ALA Booklist (Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

The cruel king of Ambar demands that all magus girls born with a star-shaped birthmark be eradicated because of a prophecy that foretells the coming of the Star Warrior, who will vanquish his rule. When the king's soldiers come for Gul, she miraculously escapes but tragically loses her parents. Vowing to have her revenge on the king, Gul joins a rebel sisterhood to train her magical abilities. With the help of Cavas, a palace worker whose fate is inexplicably tied to hers, Gul infiltrates the king's home, where she discovers the extent of her powers and an important truth about Ambar's rule. Using familiar fantasy tropes, Bhathena explores class struggles and the marginalization of social groups in a fully immersive setting inspired by medieval India. Despite a slow start that leads to some uneven pacing, the plot quickly unfolds as we alternate between the distinct voices of Gul and Cavas, whose engaging dynamic promises further development in a sure-to-be gripping sequel.

Kirkus Reviews

After 15-year-old Gul watches Sky Warriors murder her parents, she vows to assassinate those responsible.Her targets are King Lohar, the cruel ruler of Ambar, and Major Shayla, a ruthless commander of the Sky Warriors. Gul's parents died protecting her: She is a magus-a human capable of wielding magic-born with a star-shaped birthmark on her arm. According to an ancient prophecy, a magus girl with a similar mark will someday kill the king. While Gul is convinced she isn't the girl from the prophecy-she has been unable to perform magic since she was a baby-the world seems to believe otherwise. With the help of the mysterious Sisterhood of the Golden Lotus, Gul manages to get herself a job at the palace-and to fall in love with Cavas, a nonmagi with some dark secrets of his own. Weaving together Indian and Persian mythology, the story features a diverse cast of brown-skinned villains and heroes. The action is nail-biting, and the romantic scenes shimmer. At first, the intricately built world is so detailed that the story can be hard to follow; that being said, Gul's and Cavas' fascinating backstories and burgeoning relationship-all of which unfold in the final two-thirds of the book-make this initial effort worthwhile.A fast-paced romantic fantasy set in a thoughtfully built, diverse world. (map, glossary, author's note) (Fantasy. 13-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Ambar-s denizens peacefully coexisted until King Lohar relegated non-maji such as Cavas, 17, and his father, Xerxes, to polluted tenements. The conditions are killing Xerxes, who has contracted Tenement Fever, but royal stable hand Cavas can-t secure new housing without becoming an army loadbearer-a veritable death sentence. A prophecy presages that a powerful female magus -marked with a star- will effect Lohar-s downfall, but while the prediction encourages some, it spells persecution for those with star-shaped birthmarks, like 15-year-old Gul. Two years ago, Lohan-s warriors executed Gul-s parents while hunting her. Gul doesn-t believe she-s the fabled Star Warrior-she can barely control her late-onset magic-but she-s determined to exact vengeance. When revolutionaries ask Cavas to help Gul infiltrate the palace, Cavas refuses to get involved; fate, however, has other plans. This Indian- and Persian-inspired duology opener from Bhathena (The Beauty of the Moment) explores questions of faith via a fully fleshed, predominantly brown-skinned cast and a thoughtfully conceived mythology. Gul and Cavas-s burgeoning attraction adds hints of romance, and after a dense start, escalating action catapults the tale to a thrilling close. Ages 12-up. Agent: Eleanor Jackson, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (June)

School Library Journal (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Gr 7 Up-Ancient Persian mythology informs this novel set in medieval India, and it's a breath of fresh air in the fantasy adventure genre. Gul is born during the reign of the tyrannical King Lohar, who has terrorized his subjects for years. A prophecy states that a girl with a star-shaped birthmark will be somehow a part of the fall of the king's reign, so he has targeted any girl born with that kind of mark in an effort to escape his fate. As a result, Gul and her parents have been hiding from the king's warriors her entire life. When the secret of her star-shaped mark is uncovered, and she is orphaned, Gul finds solace and protection within a tribe of women who take her in and train her to connect with the magic that courses through her veins. Gul only wants vengeance for her parents' deaths until she forms an unexpected connection with Cavas, a poor stable boy, during a chance meeting one night. Cavas is secretly trading secrets about the kingdom to get money to treat his ailing father. The night his world collides with Gul's, their stories become woven together and their fates are joined. Readers will be mesmerized by Bhathena's vivid storytelling and the deeply felt connection between the two main characters. VERDICT This fantasy adventure featuring protagonists of color will be enjoyed by fans of the "Legacy of Orisha" and "Ember in the Ashes" series, and is recommended for middle school collections.Erica Coonelly, Monroe Township Middle School, NJ