Everyone gets involved with the matchmaking, even forming a betting pool on the success of each date.

And when her grandmother forms a plan to distract Sophie from her broken heart-10 blind dates, each set up by different family members-she’s even less thrilled. When Sophie unexpectedly breaks up with her boyfriend, she isn’t thrilled about spending the holidays at her grandparents’ house instead of with him. Is an exuberant extended family the cure for a breakup? Sophie is about to find out. Skillfully weaves together political intrigue, complex sibling relationships, and magic. Alternating points of view allow every protagonist to shine, and the epilogue told from a fifth perspective offers a tease for the duology’s next installment. Raman’s immersive, enchanting world is rich in Indian cultural influences. Her sister, Riya, who has not revealed her true identity as the rajkumaari to the Ravens, a rebel group she has joined, wishes to prove her loyalty to them. Her half brother, Kaleb, who is accused of murdering his stepmother, the previous maharani, longs to clear his name. Vira’s twin, Ronak, wants to sell it so he can start a new life.

To unlock them and save Ashoka, Vira must retrieve the Ivory Key, but she requires the help of her three estranged siblings, who each have their own reasons for obtaining it. A suspect in the murder of Lord Harish, Vira’s betrothed, shows signs of ties to the Kamala Society, a secret organization that sealed all the magic quarries when Ashokan provinces fought to control the mining trade. But the magic is running out, and Vira, the newly crowned maharani, is desperate. Four royal siblings reunite, seeking the Ivory Key, a legendary object that could unlock an incredible source of magic and rescue their country from impending war.įor centuries, Ashoka has relied on magic to fuel its economy and protect its borders.

The ivory key by akshaya raman