Stealing Thunder - by Alina Boyden (Paperback)

About the Book

"A charming dragon fantasy novel where a trans girl named Razia runs away from home, finds a community of trans women known as hijras, falls in love, and steals back her dragon. By night, Razia Khan is one of the most sought-after dancing girls in the desert city of Bikampur. Later in the night, she is its most elusive thief. When Razia finds herself dancing for the maharaja's son, the handsome prince Arjun, she knows that she's playing with fire. As a trans girl, known as a hijra, she can never be a wife to any man, and as the former crown prince of the Sultanate of Nizam, she guards her identity carefully, lest her father's assassins find her. But in the dragon-riding prince of Bikampur, Razia sees not just a ticket out of the gutter, but a kindred spirit. As their romance blossoms, Razia finds herself once more thrust into the dangerous world of politics in Daryastan, and in order to survive, she will need the skills of a courtesan, a thief, and a warrior princess"--

Book Synopsis

Protecting her identity means life or death in this immersive epic fantasy inspired by the Mughal Empire.

In a different life, under a different name, Razia Khan was raised to be the Crown Prince of Nizam, the most powerful kingdom in Daryastan. Born with the soul of a woman, she ran away at a young age to escape her father's hatred and live life true to herself.

Amongst the hijras of Bikampur, Razia finds sisterhood and discovers a new purpose in life. By day she's one of her dera's finest dancers, and by night its most profitable thief. But when her latest target leads her to cross paths with Arjun Agnivansha, Prince of Bikampur, it is she who has something stolen.

An immediate connection with the prince changes Razia's life forever, and she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous political war. The stakes are greater than any heist she's ever performed. When the battle brings her face to face with her father, Razia has the chance to reclaim everything she lost...and save her prince.

Review Quotes

Praise for STEALING THUNDER:

"STEALING THUNDER was immersive from the very first page. Razia is everything you want in a protagonist."--Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author

"This is an epic fantasy for our time, beautifully written, considerately composed, and very important in many ways. Highly recommended."--Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author

"STEALING THUNDER draws you in with its richly-detailed worldbuilding and hooks you with gripping action and suspense, but the biggest appeal is the book's themes of politics, family, and identity. This is the kind of book you'll want to share with people, so buy multiple copies."--Rob Hart, author of The Warehouse

"A breakout novel any way you choose to look at it, STEALING THUNDER features an appealing young dragon-loving heroine sure of who she is but still figuring out where she belongs. Between Razia's capers, romances, and political intrigues, Boyden weaves fantasy threads into a fascinating tapestry... I loved her fresh take on dragons and their riders."--E.E. Knight, author of Novice Dragoneer

"This delightful debut is rich with detailed worldbuilding, political intrigue, and South Asian cultural references drawn from Boyden's experience as a trans activist who has traveled in India and Pakistan. Boyden handles the story with a steady hand, and this first novel will delight romantic fantasy enthusiasts."--Library Journal (starred review)

"Come for the vivid world, stay for the intrigue, the dialogue and the top-notch character design."--BookPage

"In Razia you will find a heroine that is beautiful, strong, trustworthy, and above all resilient. Hers is a story worth reading no matter where you lie on the gender spectrum."--Black Girl Nerds

About the Author

Alina Boyden is a trans rights activist, author, and PhD candidate in cultural anthropology. As an ACLU client, her case secured healthcare rights for transgender employees in the state of Wisconsin. Her work in cultural anthropology centers on the civil rights struggles of transgender women in India and Pakistan, and consequently she divides her time between the United States and South Asia. When she's not writing, traveling, or working on her dissertation, she spends her free time indulging in two of her childhood passions - swordplay and flying airplanes.

STEALING THUNDER is her first novel.