Rising Like a Storm

by Tanaz Bhathena

Overview

In the final installment to the Wrath of Ambar, a fantasy romance duology from author Tanaz Bhathena, Gul and Cavas must unite their magical forces to save their kingdom from tyranny.

With King Lohar dead and a usurper queen in power, Gul and Cavas face a new tyrannical government that is bent on killing them both. Their roles in King Lohar's death have not gone unnoticed, and the new queen is out for blood. What she doesn't know is that Gul and Cavas have a connection that runs deeper than romance, and together, they just might have the strength and magic to end her for good.

Then a grave mistake ends with Cavas taken prisoner by the government. Gul must train an army of warriors alone. With alliances shifting and the thirst for vengeance growing, the fate of Ambar seems ever more uncertain. It will take every ounce of strength, love, and sacrifice for Gul and Cavas to reach their final goal—and build a more just world than they've ever known.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374313111
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	06/22/2021
Series:	The Wrath of Ambar , #2
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.70(d)
Lexile:	810L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Tanaz Bhathena is an award-winning Zoroastrian author of contemporary and fantasy fiction. Her books include Hunted by the Sky, which won the White Pine Award and the Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize, and The Beauty of the Moment, which won the Nautilus Gold Award for Young Adult Fiction. Her acclaimed debut, A Girl Like That, was named a Best Book of the Year by numerous outlets including The Globe and Mail, Seventeen, and The Times of India. Born in India and raised in Saudi Arabia and Canada, Tanaz lives in Mississauga, Ontario, with her family.

Editorial Reviews

"A compelling mythology-based fantasy." —Kirkus Reviews

"With a story that is diverse in character development and a setting unique to young adult literature, this has a place in any collection." —School Library Journal

"Lush and well-researched, Bhathena brings her series to a satisfying close as Gul and Cavas resist tyranny as they work to build a more just world." —Teen Vogue

From the Publisher

07/01/2021

Gr 7 Up—In the conclusion to the "Wrath of Ambar" duology, readers meet up with Gul after King Lohar has been killed by one of his own trusted Sky Warriors, Shayla, who took over the throne by force and sent the true king into exile. Gul is being hunted, still at risk due to her newly coined title of Star Warrior—the one who will save the kingdom. Cavas is struggling with his own demons after his father's death, and his ability to do magic is now tied to Gul's powers. A new prophecy has risen and binds Gul and Cavas together as complements; their power is stronger when they are together. A new battle brings terror to the lands at the hands of now Queen Shayla's Sky Warriors who will stop at nothing to destroy Gul. They are tested by their loyalty and their feelings for one another. The character development only improves in this sequel to Hunted by the Sky; Gul and Cavas are well-developed characters who are brought together by something stronger than physical and emotional attraction, which makes for a unique relationship. One of the strongest elements of the story is the depiction of female leaders who have risen to power—both good and bad—and dominate the story line in a way unusual to medieval and magical fantasy novels. VERDICT With a story that is diverse in character development and a setting unique to young adult literature, this has a place in any collection.—Erica Coonelly, Monroe Township M.S., NJ

School Library Journal

2021-05-11
When the treacherous Shayla murders King Lohar, she becomes the Queen of Ambarvadi—and none of her subjects feel safe.

According to prophecy, the only ones who can end Queen Shayla’s brutal reign are Gul, the famed Star Warrior, and Cavas, Gul’s lover. Under the guidance of Subodh, a Pashu king dedicated to justice, Gul and Cavas train to use their magic together against Queen Shayla. But before they can hone their craft, Shayla sends her army to attack Gul, Cavas, Subodh, and the Legion of the Star Warrior, a group of women faithful to Gul and Amar, the rightful king of Ambarvadi. Cavas is captured, and Gul and her army are forced to flee through the dangerous desert. While Cavas is imprisoned in Shayla’s castle and tortured, Gul and her army remain determined to fulfill the prophecy and return Ambarvadi to its rightful owner—but can Gul do it without Cavas, who is her magical complement, lover, and best friend? The story is told through alternating perspectives, the most satisfying of which is Shayla’s, whose voice is the most distinctive. The final third of this novel offers the fastest pace and the most reveals. The richly built, South Asian–inspired world will be best appreciated by readers familiar with Hunted by the Sky (2020), the first book in the duology.

A compelling mythology-based fantasy. (map, glossary, author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews