A Woman Wielding a Telepathic Blade Hunts the Truth in Markswoman

Kyra, like all Markswomen of Kali, is responsible for punishing the guilty with a death sentence. The Marksmen and Markswoman of the Orders of Peace are bonded to their blades, called katari, which are made of a metal that responds telepathically to their will. They can call them when thrown using the mystical power of Inner Speech.which also allows members of the Orders to impose their will on others, a power others fear perhaps more than the cut of katari steel.
The telepathic properties of the katari are ostensibly what allow the Orders of the Peace to read the minds of those who receive the death sentence. Through this power, and innocent will never be wrongly executed.
Kyra is a member of the Order of Kali, the oldest of the Orders that keep the peace in Asiana. She’s young, still bearing the scars of the murder of her family, but determined to serve the Order well. She makes for a compelling main character, and I was immediately gripped by her story.
The questions Kyra asks herself before she commits her first execution, which will make her a full member of the Order of Kali, compel her quest for the truth  throughout the book: does she have what it takes to be a Markswoman? Can she put aside a dark past and the violent deaths of those she loved and dedicate herself to this service? Do those she kills truly deserve to die? And what of the Order itself? Is it as pure as she would like to believe?
The backdrop to Kyra’s search for answers is the well-drawn world of Asiana, which has suffered considerable tragedy due to events in the past that remain murky for now. It feels lived in, occupied by a people’s struggle to survive with scarce resources. In an interview at the Quillery, author Rati Mehrotra said the world of Asiana is a fictional, post-apocalyptic version of Asia, but that the word “Asiana” also means “home” in Urdu and Hindi. Mehrorta’s story is self-admittedly influenced by her fascination with Indian mythology, especially the Goddess Kali. Her characters take their legends seriously, as the gods and goddesses in the novel are tangibly real to the inhabitants of Asiana, and seem to directly influence the events of the plot.
But this isn’t quite an epic fantasy—or perhaps, not simply an epic fantasy. There elements of science fiction here as well. Aliens appear to have visited the planet sometime before the unnamed apocalyptic disaster, leaving behind doorways that allow instant transportation from one area of Asiana to the other. These doorways are one of the most fascinating elements of the worldbuilding. They’re clearly portals to other places, but they may also allow access to other times, or even the alternate dimension where the gods and goddesses in this universe reside.
Despite the melding of genres, the worldbuilding never overwhelms the story, which is firmly character-driven. Kyra’s quest to keep the Order of Kali true to itself and root out corruption from within—a struggle that may cost her life—is echoed in the trails facing the other orders: the Marksman Rustan is given the task of executing a mark who turns out to have been innocent. The telepathic katari are supposed to render an unjust execution impossible, and Rustan is forced to question all he’s learned about his own order and his life’s calling.
Kyra’s quest requires her, Rustan, and others like them, hoping to keep peace in the world, to confront their illusions about order and justice in Asiana, and to redefine their understanding of the enemies who would threaten the people they have sworn to protect. Because though peace has reigned for generations, it’s clear that war is coming, and only truth can possibly save them. Or, in some cases, destroy them.
After finishing Markswoman, readers are going to care about Kyra and Rustan and all the inhabitants of Asiana who are at risk in the coming conflict, and they will definitely want to pick up the sequel.
Marskwoman is available now.