Empire of Sand, Tasha Suri
Empire of Sand, Tasha Suri
List: $38.99 | Sale: $27.30
Club: $19.49

Empire of Sand

Author: Tasha Suri

Narrator: Soneela Nankani

Unabridged: 17 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 11/13/2018

Synopsis

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 lush, dazzling, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.

"An ode to the quiet, fierce strength of women. . .pure wonder." -- Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

"Stunning and enthralling." -- S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass

"A darkly intricate, devastating, and utterly original story." -- R. F. Kuang, author of the The Poppy War

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Ambhan 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.

And should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance. . .

About Tasha Suri

Tasha Suri is an award-winning author, occasional librarian and cat owner. Her South Asian influenced epic fantasy novels include The Books of Ambha duology (Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash), and The Jasmine Throne. When she isn't writing, Tasha likes to cry over TV shows, buy too many notebooks, and indulge her geeky passion for reading about South Asian history. She lives with her family in a mildly haunted house in London. What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix is her YA debut.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Samantha on December 07, 2019

This was the perfect recipe of so many of my favorite things. An original world with mythology and gods and dream magic. Themes of love and bonds and vows and family. A slow burn romance that is a major plot point but is woven into the plot so masterfully that it doesn’t distract from the plot. A fi......more

Goodreads review by jessica on January 13, 2019

i love going into books with no expectations because if it doesnt work out, no hurt feelings. but if it does work out, then the surprise completely makes my day. and what a delightful surprise this was! what really caught me is how much substance there is in this story, especially for a debut novel.......more

Goodreads review by James on May 23, 2019

I received an uncorrected proof copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Tasha Suri and Orbit Books. In Empire of Sand, the original and excellent South Asian influenced fantasy debut of Tasha Suri's we follow the action of Mehr who is an illegitimate but highborn daughter of a governor of......more

Goodreads review by Will on December 21, 2022

When you dance with the Rite of Dreaming, you dance with the gods.Mehr’s got it made, I guess, There were perks to being the Governor of Irinah’s daughter—even an illegitimate one. People obeyed you. Servants rushed to your bidding. Even the ones who loathed you—and there were many—were force......more

Goodreads review by karen on November 13, 2018

NOW AVAILABLE!!!! this is one of those “shrug - not for me” books. which i suspected going into it. as much as we are cautioned against judging books by their covers, the whole reason covers exist* is in order to attract the desired audience, and in general, i am neither the audience desired by fantas......more

Quotes

"A stunning and enthralling debut, Empire of Sand thoroughly swept me away. With wonderfully lyrical prose, Suri deftly balances fantastic world-building with a nuanced exploration of family ties and the lengths one will go for love. A quiet, powerful and unexpected love story set in a crushing world of magic and tyrants, Empire of Sand is a gripping tale of survival I'll be recommending for a long time!"—S. A. Chakraborty

"The best fantasy novel I have read this year. I loved it!"—Miles Cameron

"A brilliant debut that shows us a rich, magical world with clear parallels to this one: it has a sadistic leader with a cult-like following who warps the world for personal gain, a few individuals with the strength to resist him, and a planet seeking balance. But its core is a heroine defined by her choices, and her journey is absorbing, heart wrenching, and triumphant. Highly recommended."—Kevin Hearne

"Empire of Sand is astounding. The desert setting captured my imagination, the magic bound me up, and the epic story set my heart free."—Fran Wilde

"I was hooked from the moment I began Tasha Suri's gorgeous debut novel, Empire of Sand. Suri has created a rich world full of beautiful and powerful magic, utterly compelling characters, high stakes and immersive prose. I absolutely loved it!"—Kat Howard

"A darkly intricate, devastating, and utterly original story about the ways we are bound by those we love."—R. F. Kuang

"Tasha Suri's beautiful prose, with its undercurrent of warm tenderness, hides a web of escalating tension and existential dread. By the time the spider appears, Empire of Sand will have you in its grip and you won't be able to put it down."—Peter V. Brett

"This is the future of fantasy: rich, complex, unflinching. Empire of Sand is a stunning achievement."—Mark Oshiro

"Genuine, painful, and beautiful. A very strong start for a new voice."—Kirkus (starred review)

"Complex, affecting epic fantasy.... Intricate worldbuilding, heartrending emotional stakes... well-wrought prose."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Awards

  • RA Award for Debut Writing, Jaipur Literature Fest
  • Locus Award for Best First Novel
Add to Cart
Add to Wish List