Their world is so fleeting… and yet they care so deeply about everything.— The River Goddess
Living beings should not be wasted so recklessly.
When Naga, a goddess who leaves the realm of the gods to live among mortals, falls in love with a mortal prince, the other gods grow jealous, and she’s faced with a devastating choice.
Remember what flows in your blood.
When Sahira Raazaan discovers powers tied to a mysterious stranger—and the river itself—she must choose between the life she was raised for and the truth in her blood.
A wager among the gods sends Naga, the goddess of water, to live a thousand years among mortals. There she falls in love with Rajan, a prince of Jaraan. The other gods grow jealous, and Naga has a terrible choice to make.
It is set generations before The River's Daughter. You can read it first, second, or on its own.
Sahira Raazaan is nineteen and lives in Jaraan, a river town ruled by the Covenant of Stillness. Her mother disappeared ten years ago. Her marriage to Tavin Daraio has been arranged.
Then she meets Syfir, a musician from the river-worshipping Mehr'an people, and finds she can do things with the river that the Covenant forbids. She has to decide whether to marry as planned or find out what happened to her mother. A retelling of the Punjabi legend of Mirza Sahiba.
4.3★ on Goodreads
Heart-wrenching, beautifully haunting, and empowering… couldn’t put this down!
A whimsical, spellbinding tale that honors its cultural roots while offering universal themes of love, fate, and identity.
…vivid storytelling and well-developed characters… I devoured all 486 pages in just three days.
4.4★ on Amazon · 4.1★ on Goodreads
Punita Rice’s writing is lush and lyrical, effortlessly immersing the reader and making every scene feel vivid and alive.
Insanely captivating and so thoughtfully written… reading it felt like poetry.
This was beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved it.
Music that inspired the tone, atmosphere, and emotional arc of the novel, and the novella, organized by chapter.
Watch or listen to the love story of Sahira & Syfir read aloud by the author.
Watch →Sign up for a behind-the-scenes look at Jaraan, including a map of Jaraan and a secret scene from Syfir’s perspective.
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Hello, my Zarouni girl.
