Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

THE REALM Of GODS: The Chronicles of Chaos Book 3 by Glen Dahlgren – Epic Fantasy, YA, Action/Adventure

The Realm of Gods, book three of Glen Dahlgren’s The Chronicles of Chaos series strikes a delicate balance. It has the familiar hallmarks of fantasy: swords and sorcery, daring and disaster. Yet it also subverts expectations, avoiding a too-simple “good versus evil” narrative.

The gods wield phenomenal power, able to make their whims reality, but can be as fickle and foolish as any human. Mortal lives are inextricably intertwined with their gods, for better or worse. Even the “faithless”, who lack direct connections to the gods, are exploited and oppressed by the elaborate religious structures around them.

But there are some humans who imagined a better way, and then fought for it. The Realm of Gods begins in the aftermath of this grand battle.

A rebel group has managed to banish the implacable gods of Order by using the oppositional forces of Chaos. Banishing the gods might have been the right choice, but it cost some lives and left a complicated mess behind. Now, it’s up to the remaining characters to heal the world’s wounds as best they can.

A young girl named Eve emerges as the hero of this story, facing a chain of god-related consequences she accidentally sets off.

This book is fast-moving and action-focused—perfect for holding the attention of its younger target audience.

Dahlgren switches perspectives rapidly, weaving the viewpoints of different characters to move the story forward. A few viewpoints are surprising: even a truly detestable character gets a chance to show things from his perspective. There’s no lack of suspense as we switch from character to character and even world to world, waiting to see how all the pieces fit together.

Sometimes, those pieces come together literally. Dahlgren’s experience as a video game designer shines through in pivotal moments when two main characters, while navigating a complex unfinished temple, must solve puzzles to reach their destination. Following along as they figure it out is almost as satisfying as solving the puzzle yourself.

Author Glen Dahlgren has younger readers in mind, but the complex story he’s woven has lots to love for readers of all ages, and plenty of surprises along the way.

As the last in the series, The Realm of Gods delivers unexpected and compelling turns of fate for several beloved characters.

Dahlgren’s certainly left the possibility of a sequel open. However, in this for-now-final book, he offers closure to the story with a few twists left up his sleeve. The characters seem just as surprised by how things turn out as many readers will be.

Dahlgren also pays off the series’ longstanding questions. The gods are real in this world, but it wasn’t always that way. When two characters explore a magical realm called the Dreaming, they find they can visit scenes from the past, learning how the gods of Order came to life—in a very unexpected way. Just as the gods can be brought into the world, they can also be banished. But are they eternally bound to return, or can this world be rid of them for good?

Multiple storylines meet as a team assembles around Eve, determined to help her enact her solution to the god problem.

A world with too much Order needs the force of Chaos to keep it in check. Eve and her friends will have to go far beyond the boundaries of the known world to find the Chaos they seek, bringing the universe back into balance.

Eve’s plan isn’t perfect. Problems arise and mistakes are made. In the end, not everyone ends up quite where they were supposed to be. But as the book winds down, there’s plenty of happiness to be had in The Realm of Gods. Dahlgren lingers on joyous reunions and newly-discovered talents, giving readers one last moment to bask in his vibrant world. His characters bring one saga to a close and begin a new journey. Though readers can’t come with them down this new path, it’s a satisfying parting nonetheless.

The Realm of Gods by Glen Dahlgren won Grand Prize in the 2024 CIBA Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction.

August 25, 2025
IT’S YOUR TURN: How to Rediscover Yourself Prioritize Your Well-Being & Thrive with Purpose by Shari Biery – Personal Transformation, Women’s Self-Help, Midlife Change

The detailed and actionable guide, It’s Your Turn by Shari Biery, encourages women to reclaim the time and space they deserve in life from the slow creep of demands like home, childcare, and supporting a spouse’s career.

To help women take “their turn,” much of this book is devoted to slowing down: why, how, and when to do it. Even its conversational writing style is an invitation to do so. It’s Your Turn leads readers to reflect, assess, and make effective changes in their lives. This isn’t a quick-hit self-help book, but a meditation for navigating midlife flux amid marriage and family responsibilities.

Biery draws on her own experiences living through many challenges frequently encountered by modern women. She struggled most with balancing personal needs and family responsibilities. Biery’s own needs and dreams long fell by the wayside in favor of managing her household and supporting her husband with his career in the military. With It’s Your Turn, she hopes to share her process of reclaiming those needs and dreams and reclaiming her well-being.

It’s Your Turn is loosely organized around Biery’s “C.A.L.M. method.” Through Clarity, Awareness, Learning, and Mindset, she teaches women how to carve out necessary space for themselves.

After Part I sets the book’s intentions, Part II guides readers through the C.A.L.M. method. Then, Part III helps them reenter the world to “embrace your turn.” Throughout the book, boxed text inserts offer actionable tidbits like questions to reflect on and even a self-care game. This format invites readers to break out the highlighters and sticky notes, adding their own marks to the parts that resonate with them most.

Some of the lessons are more widely applicable than others. Biery is a military wife, and certain advice is clearly designed for military spouses in particular, including a list of military spouse resources near the end. Yet other advice, like a detailed guide to journaling, can truly apply to anyone.

This book focuses its advice for family-oriented women who want to find more balance and self-care in their lives.

It’s Your Turn isn’t intended as a guide for decision making about looming relationship difficulties, major financial issues, or long-term career and education choices, although women navigating divorce, business failure, and other major catastrophes may still find benefits here. Biery occasionally touches on more serious issues like health problems but is careful to stay within her realm of expertise.

Clever use of anecdotes adds to the messages of well-being in It’s Your Turn. The chapters begin with windows into real people’s lives which illustrate Biery’s advice in action.

Some anecdotes are drawn from Biery’s career as a health and wellness coach, while others come from her own life. In one instance, Biery uses her experience navigating the Covid-19 pandemic as an example for slowing down daily routines to bring clarity to what one truly need in life.

The advice shared in It’s Your Turn is given by a qualified expert who has used these methods to successfully make changes in her own life, and the welcoming, encouraging, and authentic anecdotes make it feel as if the reader and the author were supportive friends chatting over a cup of coffee. A wonderful combination for delivering the message that “It’s Your Turn.”

It’s Your Turn by Shari Biery won First Place in the 2024 CIBA Mind & Spirit Awards for Spirituality and Enlightenment Non-Fiction.

August 20, 2025
MIRACLE On The MOUNTAIN: An Appalachian Christmas by Gail Heath, illustrated by Barabash Sviatoslav – Children’s Books, Holidays & Miracles, Picture Books

Gail Heath’s Miracle on the Mountain: An Appalachian Christmas shares a message of love and redemption through the heart-warming tale of Granny, a faithful, disciplined, and generous Appalachian woman.

On a blustery winter day, Granny starts down her home’s snowy, mountain landscape to attend Christmas Eve service in the village. When her dog, Shep, wanders off, Granny runs into Pete. The young man uses firewood collecting as an excuse to not attend service, hiding a deeper motive beneath.

Granny asks after his grandfather, who is in the midst of a long recovery after being attacked by a boar. Pete is forlorn, casting aspersions at Granny’s message that a miracle may yet happen, especially on this of all nights. Sensing his loss of faith, Granny offers Pete a few cups of her warm chicory as she regales the miracle on the mountain she witnessed ten years ago that made her a true believer.

In Granny’s tale, a cantankerous man named Luster appears one spring on Granny’s mountain. He lives in a ramshackle cabin with his dog and complains any time Granny makes noise. Following the guidance of her upbringing, Granny campaigns to sweat out Luster’s gruffness with kindness and prayer, but to no avail. By winter, Granny has left it up to the Lord to thaw the man’s misery.

On Christmas Eve, a snowy night much like the one ten years later, Granny feels the Lord encouraging her to visit her solitary neighbor.

She walks through the storm with a fresh loaf of bread to wish Luster a merry Christmas, which earns her his hottest bout of temper yet. The grinch refuses any of Granny’s warmth, and she reconciles that she can do no more, deciding Luster has no heart to be touched.

Later that night a tragedy befalls the village. Granny offers her warm home and hot chicory to a sheriff and his volunteers searching for a lost child. She seeks out Luster once again, hoping he would lend his mass and strength to the search effort, but his shack is empty. Luster’s hound, Shep, bounds through the snow and coaxes Granny to follow him. Together, they brave the wintery weather, and Granny encounters a miracle beyond her imagination.

What makes Miracle on the Mountain: An Appalachian Christmas special is its simplicity alongside the sharpness of Heath’s writing craft.

With lively characters in Granny and Luster and dialogue that stays true the spirit of Appalachian character, the reader gets everything they need to feel Granny’s message in their hearts.

The artwork from Barabash Sviatoslav creates an immersive Christmas atmosphere through detailed backgrounds that place readers firmly in the heart of an Appalachian winter. Each scene radiates warmth despite the mountain chill, inviting readers to step into Granny’s world of snow-covered cabins and frosted landscapes. The characters are portrayed with dynamic energy, their active poses drawing readers directly into the unfolding story and making them feel part of each scene’s emotional moment.

Miracle on the Mountain: An Appalachian Christmas by Gail Health expresses the spirit of Christmas through a fresh perspective.

Its message isn’t confined to one set of beliefs. Friendship, understanding, and sacrifice may be protected by people in ways we don’t always understand, but even at times when we’ve given up hope a surprise may just remind us that miracles do happen, sometimes where we least expect.

August 18, 2025
BELLA BROWN VISITS A BEE FARM by J.W. Zarek, illustrated by Anastasia at GetYourBookIllustrations – Animal Stories for Children, Picture Books, Children’s Educational Books

Bees frighten Bella, but a learning adventure turns her fear to fascination in J.W. Zarek’s delightful children’s book Bella Brown Visits a Bee Farm.

Bella’s bespectacled Grandma Yetta asks for help in her wildflower garden. Bella hops along with her bucket of gardening tools, surrounded by beautiful hovering butterflies. But a sudden encounter with a large striped flying insect sends Bella running.

Grandma Yetta explains that the buzzing bee is merely curious or trying to protect her home or babies. She advises Bella to stand very still, and the bee will fly away. Bella gives it a try and sees her own fears fly away as the bee continues its journey through the garden.

Grandma suggests taking a visit to Farmer Joe’s Sunny Meadows Bee Farm to learn about the importance of these amazing flying creatures.

Farmer Joe coaxes the hesitant Bella to learn about our “buzzing friends,” taking her first to a glass observation hive full of bees at work. Farmer Joe explains the different jobs bees perform, from collecting nectar to caring for young bees—and even fanning their wings just to keep the hive cool!

With protective face netting and elbow-length gloves, Bella next visits the boxed beehives and learns how the placement of the hives can influence the taste of their honey. Farmer Joe describes how the bees make honey in the first place.

Sweet illustrations by Anastasia with GetYourBookIllustrations show the roles of the bees with childlike whimsy.

The queen bee wears her royal crown. Worker bees carry miniature tools and nursery attendants hold newly hatched baby bees, all doing their part to support the hive.

Wide-eyed Bella asks what else bees do.

Grandma Yetta explains how bees pollinate fruits and vegetables. Their communication “wiggle dance” is complimented by amusing images of a dance floor complete with big speakers and a sparkling disco ball. Zarek includes even more facts about bees, from their sleep patterns to flight speeds.

The fascinating little creatures ultimately awe Bella, and all she’s learned about them dispels her fears and leaves her instead with a desire to help the bees. She even pays tribute to them by donning an adorable bee costume.

Bella Brown Visits a Bee Farm makes learning about bees approachable for young readers.

The book concludes with a page of affirmations for children like “Bee Joyful,” “Bee Happy,” “Bee Honest,” and “Beelieve in Yourself.” Zarek also provides a glossary of words related to Bella’s visit to the bee farm, as well as some friendly tips for readers to help bees in their area.

A furry little friend known as “Pip the Domovoi” appears in the background visuals several times throughout the book, prompting children to discover fun new details within Anastasia’s beautiful illustrations.

Bella Brown Visits a Bee Farm by J.W. Zarek both entertains and educates at once. Young readers will appreciate the easily followed narrative and fun, colorful illustrations, and children of all ages will learn something new about these productive little insects and their importance to our ecosystem.

August 13, 2025
ANTARAM: A Psychological Literary Fantasy Novel by Yashasvi Bhandari – Psychological Fantasy, Literary Fantasy, ADHD

Antaram: A Psychological Literary Fantasy Novel by Yashasvi Bhandari is a journey towards not just self-discovery but self-creation. Arjun, a struggling writer and single father, knows for certain that he doesn’t want to continue the life path he’s fallen into but has no idea how to change course or in what direction he should go.

Nearing thirty and pushing a broom at a dead-end job that’s going nowhere—just as every other job he’s held since he left school —Arjun clings to fantasies of bigger and better things.

He was a bright star in school, but as an adult he’s been drifting inexorably toward the bottom. Something is keeping him down and holding him back, but he doesn’t know what that something is. When he’s fired yet again, it feels like all hope is lost.

Arjun uses the fantastic journeys of his dreams and states of altered consciousness to push himself forward into a life that will lift him up instead of constantly reminding him that his brain isn’t wired quite like everyone else’s.

From inside Arjun’s head, the reader is able to experience the perspective of someone who lives with a particular form of ADHD, specifically ADHD-I (ADHD-Inattentive) that limits focus and attention to time, causing them to lose track of immediate responsibilities in daydreams and mental spirals. The narrative does a marvelous job illustrating how difficult it is for Arjun to navigate social structures of modern life, work, and interpersonal interactions.

Arjun marches to the beat of a different drummer, an erratic drummer, and in his story the reader is able to hear those beats for themselves.

This grounded real-world struggle takes on otherworldly heights when Arjun finds himself inexplicably catapulted into his mindscape, “Antaram,” which in Sanskrit means “within.”

Antaram combines literary fiction with a mishmash of fantasy tropes and archetypes, borrowing from such classics as The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland.

Through this world of imagination, Arjun finds inspiration for both life and work that allows him to use his differences as strengths instead of weaknesses.

Yashasvi Bhandari offers a fascinating psychological exploration in Antaram, both in the character of Arjun and in how the writing of this novel helped expand Bhandari’s own understanding of himself. Life imitates art imitates life in a full circle that compels readers to keep turning the pages of this fantastic ride.

*This book comes with a Content Warning for violence, sexual assault, and drug and alcohol addiction.

August 11, 2025
VITAL MISSION: Jake Fortina Series Book 4 by Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke – Military Thriller, Contemporary, War in Ukraine

Vital Mission, the fourth book in Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke’s Major Jake Fortina series, is a military thriller with exceptional heart. It goes beyond combat tactics to explore the traumatizing impact of war on those who wage it.

Vital Mission confronts the true cost of war, not in headlines, statistics, and maps, but in kitchens, schoolyards, and the private corners of people’s minds.

The story opens in February 2022 as Russia conducts a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Jake Fortina, a former US Army commander and military attaché living in Italy with his wife and small child, observes the invasion from a distance, Fortina is troubled by old instincts and a sense of helplessness.

In Mariupol, Ukrainian mother Olena tries to protect her sons from raining shells. When tragedy strikes, the boys are taken in by Russian soldiers participating in a disturbing child-relocation operation dressed up as a “rescue.” From there, readers follow the boys on a journey full of heartbreak and quiet bravery.

Margarita Romanova, a young Russian field medic with a difficult history, steps into this emotional scene when she’s assigned to care for the displaced children.

She develops an unexpected connection with Sergiy and Gleb. Through her eyes, readers face the moral conflict of a soldier choosing between duty and compassion. Meanwhile, Jake’s point of view provides a glimpse into the emotional toll of seeing a battle you can no longer fight, yet cannot ignore.

Vital Mission is brisk and cinematic with frequent shifts of perspective. Its tight pacing constantly engages readers with the narrative while still allowing room to bring in great emotional depth.

Steinke strikes a masterful mix between urgency and empathy, utilizing simple yet powerful words to draw each scene. Whether in a darkened gym where children whisper into their covers or along a frostbitten tree line where Ukrainian soldiers lie in wait, the language Steinke uses is visceral and immersive.

The story never feels bloated with complex politics or overly technical military jargon. This lets Steinke’s great strength in his character work shine. He quietly builds layers of emotion, especially around the two boys, without ever slipping into melodrama. There’s a haunting restraint to many of the scenes and a clarity that layers every moment with gravity through the author’s intense voice and emotional precision.

That deep level of emotional impact is felt most through the desperation the children experience in their captivity. Readers feel the weight of a child’s confusion, desperation, and growing awareness that the world around him might not make sense for a long time—if ever.

Vital Mission isn’t just a story about war alone. It is also a story about humanity.

Children are forced to grow up overnight, soldiers question their orders, and love shows up in the unlikeliest places. Readers who are drawn to stories with emotional insight, moral complexity, and real-world relevance will find Ralph R. “Rick” Steinke’s Vital Mission hard to put down—and harder still to forget.

August 6, 2025
PORSCHE GOES HIKING by Emaan, Ehsen, & Faisal Mirza – Children’s Books, Children’s Educational Stories, Children’s Nature Stories

Porsche Goes Hiking by Emaan, Ehsen, & Faisal Mirza teaches young readers to be prepared and responsible as they follow along on Porsche’s whimsical jaunt.

With a map of the Santa Cruz Mountains hiking trails in hand, Porsche plans an exploration of a path she’s never walked before. She imagines the wonders and treasures she could find, while hopping around her house to gather all of her hiking supplies.

Porsche realizes how much clutter she’s left from room to room but uses her planner notebook to keep cleaning in mind while she focuses on the hike. With spirits high, she sets off on her bike to the trailhead.

After a few hours enjoying the beauty of nature, Porsche notices that the sun set earlier than she expected. Although she’s worried walking this unfamiliar trail in the dark, Porsche relies on her responsible preparation—and the help of a wise and friendly owl—to make it home.

Throughout Porsche Goes Hiking, Porsche shows young readers how to plan carefully, keep their things clean, and listen to the wisdom of others.

Each chapter ends with five questions on the lessons Porsche learned, prompting kids to consider how they can follow her example. While a number of scenes feel repetitive in how they teach the same lesson, the book’s central message strikes a solid balance between childlike playfulness and responsibility.

Porsche’s whimsical perspective colors the story.

Porsche plays with inanimate objects, speaking to the world around her and imagining what curiosities it might show her next.

The prose’s floaty style, with its abundance of similes, metaphors, and general flowery language, might prove difficult for young readers to latch on to. However, Porsche herself carries a bright energy throughout the book. Her nighttime guide, the grand owl Tau, buoys the final few chapters with his comedic antics and boastful attitude.

Inspired by a real-life love for sharing the natural world, Porsche Goes Hiking teaches kids how to enjoy parks and trails safely.

This book used generative AI for copyediting and to produce the cover image.

August 4, 2025
A SIREN CALLED TRUTH: A Bone Wars Novel by Patricia Roberts Wright – Historical Fiction, Old West, Fossil Hunting

Patricia Roberts Wright’s A Siren Called Truth plunges into the fierce rivalry of the Bone Wars, a real-life scientific feud between paleontologists Edward Cope and O.C. Marsh. Blending history, ambition, and human drama, this gripping historical novel explores the cost of discovery and the lengths people will go to secure their legacy.

A Siren Called Truth is a character-driven exploration of rivalry. Edward Cope, a self-taught genius, is determined to unearth America’s prehistoric past, but O.C. Marsh stands in his way, a well-funded and politically savvy adversary. Their battle for dominance in paleontology is about reputation, power, and the relentless pursuit of truth.

A Siren Called Truth’s prose transports readers to the rugged landscapes where fossils lie buried beneath layers of time.

Vivid sunrises, dust storms, and excavation sites give the setting itself a sense of character. All the while, the pacing remains taut, balancing scientific intrigue with personal stakes.

One of Wright’s strengths is her ability to blend history with storytelling. She doesn’t just recount events—she resurrects a time period, bringing to life the personalities and conflicts that shaped paleontology.

Edward Cope is portrayed as a brilliant but flawed man, driven by a passion that often turns to recklessness in his pursuit of discovery. O.C. Marsh stands as his compelling contrast—calculating, strategic, and willing to bend ethical lines to secure his place in history. Their dynamic is electric, arcing between grudging respect and outright sabotage. The tension builds through meticulously researched details, creating a sense of immediacy and consequence for each discovery and betrayal.

Within its historical intrigue, A Siren Called Truth ponders ethical dilemmas, questioning the lengths scientists will go to for recognition and the moral cost of shaping history.

Wright doesn’t shy away from the intense personal stakes involved—Cope’s desperation, Marsh’s cunning maneuvering, and the collateral damage among the people caught between them. Scientists, journalists, and financiers all play roles in shaping the Bone Wars, adding layers to this story’s exploration of ambition and consequence.

Whether you’re drawn to scientific rivalries, richly textured historical settings, or high-stakes ambition, A Siren Called Truth delivers an unforgettable journey into the tumultuous world of 19th-century fossil-hunting, and it sets the stage for an exciting trilogy.

July 30, 2025
THE QUARRY: The Druid Chronicles Book 4 by A.M. Linden – Historical Fiction, Brittania, Druids

Druids struggle to evade Christian persecution in A.M. Linden’s The Quarry, Book Four in the Druid Chronicles, a fast-paced adventure through medieval Brittania.

Although dwindling in number and hunted by Christians who fear their pagan rituals, Druids still roam the land. Linden explores these oppressed people and their belief system, one that approaches life and conflict with reason and attempts to find a peaceful resolution—a novel idea during this historical time.

The High Priestess Feywn’s health is failing. Our hero, Druid priest Caelym, does everything in his power to save her so she can pass on her vital role in their religion.

The necessary ritual takes time and specific ingredients. As he hunts for those sacred herbs, he is captured by the local sheriff whose second in command, the fanatic Christian Matthew, only wants Caelym’s death.

Cyri, the young Druid woman who would become the next High Priestess, goes in search of Caelym but finds only his bag, weapon, and clothes. Fearing him kidnapped, Cyri journeys to save him in a hunt or be hunted Dark Age. Each step puts Cyri’s and Caelym’s survival into question.

Linden peoples this story with characters from across her series whose roles stand clear and meaningful—including the villains.

Stefan, the Saxon warrior recently appointed sheriff of the Shire of Codswallow, weighs two problems against one another. His wife’s uncle wants to marry her—over Stefan’s dead body. And Stefan has just run into a wanted Druid who might prove useful.

The different POVs create unpredictable and entertaining twists, as Stefen captures Caelym on his way to an inn where he hopes to receive a hearty lunch and a roll in the hay with Cyri, who he believes to be a barmaid. Little does Stefan know Cyri’s connection to Caelym’s mistress Feywn.

Stefan first wants Caelym simply for his value as a hostage, but recognizes his talent as a gifted musician and storyteller, and refuses to give in to Matthew’s murderous desire. When an attempt is made on Stefan’s life, his understanding of his place in the world is shaken to its core, and only Caelym can give him the perspective and advice he needs—both to save himself and plot revenge.

For lovers of historical fiction, Celtic and Druidic literature, and classic fantasy like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, the story of Stefan, Caelym, and Cyri in The Quarry will cast an enrapturing spell, making them fall in love with Linden’s characters, both heroic and villainous, and appreciate these ancient pagan ways.

Linden’s masterful storytelling in The Quarry stands wonderfully on its own and as continuation of the Druid Chronicles, leaving new readers excited to finish the whole series.

July 28, 2025
VERMILION HARVEST: Playtime at the Bagh by Reenita M. Hora – Historical Romance, Indian Independence, Cultural Conflicts

Reenita M. Hora’s Vermilion Harvest weaves love and liberation into literary gold.

“Why do love and freedom have such a complicated relationship?” This haunting question pulses through every page of Vermilion Harvest, Hora’s breathtaking debut that creates, in one of history’s darkest moments, a luminous testament to the power of love in transcending boundaries.

A star-crossed romance sparks against the backdrop of empire.

Set in 1919 Amritsar, Vermilion Harvest introduces readers to Aruna Duggal, a nineteen-year-old Anglo-Indian schoolteacher caught between worlds—too brown for British acceptance, too white for Indian belonging. Born from violence, raised in the shadows between communities, Aruna navigates life’s margins until she meets Ayaz Peermohammed, a passionate Muslim law student from Lahore. Ayaz’s dreams of Indian independence ignite something revolutionary within Aruna’s heart.

Their love story blooms like a flower in defiance of winter—beautiful, tender, and heartbreakingly fragile. Hora captures the exquisite tension between personal desire and political reality as Aruna and Ayaz discover that in a country divided by religion, race, and colonial rule, love itself becomes an act of rebellion.

The masterful prose in Vermilion Harvest transforms historical tragedy into profound art

Hora’s literary craftsmanship elevates this novel far beyond typical historical romance. Her prose shimmers with intelligence and emotion, creating an intimate portrait of a young woman’s awakening consciousness against the violent fractures in her society. Through Aruna’s compelling voice, readers experience the complex interior landscape of someone perpetually displaced, seeking belonging in a world determined to categorize and divide.

Hora approaches the Jallianwala Bagh massacre with remarkable literary courage. She threads historical horror into a deeply personal narrative that honors both individual suffering and collective trauma. This nuanced exploration of identity, belonging, and resistance resonates powerfully in our contemporary moment.

The characters of Vermilion Harvest pull together in an urgent love story racing against a bloody turning point in history.

As political tensions escalate and Colonel Dyer’s military orders loom, Aruna faces an impossible choice between safety and love—the peripheral privilege of her Anglo-Indian status and the dangerous freedom Ayaz represents. The novel’s final act builds to a devastating emotional crescendo as love and liberation collide in the gardens of Jallianwala Bagh.

Vermilion Harvest succeeds brilliantly as both intimate love story and sweeping historical epic.

Hora has crafted a novel that makes the personal political and the historical immediate, creating characters so vivid and emotions so raw that readers will find themselves completely invested in Aruna and Ayaz’s fate.

For readers seeking high-caliber fiction with both gorgeous prose and compelling storytelling, Vermilion Harvest delivers an unforgettable reading experience. A new novel from an author of major literary talent, offering historical insight and timeless truths about love’s power to transform and transcend.

Vermilion Harvest by Reenita M. Hora won the 2024 CIBA Overall Grand Prize.

July 25, 2025