A centuries-long peace is shattered in a matriarchal society when a decade passes without a single girl being born in this sweeping epic fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and Circe.
Five hundred years of peace between queendoms shatters when girls inexplicably stop being born. As the Drought of Girls stretches across a generation, it sets off a cascade of political and personal consequences across all five queendoms of the known world, throwing long-standing alliances into disarray as each queendom begins to turn on each other—and new threats to each nation rise from within.
Uniting the stories of women from across the queendoms, this propulsive, gripping epic fantasy follows a warrior queen who must rise from childbirth bed to fight for her life and her throne, a healer in hiding desperate to protect the secret of her daughter’s explosive power, a queen whose desperation to retain control leads her to risk using the darkest magic, a near-immortal sorcerer demigod powerful enough to remake the world for her own ends—and the generation of lastborn girls, the ones born just before the Drought, who must bear the hopes and traditions of their nations if the queendoms are to survive.
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"An intoxicating, sophisticated and stunning fantasy: a breathtaking fusion of court politics, deadly & unique magic, family rivalry, intrigue, swords and sorcery set in a fierce matriarchal world - where women rule!
Often, I like to swiftly make my way through books and enjoying doing so. However, Scorpica was different. Scorpica demanded my attention - forced me to read slowly, to pause and reflect and to take in every richly woven detail; appreciate its intricate world-building and immersive plot.
Scorpica is a raw feminist story told from multiple characters, locations and times all seamlessly fused together to create something truly breathtaking. I loved how the writer did not shy away from the graphic brutally of traditional Grimdark tales but instead morphed it into something refreshing new and equally powerful - a phenomenal world where women dominated as Queens, as Warriors, as Mothers!
As well as being brutal and violent at times, the story captures a beautiful tenderness, a mothers love and sacrifice, women finding sexual satisfaction without being branded whores; rewarded for being cunning and fierce.
There’s a cast of diverse characters - including sapphic and pansexual representation. And a world where polyandry and casual relationships are normalised, where dynamic
characters draw you in - making the experience truly immersive."
—
Halima Rahman (5 out of 5 stars)