After The Second Empress: A Novel of Napoleon's Court, internationally best-selling historical novelist Moran switches continents to a mid-19th-century India, a land of many kingdoms that the British thought would fall easily to their imperial drive. They weren't counting on resistance from Queen Lakshmi. With a four-city tour.

Set in 19th-century India, Moran's latest novel (after The Second Empress) recounts the story of the legendary Rani of Jhansi, the young Indian queen who led her people in revolt against the British, and Sita, one of her remarkable female bodyguards. Written from Sita's perspective, the novel depicts both life at the royal court of Jhansi and everyday life for women in India. Most females of the time have little freedom and are raised in seclusion. Sita's family cannot give her a dowry, so she is to be dedicated as a temple prostitute until her father intervenes and trains her to be a warrior in the queen's service. In Jhansi Sita finds freedom, opportunity, friendship, and betrayal, and she must discover whom she can trust as there are those who plot to take Jhansi for themselves. VERDICT Filled with fascinating historical details about a subject that is not often portrayed, the novel looks at both the rights of women and the conflict between the British Empire and India in a fairly unbiased way. Sita and Rani Lakshmibai are strong and independent women in an era when women didn't hold much power. Readers who have enjoyed Moran's previous works will not want to miss this. A helpful glossary is included. [See Prepub Alert, 9/22/14.]—Christina Thurairatnam, Holmes Cty. Dist. P.L., Millersburg, OH