Upcoming Releases: A new Anita Amirrezvani and Susan Carroll

From the author of the internationally bestselling The Blood of Flowers comes a compulsively readable and gorgeously crafted tale of power, loyalty, intrigue, and love in the royal court of sixteenth-century Iran.

Iran in 1576 is a place of peace, wealth, and dazzling beauty. But when the Shah dies without having named an heir, the court is thrown into tumult. Princess Pari, the Shah’s daughter and closest advisor, knows more about the inner workings of the state than almost anyone, but the princess’s maneuvers to instill order after her father’s sudden death incite resentment and dissent. Pari and her trusted servant, a eunuch able to navigate the harem as well as the world beyond the palace walls, are in possession of an incredible tapestry of secrets and information that reveals a power struggle of epic proportions.

Based loosely on the life of Princess Pari Khan Khanoom, Equal of the Sun is a riveting story of political intrigue and a moving portrait of an unlikely friendship between a princess and a eunuch. Anita Amirrezvani is a master storyteller and in her lustrous prose this rich and labyrinthine world comes to vivid life with a stunning cast of characters, passionate and brave men and women who defy or embrace their destiny in a Machiavellian game played by those who lust for power and will do anything to attain it.

Release Date: June 5, 2012

Thoughts: Marg and I loved The Blood of Flowers. It was way back in 2007 when the book was released. You can read our thoughts on it here. I had sort of stopped thinking about her, so when Sarah posted A Visual Preview of the Summer Season, Part 1 on her blog and revealed this as one of the releases I was excited. It will not be easy to top or even come close to her first book, so I will be interested to see what she accomplishes with this latest release. It has taken 5 years, so I have high hopes!

For fans of Philippa Gregory, comes this brilliant new installment in bestselling author Susan Carroll’s mesmerizing Dark Queen historical fiction series.

Meg Wolfe, The Lady of Faire Isle, is a gifted healer who can find a cure for almost any ailment. But she’s also the daughter of Cassandra Claire, a mad witch and heretic with a notorious history. Meg’s infamous lineage makes her a target from both those who want to use her extraordinary talents for good and those who want to use them for evil. One man in particular needs her special skills: to execute his revenge on a king. History and a kingdom hang in the balance as Meg tries to navigate the delicate line between right and wrong. And what she discovers is that she can no longer trust anyone or anything…not even her own heart.

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Thoughts: Anyone that remotely knows my reading style knows that I am horrible with keeping up in series. I am always behind and there are very few exceptions. This series is one of the exceptions. I started it back in 2006 and loved it! I never expected to at all. I was hesitant to even start the first one, but with the blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and romance the books work out to be a really great read. In 2009 I read, and never reviewed, Twilight of a Queen. I thought it was the end of the series, but here we are 3 years later with a new book to enjoy. The only one reviewed on here is The Huntress by me back in 2007.