To Bargain with Mortals

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, 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. 

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.