[Review] The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana
Publisher: Razorbill (Aug 15, 2017)

Blurb:
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 palace is soon under siege, 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. 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?

Rating: 5/5

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When I found out that Aditi Khorana’s next book is based on Indian mythology, I knew I had to read it and I was thrilled to read it for #TheReadingQuest!

Those who have read it claimed that it’s similar to Roshani Chokshi’s The Star-Touched Queen—a book I loved immensely—and I knew I would enjoy it the moment I read the opening parable.

The Library of Fates follows the story of Princess Amrita, who is dearly loved by her father and her people, especially her best friend, Arjun. After the death of her father by the hand of her father’s long friend turned enemy, Sikander, she flees her kingdom to escape his evil crutches.

From start to finish, I was completely enraptured by the story of Amrita who finds her balance in life despite being shaken by the horrid things that happened to her and learn the truth about herself.

Aditi Khorana who writes beautifully made reading The Library of Fates a joy. One of the reasons why I loved The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi so much—aside from it being a story which was steeped with Indian mythology—was because of the writing. It was the same for me when it came to The Library of Fates. I loved how Aditi Khorana drew beautiful imageries and metaphors in Amrita's journey of self-discovery.

“Maybe those stories did more harm than good by giving us false hope. All they did was reinforce our faith that the world was once made up almost entirely of magic or miracles. But where was that magic now, when we needed it?”

Plot-wise, The Library of Fates had a really solid plot development because I was glued to the book as I was reading it. I just needed to find out what happens and where Amrita fits in the overall plot. I loved the mix of Indian mythology and Hindu traditions that were included in the book.

“I thought about how many elements it took to create the simplest of things - a pink sky an unusually perfect day, a happy family, a deep friendship, a moment of pure delight. I wondered, too, what it took to undo these things. It seemed to me that undoing something was far easier than creating it.”

As I've mentioned, the writing is stunning and it made the world-building aspect of the book even more impressive because I couldn't stop imagining myself living in the world Aditi Khorana had created.

Coupled with the lush, rich descriptions which Aditi Khorana did wonders in, I was hooked into the beautiful world right from the beginning.

What can you expect from The Library of Fates, you may ask? Well, to sum it up, it's a tale of love, fate and lots of surprising twists. I was already deep in love with the book before I reached the halfway mark and that ending cemented my love and feelings toward The Library of Fates.