female ruler

Success in the Press: Blood Throne of Caria by Roy Casagranda

"A gripping, fast-paced adventure." -Kirkus Reviews

"A gripping, fast-paced adventure." -Kirkus Reviews ✹

From the Author: In the early fifth century BC, Artemisia is trained in medicine, the sword, and statecraft--and no one cares. Her marriage will cement an alliance for her father and make a prince heir to his throne. However, this Amazonian spitfire will not be reduced to a traded commodity.

When the Persian Emperor demands a hostage, Artemisia's father sends his thirteen-year-old daughter in her brother's place. Refusing to succumb to loneliness, Artemisia charms the Imperial Court and converts her exile into her own private tutelage.

Three years later, she returns to Caria as the heir to her father's throne. Princes fight to marry her. Artemisia delays the wedding, only to discover that her suitors are willing to kill for her hand. Brutally forced into wedlock, she outmaneuvers the kings of Caria in the palace and on the field of battle, cleaving the ramparts of patriarchy to become one of history's fiercest heroines.

“A gripping, fast-paced adventure that delivers passionate writing”
— Kirkus Reviews

Our Take: A fierce and cinematic reimagining of a real-life ruler, Blood Throne of Caria brings ancient history to life through the eyes of a girl who refuses to be ruled. Roy Casagranda charts Artemisia’s transformation from political pawn to sovereign force with vivid detail and steady pacing. This one’s for fans of historical fiction with teeth—especially readers drawn to untold stories of bold women who shaped the world against all odds.

From a Reader: "A true historical thriller - The Blood Throne of Caria is a brilliantly researched, riveting read about Artemisia, whose struggle to direct her own destiny in a brutally patriarchal world is as relevant today as it was more than two thousand years ago."

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