Stealing Thunder

Name: Stealing Thunder
Brand: Penguin Random House Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Alina Boyden
ISBN: 9780593165744

Author: Alina Boyden

Narrator: Deepti Gupta, Alina Boyden

Unabridged: 12 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 05/12/2020

Categories: Fiction, Lgbtq+, Fantasy, Epic, Dragons

Synopsis

Protecting her identity means life or death in this immersive epic fantasy inspired by the Mughal Empire.

In a different life, under a different name, Razia Khan was raised to be the Crown Prince of Nizam, the most powerful kingdom in Daryastan. Born with the soul of a woman, she ran away at a young age to escape her father’s hatred and live life true to herself.

Amongst the hijras of Bikampur, Razia finds sisterhood and discovers a new purpose in life. By day she’s one of her dera’s finest dancers, and by night its most profitable thief. But when her latest target leads her to cross paths with Arjun Agnivansha, Prince of Bikampur, it is she who has something stolen.

An immediate connection with the prince changes Razia’s life forever, and she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous political war. The stakes are greater than any heist she’s ever performed. When the battle brings her face to face with her father, Razia has the chance to reclaim everything she lost…and save her prince.

About The Author

Alina Boyden is a trans rights activist, author, and PhD candidate in cultural anthropology. As an ACLU client, her case secured healthcare rights for transgender employees in the state of Wisconsin. Her work in cultural anthropology centers on the civil rights struggles of transgender women in India and Pakistan, and consequently she divides her time between the United States and South Asia. When she's not writing, traveling, or working on her dissertation, she spends her free time indulging in two of her childhood passions - swordplay and flying airplanes. STEALING THUNDER is her first novel.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Miranda on December 20, 2020

So excited about this Booktube video - all about the Top 10 Books of 2020 (so far). How do you explain your soul to another person? How do you give them a glimpse of it?Let's start off by saying something that absolutely blew me away- this story has a trans princess but her transitio......more

Goodreads review by Peter on June 27, 2019

I was in a cab to the Paris airport when my data plan ran out, so I picked up the manuscript for Stealing Thunder. I figured I’d give it 25 pages as a favor to the editor, then watch Marvel movies on the flight. The next thing I knew, we were landing in New York, and I was nearly finished with the bo......more

Goodreads review by Jessica on March 14, 2019

As a (half) South Asian trans woman, I'm so excited for this 💖......more

Goodreads review by Liam || Books 'n Beards on March 25, 2022

1.5 stars, rounded up. Ho boy. Three things before I start this review; 1) It is a Good Thing that this book exists. More trans exposure, trans authors, and trans heroes and heroines is only a good thing. 2) I am not going to go into the controversy surrounding the book's depiction of a Indian/Desi wor......more

Goodreads review by Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) on September 04, 2020

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars Stealing Thunder is a character driven debut fantasy story with a heavy romantic element and a trans heroine, set in a world inspired by Mughal-era India. Before I get into my review I want to address a few things. 1) This book draws on South Asian history and hijra culture (......more

Quotes

Praise for STEALING THUNDER:

"STEALING THUNDER was immersive from the very first page. Razia is everything you want in a protagonist."—Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author

"This is an epic fantasy for our time, beautifully written, considerately composed, and very important in many ways. Highly recommended."—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author

"STEALING THUNDER draws you in with its richly-detailed worldbuilding and hooks you with gripping action and suspense, but the biggest appeal is the book’s themes of politics, family, and identity. This is the kind of book you’ll want to share with people, so buy multiple copies."—Rob Hart, author of The Warehouse

"A breakout novel any way you choose to look at it, STEALING THUNDER features an appealing young dragon-loving heroine sure of who she is but still figuring out where she belongs. Between Razia's capers, romances, and political intrigues, Boyden weaves fantasy threads into a fascinating tapestry... I loved her fresh take on dragons and their riders."—E.E. Knight, author of Novice Dragoneer

"This delightful debut is rich with detailed worldbuilding, political intrigue, and South Asian cultural references drawn from Boyden’s experience as a trans activist who has traveled in India and Pakistan. Boyden handles the story with a steady hand, and this first novel will delight romantic fantasy enthusiasts."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Come for the vivid world, stay for the intrigue, the dialogue and the top-notch character design."—BookPage

"In Razia you will find a heroine that is beautiful, strong, trustworthy, and above all resilient. Hers is a story worth reading no matter where you lie on the gender spectrum."—Black Girl Nerds