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The raven, crane, and firebird each chose a tribe of man, granting humans heavenly magic. But power in man''s hand caused endless wars for land. With mankind''s destruction, the birds perished taking with them their magic. Magic is now rare, war common. The discarded daughter of an emperor, Khamilla Zahr-zad is raised with her mother''s nomadic tribe until a violent raid ends that peaceful life. Amid the chaos of death, the heavenly magic of nur awakens within her, granting her the power to wield a cosmic light. Khamilla suddenly goes from outsider to weapon, finally accepted into her father''s court. Now worthy, she trains in combat and poisons, pledging loyalty to his throne. But tragedy strikes again and when her clansmen are defeated by a rival empire, Khamilla vows lasting vengeance as she escapes. However Khamilla is not alone - for something shadows her, feeding her darkness. Hiding her identity, Khamilla infiltrates the enemy''s army academy. She studies jinn, magic, and martial arts from cutthroat mystic monks in a bid to bring down an empire from within. However, through her studies Khamilla begins to question her father''s teachings of war and rule. With war escalating across kingdoms and a twisted magic spreading, Khamilla is torn between two impossible choices: revenge or freedom.
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Dawn of the Firebird has a propulsive, relentless feel that serves up twists until the very last page. If you enjoy morally grey characters and complex political worldbuilding, you can't miss Sarah Mughal Rana's fantasy debut. I couldn't put it down! Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi
