April 1, 2024
Leow debuts with the first in an epic fantasy trilogy. Binsa serves as a "living goddess," but rather than channeling the wisdom of a deity, she has a demon. When the priests decide it's time to replace Binsa, she makes a deal with her demon to retain power, but a deal with a demon is never that simple. Prepub Alert.
Copyright 2024 Library Journal
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from July 1, 2024
Binsa is theoretically a living goddess, channeling the wisdom of an immortal deity to dispense justice daily from the Scarlet Throne until she ages out of the role and the deity selects a new girl in her place. Except Rashmatun has never channeled wisdom through Binsa; Binsa is bound instead to a blood demon named Ilam, inherited at her mother's death. Through her spies, Binsa discovers that her chief priests suspect something and are plotting the selection of the next living goddess. Driven largely by fear, as she has no home to return to once released from service, she attempts to derail the selection. But this goes awry, and Binsa finds herself torn between sabotaging and defending her successor, Medha. Medha and her half-sister, Nali, have their own ulterior motives for arriving at the temple: their older sister was one of the deceased candidates during Binsa's selection day, commonly known as the Bloodbath of Shiratukh. Binsa's morality hangs in the balance as she deepens her bond with Ilam in this delightful novel that launches the False Goddess Trilogy. Debut author Leow carefully balances the characters' humanity against their fears to drive this story along unexpected paths.
COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
July 22, 2024
Debut author Leow launches her False Goddess series with a gripping dark fantasy inspired by Southeast Asian folk religion. Binsa, 15, has been the Rakhti, or the vessel of the goddess Rashmatun, and therefore the ruler of Bakhtin, for the past 10 years. No one knows, however, that she does not actually host the goddess but instead harbors the demon Ilam. Because of her extended and unusual tenure as Rashmatun’s vessel, the priest Harun organizes a selection process to remove Binsa from power and install a new Rakhti. When Binsa discovers his ploy, she desperately turns to blood magic to strengthen her bond with Ilam and increase her abilities—at the cost of innocent lives. With the people of Bakhtin losing confidence in her ability and the country suffering from a drought, Binsa must gather enough power to summon rain and dispel their doubts. Binsa makes for a fascinating and deeply morally ambiguous antihero. Readers won’t necessarily root for her, but her secrets and scheming will have them on the edges of their seats. The worldbuilding, meanwhile, feels rich and specific. This tension-filled adventure gets Leow off to a strong start.
December 6, 2024
Leow's high-fantasy debut centers on Binsa, who is a Rakhti, a living goddess who serves as a vessel for the goddess Rashmatun. No one knows, however, that rather than hosting a goddess, Binsa hides the blood demon Ilam within her. Binsa is nearing the end of her reign but is unwilling to give up her power and return to a life of poverty, so she makes a deal with the Ilam to ensure that her successor never takes over. But deals with demons come at an incredibly high price, involving blood and many lost lives. Narrated by Catherine Ho, this epic story has compelling, twisted, and morally gray characters that allow Ho to craft sinister voices for each one. This first installment in the "False Goddess Trilogy" has everything fantasy readers might hope for--magic, messy politics, scheming, family sacrifice, and the lingering question of how much Binsa is willing to risk to maintain her throne. VERDICT Listeners who enjoy immersing themselves in richly described fantastical worlds will devour this. Share with fans of Ann Leckie's The Raven Tower or Erika Johansen's The Queen of the Tearling.--Kaitlyn Tanis
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.