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    Rebel Queen: A Novel
    Rebel Queen: A Novel
    Rebel Queen: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Rebel Queen: A Novel

    Written by Michelle Moran

    Narrated by Sneha Mathan

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    From the internationally bestselling author of Nefertiti and Cleopatra’s Daughter comes the breathtaking story of Queen Lakshmi—India’s Joan of Arc—who against all odds defied the mighty British invasion to defend her beloved kingdom.

    When the British Empire sets its sights on India in the mid-nineteenth century, it expects a quick and easy conquest. India is fractured and divided into kingdoms, each independent and wary of one another, seemingly no match for the might of the English. But when they arrive in the Kingdom of Jhansi, the British army is met with a surprising challenge.

    Instead of surrendering, Queen Lakshmi raises two armies—one male and one female—and rides into battle, determined to protect her country and her people. Although her soldiers may not appear at first to be formidable against superior British weaponry and training, Lakshmi refuses to back down from the empire determined to take away the land she loves.

    Told from the unexpected perspective of Sita—Queen Lakshmi’s most favored companion and most trusted soldier in the all-female army—Rebel Queen shines a light on a time and place rarely explored in historical fiction. In the tradition of her bestselling novel, Nefertiti, and through her strong, independent heroines fighting to make their way in a male dominated world, Michelle Moran brings nineteenth-century India to rich, vibrant life.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateMar 3, 2015
    ISBN9781442382688
    Author

    Michelle Moran

    Michelle Moran is the internationally bestselling author of seven historical novels, including Rebel Queen, which was inspired by her travels throughout India. Her books have have been translated into more than twenty languages. A frequent traveler, Michelle currently resides with her husband and two children in the US. Visit her online at MichelleMoran.com.

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    Reviews for Rebel Queen

    4/5

    144 ratings18 reviews

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    • 4/5
      First, yay! New Moran book! Loved it!

      Honestly that blurb, I kept waiting for her to be this Warrior Queen with her big armies, but nope. Not a good blurb for telling me things that did not happen. But again then I was surprised instead when things happened. So yes the blurb is there but do not mind it.

      Sita grows up in a little village. Her family belongs to the warrior caste and her life is spent at the house as that is what women should do. I loved the small (and horrid) details.. Like how female babies are killed cos they are female, and then they tell people the wolves got them. Women are worthless. Silly men, what happens if you kill all women? Like when her grandmother took her to a temple to sell her 0_0 A kid! But that was religious prostitution. Sita was lucky though, she had a warrior for a dad who trained her so that would not be her fate.

      The rani in the kingdom of Jhansi where Sita lives has female body guards, (10?) so that is what Sita trained for, and obviously she won her place, duh. So no female army. Just female bodyguards who were fierce indeed.

      The palace was interesting. Clashes with fellow warriors. Intrigues. Friendships. And the danger of the British. Yes those British, this book certainly did not make me like them. Ok so both sides will do horrible thing when the fighting starts. But, the Jhansi kingdom, and the either Indian kingdoms were "good" kingdoms. The British just wanted more land and stuff and to take over. The "rebels" only fought to save their countries.

      So yes a war will come, but it's over quickly and in the last 100 pages. It was sad too cos it changed history and kingdoms fell apart. I would have loved to see "India" as it was then. Temples at their best, palaces and everything. But then it was bad too, like things I have mentioned. So live there would have sucked.

      But all in all it makes an interesting book. I have not talked a lot about actual things that happen. Because I was so fascinated by the history and culture. Those small and little things that just makes a book so good. A well researched and interesting book. I do wonder where she will take us next? Somewhere interesting for sure. I could write on and on.

      And I must say, it killed me not to google Rani Lakhsmi to see how it would end for her and her husband's kingdom. But I managed to hold myself and read about it here ;)

      Conclusion:
      Another great book from Moran. I do recommend all of them.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant book, another win for Michelle Moran! I highly recommend Rebel Queen. I am already looking forward to her next book.
    • 5/5
      Queen Lakshmi of Jhansi is a hero in India but little is known of her in most of the rest of the world. In Rebel Queen, her story of resistance to the English takeover of her kingdom is told from the viewpoint of Sita, a member of Lakshmi’s elite female guards, the Dhurga Dal. We begin with an introduction to Sita as a young girl. She, like other women in her caste, live in purdah and cannot be seen by any man outside her own family. Her family doesn't have any money for her dowry so she and her father decide to have her train her to become a Durgavasi. There is a competition to get into the Durga Dal when one of the Durgavasi retires. It is years before there is an opening but Sita eventually wins a chance to compete. In 1857 the British Empire decides to annex Jhansi and doesn't expect any challenge to its powerful army. Because India is divided into independent kingdoms, each with their own individuals armies, the British are surprised to get to Jhansi and discover that Queen Lakshmi is riding at the head of her army, determined to protect her people. I felt immersed in the place, the time and the Indian culture. This was a story of family, love, and betrayal, and Sita was the perfect narrator. Some of the atrocities committed by both sides will disturb you, but the novel provides a context that histories sometimes lack. This was an amazing story, and a piece of history I was completely unaware of. I have to say I am not disappointed in this novel at all, and look forward to Michelle Moran's new novel, Mata Hari's Last Dance.
    • 3/5
      Interesting book, in a setting not often found in English literature.
    • 4/5
      An extraordinarily compelling dip into British Colonial history -- extraordinary in that it's not from the British viewpoint, and compelling due to excellent writing. There are more than a few horrifying things that happen in this account of the Queen of Jhansi, ruler of a small kingdom in present day India during East India Company annexation. But it's a also a portrait of extraordinary people: Rani, Raja and the women who guard the Queen, the ordinary peasants, too -- life in India in the 1850s in a small village. Widows, widowers, a deaf father and life for young women in purdah.

      There are many things about the ordinary home life of Sita (the heroine and guard) growing up that I find degrading and appalling -- the matter of fact attitudes towards Purdah and Sati. The denigration of widows and women in general. But the things I really appreciate about this book is that it made me appreciate the greater ancient culture as well, and painted the astonishing possibilities for the few women who did rise out of traditional strictures. All of that before we even get to the horrifying behavior of the British, who were so clearly in the wrong, so clearly greedy and exploitative.

      Heartbreaking, stirring, tragic and most of all a vibrant portrait. Not exactly what I thought I was going to read, but beautifully done.
    • 3/5
      Mostly, this made me want to learn more about Rani Lakshmibai. It was a quick and engrossing read, but I think I would prefer a non-fiction account of India's history during the time this book took place. It definitely reminded me that my world history knowledge is woefully lacking, since what I know of the British East India Company is mostly from pirate movies and regency romances, hardly an accurate depiction. And what I know of Indian history is even more inadequate. I'm curious to see what the rest of the book club thought!
    • 3/5
      It was a delight to read about a culture and history which were little known or understood by me. With her usual attention to detail, Moran writes a credible fictionalization of Queen Lakshmi, who stood her ground against what became the insurmountable and implacable British domination of 19th century India.Definitely a good escapist read.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting story from the history of India during the beginning of the British Empire's stranglehold on that country. Told from point of view of a teen girl/woman who qualified to be one of the Rani's bodyguards. This was back when India was composed of numerous small kingdoms.Would be a good book for Young Adults, as well as interesting to adults.Heard as audiobook.
    • 4/5
      It’s India in the 19th century. Sita is only a child when her mother dies in childbirth. While her grandmother wants to sell her to a brothel, her father won’t allow it. Instead, he and a neighbour train her on everything she might need to know to become a “Durgavasi”, one of the ten elite women who protect India’s queen. Sita’s younger sister’s hopes of a dowry rest on Sita getting this position. India is in a bit of turmoil at this time, as England has occupied India, and is, for the moment, allowing India’s royalty to lead India, but things take a turn for the worse. This was really good. I didn’t know about this bit of history, nor about India’s queen. I found Sati to be very interesting and enjoyed following her story. I also, as always, appreciated Moran’s historical note at the end explaining which events of the book really happened.
    • 4/5
      The story of Sita how was a female guard for queen Lakshmi of India during the beginning of Britsh occupation .
    • 3/5
      I like this author's other books, and this one started out promisingly. Written about a fairly obscure time in history and about little-known characters, I thought it would be interesting, and it was at first, but it got boring and deteriorated. It's been a while since I read the book, and frankly I can't even remember who it was about, so obviously it didn't make much of an impression on me.
    • 4/5
      The style and the viewpoint of the book is great, but one of the things that I really disliked looking at it later is the amount of time and events that have been compressed in this book. Like some of the other reviewers, right about the time the the war actually beings is where the pacing really feels off.

      Moran writes in the back (like many historical fiction writers) more about the actual events and the person and you can tell how much she compressed things.

    • 3/5
      This is not a bad book. However, the difference between the book's description and content is so vast that I was very disappointed. This is not a book about Rani Lakshmi and the uprising she led to reclaim her kingdom from the British. Its a book set in this time and place, but Rani Lakshmi seems very peripheral throughout the story. The focus is almost entirely on the narrator, her family, the man she falls in love with, her friends and enemies amongst the Durga Dal, and how the events going on effect them. All of this makes for an interesting tale, but not the one I was lead to believe I was getting.
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars. A good strong story with strong female characters about one Indian queen's stand against the British. I do wish, however, that we could have heard more about Anu's story, not only because hers is one of the saddest but also to provide a greater contrast between the everyday rural Indian women living in purdah versus the privileged royal women living in Jhansi.
    • 4/5
      An engaging fictionalization of 19th-century India, complete with a cross-dressing raja, female warrior, and a queen who takes a brave stand against British imperialism. A great read and left me wanting to know more about Rani Lakshmi and the British takeover of India.
    • 5/5
      Sita works very hard to become one of Queen Lakshmi's elite female guards. Once she passes the strict testing process, she finds herself living in the palace. A far cry from her village life. She quickly realizes that not all of the guards are on her side, as she maneuvers through the politics of the palace. When the British Empire decides to take over Jhansi, Sita is sent to England to speak with the Queen. Ultimately, her efforts are futile and she returns to India. When Queen Lakshmi is forced to war, she takes a few of her elite guard and raise an army.This was a well written and engaging book. The characters and setting were fascinating. I look forward to reading more books from this author. Overall, highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Loved reading about history from the Indian viewpoint and the Bristish East India Company.
    • 5/5
      Wow Michelle Moran does it again. Such an amazing story about a time and place I really knew nothing about and am now completely mesmerized with. I want to read anything else I can find about this time period, even though they probably won’t compare to how this is written.These were absolutely amazing women and as always with Moran's books it made do more research the first thing I searched was images of the clothing how gorgeous they must have been. The way they dressed was amazing and seeing the pictures even made it more real. The freedom these women had in Jhansi was extraordinary especially compared to the village women who could never leave the house, which is how Sita grew up plus she had an overbearing grandmother to add to the stresses of daily life. Having a girl child in India in the 1800’s was not a happy occasion if it was not a son then it just didn’t matter, girls were sometimes killed, given away to who knows where and kind of horrible circumstance they would end up in. (prostitution, slavery, nunnery etc.) But Sita was lucky her father loved her even after her mother dies her father never thinks of getting rid of her in one of these horrible ways, though his mother has other ideas (she is an awful person!), so to keep his mother from doing anything bad to Sita he decides she should become a Durga Dal for Queen Lakshmi or the Rani as she is called. The Durga’s are women soldiers and guards of the Rani who dress in beautiful silks but fight better than most men. This is such a fascinating chunk of history that I knew nothing about and if you love books with strong female characters look no further than this one.Every character in this book is drawn to perfection, there are no one dimensional characters to be found, everyone has a distinct personality and background. There are some great characters in this book even the ones you don’t like; you will find you are still fascinated by their actions. Sita is the person telling the story of what happened during those fateful times when the British decided to just take over India and India and their culture and traditions be damned they just wanted it. The end of the book is heartbreaking, well, so are a few parts in the middle! I of course had to love that Sita loved to read and because in her Village women didn’t leave the house very rarely going outside this is called purdah, but Sita lived many lives through books she read as she says, “Even prisoners can escape if they have books.”I was completely and thoroughly enthralled with this story, I learned so much and felt completely immersed in the sights, sounds and clothing of this time. Michelle Moran always writes so beautifully that you feel like you are there with the characters and this book is no exception. This book doesn’t even come out until March 3, 2015 but I want another Moran book already!5 StarsI received this from edelweiss and the publisher for a fair and honest review.