Blog – Page 4 – Anna Bushi

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🌊 A curse. A death. A prophecy begins.

On a storm-lashed shore, young Sugandha watches her grandfather call upon the god of fire to curse a ship of enemies. The sea roars, the sand trembles—and when the ritual ends, her grandfather lies motionless.

That night, he opens his eyes one last time.

“I have enough life force left to offer you a blessing… Conceal her from Ori. Your uncle poses a grave danger to your very existence.”

As the bells of her uncle’s cart echo in the distance, Sugandha flees the only home she has ever known—her journey entwined with a dying man’s curse and a prophecy that will shape the fate of kings.

⚔️ Child of the River — Book One of the Prophesied Prince Trilogy — is a sweeping medieval fantasy inspired by ancient India, filled with curses, rival kingdoms, and a destiny born of the river’s depths.

📖 On Sale for $0.99/£0.99
https://annabushi.com/books/prophesied-prince-series/

Enter the prophecy before it consumes them all.

Back to Kashgar: Legacy, Magic, and New Dangers

Book Two of the Prophesied Prince series is inching toward 50,000 words! In the latest chapters, we encounter descendants of characters from my Land of Magadha trilogy—members of the Malla army who came to Kashgar with Atul. Writing those scenes felt like coming home. After ten years in the world of Magadha, revisiting its legacy through new generations has been deeply satisfying.

Meanwhile, Sugandha is beginning to uncover the truth about her family and her powers. Something tells me she won’t be happy with what she learns.

Magical creatures continue to hunt our protagonists—but as always, the real danger lies in human heart.

Here is a snippet from Chapter two written in Atul’s POV:

“The rumor of your death has reached our ranks. The commander… he neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, he told us—your five guards—to find you.”

I nodded. “Clever of him. That gives you a reason to follow me north.” I kept my voice steady, calm, though the thought of the others—young men who had followed me across the sea—believing I had fallen before even drawing my sword unsettled me. Still, I had to trust the commander. Trust that he’d keep them loyal without revealing the truth. That I was alive. For now.

If you haven’t yet read Child of the River (Book One), now’s the perfect time. The audiobook, narrated by two incredible voice actors, brings Kashgar vividly to life. Book Two is slated for release in 2026.

Book Review: I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

This is my first book by Rebecca Makkai, and it definitely won’t be my last. The protagonist, Bodie, is a messy, complicated woman—professor, podcaster, and mother—returning to the boarding school where she spent four formative years. As a teenager, she began by trying to fit in, then found acceptance with a small circle of friends who saw her for who she really was.

Her sophomore-year roommate, Thalia, was everything Bodie thought she wasn’t—rich, popular, beautiful. Though not close friends, there was mutual respect between them. When Thalia is killed during their senior year, the tragedy leaves deep scars. Years later, Bodie returns to teach at the same school, and one of her students chooses Thalia’s murder as the subject of a podcast. The story unfolds as a letter Bodie writes to a man she suspects had a significant role in Thalia’s death.

Back then, Omar, a Black athletic director, was convicted of the crime. Through Bodie’s eyes, the book explores racism, abuse, class, and gender norms—issues that continue to shape contemporary America. What I particularly liked was that Makkai doesn’t make Bodie fit neatly into any box. We humans are complex, and how we react when something touches us personally often differs from how we think we’d respond in theory.

The mystery of Thalia’s death forms the spine of the story, but what lingers is the reflection on memory, justice, and the messy gray areas between right and wrong. It’s not easy to write a novel that captures the pulse of our times while keeping readers fully engaged, but Makkai manages it beautifully.

The hell of imprisonment isn’t the terrible food, it’s the lack of choice of food. It isn’t the cold, wet floor, it’s that you can’t choose another place to stand. It isn’t the confinement so much as the fact of never running, never getting in your car and speeding off, as Omar loved to do.

My only nitpick: there are moments when too many societal issues crowd the narrative. Focusing on fewer might have given the story even more punch. Still, this is a powerful, thought-provoking read—one I’ll be thinking about for a while.

Don’t make my mistake: stay up late to read this book

I normally don’t read psychological thrillers, but when Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar was offered as part of Kindle First Reads, I decided to make an exception. I’ll admit—I don’t know much about Jinn folklore, but after reading this book, I’m definitely interested in learning more.

The story opens with Dunia, our protagonist, narrowly escaping death at a subway station. From there, the narrative flips between three threads: her five-year-old self, her present, and a podcast set in the future (that’s how I kept track, at least). The podcast narration was crisp, engaging, and if the author’s goal was to make them sound like slightly obnoxious true-crime podcasters, she nailed it. I’ve never listened to a podcast like this, so I can’t say if that’s the norm, but it felt authentic.

The sections with five-year-old Dunia and the podcast held the most reveals and kept me turning the pages. My only nitpick: present-day Dunia sometimes felt like she had less agency. Maybe that was intentional, a reflection of her cultural upbringing, but I wanted her to be more active in uncovering the truth about the folklore and the accidents.

“How do you grieve someone who hated you? I wasn’t sure how to, but I was trying.”

Overall, this was a gripping tale—creepy, layered, and unsettling. Just don’t make the mistake I did: stay up late, reading it in the dark.

What have I been up to?

I’ve just crossed 40,000 words on Book Two of the Prophesied Prince series (title still a mystery for now!). For the first time in years, I actually let myself take a break from writing while on vacation—wandering through a few national parks at the end of August was exactly what my creative well needed. Now I’m back in Kashgar, walking beside Sugandha on her journey, and the words are flowing again.

Here’s a little snippet from Chapter One, in her point of view:

“Nanda, tell me what you know about Purohit Parivan,” he asked again, and I blinked, as if surfacing from a dream.

Purohit Parivan. The name pulled me straight to my grandfather. I used to think his death was the hardest part. I hadn’t realized living without him would be worse.

“In his final moments, my grandfather told me to find Purohit Parivan. But the priest… he perished in a fire just ahead of my arrival.”

The priest appeared to me in a vision shortly before his death, but I kept that detail to myself. I didn’t know this prince well enough. Not yet.

This is just a glimpse of what’s to come, but I’m so excited about where Sugandha’s path is leading her—and the secrets waiting to be uncovered.

📖 If you haven’t yet read Book One, Child of the River, now’s the perfect time to dive into the series and meet these characters from the beginning. That way, when Book Two arrives in 2026, you’ll be ready to journey alongside Sugandha as the stakes rise even higher.

A Day to Remember

On August 23, a warm Saturday, I had the joy of participating in the inaugural KPBS San Diego Book Festival, presented at the University of San Diego. From the moment I walked in with my festival badge proudly stamped Author (a word that still makes me blink in disbelief, even after all these years), I knew it was going to be a special day.

Meeting Readers—and My Best Marketer Yet

The best part of any festival is meeting readers, old and new, and sharing my books with them. But this time, I had an extra-special helper—my daughter. She has read all my books (a feat in itself!) and turned out to be the most enthusiastic and persuasive bookseller at the table. Watching her share my stories with visitors, speaking with such conviction, was both humbling and heartwarming.

Connecting with Authors Old and New

One of the joys of festivals is reconnecting with fellow authors.

I caught up with Jolie Tunnell, who writes delightful mystery novels. Jolie and I have shared a tent before at the Encinitas Street Fair, and it was such a treat to snap a photo together again, swapping stories about books and events.

I was delighted to see Dennis K. Crosby and Sarah Faxon, two writers I’ve shared a table with in the past. Both were there representing the Horror Writers Association, San Diego chapter, and it was inspiring—as always—to see their passion for storytelling and community.

This year, I had the pleasure of sharing my festival tent with Veranice Berry, who writes YA novels inspired by Egyptian mythology. Our daughters came to help out, another thing we had in common. Veranice and I exchanged books, and I can’t wait to dive into hers. That’s the beauty of these festivals—the chance to connect not only with readers but also with fellow authors who inspire you.

A Festival to Remember

Between the conversations, the laughter, and the joy of seeing so many people come together to celebrate books, this festival was everything I hoped for and more. Huge thanks to KPBS and the University of San Diego for creating such a vibrant, welcoming event for authors and readers alike.

I came away with new memories, new books to read, and a deep sense of gratitude—for stories, for community, and for the chance to share my work in such a wonderful space.

Here’s to many more festivals like this one.

When Dickens Meets Appalachia

I first read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens as a child, and it might be time for another reread to see how the story feels through adult eyes. A Tale of Two Cities remains one of my favorites—I’ve read it several times—and I keep a Dickens collection at home. So when I picked up Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver’s reimagining of Dickens’ classic, I knew I was in for something powerful. What I didn’t expect was just how much this book would squeeze my heart with every chapter.

Kingsolver brings Damon, a boy born to a teenage mother, vividly to life. The early chapters, focused on his childhood, were especially heavy—I often had to pause after a single chapter to take a breath. When your heart aches for a fictional character, you know the author has done something extraordinary.

Her writing is remarkable. I could smell the dumpster where Damon hides one night, dirty, hungry, and desperate. The characters she creates are unforgettable—you only have to read the chapter where U-Haul first appears to see her genius at work. It’s fitting that Damon is an artist himself, because through his eyes, people are described with such raw precision they leap off the page.

Having lived in a coastal city all my life, I found myself rooting for Damon to one day see the ocean. This is a book that touched my heart deeply and will linger in my mind for a long time to come.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

“The wonder is that you could start life with nothing, end with nothing, and lose so much in between.”

“This is what I would say if I could, to all smart people of the world with their dumb hillbilly jokes: We are right here in the stall. We can actually hear you.”

“The moral of his story was how you never know the size of hurt that’s in people’s hearts, or what they’re liable to do about it, given the chance.”

Book Review: A Twist of the Blade (Shadows and Crowns, Book 2)

I read Book One of the Shadows and Crowns series back in October 2023, so some time had passed before I picked up A Twist of the Blade. Even so, I remembered the story well enough to jump right in, which says a lot about how memorable the first book was.

A Twist of the Blade picks up right where Book One left us—on that cliffhanger—and plunges us deeper into the Shadows and Crowns series. In this installment, we meet several gods and finally gain more clarity on how Cas came into her powers. The story also expands beyond familiar borders as we encounter royalty from other kingdoms, broadening the scope of the world.

Cas continues to wrestle with her royal heritage, and much of the book is devoted to her journey toward fully embracing it. At the same time, we learn more about Elander’s past, with a twist that adds new depth to his relationship with Cas.

The pacing wasn’t quite as tight as in the first book, but the blend of mythology, character growth, and world-building kept me engaged. I’m invested in these characters and their journeys, and I’m looking forward to seeing what unfolds in Book Three.

“You can be afraid, and you’re allowed to feel stuck…you just can’t stay there. You have to keep going until you see what’s on the other side of that fear.”

“In this lifetime and in every other.”

📚✨ Hitting the Road (and the Bookshelves!) for the Inaugural KPBS San Diego Book Festival

Mark your calendars—Saturday, August 23, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. I’ll be at the inaugural KPBS San Diego Book Festival, presented by the University of San Diego. I’m beyond thrilled to be part of this brand-new celebration of stories, readers, and authors.

Of course, before a book festival comes the ritual prep—packing up my books, ordering bookmarks, and, yes, clearing space on my own shelves. This week, I’ve been hauling bags of gently used books to my local library. My logic? If I make room for new stories at home, then I must bring home a few treasures from the festival. (It’s not hoarding if it’s “curated collecting,” right?)

📖 What I’m Bringing to the Festival

I’ll be signing and chatting about all my books—and for the first time at a local event, Prince in Exile will be available! You’ll find:

Land of the Magadha Trilogy

This series tells the tale of Rish Vindhya, a noble warrior.

Heir to Malla – Meera rejects his love, yet Rish will do everything in his power to make sure Meera is protected. Even if it breaks his heart to stand guard and watch the woman he loves shed tears.
War of the Three Kings – Meera is the queen, and Rish knows she cannot cross some lines. Still, his heart burns until he realizes he is a threat to her safety. Does he stay or flee?
Burden of the Crown – Meera broke his heart. Yet, Rish has not abandoned hope. Because each time she looks at him like he matters, she rekindles his yearning.

Swayamvara Romances

Broken King – Princess Neela should be happy—her father is arranging a swayamvara, a grand ceremony where she can choose her own husband. But her choice is an illusion, and her father expects her to select the man he has already decided upon. Unless she defies him. Unless she chooses the one man no one expects—the king drowning in sorrow and toddy, a ruler broken by grief and guilt. Marrying him might be her only escape. But will choosing the broken king shatter her in the process?
King in Hiding – When Princess Lalitha is injured while searching for her father, a lowly metalsmith comes to her rescue. As they journey together, Lalitha finds herself unable to resist the undeniable pull she feels toward him. But what happens when she learns the truth—that the man who’s captured her heart is King Dushyant, the very ruler who has imprisoned her father?
Prince in Exile – She is a mute princess writing poetry to be heard. He is an exiled prince masquerading as a playwright. He stumbles upon her poems and weaves a play around them. She longs to write more poems to see them come alive through his eyes. But she cannot reveal she is the poet. Nor can he reveal he is a prince. Will falling in love with their alter egos doom their romance?

Child of the River

He hears a voice urging him to protect a girl he has never met. Will finding her doom his mission of restoring the throne?

Whether you’re a longtime reader or just discovering my books, I’d love to see you at the festival. Stop by, say hello, and let’s talk romance, adventure, and all things storytelling.

And remember—bring a tote bag. You’re going to need it. 😉

A Sneak Peek at Book Two

I’m deep in the world of Book Two of my Prophesied Prince fantasy trilogy, and I’ve officially crossed the 24,000-word mark! Every day, I sink deeper into this story where secrets run as deep as the rivers, and ancient magic stirs just beneath the surface.

This book picks up in the aftermath of Child of the River. The world has shifted—alliances have fractured, old prophecies are awakening, and danger looms on every path. At its heart is a girl grappling with powers she never wanted and a prince still haunted by choices he cannot undo. Together, they must navigate a land teetering on the edge of war, where every truth hides a shadow, and nothing is quite what it seems.

One of the wild joys (and occasional headaches) of writing fantasy is juggling a sprawling cast of characters, their tangled motivations, and all the rules of magic—so yes, I find myself flipping back through Child of the River constantly to make sure I’m not accidentally breaking the universe I created!

Here’s a glimpse at the current draft—the opening lines of the book (subject to revision, of course—I’m still on the fence about including “sweat glazed his muscles” so early on).

For most of that first day on the river, Prince Atul rowed like a man expecting trouble. His gaze swept the banks, searching for signs of pursuit. Whenever he spotted someone—fishermen, travelers, too far to tell—he quieted his strokes and steered us farther from shore.

Sweat glazed his muscles, as he rowed with the strength of three men. Then his head snapped toward a thicket of trees by the water’s edge, eyes sharp, jaw set. A hunter watching for movement. I studied him in that moment, still unsure if I’d been brave or foolish to ask him to come.

I’ve loved returning to Kashgar and imagining new regions of this medieval world—wilder lands, colder truths, deeper betrayals. There’s so much I’m excited to share with you in this next installment: forbidden magic, political intrigue, unexpected friendships that will reshape the course of prophecy.

📚 Book Two is coming in 2026—so if you haven’t yet read Child of the River, now is the perfect time to start! Meet the characters, step into their world, and get swept up in the first part of this epic journey.

More updates coming as I write, revise, and (hopefully!) survive drafting this book. I can’t wait for you to journey back into this world of danger, destiny, and hidden truths.