## July Book Club Pick: BURN THE SEA by Mona Tewari

I'm very excited to share our first Books Right Now book club pick: Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari!

Burn the Sea is a historical fantasy novel that retells the story of the South Indian queen Abbakka Chowta. A story of survival, political machinations, and colonial resistance, Burn the Sea hits all of the right marks!

This book will be our selection for July, and I encourage all book club members to discuss the story in both the spoiler and non-spoiler channels on the Discord!

Early in August, I’ll be conducting a virtual interview with Mona Tewari, which will be available to subscribers within the week. As an exciting exclusive opportunity for Bindery subscribers, I will be asking you to submit any questions you may have for Mona, which I will then ask her during our interview. The only guidelines are to keep your questions positive and limit them to two per individual.

Thank you so much for being a part of the Books Right Now community, and I’m so excited to kick off our book club in July!

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### Some quick reviews of my recent reads!

I've had a record number of 5 star reads this year!

#### 5 Indian Fantasy Books by Indian Authors!

I absolutely love reading Indian fantasy books, particularly when they’re written by Indian authors who portray our culture with the love and care it deserves.

Here are five of my favorite Indian fantasy books of all time and their synopses!

1) **Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari**  
Abbakka Chowta never expected to be queen. The youngest of Ullal’s two rajkumaris, Abbakka has spent years in rigorous combat training to become her sister’s blade. But when the monstrous Porcugi attempt to lay claim to Ullal, Abbakka’s world—and fate—are upended.

2) **To Bargain with Mortals by R.A. Basu**  
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.

3) **The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma**  
The Ravani kingdom was born of a prophecy, carved from unforgiving desert sands and ruled by the Ravence bloodline: those with the power to command the Eternal Fire.

4) **Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel**  
Ganga, joyful goddess of the river, serves as caretaker to the mischievous godlings who roam her banks. But when their antics incur the wrath of a powerful sage, Ganga is cursed to become mortal.

5) **The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao**  
Across the mortal and immortal realms, celestial dancers known as apsaras are revered for their beauty, allure, and enchanting magic. Meneka knows that is not all they are.