Hello writing and reading communities! It’s time for the next installment of Indie Recommends Indie and today I have author Bharat Krishnan with me.
Bharat, thank you for joining me for this series! Since this is your first time on Armed with A Book, please tell me and my readers a bit about yourself. 🙂
Thanks so much for having me! I’ve been an indie author for 5 years now, and actually my debut was a political memoir based on my ten years traveling the country as a political campaign manager. I think writing nonfiction first, and especially nonfiction with me as the main character, really shaped how I approach storytelling. Everything I write is approached through a political lens.
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
I probably split 50/50. One thing they don’t tell you about becoming an author is that suddenly all your new writer friends want you to beta their stuff, so I spend a good bit of time doing that these days.
Bharat’s Indie Recommendations
One Nation Under Gods by Reeshi RayÂ
SFF Political Thriller
Published 2018
Book 1 of a Series
The war raged for five years.
When the smoke cleared the United States was a memory, conquered by a race unlike the world had ever seen.
They are the Specials—a godlike race gifted with powers so cataclysmic that the human survivors of the war had no choice but to surrender to their invincible overlords.
But Houston Holt doesn’t surrender.
A war veteran turned underworld fixer, Houston spends his nights evading the regime’s secret police, building his criminal empire brick by brick in his relentless quest to escape the human slums.
But one night, Houston steals a truck from the wrong people and sets off a chain reaction of mayhem that engulfs the empire. Because the truck contains a shocking secret—a secret of such fabled power that the Specials will unleash their most savage killers to hunt it down.
Enter a world of immortals, assassins, and rogues in One Nation Under Gods—an epic adventure that combines the best of science fiction, superhero lore, and fantasy into a non-stop thrill ride.
Why this book is loved:
One Nation Under Gods is a pure delight from start to finish. Ray is able to paint a picture that captures all the worst elements of humanity – namely its bigotry and pettiness. This world’s scope is so vast that you can’t imagine how all the threads are interwoven, but they are and the payoff is satisfying. The length of most fantasy novels hold them back from true greatness, but in this case it is well warranted. I found myself comparing the book at different times to The Grace of Kings in terms of its epicness. The world is fully fleshed out, and I found myself thinking the various characters’ motivations were believable. The political plots are gripping, and the pacing is taut.Â
Like my latest book, this one is an SFF political thriller. One Nation Under Gods came out before Amazon’s The Boys. If you liked The Boys, you’ll love this. Ray has re-defined this genre with a mix of political intrigue and a twist on superheroes. The sequel comes out later this year. I’ve been lucky enough to beta it and it’s going to knock your socks off.
By the Light of Embers by Shaylin Gandhi
Historical Fantasy/Romance
Published 2019
Standalone
It’s 1954, and twenty-two-year-old Lucia Lafleur has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. While sock hops and poodle skirts occupy her classmates, she dreams of bacteria and broken bones—and the day she’ll finally fix them.
​
After graduation, a letter arrives, and Lucia reads the words she’s labored a lifetime to earn—”we are pleased to offer you a position at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.” But in the midst of her triumph, her fiancĂ© delivers a crushing ultimatum: forego medical school, or forego marriage.
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With fractured hopes, she returns home to Louisiana, expecting nothing of the summer of ’54 but sweet tea and gumbo while she agonizes over her impending choice. There, she unexpectedly befriends Nicholas, a dark-skinned poet whose dignity and intellect are a salve to her aching heart. Their bond, initially forged from a shared love of literature, soon blossoms into something as bewitching as it is forbidden.
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Yet her predicament deepens when a trivial misunderstanding between a local white woman and a black man results in a brutal lynching, and the peril of love across the color lines becomes chillingly real. Now, fulfilling her lifelong dream means relinquishing her heart—and escaping Louisiana alive.
Why Bharat recommends this book:
Perhaps what attracted me to this book originally is that it’s set in Louisiana and I happened to be doing my grad work in Louisiana while I read it. The descriptions are spot on. I also thought it was emotionally honest, which is the number one qualifier for me while reading a book. I don’t care what genre the book is, if I can’t identify that something happened in the author’s life to compel them to write this I’ll DNF. Like the MC, the author is in an inter-racial relationship and that was apparent quickly through the emotional details given. I read across many genres, but this is the first time a love story really gripped me and refused to let go.
By the Light of Embers has hauntingly beautiful prose, fully-realized characters, gorgeous scenery you can picture easily, and themes that were as relevant in the 1950s where the story takes place as they sadly are still today.
The Crimson Queen by Alec Hutson
Sword & Sorcery
Published 2016
First in series: The Raveling
Long ago the world fell into twilight, when the great empires of old consumed each other in sorcerous cataclysms. In the south the Star Towers fell, swallowed by the sea, while the black glaciers descended upon the northern holdfasts, entombing the cities of Min-Ceruth in ice and sorcery. Then from the ancient empire of Menekar the paladins of Ama came, putting every surviving sorcerer to the sword and cleansing their taint from the land for the radiant glory of their lord.
The pulse of magic slowed, fading like the heartbeat of a dying man.
But after a thousand years it has begun to quicken again.
In a small fishing village a boy with strange powers comes of age…
A young queen rises in the west, fanning the long-smoldering embers of magic into a blaze once more…
Something of great importance is stolen – or freed – from the mysterious Empire of Swords and Flowers…
And the immortals who survived the ancient cataclysms bestir themselves, casting about for why the world is suddenly changing…
Why Bharat recommends this book:
Boy is the chosen one, comes from a distant land to train. Pretty boilerplate, no? No! There is so much political intrigue and an ensemble cast that the book grabs your attention from chapter one and never lets go. This is the first book I read that convinced me to become an indie author. And now I’m in a competition with Alec (SPFBO)! I can’t believe it!
The Crimson Queen has such deep character analysis and such compelling prose that I just couldn’t believe it was indie published. But one day soon, I think Alec’s book is going to be the norm and not the exception.
Remember the Dawn by A. M. MacDonald
Epic Fantasy
Published 2018
First in series, STARSINGERS
Starlight. Steel. Ahryn and Ezai must unite.
Ten years ago, the Starsingers–tyrannical magicians who draw their power from the stars–suffered a brutal defeat at the hands of an ancient order of magic-resistant peacekeepers.
Their rebellion quelled, their magic controlled, the five families of starlight magicians have been forced to live in a fragile truce with the starless commoners…until now.
When an assassin begins killing Starsingers, the defiant peacekeepers are blamed, for who else could slay a magician?
EZAI is a storied peacekeeper. He has been tasked with finding the true killer, and he must do so before the balance of power is disrupted. But the Starsingers plot against him.
AHRYN is the eldest child of an Astral House, and she alone survives the murder of her family. She seeks justice, but the other families wish to use her fury, and her family’s legacy.
As another war approaches, Ezai and Ahryn form an unlikely alliance. Together, they must unlock a secret of the past and find the assassin before it’s too late, for a greater evil looms.
Why Bharat recommends this book:
I was in a real reading slump when I picked this book up the first week of January 2018. Well, the slump was broken after I finished it. It was so good that I ended up reading about 40 books that year, fueled by the good energy of Remember the Dawn.
What an extraordinary epic. Here you will find a well-thought out religion, magicians, and even a cool assassin to secretly root for. I’m not a big fan of epic fantasy, but Remember the Dawn pulled me in from the first pages. Like many of the other books in my list, this one had an ensemble cast and so many different plotlines. I really didn’t care for one of them, but about 60% in you realize its essential to the main plot and it’s integrated in such a cool way.
Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
Epic Fantasy
Published 2017
First book in series
The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost two hundred years. Their society has been built around war and only war. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.
Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He’s going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn’t get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He’ll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.
Goodreads
Originally published as indie and later picked up by Orbit.
Why Bharat recommends this book:
Imagine Gladiator set in a fantasy African setting with dragons. If that isn’t the coolest thing you’ve ever heard of, this book may not be for you. It’s also got a really solid romance plot and some Count of Monte Cristo vibes (read: slow-burn revenge).
The book reads like a movie. High-flying action, romance that isn’t over the top, and magic. Tau Solarin (the MC) trains so hard to avenge his father, but ultimately realizes he can’t do it alone. He needs Zuri, the enchantress who can wield magic so strong it enables him to become the greatest warrior the world’s ever known. I felt like I was training as I read about Tau’s sword fights, and by the time Tau and Zuri consummate their love it’s written so beautifully. I also loved how complete this story was inandofitself, but also how it set up book two.
After all these fabulous recommendations, here is Bharat’s book that he wanted to highlight.
Bharat’s Book Spotlight
Privilege by Bharat Krishnan
Political Fantasy
Published in 2021
In this epic saga about privilege and power, Rakshan Baliga will have to choose between the American Dream… and his own.
New York’s drug problem is Rakshan’s solution. Getting his hands on a super drug called WP could earn him glory, power, and a chance to win back his ex. But stealing it from the Top 1% is costly, and if Rakshan isn’t careful he’ll pay with his life.
Discover how Rakshan’s journey sets off a chain of events that changes his city, his country… and the world. This OwnVoices political thriller is perfect for fans of Ocean’s 11 and House of Cards.
In this trilogy, you will find an examination of the Indian-American diaspora, toxic masculinity, racism as magic, misogyny, LGBT rep, and, most importantly, an answer to the question: what does it take for an immigrant to succeed in America?
Researched through ten years of life as a Democratic political strategist and a lifetime as the one Brown kid in a room of white people, I poured my soul into this trilogy and hope you enjoy it, or at least try to understand it.
Bharat on his book
You can buy the book at any link below, or request it from your local library! You can find it on Amazon, B&N and Smashwords.
Have you read any of these books? Tell us in the comments!
Thank you so much for hanging out with Bharat and me today as part of the ninth Indie Recommends Indie Series. I hope you are enjoying the series so far and are looking forward to future posts – I just bought 3 books based on various recommendations.
If you are an indie or small press author who is an avid reader and wants to be featured, sign up using the form on the Indie Recommends Indie home page. Looking forward to connecting with you.
Banner Photo of library by Alfons Morales on Unsplash
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