Uprooted meets Children of Blood and Bone in this dark fantasy inspired by a Malian fairy tale about a princess whose suitors are challenged to gruesome trials.
Deep within the imperial palace at Timbuktu, Amie has suffered a devastating loss. Once the daughter of a prosperous salt merchant Amie's life was cruelly overturned in a matter of months. At sixteen, Amie now finds herself disinherited, framed for a scandalous crime, and forced to serve Princess Mariama of Mali. Her father, Emperor Sulyeman, has created a series of impossible trials for his daughter's suitors. When they fail, he publicly boils them alive, littering Mariama's path to marriage with ninety-nine corpses.
At first, Amie's life at court is drudgery—the chores are difficult, the servants despise her, and Princess Mariama is prone to mood swings—but the more she learns about the princess's circumstances, the closer the two girls become. Amie and her intended, Kader, plan to escape Timbuktu and make a new life far away from the shadow of death that has fallen upon the emperor's court, but she finds herself increasingly drawn to the princess in ways she doesn't understand.
When a mysterious discovery forces her hand, she must choose between fleeing with the boy she loves or helping the princess to end the trials forever. Amie will need to draw on all of her strength and courage to make the perilous journey through the desert to seek the aid of an exiled god in a final, desperate attempt to take charge of her own destiny.
My Review:
I had such a great time reading this book! I'm not familiar with Malian fairy tales, so I went into this pretty blind, just what the synopsis says giving me an idea what this story would be. What a story it was! Reading it was so enticing, I had to know what was going to happen next!
Amie has had it rough, always the least favourite sister of her parents, and then having her sister lie and say the sister having an affair was Amie instead of her, breaking Amie's upcoming wedding to Kader. That her parents then make her a servant in the palace? Just piles on the indignities.
This cast of characters was really great, I loved Amie trying to find a way to be with Kader, while also developing some tender feelings for the princess. The quest for this hammer so one of the princess's suitor's could survive the trials? I loved following along, as they tried to navigate the threats in the way.
This book currently doesn't have anything saying it's a series, but I really hope that it does become one. The way things ended, with Mariama, Kader, her sister, and the maid, I need to know what's going to happen next!
Author: Mina Fears
Read: December 18th, 2024
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book, SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Expected Publication: January 28th 2025
This book currently doesn't have anything saying it's a series, but I really hope that it does become one. The way things ended, with Mariama, Kader, her sister, and the maid, I need to know what's going to happen next!
Loved reading this book, and I really hope that it becomes a series!
Author: Mina Fears
Read: December 18th, 2024
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book, SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Expected Publication: January 28th 2025
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
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