Book Review – In the Shadow of the Palace
Book One of The Princess of Pushkar Series by Judith A Simpson
Mar 27, 2009
With a combination of arrogant royalty, political intrigue and acts of daring and bravery, In the Shadow of the Palace (Black Dog Books, 2009) offers an action-packed introduction to The Princess of Pushkar series by Australian author Judith A Simpson.
Rani, The Princess of Pushkar
In the opening chapter, 13-year-old Princess Rani and her younger and older sisters Jasmine and Jaya are preparing for their swayamvara, a traditional Indian ceremony where they will choose their future husbands. By the end of chapter two, the three sisters have been captured by a hostile queen and their swayamvara thrown into disarray as their father the King is attacked.
Simpson maintains this high-paced, character driven action throughout In the Shadow of the Palace, following Jasmine, Rani and Jaya to the court of Queen Kriti, who plans to force all three sisters to marry her sickly son.
While young Jasmine sobs with fear and older sister Jaya maintains an impassive facade, head-strong Rani defies the arrogant queen and finds herself sent to work as a servant in the palace kitchen.
As the story progresses, Simpson introduces an interesting ensemble of characters that will obviously be part of the ongoing story. In addition to the three princesses, these include Rani’s twin brother Ranjit, fellow slaves Amba and her brother Pradeep, captain of Queen Kriti’s guard Sanjay and Prince Dhruva, Jaya’s intended husband.
India in the mid-13th Century
Set more than 700 years in the past, In the Shadow of the Palace offers not only entertainment, but also a glimpse of 13th century Indian life. Slavery, customs, class distinctions, and religious rituals are all interwoven with the fast-moving plot.
Through Rani’s sense of superiority, Simpson explores the difference social rankings in Indian society. While Rani is at times thoughtless and arrogant, she needs to find allies to help her escape and to do this she must overcome her tendency to disregard the significance and value of those of a lower caste.
A glossary of Indian terms used throughout the novel is included.
Judith A Simpson
In the Shadow of the Palace author Judith Simpson lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and three daughters. Her long-time fascination with India was inspired by reading a book about the life of the Buddha as a teen and has been deepened by frequent trips to India.
An Exciting Historical Adventure Book for Girls
The blend of action and intrigue with Indian history and customs offers late primary and early high school readers, particularly girls, a fascinating story. Rani, with all her flaws and strengths, is a likeable heroine and the cast of secondary characters offers Simpson a range of backgrounds and personalities to work with in later books.
With a cliff-hanger ending, readers are certain to be anxiously awaiting the next instalment in The Princess of Pushkar series.
The Princess of Pushkar #1: In the Shadow of the Palace (ISBN: 978-1-74203-052-4, 179 pages)
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