K Arsenault Rivera's debut, The Tiger's Daughter, the beginning of a new epic fantasy trilogy "Rich, expansive, and grounded in human truth...simply exquisite.” ―V. E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author of the Shades of Magic series Indie Next List October 2017 Pick Paste Magazine 's 10 Most Anticipated Books in October 2017 io9 's Best Books Coming in 2017 The Verge 's SF/F Books to Read in October 2017 BookRiot 's Most Anticipated Titles of 2017 Medium 's Most Anticipated Books of 2017 Bookish 's Fall 2017's Hottest SF/F Books Even gods can be slain The Hokkaran empire has conquered every land within their bold reach―but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now, their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests. Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons. This is the story of an infamous Qorin warrior, Barsalayaa Shefali, a spoiled divine warrior empress, O Shizuka, and a power that can reach through time and space to save a land from a truly insidious evil. A crack in the wall heralds the end…two goddesses arm themselves…K Arsenault Rivera's T he Tiger’s Daughter is an adventure for the ages. Ascendant #1 The Tiger’s Daughter #2 The Phoenix Empress #3 The Warrior Moon Praise for The Tiger's Daughter "K Arsenault Rivera turns many of the standard conventions of fantasy on their heads....A love letter... lavishly chronicling how two women fall in love.... thoughtfully rendered and palpably felt." ― The Washington Post " Rivera’s immense imagination and finely detailed worldbuilding have produced a series introduction of mammoth scope." ― Publishers Weekly (starred review) " The Tiger’s Daughter sinks its claws into a reader and refuses to let them go until the very last page...As a word, ambitious sums up this debut." ― Culturess “The epistolary tale at the heart of The Tiger’s Daughter unfolds with deceptive elegance, leading the reader to a conclusion at once unexpected, touching, and apt.” ―Jacqueline Carey, author of the bestselling Kushiel's Legacy series "A layered and mesmerizing tale of love and legends, this fierce story will settle in your bones like a chill and leave your heart aching.” ―Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen "Delicate, intricate, inevitable...a stunning debut. It took my breath away.” ―Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart a Doorway K Arsenault Rivera was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, but moved to New York when she was a toddler. When not managing a nutritional supplement store in Brooklyn, K is an avid participant in the roleplaying community, from which she drew inspiration for her debut novel, The Tiger’s Daughter . She currently lives in Brooklyn with her partner. The Tiger's Daughter By K Arsenault Rivera, Miriam Weinberg Tom Doherty Associates Copyright © 2017 K Arsenault Rivera All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-7653-9253-4 Contents Title Page, Copyright Notice, Dedication, Acknowledgments, Map, The Empress: One, The Colors of the Flowers, The Empress: Two, Let The Winds of Heaven Blow, When In Dreams I Go to You, Winter Loneliness in a Mountain Village, The Empress: Three, If I Should Hear the Sound of Pine Trees, How Will I Tell Her?, The Empress: Four, The Midnight Moon, It was not for this I Prayed, Our Sleeves, wet with Tears, If It Were My Wish to Pick the White Orchid, The Empress: Five, Let me Remember Only this, The Autumn Time has Come, If I Could, I'd Come to You, The Empress: Six, An Excerpt from the Poet Prince, O-Itsuki's Unfinished Memoir, Praise for The Tiger's Daughter, About the Author, Copyright, CHAPTER 1 THE EMPRESS Empress Yui wrestles with her broken zither. She'd rather deal with the tiger again. Or the demons. Or her uncle. Anything short of going north, anything short of war. But a snapped string? One cannot reason with a snapped string, nor can one chop it in half and be rid of the problem. When she stops to think on it — chopping things in half is part of why she's alone with the stupid instrument to begin with. Did she not say she'd stop dueling? What was she thinking, accepting Rayama-tun's challenge? He is only a boy. And now he will be the boy who dueled One-Stroke Shizuka, the boy whose sword she cut in half before he managed to draw it. That story will haunt him for the rest of his life. The Phoenix Empress, Daughter of Heaven, the Light of Hokkaro, Celestial Flame — no, she is alone, let her wear her own name — O-Shizuka pinches her scarred nose. When was the last day she behaved the way an E