READ Shadow Princess: Indu Sundaresan

The latest addition to author Indu Sundaresan's unique brand of historical fiction, Shadow Princess provides the perfect escape. For those who enjoyed The Feast of Roses, The Splendor of Silence and The Twentieth Wife, you will find this book to have all the magic of a Sundaresan novel — suspense and intrigue, affection and betrayal, sibling rivalry and enduring love.

Returning to 17th Century India, the novel revolves around the lives of two princesses, Jahangir and Roshanara, daughters of the emperor Shah Jahan. After the sudden death of their mother, empress Mumtaz Mahal (yes, that Mahal), Jahangir finds herself thrust into the role her mother once occupied. However, power comes at a price and not wanting to see his daughters go, the emperor forbids both to marry. In the inevitable squabble for power — from both ambitious heirs and jealous siblings — a series of events are put into place that continue to have a long lasting effect on the world we know today.

With the creation of the Luminous Tomb (otherwise known as the Taj Mahal) providing a captivating backdrop, Shadow Princess is at times bittersweet, others, undoubtably moving.

Indu Sundaresan writes with such clear vision as to create an uniterupted movie in your mind. From the smallest detail to the grandest scheme, this story will remain in your memory long after you close the book.