Hello, everyone! Today I’m so honoured to be able to feature The Library of Fates and Aditi Khorana. I loved Aditi’s debut novel, Mirror in the Sky, so I absolutely couldn’t wait for her debut into the fantasy realm. I loved The Library of Fates, it was imaginative with great characters and had the most compelling world-building. I can’t wait for y’all to pick it up next week.
About the Book
Releasing July 18th 2017
No one is entirely certain what brings the Emperor Sikander to Shalingar. Until now, the idyllic kingdom has been immune to his many violent conquests. To keep the visit friendly, Princess Amrita has offered herself as his bride, sacrificing everything–family, her childhood love, and her freedom–to save her people. But her offer isn’t enough.
The unthinkable happens, and Amrita finds herself a fugitive, utterly alone but for an oracle named Thala, who was kept by Sikander as a slave and managed to escape amid the chaos of a palace under siege. With nothing and no one else to turn to, Amrita and Thala are forced to rely on each other. But while Amrita feels responsible for her kingdom and sets out to warn her people, the newly free Thala has no such ties. She encourages Amrita to go on a quest to find the fabled Library of All Things, where it is possible for each of them to reverse their fates. To go back to before Sikander took everything from them.
Stripped of all that she loves, caught between her rosy past and an unknown future, will Amrita be able to restore what was lost, or does another life–and another love–await?
About the Author
Aditi Khorana spent parts of her childhood in India, Denmark, and New England. She has a BA in international relations from Brown University and an MA in global media and communications from the Annenberg School for Communication. She has worked as a journalist at ABC News, CNN, and PBS, and most recently as a marketing executive consulting for various Hollywood studios including Fox, Paramount, and Sony. She is also the author of Mirror in the Sky. She lives in Los Angeles and spends her free time reading, hiking, and exploring LA’s eclectic and wonderful architecture. For more information, visit aditikhorana.com.
Q & A
1. Describe The Library of Fates using any 5 words!
Powerful feminists fight misogynistic dictator.
2.The Library of Fates is your sophomore novel, is there anything you’ve learned unexpectedly along the way that you think some people won’t realize about the writing process?
That every book comes with its own set of challenges, and that every book is an invitation to ask (and learn, and perhaps even answer) some weighty and consequential questions about yourself, the world, your place in the world and about humanity itself.
3. In contrast to your first novel, The Library of Fates is a high fantasy while Mirror in the Sky was contemporary (but still has speculative elements). What has it been like working on such a different genre? Do you have a preference?
I don’t have a preference, it’s more about what genre works for the themes I’m working with and the questions I’m trying to answer. With Mirror in the Sky, I was investigating this question of belonging: what does it mean to belong to a family or community, or to be a citizen of the planet? And how do our choices impact our identities? With The Library of Fates, the questions were: what are the things worth sacrificing for and where do we draw the line and refuse to give in? What does it mean to be a feminist? To be a good friend? How does one start over when everything is lost?
4. What are you working on now? (If you can share!)
I’m working on a piece of experimental feminist fiction. I really admire authors like Jacqueline Woodson who are challenging the very definition and constructs of a novel. I’m having a lot of fun writing this non-linear and strange and fun manuscript!
Thanks so much to Aditi for answering all of my questions! Don’t forget to check out the book and enter the giveaway below.
Giveaway
Check out the rest of the tour!
July 10 – The Fandom – Meet the Characters
July 11 – The YA Book Traveler – Indian Mythology in The Library of Fates: Guest Post by Indian Blogger, Aditi Nichani
July 12 – YA Wednesdays – Library of Fates Aesthetics
July 13 – YA Book Central – Library of Fates Excerpt
July 14 – Read Sleep Repeat – Author Q&A
July 17 – Bibliophile Gathering – Review
July 18 – Boricuan Bookworms – Author Guest Post
July 19 – Once Upon a Twilight – Review
July 20 – The Reading Nook Reviews – Review & Library of Fates Pendants
July 21 – A Page With A View – Author Q&A
July 24 – Fiction Fare – Author Guest Post
July 25 – Alexa Loves Books – Bookish Style File
July 26 – Chasing Faerytales – Review
July 27 – IceyBooks – Library of Fates Quote Candy
July 28 – Across the Words – Review & Fan Cast
Thanks for the interview. I enjoyed reading the author’s answers, especially the one about that each book represents a new challenge, a chance to learn more about yourself and your world.
I NEED to read this book. It sounds totally fantastic. You had me at feminist and had me even more with dictator. Plus I heard it’s loosely based on Alexander the Great’s invasion of India. This book is so up my alley it could be called Cassi Alley.
Great interview! This sounds like an interesting book. I love the 5 words she used to describe the book!