Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy

 Marrin, Albert. Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy. 2011. 196p. ISBN 9780375868894. Available at 974.71 on the library shelves.

In the 1900s, the economy of the United States was booming. Immigrants by the millions were moving from all over Europe to settle in the young country. Most of them entered through New York City, and many ended up settling in the bustling metropolis. At the time, the largest garment factories were in New England and New York, where abundant electrical power and plenty of labors facilitated the process of building and staffing factories.

Workers were at the mercy of capitalist bosses, however, with little rights and no ways to effect changes. Unions were weak and riddled with mobsters. On March 25, 1911, a fire ravaged the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. The owners of the factory had locked emergency doors to prevent workers from sneaking in and out of work. There were not enough emergency staircases. When the fire broke out, workers had nowhere to go, and many of them jumped out of windows to their death below.

The outrage at the loss of 146 workers, mostly young women, carried far and wide into the circles of political power. This fire was the deadliest workplace incident in the history of the nation until September 11, 2021, and remains the deadliest industrial accident. A wave of activism followed the deadly fire. Immigrant women banded together and forced positive changes to workplace rules and working conditions for everyone in the country. Unions gained in strength against management. Working conditions improved dramatically, leading to less death and accidents. 

Fans of history will appreciate this well-researched book, and will gain a new understanding into some of the laws and rules we enjoy today and never really think about.  The impacts of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire continue to affect us more than a hundred years later.

Hello, Universe

 Kelly, Erin Entrada. Hello, Universe. 2017. 320p. 317mins. ISBN 9780062414151. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Virgil Salinas lives a quiet life. Unlike his athletic brothers, Virgil is not in sports, and not very coordinated. In fact, Virgil has trouble doing his multiplication tables, so he spends some of his school time in the Resources room where he receives support. Valencia Somerset also comes to the Resources room, but issue is that she's deaf, and even the hearing aids don't help her much. Virgil wishes he was courageous enough to talk to Valencia, but being shy, he can't muster it. Instead, he tells his guinea pig Gulliver all about the girl of his dreams.

Chet Bullens is the school bully, and he enjoys picking on quiet Virgil. He'd pick on Valencia too, but deaf people give him the creeps. Chet would love nothing more than to make the basketball team, but he knows it's unlikely he will. Kaori Tanaka, for her part, knows she has psychic abilities. She can tell the future through star charts and astrological signs. Her friend Virgil often uses her services to divine more information about Valencia.

On the day Virgil makes an appointment with Kaori, everything changes. Chet encounters Virgil in the woods by chance, and he throws Virgil's backpack down an empty well. The backpack contains Gulliver, so Virgil goes into the well to save his guinea pig. Valencia, who was also on her way to Kaori's house to get a reading done, meets Chet, covers the well with its lid so animals don't fall in there, and heads to her appointment. Even though Virgil yelled and yelled, Valencia did not hear him. Kaori, meanwhile, is concerned that Virgil didn't show up for his appointment.

When Virgil is reported missing, the girls begin looking for him. What begins as a search mission turns into a rescue mission, a friendship, and newfound courage to stand up to bullies and parents. 

Four individual perspectives move the story forward as Virgil, Valencia, Chet, and Kaori all deal with challenges and doubts about their lives. As Kaori knows, however, the universe always helps those who help themselves, so in the course of an afternoon all of them will learn valuable life lessons.

Accused! The Trials of the Scottsboro Boys: Lies, Prejudice, and the Fourteenth Amendment.

 Brimner, Larry Dane. Accused! The Trials of the Scottsboro Boys: Lies, Prejudice, and the Fourteenth Amendment. 2019. 189p. ISBN 978-1-62979-775-5. Available at 345.761 BRI on the library shelves.

The Great Depression that started in 1929 affected everyone in the United States and most around the world. For years afterwards, the economic conditions remained dire for many. People known as hobos traveled from place to place, looking for work anywhere they could find it. At the same time, race relations in the South were tense, following decades of Jim Crow oppression. African Americans in the South thus had an even harder time to survive.

In 1931, nine male African American teenagers boarded a train. Finding one of the wagons filled with White hobos. Outnumbering the hobos already there, they forced the White hobos to jump out of the train as it was traveling at a relatively low speed. But as the train's speed increased, three White hobos were not able to jump.

Some of the youths who were forced off complained to the local police. Sheriff units were deployed further down the track near Scottsboro, and when the train arrived the twelve passengers were arrested. Two of the White folks turned out to be women, and soon they alleged that the nine African American teens had raped them during the trip. These accusations stirred the anger of White Alabamians, who demanded swift justice for their womenfolk and as a message to their African American neighbors to stay in their assigned stations and not create social unrest.

Over the course of the following eight years, those who became known as the Scottsboro Boys went to court several times. Unable to get fair and impartial trials, they were condemned to death, only to have these condemnations reversed on appeal. The cases went all the way to the Supreme Court, with Patterson v. Alabama, Norris v. Alabama and Powell v. Alabama all created case law with consitutional questions such as equal protection, participation of African Americans on juries, impartial judging. 

During those years, the teens grew up and endured oppressive and inhuman prison conditions. They were beaten and threatened with death several times by being found guilty by a very racist justice system. Accuses presents the case that the 9 boys were set up by a racist judge and prosecutor who wished to send a strong signal to the African Americans to stay in their place. For eight years the boys kept hope, however, and eventually all of them were released, most without charges or compensation. Fans of social justice will appreciate this violent history but will note that there is still much work left to be done to achieve racial harmony in the United States.

Six Armies in Normandy: From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris; June 6 - Aug. 5, 1944

Keegan, John. Six Armies in Normandy: From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris; June 6 - Aug. 5, 1944. 1994. 365p. ISBN 9780140235425. Available at 940.53 KEE on the library shelves.

On June 6, 1944, two massive armies met on Europe's doorstep. An invasion force composed of Americans, British, Canadians, French, Polish, and other European expatriates landed in Normandy and found themselves against what was dubbed the impenetrable Fortress Europe guarded by the Germans. The Second World War had started almost five years earlier, and Nazi Germany had swiftly conquered most of Western Europe before Hitler had turned his hungry eyes towards Russia.

Over the years, knowing an invasion attempt would take place, the Atlantic littoral was fortified, and the Germans dug in to offer a stiff resistance and the hope that such an attempt would be crushed on the beach. When troops landed, the Germans were prepared but unable to throw the Allies back in the water. Their forces had been depleted on the Eastern Front, and what remained behind were second-tiered divisions. These still fought doggedly, preventing the Allies from achieving the breakthrough they had hoped for. 

Military forces are examined, engagements are described, and the composition and history of each of the national armies that participated is presented. Military strategies are analyzed, and the lives of various leaders are explored. D-Day and the Battle of Normandy remains important today, as they, more than any war since, show what a European conflict between Russia and the United States would look like. Fans of history will appreciate this incredibly detailed work.

War Storm

Aveyard, Victoria. War Storm. Book 4 of the Red Queen series. 2018. 662p. ISBN 9780062422996. Available at FIC AVE on the library shelves.

In War Storm, the war between the Silvers of King Maven and the Reds of Mare Barrow and the rightful heir Cal comes to a resolution. With Maven on the run following Glass Throne, Mare and Cal, who have a spectacular falling out, must once again unite so that their combined efforts can once and for all overthrow evil Maven and the system that Silvers have built to oppress the Reds.

The various Silver kingdoms soon find themselves engaged in a war driven by Maven's obsession with Mare. As forces clash from one side of the continent to the other, and as the Scarlet Guard confront the Silvers, the fate of the world hangs in the hands of she who can command lightning, neither silver nor red.

In this epic conclusion, the Red Queen series comes to a satisfying end. Not all survive, but in the end Mare and Cal are reunited and successfully manage to bring the seed of peace to the world. Fans of the series will enjoy reading how Mare manages to have the best of Maven and finally come into her own.

Soul Eater, Vol. 3

Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 3. 2010. 192p. ISBN 978-0-7595-3064-5. Available in the graphic novel section of the library.

While Soul recovers from his battle with Crona during Soul Eater, Vol. 2, Shinigami and Black*Star set out to find the legendary sword Excalibur, which only a true hero and perfectly aligned spirit can pick up. When both of them manage to take it, they realize they have been duped by Excalibur itself.

Meanwhile, a reckoning between Black*Star and Tsubaki on the one hand and the Uncanny Sword on the other is shaping up. The Uncanny Sword is the shape Masamume, Tsubaki's brother, assumes. He is a lost soul, who is on the verge of transforming into a Kishin, an evil spirit that feeds on the good souls instead of the bad ones. Black*Star and Tsubaki travel to a remote village, where they find the Uncanny Sword and confront it in a deadly battle.

Maka, for her part, must learn to let go of Soul's injuries, otherwise she will never gain true alignment with her weapon. And in the background, DMVA's nurse turns out to be a witch with plans for the school's student witch hunters ...

The story continues in Soul Eater, Vol. 4.

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager

 Philippe, Ben. The Field Guide to the North American Teenager. 2019. 372p. ISBN 978-0-0628-2412-7. Available at FIC PHI on the library shelves.

Austin, Texas, is really hot. Norris can't believe that this is where he will be living as his mother starts her new job at the local university. This being Texas, everything is bigger, and more stereotypical in Norris' mind. Joining a new high school in January of his junior year was not his idea of a good time, so he plans on blending in and not attract attention. But as a French-Canadian black kid whose parents are from Haiti, Norris stands out. It doesn't help that people don't play hockey here, and that he left behind his best friend Eric just as Eric was coming out to his parents, so he can't really provide the support he would have liked.

At school, Norris quickly meet the jocks, the cheerleaders, the theater kids, and the other misfits. He labels them all to avoid remembering names and making friends. He earns the jocks' ire and the cheerleaders' disdain with his big mouth and unfiltered comments, but draws the attention of Madison, one of the cheerleaders (lucky for her, Norris calls all cheerleaders Madison). He runs into Aarti, the cool artsy Indian girl he quickly develops a crush on, and Liam, the quiet giant who is hoping to start a hockey team.

Looking to make money so he can travel back to Canada and go skiing with his friend Eric, Norris joins the staff of a local restaurant, only to realize that it is owned by Madison's father, who has his hands full managing the place, marrying his younger daughters, and babysitting two evil babies. Despite the sarcasm and the insults he delivered the gaggle of cheerleaders on their first encounter, Maddie puts in a good word for him and he begins working with her. 

Over the course of the next several months, Maddie helps Norris navigate the choppy waters that are Aarti, while he successfully forms a hockey team and even gains the jocks' grudging respect. As the end of the school year nears, however, Norris realizes that there is more to people than just labels, and that in fact he might have found some friends in unexpected places. An epic screw up threatens all of that, however, and Norris will be faced with the biggest decision of his life. Remain in Texas and pick up the pieces, or run away back to Canada and start anew?

The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War

Bradley, James. The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War. 2009. 387p. ISBN 978-0-316-00895-2. Available at 359.4 BRA on the library shelves.

By the late 1880s, the United States had declared the frontier settled, and Americans now stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Racist theories espoused by many in American leadership claimed that Native Americans had been defeated because they were uncivilized and barbarians. White Protestant Americans, they claimed, were the superior beings both physically and intellectually. They had followed the sun westward and claimed land for their superior race. When a conflict with Spain occurred, the United States stretched its imperial hands and grabbed Hawaii and the Philippines, while making Cuba and Puerto Rico de facto colonies.

Theodore Roosevelt was a proponent of these racist theories, and he used his considerable power as president of the United States to implement a secret policy of Asian domination. By 1905, the United States were involved in counterinsurgency actions in the Philippines, and were watching with envy European powers carve China. Japan had just defeated Russia, the first time a non-White power had inflicted a loss on a White Christian power. Roosevelt saw this as the perfect opportunity to crack China and allow American businesses to enter its large market.

In a series of secret meetings, Roosevelt illegally negotiated with the Japanese to provide them support to implement their own Monroe Doctrine in Asia to "promote" civilization. These meetings culminated in the annexation of Korea, which the United States had signed a treaty to protect, by the Japanese in exchange for a free hand in the Philippines and with a foothold in China. To cement all of these secret transactions, Roosevelt sent his Secretary of War, William Taft, and his loose cannon of a daughter, on a months long cruise in the Pacific. 

Roosevelt's limited and racist views did not see the long game, and the agreements he made would later directly lead to the Japanese attack in Pearl Harbor, as well as the rise of ultimate triumph of the Communists in China and of the Korean War, costing the United States blood and treasure.

Fans of history will appreciate the impact that short-sightedness, expansionism and the threat of military action had on the political trajectory of the United States.

Saudi Arabia

 Harper, Robert A. Saudi Arabia. Part of the Modern World Nations. 2003. 109p. ISBN 0-7910-6935-4. Available at 953.8 HAR on the library shelves.

No country exemplify the conflict between modernity and traditions more than Saudi Arabia. A relatively sparsely populated land, the main occupation of its population as late as the 1930s was camel herding. Bedouins, or desert travelers, grazed their animals in the deserts of the peninsula and observed a strict version of Islam. 

A collection of tribes, Arabia became the center of Islam when the Prophet Muhammad received visions from God. Mecca, his birthplace, and Medina, the first city that accepted his teachings, soon became the sites of vast pilgrimages. Muslims from all over the world are expected to visit at least once in their lifetime. 

Arabs exported Islam to North Africa and eastward all the way to Indonesia, but soon lost control of Islam as more entrenched civilizations took over. Egypt and the Ottoman Empire ruled Mecca and Medina, leaving the rest of the desertic peninsula to its inhabitants.

Sheik Saud successfully united the tribes in the early 1920s and named the country Saudi Arabia, just in time for oil to be discovered. Oil made the Saudis rich, but it also changed their lives. Foreign workers were imported to help build the infrastructure needed to exploit the oil wealth. A social safety net was created for the citizens, and massive investments in health care and education moved Saudi society forward. The country's geographic areas are divided and only connected by air, and the arid climate limits agriculture.

Tensions remain between Saudi Arabia's move toward modernity and a desire to keep ties to its past, and Saudi Arabia will continue to exert geopolitical influence as long as oil remains the center of industrialized economies.

Queen of Ruin

Banghart, Tracy. Queen of Ruin. Book 2 of the Grace and Fury series. 2019. 336p. ISBN 978-0-3164-7145-9. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Exiled by Asa, the new King, following his assassination of his father and the presumed death of his brother Malachi at the end of Grace and Fury, Nomi finds herself exiled to the prison island of Mount Ruin, while Malachi's almost-dead body is dropped overboard. Arriving on the island, the prison ship is attacked by Serina's women rebels, and Nomi is rescued. Serina and her allies have seized control of the island and are planning on capturing a boat and escaping. Unfortunately, the boat that transported Nomi is too small for the entire prisoner population to escape.

When Prince Malachi is found and brought ashore, the rebels gain hope of overthrowing Asa and replacing him with the legitimate ruler. Serina, Nomi, and the leaders of the various factions hatch a plan. Nomi and Malachi will leave the island on the small boat, and attempt to rouse troops in Viridia's provinces to then march on the palace. Meanwhile, the women will await the next large prison ship, take it over, and escape to another country.

Unfortunately Asa saw some of the fires that were set when the women overthrew the prison guards. As a result the next ship is not the prison ship,  but instead an armada of navy ships carrying large contingents of soldiers. The women are recaptured and brought back to the capital to be publicly executed.

Nomi and Malachi land, and find that in the short time Asa has been in power he has crushed the provinces and stolen and abuse all of the pretty girls. The troops have been sent to the capital, so Nomi and Malachi make their way there, only to discover that the women from Mount Ruin are about to be executed. Can the sisters reunite and manage to overthrow Asa while at the same time not lose their hard-fought revolution at the hands of Malachi?

My Hero Academia, Vol. 2

 Horikoshi, Kohei. My Hero Academia, Vol. 2. 2015. 192p. ISBN 978-1-4215-8270-2. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Izuku secured a spot at the prestigious Hero Academy high school and joined Class 1-A in My Hero Academia, Vol. 1. He begins the long process of mastering the various facets of being a hero. His friends and enemies all have superpowers, but unlike Izuku they are proud to display them. Having acquired his from All Might, the power of One for All, Izuku has to hide the fact that All Might is getting weaker by the day and that he can only hold his persona for a short time before having to revert to his true form.

Unfortunately there is not enough time for Izuku to start mastering his skills. Hero Academy is an ongoing competition, and anyone can be expelled at any time for failing to accomplish specific tasks or finishing last in a trial. When a group of villains invade the supposedly secure grounds of Hero Academy, Class 1-A steps in to intervene. Despite their combined abilities, the villains prove too strong. Their target? Taking down All Might. What can heroes in training do against such overwhelming force?

The story continues in My Hero Academia, Vol. 3. 

All Fall Down

Carter, Ally. All Fall Down. Book 1 of the Embassy Row. 2015. 301p. ISBN 978-0-545-65474-6. Available at FIC CAR on the library shelves.

Three years ago, Grace witnessed the brutal murder of her mother by a man sporting a large facial scar. The fire that then destroyed her mother's bookstore led the authorities to rule her death an accident, but Grace saw the man shoot her mother. Despite her pleas for help and for tracking that man, she was ignored, or worse, deemed mentally unstable by those around her. With her loving older brother now gone to serve in the military, and with her father also deployed, Grace returns to Adria, where her grandfather runs the United States embassy.

Once back on Embassy Row, Grace meets several of the teens whose parents serve as ambassadors or staff of national embassies. Alexei lives next door and is the son of the Russian ambassador. He remembers Grace from ten years ago when she would visit her grandfather. Somehow he always seems to find himself near Grace when she tries to escape the stifling environment of the U.S. Embassy. It soon becomes obvious that he is acting as a babysitter, but on who's behalf?

Grace also realizes that no one is interested in her mother's murder. Everyone wants to her put on a show, pretend to be happy, and go on with her life. When Grace recognizes a denizen of Embassy Row as her mother's killer, her desire for revenge is rekindled. But trying to solve a murder can prove to be deadly, and soon Grace finds herself implicated in a deadly conspiracy ...

The Great Hurricane: 1938

 Burns, Cherie. The Great Hurricane: 1938. 2005. 240p. ISBN 978-0-8711-3893-4. Available at 974.04 BUR on the library shelves.

On September 21, 1938, all eyes of the world was concerned that Adolf Hitler was ready to attack Czechoslovakia. News headlines screamed that war was coming. In New York and New England, those concerns were balanced with the need to put summer homes in order before winter arrived. Families still on the beaches on Long Islands and Rhodes Island were spending a few more days before they returned in their city residences. Locals were working or fishing. And out at sea the largest hurricane to hit the area was brewing. In an era where satellites did not exist and telephone and radio networks were easily disrupted, no one saw this storm coming, with dire consequences.

Long Island was the first to bear the brunt of the Great Hurricane of 1938. Houses were taken off their foundations and crushed in the sea. Large waves moved massive concrete and granite barriers. The water crested fifteen feet above the highest tide ever recorded. People who were watching the surf and the storm approach were swept away, and even those who took shelter in houses were hurt as roofs blew away and windows shattered. Telephone poles were snapped, and all communications ceased. It was impossible to warn the people across Long Island Sound that a storm was coming their way.

In Rhodes Island, resort towns were slowly winding down. No bad weather was forecasted. Local fishermen noticed the drop in barometric pressure and wisely stayed in harbor. Others ignored the warnings and went fishing anyway. When the storm hit, it destroyed everything in its path, causing millions of dollars in damages, killing hundreds of people, and forever affecting the communities in its path.

As the threats of war continued unabated in Europe, the Great Hurricane of 1938 became a footnote in New England history, and was barely discussed elsewhere in the country. It became this catastrophic storm that most have never heard of. Fans of history and of impressive weather events will appreciate the tale of a day that forever changed New England. Told hour by hour, and featuring a cast of hundreds of survivors and victims, this effective reconstruction of the deadliest storm in New England history is sure to make the reader wonder twice about their safety the next time a hurricane comes to New Hampshire.

Stalking Jack the Ripper

Maniscalco, Kerri. Stalking Jack the Ripper. 2016. 327p. ISBN 978-0-3162-7349-7. Available at FIC MAN on the library shelves.

Audrey Wadsworth is the daughter of a British Lord, and lives in a manor in a wealthy section of London. Unlike other girls in her position, however, the seventeen-year-old is not interested in her debutante ball or finding a wealthy husband, but instead enjoy working with her uncle, a forensic doctor who clinically studies dead bodies. If it was up to her, Audrey would pursue a career in medicine. But it is 1888 in Victorian England, and Audrey's control over her own person, much less her destiny is severely limited by her gender. And with her mother's death several years ago, her father's grief preventing any bonding with his daughter, and an older brother who's turning into a dandy, Audrey feels very lonely indeed.

When dead bodies begin turning up violently mutilated in the Whitechapel area of London, Audrey's uncle is called to investigate, and Audrey participates in the forensic work. Thomas Cresswell, one of her uncle's student, also joins in the hunt for the killer. Thomas is cold and calculating, and knows about as much about human anatomy as her uncle. Audrey finds him both condescending and fascinating at the same time.

But as clues are uncovered, the work of the man now called Jack the Ripper by the British press indicates that someone close to Audrey might be the perpetrator. First, hints point towards her beloved uncle, so he is arrested. But as murders continue during his detention, Audrey is forced to confront a horrible choice. Could her father be the bloody killer? Or, possibly worse, could it be Thomas, slowly luring her in as the last victim of a deadly game of cat and mouse?

Descriptions of dead bodies are vivid, and the plot moves along at a rapid pace. Audrey's violation of societal norms is well incorporated in the story telling, and the conclusion is shocking. Fans of horror and action will enjoy the suspense that Maniscalco has created based on a series of historical events.

Drawing the Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Voting in America

 Jenkins, Tommy. Illustrated by Kati Lacker. Drawing the Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Voting in America. 2020. 198p. ISBN 978-1-4197-3998-9. Available at 324.6 JEN on the library shelves.

The right to vote is enshrined in the United States Constitution, but this right has been severely limited for many people over time. When the Constitution was adopted, only White men who owned property could vote. The franchise was expanded to all White men in the 1800s. Women could not vote until the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1920. Though the Civil War freed all the slaves, States continued to prevent them from voting. African Americans were effectively disenfranchised until 1965 when the Voting Act was passed, guaranteeing them access to the ballot box.

Even so, many challenges remain that prevent people from voting. In Drawing the Vote, Jenkins and illustrator Lacker present a history of voting in the United States and the struggles that surrounded providing and enforcing the right the vote for different constituencies. The back and white illustrations are crisp and convey appropriate emotion and information. Drawing the Vote does not mince words when it comes time to assign blame for voter suppression, and point out how the culprits achieved their goals of denying the franchise to certain people.

Fans of history will appreciate the thoroughness in which the history of voting is presented, and will have a better understanding of how our voting system works.

The Boy in the Black Suit

Reynolds, Jason. The Boy in the Black Suit. 2015. 255p. 468 mins. ISBN 978-1-44245950-2. Available both as an audiobook from Overdrive and at FIC REY on the library shelves.

Matthew Miller just lost his mother to cancer. She died quickly, and she died young. At 17, Matt is entering his senior year of high school rudderless. His dad started drinking again, leaving Matt to fend for himself, both physically and emotionally. The gap his mother's death left behind is impossible to fill.

With a light school schedule that is done at noon, Matt looks for after school work. The money will come in handy, especially since his father can't seem to regain his senses and drop the bottle long enough to go to his job. He goes to the local fast food restaurant and asks for an application, but then is saved from greasy work by Mr. Ray, the owner of the local funeral home. Mr. Ray provided the funeral service for his mother.

Matt is at first scared of working with dead bodies, but on the first funeral he works he discovers that the experience of attending someone else's funeral can be very cathartic. Plus you can meet extraordinary people in this line of work, including local legends, and even Love. Along the way, Matt will find redemption and healing for others as well as for himself, and will realize that dead people can still teach valuable lessons.

Fans of boy reads will appreciate Matt's depth and the struggles he faces as a half orphan. His friendship with Mr. Ray blossoms into a mentor/mentee relationship, which allows him to grow as an individual and to find peace with the tragedy that affected him.

The Star-Touched Queen

Chokshi, Roshani. The Star-Touched Queen. Book 1 of the Star-Touched Queen series. 2016. 342p. 562 mins. ISBN 978-1-42727298-0. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive. 

Born in the harem of the Raja of Bharata, Maya has always been considered cursed by the other inhabitants of the harem. When her horoscope was drawn, it was foretold that her marriage would bring death. As a result she is considered bad luck, has no friends and no hopes of marrying. Maya spends her time avoiding the politics of the harem, her tutors, and eavesdropping on her father's Council. 

Spying on her father and his Council one day, she learns that she's about to be married off to one of her kingdom's enemies in hopes of settling peace. She is stunned. She does not want to marry and does not want to leave Bharata. She plans for escape, but is instead imprisoned until the wedding. The night before, her father visits her and reveals that his plan was to use her as bait and draw their enemies here. Under the guise of a ceasefire to celebrate a wedding, the Raja fully expects his daughter to not go through with it and poison herself instead, allowing him to break the ceasefire and deal with the leaders of enemy kingdoms.

Unfortunately his enemies have spies, and they brought their own soldiers. On the day of the wedding, Maya is presented to the attendees, and when she leaves to make her choice, war breaks out. Maya is rescued by an enigmatic king who takes her away to the supernatural land of the Night Bazaar, before bringing her back to his kingdom of Akaran. King Amar wishes Maya to become his equal. Amar has secrets, however, and he asks her to wait until the new moon before he can reveal them.

Enough information is available, however, and Maya soon realizes that Amar is the Agent of Death himself, and she has just joined him! Monsters haunt the kingdom. The dead travel through its halls on their way to a new life. And whispers tell her that Amar intends to sacrifice her. With her life in danger, Maya must decide whom she can trust. How do you escape from death itself?

An Indian retelling of the myth of Persephone and Hades, Maya seems to be making bad choices one after the other, yet in the end manages to redeem herself and the kingdom. Fans of mythology will appreciate the descriptive world the author created and will enjoy Maya's struggles and eventual triumph as she finally finds her voice.