Many fantasy settings have a European medieval feel to them. This makes sense when you consider that many familiar fairy tales have ancient European roots, and that pioneers of the fantasy genre like J.R.R. Tolkien often set their stories in worlds that drew heavily on the Dark and Middle Ages in Europe.
Author Tasha Suri breaks form this norm in her Books of Ambha duology, which pays homage to her cultural heritage. She was born in London, but she has Punjabi roots. According to her biography on Fantastic Fiction, she spent time during her childhood in her parents' native India.
The world created in Books of Ambha is more Asian than European in nature
In Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash, Suri pulls from her Indian heritage to give fantasy readers something they may not yet have experienced. The main character, Mehr, straddles two cultures: one she was born to and one she was born into. Her father is the governor of the province and her mother was from the nomadic people that roamed the deserts of that province. She was raised in the palace, and her mother left during her childhood.
The land, the architecture, and the people of Suri's duology are distinctly not European, but Asian in nature. The magic is closer to mysticism than the magic normally seen in the genre. Suri's work also moves away from the violent, war-torn battlegrounds we see as a staple in many fantasy tales. That doesn't mean there isn't any action in The Books of Ambha, but it isn't at the forefront of the story. She uses the setting, the mysticism, and haunting, forbidden romance to push forward the narrative. It moves at a slower pace than many fantasy stories, but slower does not mean boring. The points of stress, of conflict, exist, though they are smaller and more personal than you might be used to seeing.
A cornerstone of fantasy is the quest. Both books have their quests, but they are more personal in nature. In Empire of Sand, the quest is for knowledge of heritage. In Realm of Ash, the quest for knowledge of heritage is still a major theme, but the scale is broader.
If you are looking for something new, or something different from the style we usually see, Tasha Suri's offers a beautiful setting different from a lot of what we often see in this genre. Well-paced, filled with passion, some romance, and a touch of mysticism, The Books of Ambha duology comes highly recommended.
And if you've already read and loved The Book of Ambha, Suri is also in the middle of writing another fantasy trilogy: The Burning Kingdom. The first two books, The Jasmine Throne and The Oleander Sword are already out. The third and final book, The Lotus Empire, is hits shelves this November.
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