The Jasmine Throne

nTasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne begins the powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy, in which two women--a long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic--come together to rewrite the fate of an empire. Exiled by her despotic brother when he claimed their father's kingdom, Malini spends her days trapped in the Hirana: an ancient, cliffside temple that was once the source of the magical deathless waters, but is now little more than a decaying ruin. A servant in the regent's household, Priya makes the treacherous climb to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini's chambers. She is happy to play the role of a drudge so long as it keeps anyone from discovering her ties to the temple and the dark secret of her past. One is a vengeful princess seeking to steal a throne. The other is a powerful priestess seeking to save her family. Their destinies will become irrevocably tangled. And together, they will set an empire ablaze. An intimate, complex, magical study of empire and the people caught in its bloody teeth. It's about resistance and power, histories both personal and political, and the heroes who must become monsters to survive. I loved it. --Alix E. Harrow, Hugo award-winning author ofThe Once and Future Witches nIn this powerful story, two women--a long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic--come together to rewrite the fate of an empire. A ruthless princess seeking to steal a throne. A powerful priestess seeking to save her family. Apart, they are dangerous. Together, they will set an empire ablaze. Exiled by her despotic brother, Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance, while trapped in the Hirana, an ancient cliffside temple that was once the revered source of the magical deathless waters but is now little more than a decaying ruin. The secrets of the Hirana call to Priya. But in order to keep the truth of her past safely hidden, she works as a servant in the loathed regent's household, biting her tongue and cleaning Malini's chambers. But when Malini witnesses Priya's true nature, their destines become irrevocably tangled . . . . and the course of a kingdom is forever changed. Suri astounds with the spellbinding epic fantasy that launches her Burning Kingdoms trilogy . . . . a fierce, heart-wrenching exploration of the value and danger of love in a world of politics and power . . . . Suri's confident and passionate prose expertly guides the reader throughout. This is a blade-