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 … [Read more...]