Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
Fantasy , Orbit , Tasha Suri / November 15, 2018

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 captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy. The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the 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. Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance… The Amrithi can trace their lineage back to the desert spirits and the gods that came before that. There is magic in Mehr’s blood, and the only time she finds any real happiness is when she performs the rites of her ancestors. These rituals, driven by movement and intense contemplation, make Mehr feel alive, they make her feel connected to something far bigger than herself. The culture that surrounds Mehr is often stifling and controlling. To be able to remove herself from that,…