To Bargain with Mortals

Basu debuts and launches the Reckoning Storm duology with a fast-paced fantasy built on real-world parallels. Poppy Sutherland is the adoptive daughter of the viceroy of Viryana, and unlike her colonizer parents, she is a native Virian. Having faced prejudice since her adoption, she went to finishing school to learn to fit in and returns determined to woo Capt. Richard Montrose, head of the police force and son of a First Family, Viryana’s political leaders. Though initially it seems she has secured the protected future for herself that a union with Richard would offer, Poppy finds herself out of her depth and powerless when he shows his true colors. Basu’s historically influenced worldbuilding fictionalizes the British colonial rule of India and draws from Indian culture, folklore, and caste systems. Magic and magic users exist, but the fantasy elements go relatively underdeveloped. The themes of racial justice, anticolonialism, and female empowerment under a patriarchy are similarly treated a bit simplistically, resulting in an almost YA feel. Readers will hope Basu goes deeper in the next installment. Agent: Allegra Martschenko, BookEnds Literary. (Oct.)