The Unrelenting Earth

The riveting second book in “The Rages Trilogy” picks up a couple months after the events of The Surviving Sky. Ahilya and Iravan have reconciled, but their ill-fated relationship hangs by a fragile thread. They are still reeling from the truth behind the earthrages, which threatens to uproot their culture’s tenets and deep-seated conditioning. Ahilya contends with conflicting factions within the ashram, while Iravan struggles to unify with his falcon-yaksha and free the other Ecstatics. They both face a monumental task—to change the trajectory of civilization itself. Like Rao’s debut, The Surviving Sky, this is an instantly immersive epic that expands the boundaries of what fantasy can be. Hindu philosophy is integrated into a lush jungle world with complicated cosmic magic and an intricate architecture. Amid a desperate fight for survival, much of the family drama continues, driven by Ahilya’s willfulness and Iravan’s regret. They are a believably flawed middle-aged couple who add tension and a sense of reckless rage to the tone of the story.