The Lady or the Lion (1) (The Marghazar Trials)

Review
“Unreservedly recommended for middle school, high school, and community library YA Fiction collections . . .” ―Midwest Book Review - -
“He sunk his teeth into her heart and she let him.”
As crown princess of Marghazar, Durkhanai Miangul will do anything to protect her people and her land. When her grandfather, the Badshah, is blamed for a deadly assault on the summit of neighboring leaders, the tribes call for his head. To assuage cries for war, the Badshah opens Marghazar's gates to foreigners for the first time in centuries, in a sign of good faith. His family has three months to prove their innocence, or they will all have war.
As Durkhanai races to solve who really orchestrated the attack, ambassadors from the neighboring tribal districts arrive at court, each with their own intentions for negotiations, each with their own plans for advantage. When a mysterious illness spreads through the villages and the imperialists push hard on her borders, Durkhanai must dig deep to become more than just a beloved princess―she must become a queen.
To distract Durkhanai from it all is Asfandyar Afridi, the wry ambassador who tells her outright he is a spy, yet acts as though he is her friend―or maybe even something more.
From School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up—With Marghazar opening its borders, crown princess Durkhanai is determined to put aside her sheltered life and demonstrate her resourcefulness as next in line for the throne, including finding proof her grandfather, the Badshah, is innocent of a summit attack on neighboring zillas. Despite her ongoing investigation, Durkhanai can't seem to stay away from the mysterious ambassador, Asfandyar, who openly admits he's a spy. As more disasters pile up, Durkhanai must sift through the political warfare in the palace to keep those she cares about alive. Set in the 19th century in a Pakistan-inspired world, this retelling of Frank R. Stockton's 1882 short story "The Lady, or the Tiger?" blossoms with political conspiracies and forbidden romance. Debut author Qureshi nails spinning new life into an old tale with a meticulous world grounded in vivid scenery and beautifully enhance with Urdu, Punjabi, and Islamic words. Durkhanai naturally progresses from sheltered, "pretty princess" to discovering her intellect and power. Her romantic relationship with Asfandyar naturally grows over the course of months yet has readers perfectly questioning what his true intentions are. While small conflicts in the story can be sleuthed out, the overall climax has a gratifying twist, revealing larger truths about whether a villain for some can be a hero for others. Durkhanai is described as having soft brown skin, while Asfandyar is biracial, the son of a Black woman, with ebony curls. VERDICT A clever twist on a classic tale, this is one to purchase for library shelves as readers will be eager to know what happens next.—Emily Walker, Lisle Lib. Dist., IL