Empire of Sand
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4.2 • 134 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
*Named one of TIME's Top 100 Fantasy Books Of All Time
A nobleman's daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri's lush, dazzling, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.
The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Ambhan Empire for the power in their blood.
Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited. When Mehr's power comes to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.
And should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance. . .
"An ode to the quiet, fierce strength of women. . .pure wonder." —Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree
"Stunning and enthralling." —S. A. Chakraborty, USA Today bestselling author of The City of Brass
"A darkly intricate, devastating, and utterly original story." —R. F. Kuang, award-winning author of the The Poppy War
By Tasha Suri:
The Books of Ambha duology
Empire of Sand
Realm of Ash
The Burning Kingdoms trilogy
The Jasmine Throne
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Despite its young, orphaned heroine—who has magic in her blood—Empire of Sand is no Harry Potter novel. Set during India’s 16th-century Mughal Empire—the period when Genghis Khan’s descendants conquered the country—this densely detailed epic fantasy threads gods and spells into a rich historical fabric. Drenched in romance and adventure, Tasha Suri’s debut wowed us with its lyrical descriptions of an outcast culture of magic-makers—and with touching moments of closeness among female friends living in the shadow of an empire at war.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dark secrets lurk at an empire's heart in this complex, affecting epic fantasy from debut author Suri. In a land inspired by Mughal India, Mehr is a young noblewoman of ambiguous status: her father is a governor from a powerful Ambhan family, the most privileged group in the Ambhan Empire, but Mehr is an illegitimate child, and her exiled mother is one of the outcast Amrithi. Her mother's people claim descent from the daiva, strange, djinnlike creatures that roam the desert, gathering around magical storms said to be the sleeping gods' dreams. Mehr's latent magical abilities draw the attention of the empire's spiritual leader and his mystical coven, including a young Amrithi man named Amun who possesses similar abilities. Alongside the fantasy setting's courtly intrigue and magic, Suri explores deeper questions of power, love, and the human cost of prosperity and order. That cost falls heavily on the subjugated Amrithi, who are "the kindling wood that the fire of the Empire's strength"; on women, whose complex relationships with one another are brilliantly portrayed; and on the young people unwillingly caught up in the Ambhan arranged marriage system. Intricate worldbuilding, heartrending emotional stakes, and Suri's well-wrought prose ("Dreamfire bled across the sky, swift as spilled ink on paper, its jewelled edges tinged with darkness") make this a worthy addition to any epic fantasy fan's bookshelf.
Customer Reviews
Stick with it
Okay, I have a hard time criticizing any artist because I know how much work goes into the process but there’s some good and bad here. It takes about half the book before anything actually happens, and at times the writing is a bit long winded, which can make you get impatient as a reader…That’s said, once it finally got moving I couldn’t put it down and finished the second half of the book in one sitting. I think it’s worth the read and will definitely read the second.
Slows paced but…exquisitely written!
I must say that this was my fist time reading something so different than what my normal SciFi taste is. The magic was confusing at first, but the more I read the more it made since and I was hoping for our heroine to succeed. It was slowed, but I admire a writer whose research is imbedded in the story lines. I appreciate the well and thorough character development that went in. I loved the growth we see with the heroine with out being cheesy or immature. And the dialogue was well written. I cried and was relieved when I finished the story. The pain and hopeless felt raw and real. I love that about this author. It truly pulled me in.
I hope you all can give the book a chance. Is more about Hope, with love being the reward!!