Synopsis
An outcast heiress. A notorious gang leader. A country on the brink of revolution.
In the colonized nation of Viryana, Poppy Sutherland lives between cultures. As the brown-skinned adopted daughter of the Viceroy, she is both rejected by white high society and alienated from the people of her native island. When she discovers her opportunistic fiancé’s plot to exile her, Poppy flees—straight into the clutches of the Jackal.
Hasan Devar, the ruthless criminal known as the Jackal, has long been targeted for his family’s divine magic, a gift the colonizers have tried to stamp out. When his brother is arrested, he seizes Poppy as leverage. But Poppy has powerful secrets—and political ambitions—of her own. As allies, they could do more than just free Hasan’s brother and keep Poppy safe. They could topple the very power structures that hold them all back.
The first book in the Reckoning Storm duology, To Bargain with Mortals is a stunning reflection on politics and purpose, blood and allegiance—and what we do with the histories we inherit.
Review
“I meant that about our gang activity,” she said. “This is politics. This is a game that we don’t know how to play.”
“Well, we’re going to have to learn”- he gritted his teeth- “because if we don’t, then we’ll never be free.”
This book was a 6 out of 5 star read for me. I expected to like this book a lot but not love it cover to cover. Never since Jade War (Fonda Lee) has a book driven me into such a breathless and addicted state while reading it. Mary Browne said ‘The elegance of honesty needs no adornment’ and that is how I feel about this book. It is so honest and truthful that that gives it so much more power than whatever my review can give it.
There are a lot of ways I can start my review but I think this one’s just going to come from a place of gratitude- I am simply going to say thank you to @rabasuwrites for writing this story and @skiespress for picking it up. Representation in books or media has always been crucial in shaping our worldview and building empathy but this book also made me ruminate about its role in validation and belonging. Being born in and growing up in South India, I am delighted in having a fantasy book in English represent the society I grew up in. It also becomes an important but difficult read while seeing the people and systems that were and are present. This book will always have a place of honor in my shelves and I am truly richer for having read it.
After reading a lot of books in the fantasy genre, I have learnt my tastes very well and the most important part of the book for me are the characters and character transformation. R. A. Basu has excelled at this. The main character Poppy Sutherland is of the not-easy-to-like-but-can’t-stop-reading-about variety. I feel like I engage more with these types of characters than the ones I can root for from the beginning itself. I am able to connect with them through their struggles, and flaws and ultimately they feel more human and real. Relating to their bad decisions, self-absorption, or internal monologues even when I dislike them lets me find their character growth all that more interesting and feel stronger emotions toward them. Poppy’s growth is realistic, brutal, and long- one of the very best realizations of ‘people’s instincts do not change.’
The book deals with the colonized nation of Viryana and the two main characters Poppy and Hasan starting on polar opposite sides of the society. Poppy, a Viryan, has been adopted by the lord of the colonizing power when she was a baby and grows up in privilege in high society and Hasan (and Zeyar) grows up on the streets under the crushing boot of the imperialistic powers and is a ruthless gangster at the start of the book. Structuring the narrative this way lets the author truly delve into caste system, oppression, segregation, and imperialism and question the approaches to bring about change in the society. Hasan’s arc in particular lets us explore the flaws held in the culture he was fighting so hard to protect. R. A. Basu truly shows off her skills when she draws parallels between Zeyar’s arc and Poppy’s character arcs and while drawing parallels between the pitfalls of the caste system used by Viryans and how the Welks had composed their imperialistic society.
Coming to the other aspects of the story, the world building, magic, and religious aspects are also presented very, very well. In similar fashion to the green bone saga, the balance between geopolitics, inner workings of a brotherhood, family dynamics, economical and industrial aspects of a colony living under an imperial power are all struck so well. Every plot point, dialogue, character intersections, machinations of the low and high society including political and social manipulations is realistic within the order of the world and it all feels so immersive. One other major highlight is how well Basu writes tension. Chapter 9 – A Perilous Proposal was deliciously tension filled. My whole body stiffened up and I literally waited with bated breaths at the multiple reveals. Even the ending feels properly hard wrought and Poppy & the other characters are in satisfying places of their journeys. All in all, R. A. Basu has woven a truly stunning debut and I cannot wait for Book 2.
“You are where you are today because of the alliances you forged. But will these people stick by you, especially when you’re forced to make unpopular decisions? When you bargain with mortals, the terms can change at any time.”
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