Author: Michelle Moran
Publisher: Touchstone
Release Day: January 5, 2016
Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary:When the British Empire sets its sights on India in the mid-nineteenth century, it expects a quick and easy conquest. India is fractured and divided into kingdoms, each independent and wary of one another, seemingly no match for the might of the English. But when they arrive in the Kingdom of Jhansi, the British army is met with a surprising challenge.
About the Author: Michelle Moran, author who writes historical fiction. She was married in India which inspired her to write Rebel Queen. She has written six historical novels. Information condensed from her Goodreads profile.
My Review: I devoured this book. I read this in the summer of 2016. This is well written yet so aggravating. Since this is historical fiction there are some freedom for the author to have and take.
For example, the character we follow, Sita, and her life that leads her to be favored by the queen. Rani of Jhansi and the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and everything around this occurs in the story and we learn how Sita feels and how things go through her eyes.
With all historical fiction -- or at least a lot I stumble on and read -- characters in the books have personality differences between their real life and who they are in the story. The Raja is no different in this.
Spoiler: So, this book is set before the British basically took girls and forced them into prostitution. Sita when she is with the Queen's guards is warned to have her mail sent privately. She doesn't so she belatedly learns that her sisters life has gone to hell. Sita later discovers her sister is sent into forced prostitution, her sister blames her for this because of all the nice things Sita would send her.
The author brings in this terrible thing early to create a disaster ending between Sita and her younger sister. In turn there is really no happy ending for her family. This aspect of the story drove me up the wall. I'm fairly certain my random outbursts in regards to how this ended ...probably annoyed the snot out of my family.
I know stories do not need to have a nicely wrapped up happily ever after. But to drag in something that does historically happen..but bring it in earlier just to do this in the story? I was livid. I was upset with the way that this ended that it's taken me a few years to decide on whether to try out her other books.
Recommend? Yes, I recommend as long you understand this is historical fiction. The fictional is very large in this historical and should be reminded when you decide to pick this up. Either read up on this time period or even as you're reading this. I read about the history as I was reading this.
This isn't listed as a Young Adult but the way it's written it could be considered more of a YA.
Her other books: Nefertti, Cleopatra's Daughter, The Heretic Queen, Madame Tussaud, The Second Empress, Mata Hari's Last Dance, and The Egyptian Royals Collection.
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