Belorofina Küyen is a novice clan ruler who makes a terrifying discovery: an influential fellow ruler is trafficking wares and arming foreigners. When she ties up loose ends and realizes war looms, her disdain for him turns to determination. Her clan is tasked with settling records; unless she acts, seven centuries of peace and harmony will come to an end. Despite lacking political savvy, Belorofina embarks on a mission to expose the conspiracy, weaving alliances with other clan rulers. Ultimately, she looks for aid in Reverend Sibling Khon, a prophetic priest from a foreign country who is bound to a stoic silence by an ancient treaty. Time runs out. She thrusts forward, bereft of an ally, with nothing but her fledging political skills to stop the coming violence. She brings the issue before the council of clan rulers, as it’s the only way to stop the trafficking and pull back from the brink of war. The domino pieces stand in a perfect alignment before Belorofina, but her upbringing never prepared her to lift the first one without toppling them all.

Comparable Stories:

CARAVELS, TENETS, THE SIGHT, AND A SILVER KNAVE resonates with the intricate political landscapes of S.C. Emmett's THE HOSTAGE OF EMPIRE series, the colonial tones of R.F. Kuang's BABEL but without the overly preachy and explicit tone, the richness of cultures in Samantha Shannon's THE ROOTS OF CHAOS series, and the innovative storytelling elements in Simon Jimenez’s THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH THE WATER.