Before I Bow

The stunning sequel to bestseller Burn the Sea, Before I Bow is an anticolonial historical fantasy about one of India's fiercest queens that culminates in a battle for the heart—and future—of her kingdom. Queen to a people. Mother to an heir. A reckoning to her enemies. Five years have passed since Abbakka Chowta drove the monstrous Porcugi from the shores of her homeland, but she knows a strategic retreat when she sees one. Biding her time while raising her daughter in Ullal away from her husband's manipulations, she is resolved to keep her family and her homeland out of the Porcugi's grasp. Negotiations with a neighboring kingdom soon reunite Abbakka with her husband, and even with the protection of her community of fierce women, Abbakka finds herself more vulnerable than ever. She now must balance strength, statecraft, and secrecy to protect them all from the Porcugi's rising tides . . . but when a long-lost friend reappears in the unlikeliest of places, the queen must decide whether the alliance can be trusted or her daughter's future will be plunged beneath the waves. The stunning conclusion to Mona Tewari's historical fantasy of 1500s South India, Before I Bow is an unflinching exploration of allegiances of the heart, the blood, and the blade . . . and the sacrifices we make to uphold our fiercest beliefs.