New Here? Read or Listen to Child of the River and then join us on this adventure.
As always, there may be spoilers for chapters 31 through the end of the book in this read along.
Sugandha — Chapter 31
Sugandha, after masquerading as a boy for so long, finds joy in plucking a jasmine from a bush and tucking it into her hair. That heavenly smell of jasmine, nestled in her dark hair like a bright moon against a dark sky, is a picture Sugandha wants to paint, even if only for herself, with no admirers around. Sometimes, absence makes us yearn for things we took for granted. When I work from home and the days blur together, sometimes a little lip gloss goes a long way in lifting my spirits. That is the feeling I wanted to leave with Sugandha.
I liked this metaphor: “Each day, the moon grew like a pregnant woman’s belly.” It seemed apt for the dilemma Sugandha is in. And what do you think of what Sugandha’s grandfather taught her, and what he omitted? There are clues to her past in this chapter, and also to what he was preparing her for. Those answers begin to surface in Curse of the River.
The scene at the river with Sugandha, Parvati, and her husband is one of my favorites in this book. I wanted to showcase how Sugandha’s innocence about the marital bed, and her desperation to survive, come together like the ingredients of a fine Indian dish. Sugandha achieving her goal with no idea of how or why was fantastic to write. I wanted readers, who obviously have more worldly experience than our sixteen-year-old protagonist in medieval India, to understand exactly what is happening, while Sugandha remains entirely clueless. Did I pull it off?
April has always felt like a bridge to me, a month where the air shifts, much like the lives of my characters in the Prophesied Prince series. Today, I’m writing to you with a heart full of both excitement and a little creative grief.
On April 23rd, Curse of the River, the second book in our journey, will finally be out in the world.
If you haven’t had a chance to preorder your copy yet, you can do so here. For my wonderful listeners who prefer the immersion of an audiobook, I ask for just a little more patience. While it will arrive a little later, I promise the wait will be worth it.
The Prince and the Girl of Mystery
Writing this book was a deeply personal experience. I found myself spending so much time in the quiet, tense spaces between Prince Atul and Sugandha.
Atul is a character who lingers with me. In Curse of the River, he is grappling with the aftermath of the elixir he ingested at the end of Book One. He is filled with a gnawing sense of unworthiness, struggling to master powers that feel more like a burden than a gift. Then there is Sugandha. After being alone for so long, she is slowly, tentatively learning what it means to rely on someone else.
I didn’t make it easy for him; Atul truly has to earn her trust. They are both struggling with their own magic and, often, with each other. Yet in that friction, they find a way to make one another better.
Here is a glimpse of him earning her trust through his words and actions:
“There’s a mystery surrounding Guru Ori’s niece,” Atul said, “and I believe it’s vital we unravel it if we’re to bring any peace to this land.”
My chest constricted. Would he name me as the niece?
“Nanda,” he said instead, gesturing to me, “saved my life after Chief Vikramasinha’s men struck me with an arrow. He’s heading to Sangadhara, the village of Purohit Parivan, and I’m going with him to uncover the truth.”
The knot in my stomach loosened. He’d kept my secret. In that quiet decision, my heart edged a little closer toward trusting him.
Even though I knew exactly where this story was headed, the ending broke my heart. It has been in the making for over seven years, since I wrote the prophecy in Heir to Malla.
Looking Toward the Horizon: The Trilogy’s Conclusion
While Curse of the River is the focus of my April, my mind is already beginning to settle into the final chapter of this trilogy.
I’m happy to share that the outline for Book Three is complete. I even have a working title, one I’m keeping close to my chest for just a little longer. I know the arcs for all my major characters. I know exactly how their stories conclude in this series.
It is a bittersweet feeling. As an author, it’s hard to say goodbye to characters who have lived in my head for so long. They still surprise me, of course. Even with a full outline, they often take a detour that changes the story as I write. That unpredictability is the most joyful part of the process for me.
I’ve already started the actual writing and am currently 1,500 words into the first draft. Given how Curse of the River ends, I don’t want to make you wait too long for the conclusion.
A Virtual Journey to Medieval India
While we wait for the 23rd, my read-along of Child of the River (Book One) continues.
We’ve been diving deep into the world-building details I love most: the legend of the Lord who is Half Woman (Ardhanarisvara), the ritual magic of ghee, and the looming shadows of sandstone fortresses. It’s a virtual journey into a medieval India I’ve spent years researching and imagining, and I’ve been sharing some fun pictures along the way.
If you haven’t joined the read-along yet, you can start here.
April 23rd is just around the corner. I cannot wait for you to hold Curse of the River in your hands.
Welcome back to the banks of the river, travelers. If you are just joining us, you’ll want to start at the very beginning. You can find my notes for the Prologue through Chapter 10 right here.
And of course, it is much more fun if you have the story in your hands (or your ears!). If you haven’t yet, you can grab the book here or listen to it on Audible.
Spoiler Warning
We are diving deep into the heart of the story today. If you aren’t caught up through Chapter 20, proceed with caution!
Chapter 11: Crocodiles and Unwanted Affections
In Chapter 11, Sugandha learns a hard lesson: being a hero is exhausting. There is truly no better way to discover the limits of your own magic than while fighting for your life against a crocodile.
But the real “plight” for our protagonist isn’t just the giant, prehistoric beast. It’s the unwanted attention that comes afterward. Because she is disguised as a boy, she earns the admiration of a young woman who starts eyeing her as a future husband. In that moment, can you really blame Sugandha for wishing the crocodile had just finished the job?
No such luck for her, though. I have plenty more ordeals waiting around the bend.
The Cost of Deception
One of my favorite things to explore is the psychological toll of a lie. Sugandha is living as a boy, learning the grueling, beautiful art of swordmaking. These chapters give her a brief respite, a moment of “normal” work, but the guilt is starting to rot.
Her emotions are a mess. She feels terrible for deceiving Parimala, yet she aches for the life she left behind. I wanted to capture that specific longing a girl feels when she has not worn a dress or makeup or jewels in ages. In this medieval world, it is craving for Kajal under her eyes and the scent of jasmine flowers woven into her hair. Every deception runs its course eventually, and Sugandha is beginning to realize that her safety is a very fragile thing.
A Childhood Memory: The Magic of Ghee
Food is the soul of my stories. In this chapter, Sugandha is served extra ghee over her white rice, and writing that took me straight back to my own childhood.
Ghee originated in India over three thousand years ago. In that hot climate, butter would go rancid almost instantly. By heating it to remove the water and milk solids, our ancestors created “ghrita” (Sanskrit for clarified butter), a fat with a long shelf life and a heavenly scent.
Beyond the kitchen, ghee became sacred. It is the purest offering to the gods, used in yagnas (fire rituals) to carry prayers to the heavens.
Favorite Line: > “I felt like I climbed a giant ladder whose rungs shattered with each step I took.”
Read the rest of the behind the scenes of Sugandha’s deception, Atul’s insecurity, and the ancient Tamil ethics that guide my writing on my Substack.
Hello, fellow time travelers! I am so excited to kick off this journey with you. There is something uniquely terrifying and thrilling about opening up the pages of a world I’ve built and saying, “Take off your shoes and come on in.”
If you’ve been following my work, you know Prophesied Prince trilogy is a spin off of my Land of Magadha trilogy. If you’re new here—welcome to the family! Child of the River is where we start a brand new chapter together.
Before we dive into the secrets of the river, a few house rules:
⚠️ A Fair Warning
This post contains spoilers for the prologue and the first ten chapters. If you haven’t grabbed your copy of Child of the River yet, consider this your sign to go get it, find a cozy corner, and catch up so we can chat about it together.
🎨 A Note on History vs. Heart
While I strive to honor the vibrant textures of Indian culture, customs, and (most importantly) food, please remember that I am an author of fiction, not a historian. I’ve taken plenty of artistic liberties to make the magic and the world feel real. To the historians out there: I beg your forgiveness!
Why You Can’t Skip This Prologue
I know, I know. Some of you are “Prologue Skippers.” You want to get straight to Chapter One. Don’t do it. Not only does this Prologue set the stage for everything Sugandha is about to face, but it’s the secret bridge between worlds. For those who have read my Land of Magadhatrilogy, what happens here explains exactly what that mysterious ship was doing at the end of Burden of the Crown.
Read the rest of the secrets and see the historical inspirations on my Substack.
If you haven’t yet stepped into the world of the Prophesied Prince, now is the perfect time. To celebrate the upcoming sequel, Child of the River (Book One) is currently on sale for just $0.99 / £0.99 in the US and UK.
Sugandha is the quiet heartbeat of the Prophesied Prince trilogy. I’m deep in Book Two right now, so I’m living in her world every day—and she’s definitely taken up long-term residence in my head.
When we first meet her in Child of the River, she’s grieving the loss of the only family she’s ever known: her grandfather.
“Sorrow and grief filled my heart when I realized I would receive no more guidance from my grandfather. I had never known my parents, and my grandfather had raised me from birth.
Usually, I would stir into wakefulness at this time of day. From my cot, I would hear my grandfather in the kitchen, pulling down pots, grinding an array of herbs, and brewing them.
Those small sounds would bring me peace, and I would snuggle into my sheets and close my eyes… He would grin at me as if I brightened his day just by existing, his wrinkled face glowing.”
One of my favorite chapters featuring her is Chapter 31 (Summer, Year 1). There’s a certain innocence to Sugandha there—one that still survives even as she’s fighting for her life. She stumbles through chaos guided only by instinct and heart, doing what she believes is right, even when she has no idea what’s really happening around her. That combination of bravery and bewilderment is exactly what makes her so compelling to write.
Book Two lets me deepen her dynamic with Atul. These two couldn’t be more different—each carrying their own scars, their own expectations, their own definitions of who they should be. Watching them learn to trust each other, challenge each other, and sometimes collide spectacularly has been one of the joys of drafting this book. This moment between them is from earlier in book two:
“Look at me,” I said, and her eyes fluttered open.
“Imagine what it would mean to master that power,” I said, my voice low. I let the oars still in my hands.
She clenched her jaw, then closed her eyes again. Her breath evened out, arms stretching forward as if reaching for something unseen. I waited. But the river stayed calm.
Then she gasped—clutching her throat like something had seized it—and coughed, harsh and broken.
“Nanda—”
“No.” Her voice came between sobs, ragged and raw. “Stop. You think you understand what it’s like—to carry this wild, flickering thing inside me—but you don’t. You can’t.”
This trilogy is, at its core, a coming-of-age story. Through Sugandha, I wanted to portray a deeply human young woman—strong yet unsure, resilient yet overwhelmed, someone whose magic feels as dangerous as it is wondrous. Her journey isn’t neat or easy, and it mirrors the hardships a girl on the run would face in a world shaped by myth, patriarchy, and the weight of expectations. These are truths often left unexplored in traditional Indian mythology, and Sugandha gives me the space to write into those gaps.
She grows slowly. She stumbles often. But she keeps trying. And that, to me, is what makes her unforgettable.
I feared that the men who revered me as the Heir to Malla would abandon me if they knew the truth about my birth. That was the reason I had urged my uncle, King Jay of Malla, to send me on this mission. Uncle Jay wanted me to wait until our soldiers had secured Kashgar, but I itched to prove myself.
Atul’s journey in Child of the Riveris a tangle of identity, duty, and the quiet ache of wanting to be enough. When his ships crossed the Nira Sea, he didn’t just bring soldiers—he carried the weight of his own questions about who he is… and who he desperately hopes to become.
One of my favorite moments to write is his exchange with the fake prince in Chapter 26 (Spring, Year 2). Those scenes crack Atul open a bit. The fake prince’s doubts mirror Atul’s own, and you see him slide into that big-brother role so naturally—steady, protective, and sometimes wiser than he realizes. And then, just as quickly, he’s unmistakably a teenager again: impulsive, earnest, and brave in ways that don’t always make sense but feel undeniably true.
Being Meera’s son (yes, that Meera from the Land of Magadha trilogy) gives me a chance to explore the complicated corners of his heart—respect tangled with resentment, admiration overshadowed by old hurt. His mother’s secrets shaped him, and in many ways, he’s still deciding what parts of that legacy he wants to claim.
Through Atul, I get to return to one of my favorite questions: What truly makes a good ruler? Birthright? Choice? Sacrifice? Something quieter and harder to name?
Atul doesn’t have the answers yet—but he’s determined to earn them.
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.
Mark your calendar for Stuff Your Kindle with Fantasy—a one-day event on June 14 where you can grab incredible fantasy reads for just $0.99 each!
📚 Child of the River, the first book in my Prophesied Prince series, will be featured under the Medieval Fantasy category on StuffWithFantasy.com.
In Child of the River, Prince Atul arrives in the kingdom of Kashgar seeking vengeance for the Malla envoys, whose mission ended in slaughter. But his path takes an unexpected turn when the river whispers the name of a girl—Sugandha—urging him to find and protect her. A girl he didn’t know existed. A girl he doesn’t know how to find.
Start your journey into the world of Prophesied Prince and fill your Kindle with magic, mystery, and unforgettable characters this June 14!
Will Prince Atul be able to guard what matters most?
When an exiled Kashgar prince seeks refuge, Prince Atul agrees to help—but their mission quickly turns deadly. A ship shrouded in shadows returns with lifeless emissaries, signaling a sinister war. Determined to restore the prince to the throne, Atul journeys to Kashgar, prepared for battle. But instead of soldiers, he finds a land cursed with arcane powers. How can he fight what he doesn’t understand? 🌀
Voices whisper to him, urging him to protect a mysterious girl named Sugandha—someone he’s never met. But why is she so important?
✨ PreorderChild of the River on Audible today and get ready to be swept into an epic tale of magic, mystery, and fate. Will Atul succeed in a world that defies all logic? Find out in this gripping fantasy adventure!
Anna Bushi 