trilogy. Debut author Leow carefully balances the characters' humanity against their fears to drive this story along unexpected paths'
Booklist ★
'Binsa makes for a fascinating and deeply morally ambiguous antihero... This tension-filled adventure gets Leow off to a strong start'
Publishers Weekly
'Lady Macbeth step aside, there's a new scheming villain on the scene'
Eliza Chan, no. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Fathomfolk
'This book will make you embrace your inner villain and be completely unapologetic about it'
Amber Chen, Sunday Times bestselling author
'A lush villain's descent filled with fire and dark ambition'
Wen-yi Lee
'A bold and beautiful story of power, politics, and religion...The Scarlet Throne is a must-read for anyone who loves villainous women'
Maelan Holladay
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Debut author Leow launches her False Goddess series with a gripping dark fantasy inspired by Southeast Asian folk religion. Binsa, 15, has been the Rakhti, or the vessel of the goddess Rashmatun, and therefore the ruler of Bakhtin, for the past 10 years. No one knows, however, that she does not actually host the goddess but instead harbors the demon Ilam. Because of her extended and unusual tenure as Rashmatun's vessel, the priest Harun organizes a selection process to remove Binsa from power and install a new Rakhti. When Binsa discovers his ploy, she desperately turns to blood magic to strengthen her bond with Ilam and increase her abilities—at the cost of innocent lives. With the people of Bakhtin losing confidence in her ability and the country suffering from a drought, Binsa must gather enough power to summon rain and dispel their doubts. Binsa makes for a fascinating and deeply morally ambiguous antihero. Readers won't necessarily root for her, but her secrets and scheming will have them on the edges of their seats. The worldbuilding, meanwhile, feels rich and specific. This tension-filled adventure gets Leow off to a strong start.