![]() ![]() That means having to be especially careful with the one woman she has allowed herself to love, Priya, a ruler of Ahiranya, recently freed from domination by Parijatdvipa. Her every move from that point forward has to be shaped by the need to present herself not simply as a strong leader but as one favored by the gods and so destined to succeed in capturing the throne. She immediately faces a crisis of confidence with the nobles who have supported her. It is a terrifying weapon, gripping her soldiers with the primitive fear that they may be following a false empress whom the gods wish to destroy. This is not normal flame but what appears to be a sacred fire that spreads wildly among her troops. ![]() ![]() Malini, having refused to make that sacrifice, moves ahead with her plans, supported by rebel factions, and at the opening of the novel appears poised to succeed in a major battle.īut her plans fail when a barrage of flaming arrows hits her troops. ![]() The faith that guides the empire draws its power from the grisly burning deaths of highborn women who willingly sacrifice themselves to a terrible fate. The story opens as the rebel princess Malini, now claiming the title of empress of Parijatdvipa, leads her army against a major force of her brother Chandra, the emperor backed by the priesthood of the realm. ![]()
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