The Hundredth Queen

Gr 8 Up—An orphan girl becomes a fearless warrior and gains the courage to take down an empire. Kalinda, 18, has longed to find out where she came from and how she was brought to an orphan ward known as the Sisterhood. One day, the powerful Rajah Tarek comes to take her to be his 100th queen. Kalinda leaves her friend Jaya behind and journeys into a world where she is treated like a queen and threatened by the Rajah's 99 wives and courtesans. In order to become the next queen, Kalinda must fight to the death in a tournament against the other women who are competing for the crown. Along with her guard, Captain Deven Naik, she begins to uncover the many secrets and lies that she has been told throughout her life. It isn't until Kalinda loses someone close to her that she realizes how much power the Rajah has over the empire and what she will need to do to stop him from harming others. Filled with many action-packed sequences, forbidden romance, and unexpected surprises, this debut fantasy will appeal to teens who enjoy epic dramas with strong female characters.