Reviews for Realm of ash

Library Journal
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A massacre at Darez Fort leaves one survivor, young Lady Arwa. Now widow of the general, she's ready to live the rest of her life in the noble widows' hermitage. The mysterious forces that destroyed her husband and his fort still exist, and her true heritage, her Amrithi blood, outs her as something to be feared. This same blood puts Arwa in the royal court of the Ambhan Empire, partnered with an illegitimate prince, Zahir. Zahir studies dark occult powers to find a way to overturn a curse the empire is under with daiva and other cursed magic. To do this, Zahir and Arwa will enter the realm of ash, where the dreams of ancestors exist and take shape. The emperor is dying, and his successors will battle not only for the throne, but for the magic of the empire, placing Zahir and Arwa in the center of it all. VERDICT Suri's companion to Empire of Sand continues to expand on the stark beauty and power of this magical realm. With striking characters and court intrigue, this story is dark, melodious, and memorable. [See Prepub Alert, 5/5/19.]—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton


Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Suri's debut, Empire of Sand (2018) explored the life of the eldest of two sisters who are daughters of a union between two opposing cultures. She expands The Books of Ambha series with a poignant story of finding one's place in a world warped by prejudice, court intrigue, violence, and sorcery. In the ten years since losing her sister, Arwa has struggled to mold herself into a dutiful Ambhan, always keeping her true Amrithi heritage a secret. When her husband's garrison is slaughtered by a demon, she is the only survivor, ironically saved by her mother's tainted blood. Grief-stricken, Arwa impulsively offers herself in service to the Empire to help ward off further spirit attacks. Seeing an opportunity, the Emperor's daughter brings the young widow to the Imperial capital to act as apprentice to her bastard half-brother. Arwa will provide the Amrithi blood needed for a mystical ritual and together they will enter the dreamworld in search of a cure for the demon curse overtaking the kingdom. Those with a penchant for lyrical prose, intricate world building, beautifully imagined characters, compelling immersive folklore, and a fascinating look into a setting reminiscent of the Mughal Empire need look no further.--Lucy Lockley Copyright 2010 Booklist


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

This second installment of an epic fantasy series that draws on the history and culture of the Mughal Empire (Empire of Sand, 2018) takes place a decade later.Unlike her sister, Mehr, who remembered their Amrithi birth mother and the rituals of their people, Arwa has done her best to embrace the Ambhan heritage of their nobleman father and follow the guidance of her Ambhan stepmother. But when a dark force slaughters her husband and all the soldiers under his command, Arwa owes her survival to her Amrithi blood, literally, as shedding it can ward off the spirits known as daivas. The new widow resolves to put the magic of her blood into the service of the Ambhan Empire, which has suffered a material and spiritual decline since the death of the Maha, the empire's near-immortal founder. She joins the emperor's bastard, Zahir, in a dangerous quest in the titular realm of ash, a dream world where one can encounter and absorb the memories of the dead. Arwa's blood eases the path to the Maha's memories, which Zahir believes can save the empire. But the other memories they encounter, and the political turmoil surrounding the emperor's decline, send them on an even more dangerousbut far more redemptivejourney. Arwa's gradual rebellion against the society that crushed her mother's people is an intriguing counterpoint to her older sister's more overt resistance in Book 1; Arwa must battle her own ignorance of her heritage as well as the forces arrayed against her due to prejudice and her placement in a noble court during a fight for the succession. She is a well-drawn and sympathetic character; even in 2019, readers will understand a situation in which a woman is forced to suppress personal qualities to fit an approved model of a smiling, submissive helpmeet. The novel is also a nicely crafted exploration of the implications of the previous volume; after centuries in which the gods were impelled to dream the positive fortunes of the Ambhan Empire, more negative forces are now in play to balance the scales.Sharp worldbuilding, authentic characters, and thoughtful explorations of prejudice and misogyny bode well for future volumes. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.


Publishers Weekly
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Suri’s sumptuous second fantasy in the Books of Ambha series (after Realm of Sand) returns to the Mughal, India–inspired Ambhan Empire. Arwa, a widowed noblewoman, does all she can to hide the fact that she is descended from an Amrithi barbarian mother and has feared but powerful Amrithi blood in her veins. The sole survivor of a massacre, Arwa retreats to a hermitage to grieve. But when she discovers that her blood may be the key to saving the crumbling Ambhan Empire from a curse, Arwa agrees to travel to the Imperial palace. There, she must navigate politics, the intricacies of courtly manners, and the whims of the emperor’s family. With help from the emperor’s illegitimate son, Zahir, Arwa peels back the layers of her mother’s culture and learns more about the forbidden magic of her blood. Meandering passages exploring Arwa’s mental state occasionally go on too long, pulling the reader out of the rich, sensuous culture of Ambha. Suri’s exquisitely detailed world and complex plotting make up for any shortcomings. Agent: Laura Crockett, Triada US Literary (Nov.)

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