In the author’s note at the end of Queen of Earth, author Devika Rangachari talks of Queen Prithvimahadevi’s story having been ignored by gendered historiography. That gave me pause. I’ve barely thought about that. I’ve barely thought about all the women who, most certainly, made significant changes to the course of history, but have been ignored by a patriarchal telling of the course of events.
And that’s why historical fiction of this kind is important. It brings alive untold stories that inspire wonder.
Just like Queen of Ice, which I read three years ago, Queen of Earth is the story of a powerful queen. Daughter of a powerful Somavamshi king, Prithvimahadevi (later Tribhuvanadevi II) rises above being the “daughter of” a king and becomes a queen herself, one with a keen understanding of what it takes to be accepted by the people she is to rule, the Bhaumakaras. Though her father killed the king of the Bhaumakaras, she needs to be seen not as the enemy but as the leader, responsible for the welfare of her people. And this is something she does with immense tact and foresight.
I loved the complexity of the characters and the ways in which fierce loyalty, love and guilt cause the protagonist Prithvimahadevi to take decisions. We see ninth century Odisha through her eyes. We see her ambition, her love for her father and all her conflicting emotions when she must deal with her father’s high-handed decisions, her husband’s indifference and her own growing love and respect for the Bhaumakara way of life. From being hemmed in by convention, she enjoys a kind of freedom at the Bhaumakara court, which respects women and has even seen a queen in its history.
And yet, what I loved most of all was how her story ended. I don’t want to give anything away, but I love the power of the conclusion, which brings with it a sense of rightness, however mixed our feelings as readers may be.
| Title | Queen of Earth |
| Author | Devika Rangachari |
| Tags | Historical fiction, young adult, feminist |
| Age-group | 13+ |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4 |
It sounds like such a good book. I love reading about inspiring women, and now I can’t wait till I’m 13!:)
It is a lovely book! If you like non-fiction about inspiring women, you could take a look at Shruthi Rao’s 10 Indian Women Who Were the First to Do What They Did.
Even with Queen of Earth, perhaps you could read the sample pages of the ebook and see whether it’s something that you think you’d enjoy!