Book Review: REBEL QUEEN by Michelle Moran

India in the mid 19^th century was an oppressive world for women. Sita had grown up in her small village of Barwa Sagar in purdah. Being in purdah for her whole life Sita was never allowed outside of her home and lived a very isolated life. When her mother tragically dies giving birth to her sister her evil grandmother tried to take her to a local temple to basically sell her into prostitution. Once her father found out he was livid and against grandmothers wishes her father decided the best thing for Sita was to train her to become one of the queen’s personal guards the durga dals.

Becoming a durga dal was an almost impossible goal. The women were some of the highest-ranking warriors in all of India. Their job was to be the best female warriors and to protect the queen rani at all costs including with their won lives. Her father and neighbor teamed up to give her the best training possible. Since the men were both retired solders they trained her every day from dusk to dawn. Over the years she perfected the use of a bow and learned how to ride a horse.  Years of training and word had come that one of the rani’s durga dal’s had retired. It was time for the trials to begin. For Sita the timing could not have been more perfect because she had just come of age.

Acing the trial that her whole village turned out to watch Sita was immediately taken to her new home, the palace in Jhansi. The palace was a new life for Sita, one that had she not become a durga dal she would never have been invited to be a part of. Finding her way in her new life was not easy. She made new friends and a new enemy with her new fellow female warriors. Excited about her new home Sita planed on raising enough money for her little sisters wedding dowry. Working to help give her sister a better life was her only ambition. In a turn of events at the palace Sita became one of the Rani’s favorites, the Rani trusted Sita and when the already established British troops decided they were to claim India for England it was Sita the Rani turned to for help to fight for her right to rule.

5/5 Another Moran hit! This novel is unlike any other novel I have ever read and I LOVED it. I finished it really fast because Moran just has a gift for making you live and breathe her characters. Excellent historical fiction novel that I highly recommend. It was exciting for its unique characters, time period and setting.

PG ~ 13 Rating for violence

FTC ~ this novel was sent to me by the publisher for review. I received no compensation for this review.

Amazon ~ REBEL QUEEN by Michelle Moran

S T A Y C O N N E C T E D W I T H M E :
S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪
~L I Z Z I E~