To Bargain with Mortals
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Product Details
Publisher: Bindery Books x Skies Press
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Formats: Paperback, Ebook
ISBN: PB: 978-1-964721-68-2; EB: 978-1-964721-67-5
Trim: 5.5 x 8.25
Page Count: 424
The Reckoning Storm, Book One
R. A. Basu
An outcast heiress. A notorious gang leader. A country on the brink of revolution.
In the colonized nation of Viryana, Poppy Sutherland lives between cultures. As the brown-skinned adopted daughter of the viceroy[ES1] , she is both rejected by white high society and alienated from the people of her native island. When she discovers her opportunistic fiancé’s plot to exile her, Poppy flees—straight into the clutches of the Jackal.
Hasan Devar, the ruthless criminal known as the Jackal, has long been targeted for his family’s divine magic, a gift the colonizers have tried to stamp out. When his brother is arrested, he seizes Poppy as leverage. But Poppy has powerful secrets—and political ambitions—of her own. As allies, they could do more than just free Hasan’s brother and keep Poppy safe. They could topple the very power structures that hold them all back.
The first book in the Reckoning Storm duology, To Bargain with Mortals is a stunning reflection on politics and purpose, blood and allegiance—and what we do with the histories we inherit.
About the Author
R. A. Basu is an Indian Canadian author from Ontario. She graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York University in 2021 and works in app development. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found playing cozy video games, fighting for her life in Pilates classes, and searching for the best matcha in the city. She currently lives in Toronto.
About the Tastemaker
Emma Skies is a content creator from Northern California, reading, reviewing, and discussing genre fiction with over 200,000 followers across various social media platforms. Emma believes storytelling in all its forms is one of the most powerful and universal ways that we process the world around us. She loves few things more than hearing that someone has found themselves in a book she shared with them.
Reviews
“An absolute triumph of epic fantasy and searing political drama, introducing a stunning new voice to the genre. Basu’s debut is a profound and intricate tale of rebellion and a meditation on the nature and nuances of power. To Bargain with Mortals demands both your love and your outrage. I devoured it.” —Ava Reid, New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning
“Full of cinematic South Asian world-building, complex colonial politics, and a clever magic system, To Bargain with Mortals is an incredible, ambitious debut. R. A. Basu has a gift for epic storytelling and an incisive eye for character dynamics that make this novel shine.” —Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi
“Basu delivers a gripping tale of resilience in a gritty but unflinching world for fans of Fonda Lee. Set in a vividly imagined, magical country scarred by colonization and exploitation, Basu’s novel explores the devastating price of freedom—and the audacious hope it requires of the people who demand their fate, stolen by their oppressors. A timely novel that is impossible to put down!” —Sarah Mughal Rana, author of Hope Ablaze
“To Bargain with Mortals is a sharp and nuanced takedown of colonialism and forced assimilation, wrapped up in magic. R. A. Basu explores colliding cultures with a deft hand. Her gorgeously cinematic writing swept me away from the start, and the smoldering chemistry between Poppy and Hasan gripped me until the end. With complex familial relationships woven into the twists and turns of the plot, every page packs an emotional punch. For readers looking for an intricate and layered world, fresh magic system, and resourceful FMC [female main character], this is not a book to be missed!” —Eli Snow, author of The Divine Gardener’s Handbook
“On its surface, To Bargain with Mortals is an exhilarating tale about the cost of revolution and legacy, rife with cleverly woven political intrigue. At its heart, it is a love letter to brown women who have sought love in places that will never love them back. This magnificent debut healed something in me.” —S. Hati, author of And the Sky Bled